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Coralville Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Iowa City’s reservoir: Coralville holds walleye, crappie and catfish, and a spillway that exposed fossils.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
786 cfs
Air / High
96 / 96 F
Wind
SW 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05454500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Coralville Lake lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 786 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 11 mph, steady pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 96. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassFair

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 96 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Iowa River at Iowa City (below dam).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05454500.

1,5222,8884,254786 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp96 F
High / Low96 / 74 F
WindSW 11-15 mph
Pressure1010.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 6%
Sunrise / Sunset06:35 / 19:34
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 96/74 F, wind 11 mph, rain 6%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Coralville Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Coralville Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Coralville Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Iowa requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Iowa license. Walleye, crappie and catfish limits per current Iowa DNR regulations.

Access

Corps ramps, campgrounds and shoreline access around the lake; tailwater access below the dam.

About this water

A 5,000-acre Corps flood-control reservoir on the Iowa River north of Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa.

Fishing Coralville Lake: the full guide

A Corps lake with a famous spillway

Coralville Lake covers about 5,000 acres at conservation pool on the Iowa River north of Iowa City, a Corps flood-control reservoir with a claim to fame beyond fishing: major floods scoured the emergency spillway down to a 375-million-year-old fossil bed, now preserved as the Devonian Fossil Gorge. The fishery is a solid Iowa mix: walleye, crappie, white bass, channel catfish and largemouth bass.

Walleye and white bass

Walleye hold the points, rock and channel edges: jigs and minnows in spring near the inflow and the dam, trolled crawler harnesses through summer. White bass school over open water and run the Iowa River arm in spring, providing fast action. The tailwater below the dam concentrates both species and is a productive shore fishery.

Crappie and catfish

Crappie stack the timber, brush and any structure, with spring the peak and winter fishing well on the deeper brush. Channel catfish are abundant and reliable from the bank on cut and prepared baits. Water levels swing substantially with flood-control operations, sometimes dramatically after heavy rain, which changes patterns and access.

Johnson County logistics

Corps ramps and campgrounds serve the lake at several points, with extensive shoreline access and trails. Iowa City and Coralville are minutes south with full services, and the university brings a steady stream of visitors. The Devonian Fossil Gorge below the spillway is worth the walk on any trip.

Common questions

What is the Devonian Fossil Gorge?

A 375-million-year-old fossil bed exposed when floods scoured the emergency spillway: now a preserved site worth visiting.

Is the tailwater good?

Yes: the water below the dam concentrates walleye and white bass and offers productive shore fishing.

How much does the level change?

Substantially with flood control, especially after heavy rain: check conditions before planning.

Is fishing good at Coralville Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

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