Outdoors Weekly Fish Tales Archive

December 7, 2007

ANNANDALE - B.J.'s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses, www.bjsbait.com (320-274-3730) A lot of lakes froze up last Friday right before the snow fell. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time when we were making ice. The snow will insulate it a bit now and it will take a little longer for the ice to form. Most should be walking out by this weekend.

ANOKA - Action's Fishing, Jack, 809 West Hwy 10, www.actionsfishing.com (763-422-4890) There is 4-5 inches on almost all of our area lakes. First ice fishing is awesome. We have rainbows and shiners.

BATTLE LAKE - Ben's Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) The bigger lakes in our area just froze over. And then we got 9 to 10 inches of snow on top of that. Nobody has been out on the ice yet. It’s just not predictable safe yet.

BEMIDJI - Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection, www.bluewater-bait.com (218-444-2248) Some guys have been getting out on Lake Bemidji, walking out only. Some of the smaller lakes have 9 inches on them. the smaller crappie lakes are going good right now, just look for the fish to be suspended near the deeper holes. The south end of Plantagenet has 3 to 4 inches of ice on it and a few are catching some perch.

BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd. (218-835-4636) Some guys are starting to get out and we’ve seen a good perch bite on Blackduck in about 8 to 12 feet of water with a few walleyes mixed in, about 1 to 3 a night. As far as ice goes, we’ve got about 6 to 9 inches around, but there is a lot of snow on top of it, about 10 inches. So it’s been hard to get around.

BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA - S&W Bait and Tackle - Home of Walleye Dans Guide Service, County Road 77 just west of Highway 371 www.sandwbait.com & www.walleyedan.com (218-829-7010) The 8-12 inches of snow we received is going to make things "quite interesting". I am thinking that it might be smart to hunt a little this week and let the cold work on making some more ice before venturing out. Although, I might head out and fish a smaller lake or two that had some good ice before all the snow came. We just returned from the Ice Fishing Show at the River Center in St. Paul, it was a HUGE success. The Arctic Armor set-up was a success and it seemed to be the talk of the show, lots of interest from lots of people. And yes we did sell a lot of suits. This technology is going to change the ice fishing scene big time. Why wouldn't you want to have a suit that COULD save your life if the dreaded did happen. Now that we are into the ice fishing season, we will be open on a more regular basis and we will also get you the updated reports on ice conditions as we get out onto the "safe" ice. I'm out to the little hill to watch the little guy do some snow boarding, should be good.

CHISAGO CITY - Frankie's Live Bait and Marine, Brad, Corner of Hwy 8 and CR 77, www.frankies.net (651-257-6334) The channel between Chisago and South Lindstrom and the bays have walkable ice on them. At the bay by the Diner Bell some have been walking out and catching a few walleyes and crappies. And guys have been going out all around Pancake Island on Sout Center and getting fish.

CROSBY - Oars-N-Mine Bait and Tackle, Jesse Williams, 22640 Hwy 6 N (218-546-6912) Ice reports for the area show that most lakes have good “foot-travel” ice, with some of the smaller lakes holding as much as 7 or 8 inches. Most reports coming in are panfish reports, yet there were a few people out chasing walleyes this past weekend as well. Some crappies were caught on Blackhoof and Perry as both lakes had good ice for fishermen to get out on. Serpent froze over on Friday, so we will have to wait and see how the ice will develop with the blanket of snow that covers the area. Pike have been caught by just about everyone that has been out whether they are fishing for them or not. Always remember to be safe and check the ice as you head out anywhere. Grouse hunters are finding lots of birds, with one group reporting an average of 3-4 birds per person per outing. Muzzleloader hunters have killed a few deer, and some of the archers in the area have reported seeing more activity in the woods the last few days. Stop in for the up-to-the-minute fishing report 7 days a week!

CROSSLAKE - Holiday of Cross Lake, 35610 Cty. Rd. 66 Crosslake, Lee (218-692-2708) Held’s Guide Service (218-820-0989) Call us for an update!

DULUTH - Fisherman's Corner, Scott, 7 miles north of Miller Mall on Hwy 53, www.fishycorner.com (218-729-5369) There was a good crappie bite going on Fish Lake before the storm, in the narrows by the high banks in about 11 feet of water using glow hooks and crappies minnows. They should start up again here shortly. There has been some reports of ice up to 8 inches thick and as thin as 3 inches, mostly it is between 5 to 6 inches. But with the snow and the slush problems, people need to be careful. There have been a few loopers caught still outside the French river. And the muzzleloaders have been doing well with the new snow.

DULUTH - Marine General, 1501 London Road, on the edge of Lake Superior, www.marinegeneral.com (218-724-8833) We were making good ice before the 12 inches of snow fell on it. Now you have to watch out for the slush situation. Fishing in the bay has been ok, with 3 to 4 inches of ice covering it, guys have been finding the walleyes in 5 to 6 feet of water. When the weather calms down enough, Lake Superior has been good for the guys dragging out small boats from shore out side the French River and trolling. The rivers are all holding fish and the shore fishing has been good. The guys pulling boats from shore should have good fishing until ice up.

ELY-Babe's Bait and Tackle, 451 W. Sheridan St., Ely, MN, first business on the left as you are entering town of Ely from the west on Hwy 169 (218-365-6930) The time that we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. We've got hard water! Smaller lakes are safe enough for foot travel and even some of the larger lakes are sporting four inches or better. Don't misconstrue this as a blanket thumbs up though, as you'll still come across some thin ice in places. We should have reasonably safe ice in the near future as we are in the throes of another cold snap with nighttime temps hovering around zero. It would still be a wise idea to carry a set of picks and a life jacket with you. Stop in the store or give us a call for up to the minute lake reports. All ice fishing tackle and related gear is on sale until December 15th.

FOREST LAKE - Mikes Bait on 8, Rich, 1/2 mile east of 35 on Hwy 8 (651-464-5150) For ice conditions, the shallow bays and channels have 4 to 6 inches, the deeper water obviously has less. So still be careful when trying to get out on the larger bodies of water. There are still some open holes on the bigger lakes. They have been fishing walleyes and panfish on the south end of Chisago off CR 83, and off Willow Point on Forest Lake. And they’ve been fishing by Hazleton on South Center Lake.

GREY EAGLE - Nancy's Bait & Tackle, Rex, 4 miles east of the Rock Tavern on Big Birch Lake, 4 miles west of Upsala (320-285-2405) Guys have been spearing on the smaller lakes around, like Twin Lake, St. Mary’s Lake and the bays on the bigger lakes. Most of the small lakes in the area have 5 to 6 inches of ice, but with the snow, you are going to get some flooding. Big Birch just froze over after the snow last weekend and Cedar Lake too, just last Monday. On McCormick Lake, guys are getting a limit of 14 inch walleyes almost every time they go out. Ice conditions and fishing reports will be changing daily right now stop in and get the full scoop. We have a full supply of all bait, including shiners.

HACKENSACK - Swanson's Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack, www.swansonsbait.com (218-675-6176) All of the boats are put away now and the ice gear is starting to creep out of the garage. The ice is still "iffy" but quickly improving. The overnight low was a few degrees below zero, as of 10 a.m. it has only risen to 3 degrees. I would guess by the weekend there will be a few adventurous anglers heading out. The really small lakes have 4" of ice in most spots. Birch Lake has 2-3" and Pleasant Lake is about the same. Leech Lake may take a few more days due to all of the deep water in Walker Bay. It appears that most of the main lake is covered but tough to say standing on shore. We have had a lot of wind the past week which has made the freeze-up slow and uneven. Check the ice as you head out and be very careful!

KABETOGAMA-NAMAKAN - Gateway Store, Phil Hart, US Hwy 53 & Co Rd 122, 30 miles south of Int'l Falls-Canadian border, kabfishingreport.com (218-875-2121) Lots of snow and thin ice is limiting the fishing and spearing. A few bays, Tom Cod, Duck and Irwin, will withstand the weight of portable houses, but caution is needed. The recent snow is slowing ice development; however, next week's cold forecast should help the process. Northern pike activity for the weekend has been off to a slow start for spearing and angling - walleye anglers are waiting for a little more ice before venturing out. Grouse hunting is at a standstill with the recent snow, however, we have registered a few deer by muzzleloader enthusiasts. Fisher and Pine Martin trapping season has ended with disappointing results. Most trappers had little if any activity with their sets.

LAKE OF THE WOODS - Area Tourism Bureau, Denelle Hovde , near Junction of Hwy 11 and Hwy 172 in Baudette, www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com (1-800-382-FISH) Winter has arrived at Lake of the Woods and so has the ice. Four Mile Bay has 6-7 inches of ice, and limits of fish are being caught by those willing to venture out. Morris Point has 5-7 inches while Zippel Bay is at 5-9 inches. Reports are that the lake has 6-9 inches of ice, and people have been walking out 20 feet. The Lake of the Woods area received 4-5 inches of snow over the weekend. The snowmobile trails have not been groomed yet, but we hope to have enough snow by the weekend to start grooming.

LEECH LAKE - Anderson's Resorts, Tim, www.andersonsleech-lake.com (1-800-516-0077) There is 6 plus inches of ice on the main (big part) of Leech right now. People are fishing in and around Shingobee Bay and starting to go out by Sand Point, mostly on foot and some on 4 wheelers. Most people are going after sunfish and perch right now, we also got blessed with some snow about 6 inches. There are still some open spots in Walker Bay (deep), so stay clear of there. Come enjoy Leech Lake with us.

METRO AREA EAST - Blue Ribbon Bait & Tackle, Oakdale, Josh, www.blueribbonbait.com (651-777-2421) The metro ice is questionable still, be careful if you venture out.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Chris Kuduk’s Guide Service (320-630-1761) The ice is on the bays on Mille Lacs, guys should be getting out doing some perch fishing this weekend. There are a lot of people fishing on the south end. Call your resort and check on the latest. Anne Lake they have been getting out on too.

MILLE LACS LAKE - Malmo Market, Lynwood Elliott, State Hwy 47 and 18 East, NE corner of Mille Lacs (320-684-2295) We have about 6 inches of ice up here on Mille Lacs, and lots of snow. The small lakes have about 8 or 9 inches. All the groomers are out and the trails are looking good. Guys are starting to walk out on the Garrison side a little bit and on the north end and getting some walleyes.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Johnson's Portside, Kelly or Steve, 1 mile north of Isle on Hwy 47 SE side of the lake, www.johnsonsportside.com (320-676-3811) Well after the snow has passed, we didn’t get hurt, and the early ice is still hanging in strong in the bays, Yup it is true, the cold temps have finally froze the bays enough to let you take a walk out and do a little early ice fishing, as most of you anglers know that early ice is awesome bite. This weekends weather is looking mighty chilly, so lets make ice!

LAKE MINNETONKA - Wayzata Bait & Tackle, Tim or Bob, half mile west off I-494 on Hwy 12 (952-473-2227) Still open water on the lake, at the most, some places had 3-4 inches, but check as you go, the ice is very inconsistent. Check it ever step.

NISSWA - Dave's Sportland Bait & Tackle, Jason, 2 miles south of Nisswa at the Intersection of Hwy 371 and Cty Rd 77, next to Schaefer's Foods, www.sportlandbait.com (218-963-2401) The start of the ice fishing season is here. But with the new ice we also have received a blanket of new snow, about 10 inches of the fluffy white stuff. It should make the lakes a little tough for travel. Some of the bigger lakes like Gull and Whitefish did not freeze over completely before we had all the snow. So we should be in good shape there after they seal up for good. Some of the smaller lakes and bays have 2-6 inches of good ice under the new snow. Ice thickness really varies so please use extreme caution as you head out during the next few weeks. A few anglers have been out on Round, North Long, the Gull Chain, and the bays on Pelican. They have been catching a few fish. Walleyes have been biting pretty good on small jigging spoons tipped with fatheads. Crappies are hitting small crappie minnows. So far the best bite has been in the evening.

LAKE OSAKIS – Buck Point Resort on the N.W. corner of the lake, Brad, 115 miles west of Twin Cities on I-94W, take Hwy 3 North out of Osakis to Hwy 10 West, www.lakeosakisresorts.com (320-859-2530) Please contact Fisherman’s Corner Bait Shop at 320-859-2181 for the latest fishing reports. Thanks from the Lake Osakis Resorts.

PELICAN RAPIDS - Park Region Sport Shop, Lee Brenna, Intersection of Interstate 59 and 108 in downtown Pelican Rapids (218-863-5701) Things were looking good, we had 7 to 8 inches of ice on the area lakes, and then we got the snow. That will certainly put a damper on the ice making, but the temps are still low enough that some is being made. Guys are still getting out, but be careful with the slush and snow on the ice. South Lida and North Lida, particularly in Bass Harbor and off the clay point, guys are catching some walleyes.

RAINY LAKE - Rainy Lake Tourism, www.rainylake.org (1-800-FALLS-MN) Safety First! That’s the word everyone has for early season ice fishing. Some have been out in calm bays where they’re finding enough ice to fish through, but there are many areas with current where there’s very thin ice or no ice at all. Lows below zero are predicted for several days into the future and that will make ice. But you will still want to put safety first, don’t venture too far on the ice and be prepared should you break through. Even though some anglers say they got out on the ice to give it a try, few have reported catching any fish. It’s probably going to be best to wait a week or two when ice conditions might get you closer to more likely spots. Snowmobile trails are not yet groomed, but people are getting out and running their sleds. Sledders are generally avoiding swampy or wet areas while waiting for more freezing weather to firm things up. The International Voyageurs Snowmobile club provides an up-to-date trail report on their website www.ridetheborder.com

RED WING - Ike's Bait & Tackle, Ken, 2109 Old W Main St, Red Wing (651- 388-2111) Still biting by the dam, but you have to put in on the Wisconsin side. In Frontenac pond, they have been starting to ice fish for panfish there and some tip-up fishing. Some are getting out in Baypoint park too between the docks, by this weekend guys might be pulling portables out. Check the ice before you go or give the shop a call for the current conditions.

SAINT CLOUD - Stop Light Bait, 45 8th Avenue SE, St. Cloud (320-255-9689) Ice fishermen in our area began fishing on several area lakes last week and have reported to us that northerns, walleyes and crappies have been biting. Ice conditions and thickness are varying from lake to lake; some lakes are still not safe to fish on. Fishermen have been fishing on Briggs, Julia, Lake Edwards and Mayhew. Briggs Lake and Horseshoe Lake fishermen have been catching some crappies along with some sunfish. A few anglers are going to Pearl Lake for northerns and crappies. Walleye fishermen might want to try Lake Alexander and Lake Edwards. We are still taking in deer hides and our drawing for our prizes of our rifle and compound bow will be held the week before Christmas.

SAINT PETER - Hermies Bait, Brad, 43539 French Hill Rd. St.Peter MN 56082 (507-931-6875) Ice is still pretty iffy; you shouldn’t be wandering out yet. Maybe by the weekend guys will start to venture out, but be careful.

SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA - Axel's Tackle Box, Axel, 2 blocks north of Hwy 60 on Hwy 13, next to Casey’s, on Lake Sakatah in Waterville, www.axelstacklebox.com (507-362-4444) Ice thickness is about 5 inches on the area lakes with the exception of Tetonka with about 1", hopefully this coming weekend (Dec 8-9) it will be OK to get out on all the lakes with some degree of safety. The last storm we had wasn't much good for making ice. As far as fishing goes Lake Elysian is reporting some walleye keepers in the 16-19" range. Call before you go out to your area lake, no matter where it is at in the state. The Bait shops in your area will have a pretty good idea of the ice conditions.

UPPER RED LAKE - White Birch Resort, Monte Sharbono, vacation@whitebirchresort.net (218-835-4552) ATV’s have been out on the lake about 1 mile and the ice is about 8 to 10 inches thick. The snow seems to be insulating the ice causing it not to freeze as well in some areas, that's where the difference in thickness comes in. There may be a few slushy spots caused by the weight of the snow, the slush is only about 2 inches deep and is not a problem getting through. There have been a few people out fishing and the reports have all been good, walleyes and a crappie here and there. For now, just ATV's and snowmobile traffic is advised, but it won't be long and we will be driving out. Good luck and be safe!

WACONIA - Mase's In Towne Marine, Cindy, corner of Lake and Elm (952-442-2096) We still have some open water out on the lake. Until we can get some good fishable ice, the shop will remain closed. Please call our number for daily updates.

WINNIBIGOSHISH – Walleye Visions, Tom Neustrom, 21622 Airport Rd, Grand Rapids www.mnfishingpros.com (218-327-2312) The cold weather of this past week was a saving grace for the opening of the Northern Pike Spearing season on Saturday, and there was enough ice on many of the Lakes to get folks out. On Big Winnie, some of the anglers did fair up in the Third River area, but the water clarity wasn't the best. With a lot of wind just prior to freeze up it made the water a little turbid, but those conditions will change soon. One additional problem, we got about 8-10 inches of snow on the weekend, bu at least it was of the lighter variety and not heavy wet snow. Some of the smaller lakes in the area had some decent bluegill and crappie fishing and Little Cutfoot turned out some nice Bluegills for those walking out off the DNR fishing pier. I think by next week we'll have better reports with additional anglers getting out. No ice is ever safe, but be extra careful right now and don't venture too far offshore. Make sure you take an ice spud with and poke it on the ice in front of where you're walking. Make sure you tell someone where you're going.