Spring fishing in the Midwest: what bites and where

What the fish do in spring

• Walleye: Prime range. Low light is best, on reefs and weed edges.
• Crappie: Schooled on deeper brush piles. Fish small jigs slowly.
• Catfish: Waking up. Channels and creek mouths, especially after rain.
• Largemouth bass: Warming up. They move toward shallow flats on sunny afternoons.
• Northern pike: Prime range. Weed edges and shallow bays.

1. Lake MacBride, Iowa

Lake MacBride spreads over some 900 acres. It lies near Solon. It holds spotted bass, muskie, walleye and catfish. Lake MacBride in Johnson County is one of the few Iowa lakes stocked with spotted bass.

Lake MacBride today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Longview Lake, Missouri

Longview Lake is a reservoir of some 930 acres. It lies near Grandview. Longview Dam holds it on the Little Blue River. It holds bluegill, largemouth bass, catfish and crappie. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Longview Lake was built between 1979 and 1985 by damming the Little Blue River southeast of Kansas City.

Longview Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Crescent Lake, Nebraska

Crescent Lake is a natural lake of 980 acres of water. You will find it near Oshkosh. It holds yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Crescent Lake is one of a dozen small natural lakes fed by groundwater within Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge in the Sandhills.

Crescent Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Metigoshe Lake, North Dakota

Metigoshe Lake spreads over about 1,150 acres. The lake is about 9.6 miles south of Bottineau. Bluegill, crappie, walleye and northern pike are the draw. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Metigoshe Lake straddles the North Dakota-Manitoba border and adjoins the Turtle Mountains' International Peace Garden area.

Metigoshe Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Sibley Lake, North Dakota

Sibley Lake covers about 1,150 acres. The lake is near Steele. Walleye and yellow perch are the draw. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Sibley Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Deer Creek Lake, Ohio

Deer Creek Lake covers about 1,170 acres. It lies within an easy drive of Columbus (about 26 miles). It holds catfish, crappie and largemouth bass. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look. Deer Creek Lake, created in 1968 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Deer Creek, is the centerpiece of Deer Creek State Park in Pickaway and Fayette counties.

Deer Creek Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Bass Lake, Indiana

Bass Lake spreads over 1,400 acres. It lies right by Bass Lake. The fish here are largemouth bass. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and an upper arm: good places to start. Bass Lake in Starke County was named for the large numbers of black bass once found there.

Bass Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Atwood Lake, Ohio

Atwood Lake is a reservoir of 1,540 acres of water. You will find it near Rockford. Atwood Dam holds it on the Indian Fork (tributary of Conotton Creek). Expect bluegill, catfish, crappie and largemouth bass. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Atwood Lake was built in 1936 by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, flooding the former community of Atwood Village in the process.

Atwood Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. Montrose Lake, Missouri

Montrose Lake covers 1,600 acres of water. The lake is within an easy drive of Lee's Summit (about 46 miles). Expect largemouth bass, white bass, catfish and crappie. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work.

Montrose Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. Box Butte Reservoir, Nebraska

At 1,600 acres of water, Box Butte Reservoir is small enough to learn in a few trips. You will find it near Chadron. Box Butte Dam holds it on the Niobrara River. It holds northern pike, walleye, largemouth bass and yellow perch. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and a sheltered cove worth a first look. Box Butte Reservoir impounds the Niobrara River in Dawes County, Nebraska.

Box Butte Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Reading the water

Before a spring trip, look at three numbers on the lake page: the water temperature, the wind and the bite windows. Together they say where the fish are and when they feed.