Outdoors Weekly Fish Tales Archive

December 14, 2007

ANNANDALE - B.J.'s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses, www.bjsbait.com (320-274-3730) The northerns are running, the water is clear, you can see 9 to 10 feet down. The spearers are seeing a lot of bass and getting some sunnies. We’ve seen a few atvs out there, the last ice to form is about 3-5 inches now, it really depends on the thickness of the snow.

ANOKA - Action's Fishing, Jack, 809 West Hwy 10, www.actionsfishing.com (763-422-4890) Well, we're off to a good start as far as walkable ice goes. Area lakes had 5-7 inches of ice under all that snow we got. Some slushy spots, but overall safe to walk on. Some lakes are safe to snowmobile on, but call for specific lake info. We have nice minnows!

BATTLE LAKE - Ben's Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) People have been getting out on the first breaks on Ottertail Lake on the Ottertail City side, out to about 15 to 18 feet of water, and they have catching some walleyes and perch. On the big lakes, be careful… the ice thickness can differ from 2 to 9 inches. The sunfish have been biting on waxies in about 12 feet of water, about the first break, on Wall, Deer, East Lost and Blanch Lakes. And reports are that a few crappies have been caught on Deer Lake too. Nobody has been out on Clitheral yet due to the iffy ice conditions.

BEMIDJI - Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection, www.bluewater-bait.com (218-444-2248) The reports have been good on Plantagenet, the ice is about 7 to 8 inches thick and they have been getting some perch and walleyes out there on fatheads. Some have also been going out on Lake Bemidji which also has about 7 to 8 inches of ice. They’ve also been getting some walleyes and perch. Some reports of small vehicles driving out on Lake Irving, and they have been catching some northerns and walleyes out there. Up on Upper Red, they are getting walleyes too. The muzzleloading season ended well for the guys still getting out.

BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd. (218-835-4636) Not a lot of guys have been getting out, a few have been on Blackduck catching a few fish, some walleyes, perch and bluegills. Most were caught in 8 to 14 foot water. The snow is not letting the ice form. Blackduck has only 8 to 10 inches on it even after all the cold weather we’ve had. On some of the small lakes, the ice is in worse shape. Gilstad and Rabideau have about 5 inches on them.

BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA - S&W Bait and Tackle - Home of Nisswa Guide League, County Road 77 just west of Highway 371, www.sandwbait.com (218-829-7010) The 8-12 inches of snow is making things quite interesting. Try a smaller lake or two that had some good ice before all the snow came. Call us for details.

CHISAGO CITY - Frankie's Live Bait and Marine, Brad, Corner of Hwy 8 and CR 77, www.frankies.net (651-257-6334) The channel and the South Lindstrom bay out in front of the Dinner Bell have been producing. There is about 5 to 6 inches of ice out there. Sunrise opened last Saturday and the pike bite has been good. The crappies have been biting in the evening at whispering bay. And on North Center off hwy 8 the walleyes and crappies have been biting. The ice is not even all over, so check it as you go.

CROSBY - Oars-N-Mine Bait and Tackle, Jesse Williams, 22640 Hwy 6 N (218-546-6912) Ice conditions have varied throughout the area, yet most lakes have fishable ice, though most of the action is foot-travel only right now. Most flooded areas on the lakes have frozen, thus making the top layers of ice cloudy yet easier to walk on. The best walleye reports are coming from Pelican, with the south end putting out lots of small fish. A slip bobber rigged with a small shiner or fathead seems to be your best bet as the fish are slightly sluggish with the fluctuating conditions. Pike are smacking suckers under tip-ups along the weeds and on the flats, and are being caught by walleye fishermen on a regular basis in deep water. Some crappie and sunfish have been biting on lakes such as Blackhoof and Manhomen, although the fish have been on the small side. We have not received many reports from our darkhouse anglers yet, as many of them are waiting for the ice to allow access to their better spots. Stop in for the up-to-the-minute 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) On Cross and the Whitefish Chain, very few people have been getting out. There is only 3 to 4 inches ice out there. On Pelican Lake, some have been out, but the ice varies from 10 to 4 inches. Mainly foot traffic only right now on our area lakes. Most guys have been tip up fishing. Round Lake has been giving up some walleyes. We are not recommending any vehicle traffic on lakes at all.

DULUTH - Fisherman's Corner, Scott, 7 miles north of Miller Mall on Hwy 53, www.fishycorner.com (218-729-5369) Fish Lake by high banks resort, in about 11 to 12 feet of water has been good. Some nice walleyes have been caught and a few crappies out by the deep hole. Pike Lake has been popular, there is 7 to 10 inches of ice out there. They’ve been catching fish in 20 to 22 feet of water, mainly walleyes and perch starting at about 3 pm and going until dark. Boulder Lake has been steady in the Silver Fox area, there is mostly 8 to 9 inches of ice out there. On Superior, guys are getting a few loopers in front of the rivers from shore. And we’ve heard some reports of guys getting the walleyes on the St. Louis River.

DULUTH - Marine General, 1501 London Road, on the edge of Lake Superior, www.marinegeneral.com (218-724-8833) Guys have been trolling on Lake Superior up the north shore, there is no ice out on the big lake, but the ramps are closed up. So guys have been dragging small 12 to 14 foot boats out from shore and getting some loopers, salmon and lakers. From shore, they’ve been picking up a few fish off the points and the river mouths from Duluth up to Two Harbors. Looper bugs and waxies or crawlers off the bottom have been producing. The river system has been producing some walleyes, there is about 4 to 7 inches of ice on it. The inland lakes have about 11 inches of ice with about 4 inches of water on it. North of Duluth, up past the lake affect snow band, there is a good 12 inches of ice on the lakes.

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 for hard water fishing has finally arrived. Good numbers of JUMBO perch are being reported as well as consistent catches of walleyes. The ice is still iffy in many places, but if you exercise reasonable care and check the thickness as you venture out there are many bays that have a good solid six inches. While the ice is not safe for vehicular traffic, dragging a portable shelter out can be very rewarding. With nighttime temps still below zero, the ice should be building quite nicely. Try using a few waxies on a small jig or spoon for the perch, or use live minnows suspended just off bottom to catch both the perch and walleyes. Jigging Rapalas and Chubby Darters are snagging the bigger active eyes. Prime fishing hours are between 3:00-6:00 p.m. Call or stop in at Babes in Ely for up to the minute lake conditions and fishing updates.

FOREST LAKE - Mikes Bait on 8, Rich, 1/2 mile east of 35 on Hwy 8 (651-464-5150) We have 5 to 7 inches of ice pretty much everywhere. We have been getting some walleyes on Forest Lake with a jig and a shiner. And there has been some action in the channel. Crappies on the S. end of Chisago and on North Center. Bigger sunnies have been coming out of the south end of Chisago on waxies. About 6 to 8 inches of snow on the lakes, we’ve seen some 4 wheeler traffic on some lakes, we don’t recommend it.

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) Hunters Bay on Big Birch Lake has a good sunnie bite going and good safe ice too. On the main part of the lake, there is water sandwiched between two sheets of ice, so be careful with 4 wheelers and snowmobiles. Big Swan has 4-6 inches of ice on it; they’ve been getting some walleyes out there on shiners. And McCormic Lake has been good too for walleyes. The panfish are biting on Moose Lake. There is some bad ice out in front of the access on Cedar Lake, so be careful there. Mostly it has been just foot traffic on the main part of the lakes and that is all we can recommend at this point. Shiners have been the bait of choice for walleyes so far.

HACKENSACK - Swanson's Bait & Tackle, Jim Tuller, Hwy 371 on the north end of Hackensack, www.swansonsbait.com (218-675-6176) Ice conditions are improving but still not safe everywhere. The reports that I am hearing range from 2-10" depending on where you are. Birch Lake and Pleasant Lake seem to be the most consistent, 6-8" in most spots. Check as you go though, there are still thin spots. Leech Lake's ice seems best on Pine Point with 6", Walker Bay has 2-3." There is quite a bit of snow on the ice insulating it and also causing some wet, slushy spots. There are a few Perch being caught on Leech and some Panfish and small Northerns on Birch and Pleasant Lake. The Walleye report has been spotty, a few fish a night, nothing consistent yet though. Spearing Northerns on Leech Lake and Winnie is going well, a lot of reports of nice fish and good numbers of them. Good Luck and Be 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) A full week of mid-winter weather visited with a vengeance last week. Snow and temperatures in excess of 20 degrees below zero tested the durability of anglers and hunters. Lake ice thickness varies and as of this writing it remains unpredictable. Many bays have excess of 8” of ice where as channels and the main lake remain unsafe with 2-4” of ice. The National Park Service will check ice thickness early next week. Northern pike was the only action on Kabetogama this past week. Spearing enthusiasts and folks using tip-ups had moderate success, but this winters season is sluggish at this time. Reports of a 43” and a 45” northern lead the way for bragging rights. Shallow bays on Kabetogama remain the safest areas to fish, reefs holding walleyes are still off limits for safety reasons, perhaps this time next week conditions will be better. Muzzle loader hunters finished off the season, nothing spectacular to report.

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) Check our web site for the latest!

LEECH LAKE - Anderson's Resorts, Tim, www.andersonsleech-lake.com (1-800-516-0077) Pine Point and Sand Point are both very active with people and early walleyes, ice is getting thicker but I have heard that a lot of people are running into slush pockets with their 4 wheelers making tough going. So if you have a snowmobile and portable you can cash in on some great early fishing. White jigs tipped with minnow seems to be the hot bait right now. Good fishing!

METRO AREA EAST - Blue Ribbon Bait & Tackle, Oakdale, Josh, www.blueribbonbait.com (651-777-2421) Most all of the small lakes are producing panfish right now, Lake Jean and Peltier have been good and for walleyes try Phalen or White Bear Lakes.

MILLE LACS LAKE – Chris Kuduk’s Guide Service (320-630-1761) The perch are biting in Wigwam Bay out from Northstar resort. They have a 4 wheeler trail plowed out from their access. Anglers have had success jigging spoons with waxies and minnow heads. There is about 7 to 8 inches of ice out there. Anne Lake has been producing some crappies and sunnies too.

MILLE LACS LAKE - Malmo Market, Lynwood Elliott, State Hwy 47 and 18 East, NE corner of Mille Lacs (320-684-2295) Call us for the latest!

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) Hello, anglers, and welcome back to Ice fishing on Lake Mille Lacs. This past weekend proved that the ice depths are slowly thickening. With the bay areas reporting a solid 10-12 inches and the further out a 7-9 inch depth. Most resorts on the east side have started to make roads. A few perch being reported in 9-12 foot, on the rocks.

LAKE MINNETONKA - Wayzata Bait & Tackle, Tim or Bob, half mile west off I-494 on Hwy 12 (952-473-2227) The lake is having a hard time making ice with all the snow on it. You might find 6 inches of ice in one spot, and 1 inch in another. Grays Bay has about 6 inches on the shore and out 3 inches in the middle. So check as you go, the cold weather may not be making as much ice as you think.

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 on our lakes during the next weeks. Anglers have been out on Round, North Long, Gull Chain, and the bays on Pelican. 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) Some good reports coming from the north end in front of the Head of the Lakes Resort on the grass flats, the walleyes and the northerns have been biting. And there have been some crappies mixed in with the walleyes. In the town bay, guys have been spearing some northerns. We have 8 inches of ice on the bays and sand flats, it gets thinner as you head towards the middle of the lake. Stop in at Fisherman’s Corner bait shop for some more up to date reports or call 320-859-2181.

PELICAN RAPIDS - Park Region Sport Shop, Lee Brenna, Intersection of Interstate 59 and 108 in downtown Pelican Rapids (218-863-5701) More guys have been getting out fishing and we are seeing atvs out on the lake. There is quit a bit of slush around the edges. Fishing has been good on Lida, Prairie and Pelican, but it’s been hard getting out. We have heard of as much as 12 inches of ice out there if you can get past the slushy shorelines. 7 inches has been the least amount around that we have heard of, mostly there is around 8 to 9 inches of ice.

RAINY LAKE - Rainy Lake Tourism, www.rainylake.org (1-800-FALLS-MN) Safety First! Some spearhouses are starting to show up on protected bays where the ice is thick enough to support them and some folks have used portable gear to fish through the ice. However, most of Rainy Lake has thin snow covered ice and there is still open water. Patience may be the best bet for ice angling; the frigid weather will be making ice. Several cross-country ski trails have been groomed and are getting use. Skiers are asking hikers to refrain from walking on the designated ski trails; there are several other trails suitable for hiking near and within Voyageurs National Park. Snowmobile trails are not yet groomed, but people are getting out and running their sleds. The International Voyageurs Snowmobile club provides an up-to-date trail report on their website www.ridetheborder.com and usually posts an update after the groomers get a chance to tackle the trails. Some low area is not yet frozen up enough to support the groomers.

RED WING - Ike's Bait & Tackle, Ken, 2109 Old W Main St, Red Wing (651- 388-2111) Docks in Baypoint have been producing some crappies; there is about 4 inches of ice down there. Haven’t heard about any back water fishing… ramps are closed so the river fishing is done. Frontenac pond has been good for northerns with tip-ups and minnows.

SAINT CLOUD - Stop Light Bait, 45 8th Avenue SE, St. Cloud (320-255-9689) The ice conditions that are reported to us are varying from lake to lake. The ice thickness varies from 5 inches to 11 inches further north. Snow and slush on top of the ice are creating problems. Northerns are being caught on Pearl Lake, Long Lake, and the Horseshoe Chain. Walleyes have been biting on Little Rock Lake and Lake Alexander. Crappies and sunnies have been biting on Briggs, Julia, sugar and Cedar Lakes. New ice fishing equipment continues to arrive in our store. We are still taking deer hides and our grand prize drawing is only a week away. The end of the muzzleloader season produced some happy hunters. The deer harvest in our area was definitely down from last year, were as the harvest numbers for the northern part of the state look to be better then last year.

SAINT PETER - Hermies Bait, Brad, 43539 French Hill Rd. St.Peter MN 56082 (507-931-6875) Starting to walk out, some 4 wheelers and some houses out. Sunnies and crappies on mud bay on Washington, 8 inches of good ice. Witta lake, the walleyes are biting there. We are making good ice.

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 has been real good here due to the shortage of snow predicted for us. Crappies and perch are being caught near the beach on Tetonka, as well as some 'gators getting harpooned. Lake Elysian has been good to the walleye fisherman in the evening hours using shiners and fats. Make sure you have a buddy while going on new ice for awhile until all the ice is the same thickness. Call ahead for your latest area reports.

UPPER RED LAKE - White Birch Resort, Monte Sharbono, vacation@whitebirchresort.net (218-835-4552) On the south side of the lake, the walleye fishing has been excellent in 5 to 8 feet of water (which is just a short walk from shore) no problem catching two walleyes in the slot. The northern pike fishing has been “HOT” the past week many 40 inch plus fish were iced. The ice is 8 or 9 inches thick. Up on the east side, walleye action has been good anywhere from 7 to 11 feet of water. Not too many crappies have been caught yet (it still is early for them), but there are some around. Pike have been starting to hit the tip-ups near the river area. Good Luck and Be Safe!

WACONIA - Mase's In Towne Marine, Cindy, corner of Lake and Elm (952-442-2096) We have about 6 inches of ice out on the lake, 3 being the minimum and 10 being the max. Waconia Bay has been where most fishermen have been going. They have been getting a few crappies in about 9 to 12 feet of water, and picking up a few sunnies too. We are starting to see a few venture out to Pillsbury reef and Wagner’s Bay.

WINNIBIGOSHISH – Walleye Visions, Tom Neustrom, 21622 Airport Rd, Grand Rapids www.mnfishingpros.com (218-327-2312) The lakes are freezing up nicely and even with all the snow of late, it looks like we're going to have a great ice fishing season. Big Winnie has anywhere from 7-11 inches of ice and caution, as always, should be taken. Some of the anglers got a little offshore and were able to venture out a mile or so on wheelers and get a few walleyes. The Third River and Bowens Flats are the best options for darkhouse spearing with 6-10 inches of ice. The crappie fishing has been decent on Big and Little Cutfoot, and the mornings seem to be best. For the walleyes Northland's Buck Shot Rattle Spoons in Gold, with a pinched off chub head have been working pretty good that last hour. First ice can be great fishing just be careful and we may be in for an old fashion winter. A great Christmas gift can be a guided fishing trip in the Big Winnie area for next season. Visit www.mnfishingpros.com and we will take care of all your needs.