The Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Fishing Report maintains a fair to good forecast for Lake Darling anglers, with catfish making their first appearance of the season on the report.

Catfish were listed as fair, mostly appearing near rocky shorelines, with the best baits being crawdads, minnows, or chicken livers.

Black crappies were also listed as fair after retreating to deeper waters this week. The report says that a yellow jig tipped with a minnow is the best bait for crappies.

Bluegills and largemouth bass were both listed as good this week. Both have largely moved off of their nests due to the recent colder weather. The report says that bass are being caught with small jigs or small crankbaits.

Water temperatures dropped to 62 degrees, down from last week’s 74, and planktonic algae began forming again this week.