In the southeast Iowa fishing report for the week of May 18, good bite conditions can be seen throughout the area, with a majority of the lakes and ponds approaching water temperatures of 70 degrees.

Water temperature in Washington County’s Lake Darling was 68 degrees as of Monday, with water clarity of five feet. Black Crappie spawning happened quickly, with most having returned to 8-10 feet of water. Bluegill bite is good. With their spawning underway, most are out in 5-6 feet of water. Largemouth Bass bite is fair, with males building nests, and females remaining in deeper water.

Lake Belva Deer in Keokuk County is seeing water clarity of about 8 feet. Crappie bite is fair, as they are starting to feed in about 9 feet of water. For Bluegills, work the holes on the curlyleaf beds, as the fish made the holes while building nests. Many Largemouth Bass in the lake are moving into shallow water to guard their nests.

In Des Moines County, Crappie spawning snuck by in Big Hollow Lake, with the fish staying in deeper water. Bluegill bite is good, and can be caught in the brush piles in 3-4 feet of water using jigs or bobbers and worms. Male Largemouth Bass are on their nests, so try soft plastics tossed back up in the flooded timber near the shore over their nests.

Water clarity in the Deep Lakes in Muscatine County is 16-18 feet, resulting in good conditions for catching Bluegills and Largemouth Bass. Find a good near-shore habitat and you could catch Bluegill as big as 10 inches. Male Bass are cruising the shallows looking for a place to build a nest.

For more information on the above lakes and ponds, contact the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.