Thanks Dean for figuring out how to post the pics. Anyway, I will say once again for anyone considering a trip up to the area that everyone at Everts was very helpful!

Also, I would put a few pics on here, but it wouldn’t take them (don’t know if there’s a size limitation on pics or something). If anyone knows, I would appreciate any info!

Great stuff guys- I really appreciate the info. The buffet sounds great too! Thanks for the replies so far.

I have fished the Volga for several years now, and the smallies are just as great as you said. Watch out for the holes!

Hey TIMMAY-

I live up in Waterloo, and recently found out a bit about Colo/Hickory Grove. A workmate of mine fishes and camps there regularly. He says he goes almost exclusively for gills and crappies. My family wants to try camping there if the campground/local area has a decent amount of stuff for kids to do, and if there is a showerhouse or decent bathrooms (read, not outhouses ). So waht can you tell me? I am more of a bass fisherman myself, but if the bite is hot on gills and crappies, I have no problem switching over. My friend says they get a lot of slabs in both- what’s your experience?

He he… that might have been me you saw. I fished it Monday morning on the south end of the lake and bagged my limit. They were nailing the black woolies and stone flies. I also had a black ant that was working. I know there are some decent fish in the stock. The DNR puts a few decent broods in with most stocks (according to my BIL, the super avid fly fisherman who chases them around when they stock ). I also know because I saw a few guys bring in some decent fish (probably 17″- 18″) before I got mine.

The good news is that since it’s been so dang cold, most people are probably going to leave it alone for a little while longer. With vacation from work this week, I plan to get down there early and often!

Question- does anyone know if they stock again this year? I couldn’t tell from the Manchester DNR stocking calendar. It’s rather vague, with an entry that just says “Waterloo” (no specific location, and besides, Prairie Lakes are technically in Cedar Falls).

If I get some more this week, I’ll try my hand at posting pics. Good luck!

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Thanks for the information Canoli, I fished Volga lake and the Volga river alot when I was in college at Upper Iowa. Lake Meyer that I am talking about is in Winneshiek county just west of Calmar, Ia. I have had some success at Lake Meyer but I catch alot of small fish and was wondering if anyone has had any luck catching fish of any size. Sorry it took me so long to reply but I was out of internet service for about three weeks!

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Ah, a Peacock, huh? I really like the area up there around Upper Iowa. As far as the info, no problem. The one thing I would recommend is that if you are going to fish it this spring, maybe call ahead to the Volga ranger station to find out how the water level is. If the melt comes too fast or we get too much rain, that lake’s water level always seems to shoot up quick. Then it’s practically unfishable. But when the water isn’t up, I have great success with cranks, topwaters, and especially my new favorites, Berkley Gulp! lures (I really like the Minnow Worms and 6″ and 8″ Nightcrawlers for bass). Good luck!

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Check out Bear paw. It’s on Washburn lake near Outing MN. Stayed there a couple years ago. Perfect beach, great fishing – and VERY kid friendly(we have 4). We stayed in a vintage old school(BIG LOG) cabin w/fireplace nestled between Washburn and Donut lakes. Donut is small – good for Bass & Panfish, Washburn is big-kind of like 3 seperate lakes-good for Walleye & Pike.
Check out the website http://www.bearpawvacation.com

PS: rates are $500 – 600 weekly

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This place looks really nice. Is it pretty remote? Are there towns/conveniences nearby? Are the cabins nice? I am thinking this might be perfect for a trip with 4 of us guys from NE Iowa wanting to get away for a few days and fish.

We fished Pine a lot last summer. My BIL got a 5.5 lb LM bass on the upper side, and we got a lot of 12-15″ bass. We plan to camp there this summer and really work the lakes.

I fish Volga quite a bit. The bluegill spawn is amazing there. You can catch slabs all day during the spawn using anything…poppers, cranks, twister tails, hell, I’ll bet you could use a bottle cap and rake ’em in. Great black AND white crappies too. I also like the LM bass fishing. It’s a very clean lake. You can yank in 2-3 lb’ers all morning on most summer days.

But if you REALLY want some fun, try the Volga River in nearby Fayette. Throw on a pair of waders when the water is slightly up and you can easily catch your limit of smalles. It’s a steep climb down to the “river” (calling it a river is generous at most times), but it’s worth it.

As far as Meyer Lake, do you mean Meyers Lake in Evansdale, IA? I live near there, and it’s good for gills and crappies. The only thing I don’t like about it is that there isn’t a lot of good shore fishing. You pretty much want a boat if you’re going to go after them. And the Cedar River is about 100 yds away, where I routinely catch better fish than Meyers Lake. But if gills are your thing, you could do worse.

Ugh- I have to drive semi from NE Iowa to Wausau , WI on Sunday. I hope this crap is done before then. We have 13 to 20 inches coming tonight (according to the news), and the streets have about a solid inch of ice on them now from the freezing rain. I can’t wait for the three months of summer before we get to start this all over again!

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That’s too bad. Those big trucks don’t like to slow down in those type of conditions and then this type of thing happens. I can’t believe that more wern’t hurt.

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I don’t think is true all the time. I drive truck, and no matter how slow you are going or how careful you’re being, someone else’s driving can get you into trouble just as quickly. The other day I was in Illinois doing about 40 MPH in the blowing snow on the Interstate. It was deceptively slippery. A truck whips around me and the resulting draft was enough to send my rig skidding sideways. I pulled out and no one got hurt, but it could have just as easily been worse. I sometimes think us big rig drivers drive like little old ladies out there.

Thanks for the replies so far!

I may actually try to make that Pool 4 trip if I can convince a friend of mine to go with me. He is in a local chapter of a Walleye club and travels to a lot of regional tournaments so maybe I can persuade him.

If anyone knows of other hot spots in southern MN/western WI/northwestern IL I would also love to hear about those. Again I really appreciate the info so far!

I am with you on this. My brother-in-law just moved back from Colorado, and while I had fished once with the fly rod out there, I was far from adept at using it. However, I have been taking it out with us to hit the gills and crappies this year, and talk about fun! With the occasional bass thrown in, it makes for some fun fishing. Not to mention the fact that I am getting MUCH better at my fly rod casting. We just downloaded the hatchery stocking schedules, and we’re planning on taking a day or two to hit some of the trout streams in Northeast IA in a few weeks. He’s already been up there and got some 7-8 lb broods this year. If I hooked one of those on a fly rod I don’t know what I’d do!

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It’s in George Wyth St. Park, Waterloo/Cedar Falls. Alice Wyth is a 60 acre lake in the back of the park.

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Just as a follow-up to this- you can get there by following the driving road all the way to the very end of the park. The lake is on the northwest end. There is a ramp, a fishing jetty (put there in the last few years) and a little dock there. I have never gotten more than a few small crappies out of there and there are hellacious bugs too. But I have heard of others getting decent fish out of Alice Wyth. The water in that lake seems a lot dirtier than the big lake, too.