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Hey anyone from Iowa. I am going to be in the Coralville area this weekend and was wondering if the Coralville lake has any good fishing. I could not find much info on it or any updated fishing reports. I have a boat but did not want to drag it along if there wasn't any good fishing there.
I've fished there a few times. I've got a lot Crappie's, but have never found any of decent size. The same goes for McBride.
If you're into Bass fishing however, there are some really nice bass in both of those lakes. I normally use the boat ramp on the North side (Sugar Bottom) and start fishing the inlet straight across.
Coralville can get very busy and overcrowded, so we sometimes ditch that and fish McBride.
Good luck, let us know how it goes.
From the Iowa DNR:
"Coralville Reservoir (Johnson): The channel catfish are moving up in
the rocks to spawn and can be caught on a variety of live baits. Action
should continue to pick up as the water temperature rises."
Remember too that McBride has a 10hp max limit on motors for the summer. So if you decide to go there instead of Coralville, you'll more than likely be stuck using your trolling motor.
I've caught some nice crappies on Mcbride, but the fish can be hard to find. Bass fishing it easier. Put in at the ramp at the primitive campground and troll around the area enclosed by the causeway and bridge. Good in the early mornings.
I don't have any experience at Coralville.
Coralville can be difficult for someone who doesn't know where the structure is. The res. is up, and there should be some structure you can see along the banks. I haven't been out for awhile, but I hear from the locals the cats are on. Crappie have been spread out.
You'll need the boat!
Scott