Motoring into the shallows to fly-fish over the beds in early May can be exciting. Big males will rise to hit the flies as they move over the nests. If the fish aren’t rising to the surface, use a small streamer and pull it through the beds. The spawning activity is weather-dependent but will produce some of the best fly-fishing action of the year.

Normal baits will attract big bluegills as well. Small larval baits, tiny jigs or even small minnows for the largest ‘gills will fill the stringer.

Four miles north of Corning, Lake Icaria covers 665 acres in Adams County. Call the Mt. Ayer Fisheries Unit at (641) 464-3108 for more information.

BRIGGS WOODS LAKE
“The 2007 fisheries survey showed bluegills in a variety of sizes with good numbers of fish between 7 and 9 inches,” said biologist Wahl. “The bluegills are in excellent condition due to the abundant food supply. The extensive weedbeds provide a lot of invertebrates that bluegills can readily take advantage of. And they’re big: The 7-inch fish weighed in at three-quarters of a pound and the 9-inchers were between 1/2 and 3/4 of a pound.”

During the spawning season, most of the ‘gills are caught in between 4 and 8 feet of water over sandy bottom bays, said Wahl. The beds are protected by larger males that will hammer a small bait dragged through the nesting areas. After the spawn is over, the fish move to the outside edge of the weed lines and suspend in the water column. A 1/32- or 1/64-ounce black jig tipped with some sort of insect larvae is the preferred bait. A small piece of night crawler or a garden worm under a float or a bobber will also take plenty of fish.

Two miles north of Webster City, Briggs Woods Lake covers 59 acres in Hamilton County. For additional information, contact the IDNR’s Clear Lake Fish Management Unit at (641) 357-3517.

SWAN LAKE
“Swan Lake is a new lake in the sense that it was renovated in 2004,” said Lannie Miller, a biologist in IDNR’s Black Hawk Fish Management Office. “It’s a 100-acre lake that, as of last spring, had hundreds of bluegills in the 8- to 9-inch range. Most of the anglers use small tube jigs or black leadhead jigs under a bobber on this lake. They usually tip the jigs with wax worms, wrigglers or Berkley Crappie Nibbles.”

According to Miller, fishing last year was hot, and this spring should be just as good.

The eastern shoreline, a favorite spawning area for bluegills, can actually be seen from the trail just south of the East Shelter beach, reported Carroll County Conservation Board Director Mark River. Post-spawn ‘gills can be found along the dropoffs on the jetties. PVC structures have been sunk around the fish house and should also make for good angling.

Swan Lake is part of the state park operated by the Carroll County Conservation Board. The lake is three miles southeast of Carroll and covers 100 acres. A cement boat ramp is available, though most of the shoreline is accessible to terrestrial anglers.

For more information, contact the IDNR’s Black Hawk Fish Management unit at (712) 657-2638 or the Carroll County Conservation Board at (712) 792-4614.

CRAWFORD CREEK LAKE
At just 62 acres, Crawford Creek Lake is tiny, but it has good numbers of bluegills in the 7- to 9-inch range. There aren’t many smaller waters that both are open to the public for fishing and support bluegills of that caliber.