Lower City Reservoir in Appanoose County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Appanoose County, Iowa, this is Lower City Reservoir. The water sits 935 feet up. It runs to roughly 29 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 1.1 miles of margin, front to back. Most waters listed here for Appanoose County are larger. Centerville sits 1.4 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Des Moines sits 72 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lower City Reservoir

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. County-wide records name walleye, bluegill and white crappie. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Lower City Reservoir responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 76°F in July and bottoms out near 22°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Look for the thaw near mid March; the fishing lifts straight after. From about mid March to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Lower City Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Upper City Reservoir, 0.4 miles out. Nothing on Lower City Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.