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Rathbun Lake Fishing Report

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

Iowa's ocean: the state's big Corps reservoir, grinding out walleye, crappie and wipers across wind-swept southern-Iowa flats.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
94 / 94 F
Wind
SSW 13 mph

Sources: 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.

Rathbun Lake offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 13 mph, steady pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 94. 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 97 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.

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.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp94 F
High / Low94 / 74 F
WindSSW 13-17 mph
Pressure1010.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:41 / 19:39
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 · Overcast, 94/74 F, wind 13 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 13 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Rathbun 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 Rathbun 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 Rathbun Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Walleye led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Walleye led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 12 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 15-inch minimum typical: confirm current DNR. Wiper limits combined with white bass.

Access

Honey Creek SP and resort ramps, Rolling Cove, Buck Creek, Island View: Corps ramps ring the lake.

About this water

11,013 acres on the Chariton River, Appanoose County, IA. Home of Iowa's walleye hatchery.

Fishing Rathbun Lake: the full guide

Big water for Iowa

Rathbun spreads 11,000 acres across the Chariton River hills: southern Iowa's ocean and its most serious multi-species program. The state runs a walleye hatchery on its shore (Rathbun eggs stock half of Iowa), wipers patrol the wind-blown points, and the crappie fleet works timbered coves that hold fish every month of the year.

Walleye at the source

Fishing the hatchery's home water pays: April jigs on the riprap and rock faces (the dam and the causeways), summer harnesses over the 12-20-ft flats, October blades on the points. Wind is the ally: the flats stack windward bait and the gold follows: the walleye chop doctrine translated into Iowa.

Wipers on the wind

Rathbun's hybrid stripers chase shad across the main-lake points in summer dawn blitzes: slabs and swimbaits when the surface breaks, trolled cranks along the old river channel after. The 8-12-lb class pulls like the lake's weather: strong and sudden.

Crappie in the timber

Flooded timber up the Chariton and South Fork arms holds the crappie program: spring at 4-8 ft in the buckbrush, summer schools on the 15-20-ft channel-edge trees, winter stacked deep in the bends. Spider rigs and jig dippers share the coves: Honey Creek's marina and state-park infrastructure make it a family fishery with real results.

Common questions

Why is Rathbun called Iowa's ocean?

Size and wind: 11,000 open acres in hill country builds real waves and real fisheries. It is the state's closest thing to big-water walleye and wiper fishing.

When do Rathbun wipers surface?

June-September at dawn on the main-lake points: watch for shad sprays. Slabs cast past the school and burned back convert the show into hookups.

Is fishing good at Rathbun 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

Red Rock Lake37 miSaylorville Lake72 miCoralville Lake93 miLake MacBride95 miCedar River101 miMark Twain Lake110 mi
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