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Lake MacBride Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Lake Macbride: a 940-acre Johnson County lake that Iowa DNR calls a premier wiper fishery and the only Iowa lake with spotted bass.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~55 F est.
Air / High
75 / 75 F
Wind
SSE 10 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Lake MacBride feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 10 mph, falling pressure near 1021 hPa and a high of 75. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:42 AM-11:42 AM and 10:11 PM-12:11 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Largemouth bassExcellent

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60Β°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

White bassGood

The spring run happens in this band: tributaries, shoals and the upper ends of reservoirs as the water reaches about 55Β°F.

CrappieGood

Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Hybrid striped bassGood

In spring, windblown shorelines, riprap and dams during the shad spawn (May in Oklahoma); in fall, the pre-winter feed on the same kind of banks.

Tomorrow: Similar at 75 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Iowa requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $22.00 for residents. What a Iowa licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing walleye here? Check the size and bag limits with Iowa DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Iowa, read off the agency, are on the Iowa seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low75 / 47 F
WindSSE 10-15 mph
Pressure1020.8 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain1% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset07:28 / 18:12
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Lake MacBride this week

Today is the pick of the week on Lake MacBride, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
9:42 AM-11:42 AM and 10:11 PM-12:11 AM
Minor period
4:05 AM-5:05 AM
Sun
07:28 to 18:12
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 10 mph
Rain chance
2%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: the spring run up the tributaries, then summer surface schools

A silvery temperate bass of rivers and large reservoirs, also called sand bass, that schools in open water after shad and runs up tributaries to spawn in early spring. The spring run happens in this band: tributaries, shoals and the upper ends of reservoirs as the water reaches about 55Β°F.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Hybrid striped bass illustration

Hybrid striped bass

Best: the spring shad spawn and fall; summer at dawn and dusk

A hatchery cross of striped bass and white bass, also called wiper or palmetto bass, stocked by state agencies into reservoirs and rivers as a sport fish that also eats gizzard shad. Schools roam open water after shad. In spring, windblown shorelines, riprap and dams during the shad spawn (May in Oklahoma); in fall, the pre-winter feed on the same kind of banks.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60Β°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

When to come: the Lake MacBride 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
Crappie
Largemouth bass
Hybrid striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Muskellunge
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 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 Lake MacBride today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 5 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 72 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 fishing license. Iowa DNR's lake page lists: largemouth and spotted bass 15 in. minimum, 3 black bass a day combined; muskellunge 40 in., 1 a day; walleye, sauger and saugeye 5 a day combined; crappie 25 a day combined; catfish 8 a day combined. Motorboats may not exceed 5 mph at any time of year, and from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day they are limited to 10 hp.

Access

Lake Macbride State Park has two units: the northern unit at the end of County Road F-16, 4 miles west of Solon (boat ramps, beach, boat rental, modern campground, park office) and the southern unit off County Road F-28 by Fifth Street in Solon (boat ramps, non-modern campground). Iowa DNR lists a fishing jetty, an accessible fishing pier and fish cleaning stations at the main boat ramp and the South Campground boat ramp.

About this water

Lake Macbride, a 940-acre constructed lake in Lake Macbride State Park, Johnson County, Iowa, with a maximum depth of 45 feet.

Fishing Lake MacBride: the full guide

Wipers, spotted bass and musky

Iowa DNR describes Lake Macbride as a constructed lake known for its crappie and wiper fishery, and the only lake in Iowa with spotted bass. Its September 11, 2026 fishing summary calls the wiper fishery premier, with typical catches of 3 to 6 pounds, frequent 10-pounders and potential for 15-pound fish. The musky population is improving, with survey fish averaging 36 inches and the largest in the upper 40s. Spotted bass make up 30 to 40 percent of the bass, mostly 10 to 14 inches.

Walleye, crappie and the rest

The same summary says walleye numbers are strong, with most catches 13 to 18 inches and some fish up to 10 pounds, though they can be tricky to catch. Crappie are very abundant, mostly white crappie of 9 to 11 inches. White bass numbers are at a recent peak, mostly 13 to 16 inches. Largemouth are plentiful at mid sizes but rarely top 6 pounds, channel and flathead catfish are fewer but of good size, and bluegills are mostly 5 to 7 inches.

Stocking

DNR records show walleye fry stocked almost every spring (about 980,000 in 2026), wiper fry stocked yearly (500,000 in 2026), advanced walleye fingerlings in the fall and muskellunge most years (490 twelve-inch fish in 2025).

The state park

The lake lies in Lake Macbride State Park, named after Thomas Macbride, whom the DNR calls the father of Iowa conservation. The park page names spotted bass as the prized catch and lists walleye, channel catfish and muskie as popular, fished from the accessible fishing pier or a fishing jetty as well as from boats. Pontoons, motorboats, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards can be rented at the beach.

Common questions

What is Lake Macbride best known for?

Iowa DNR says it is known for crappie and wipers, calls the wiper fishery premier, and notes it is the only lake in Iowa with spotted bass.

Is Lake Macbride a no-wake lake?

In effect, yes: the state park says motorboats must not exceed 5 mph at any time of year, and a 10 hp limit applies from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Does Lake Macbride hold muskies?

Yes. DNR stocks muskellunge most years and describes an improving population, with survey fish averaging 36 inches and the biggest in the upper 40s. The minimum length to keep one is 40 inches.

Is fishing good at Lake MacBride right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Coralville Lake6 miCedar River14 miTurkey River66 miRed Rock Lake79 miRathbun Lake95 miMississippi River Pool 9101 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 41.7970, -91.5667 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 6, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 6, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.