Greg Keefer.

APRIL
Muskies,
Three Mile Lake
This lake is known for walleyes and largemouth bass, as well as its developing muskie fishery. It’s the muskies that rule the lake and are quickly gaining popularity.

Fishing the structure is key. Muskies are ambush hunters and will stay concealed alongside structure until a hapless creature ventures too close.

The lake is loaded with weed edges, fallen timber, earth mounds that were constructed as fish structure and shoreline features including submerged vegetation.

Three Mile Lake has a decent number of fish from 35 inches all the way up to 45 inches. Tempt these fish with 7-inch minnow lures, large spoons, big in-line spinners and the largest soft-plastic lures that you can find on a half-ounce jighead.

The 880-acre lake lies three miles north of Afton in Union County. Contact the IDNR’s Mt. Ayr fish management station at (641) 464-3108 for more information.

MAY
Crappies, Prairie Rose Lake
Crappie populations are cyclical and Prairie Rose is on the upswing, both for numbers and sizes of papermouths. The lake should be very productive with lots of larger fish. Two years ago, an IDNR survey showed good numbers of fish from 7 to 8 inches, and they’re likely to be a lot longer than that in 2008.

Prairie Rose crappies usually spawn in May, and this is the best time to target them. The fish will be shallow and relating to vertical woody or plant cover. Once the spawn is over, they’ll disperse into deeper water.

Use the smallest jigs you can find. Hair, feather or plain jigs tipped with a small minnow are deadly on these fish. Riprap or other shoreline cover attracts spawners around the lake but especially in the bays. Move down the lake to deeper dropoffs as spring progresses.

Part of Prairie Rose State Park, Prairie Rose covers 204 acres in Shelby County. For more information, contact the Prairie Rose State Park at (712) 773-2701.

JUNE
Bullheads, North Twin Lake
Bullheads are often overlooked as a game fish but can be as tasty as a channel cat when they’re properly cooked. Some anglers have discovered the excellent fishing on North Twin Lake, but the water is still underexploited.

Lots of 1-pounders swim North Twin Lake, and they’re easy to catch. Shoreline fishing with an earthworm on the bottom is as easy as it gets, though anglers can get fancier if they like.

Cut bait, shrimp, stink baits and just about anything else edible will be picked up and swallowed faster than you can set the hook. Chicken livers, night crawlers and insects weighted to lay on the lake bottom are all go-getters when it comes to big bulls, and the supply of these fish never seems to run out. Most of the fish end up with the hook in their throats, so it’s a good idea to have a hook disgorger.

Try the shallow shoreline on the northern half of the lake. The bullheads are nocturnal, so arrive just before nightfall to cash in on the action.

North Twin Lake covers 453 acres in Calhoun County four miles north of Rockwell City. For more information, contact the Twin Lakes State Park at (712) 657-8712.