Explore Minnesota Weekly Fishing Update Jan. 3, 2014

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 Explore Minnesota Weekly Fishing Update    Jan. 3, 2014
   
While frigid cold temperatures have helped build ice, anglers must still use caution and avoid all dark, wet areas that may signify slush covering thin ice. Before heading out, refresh your knowledge of ice safety guidelines on the Minnesota DNR's website. And when venturing out, please check ice conditions often.

Please remember that temperature, snow cover, currents, springs and rough fish all affect the stability of ice which could be two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away. It is important to check ice depth at least every 150 feet. According to the Minnesota DNR, 4 inches of new, clear ice is the minimum thickness recommended for travel by foot. A minimum of 5 inches is recommended for snowmobiles and ATV's, and at least 8-12 inches is advised for cars and small trucks. Items recommended for checking ice thickness include an ice chisel, ice auger, cordless drill and a tape measure. Anglers heading out onto the ice should also carry ice claws and a long rope, and wear a floatation device and ice cleats. Consult with a local bait shop or lakeside resort for the most current ice conditions.

The fishing season for walleye, sauger, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass remains open through Feb. 23, 2014. Smallmouth bass, however, are catch-and-release only through Feb. 23. The winter season for lake trout within the BWCA runs Jan. 4 through March 31, 2014; outside of the BWCA, Jan. 18-March 31, 2014.


This report is brought to you by Explore Minnesota Tourism.
Northeast Minnesota

International Falls - Rainy Lake & the Rainy River

Ice conditions are improving rapidly on Rainy Lake. Anglers are taking lots of crappies when jigging small minnows in 18-24 feet of water. Walleyes are hitting minnows as well, but tend to be a bit deeper. Popular walleye spots are the American Narrows, Rainy Lake City further to the east, and near Birch Point in Sand Bay. Spearing and angling are working well for large northern pike around the mouth of Black Bay. Snowmobile conditions are great throughout the area, with trails now groomed to the east of International Falls and on the lakes in Voyageurs National Park. The trail to Big Falls has also been groomed, providing access to trail systems south and west of here. 1-800-325-5766; www.rainylake.org

Kabetogama

The Lake Kabetogama ice surface is solidifying, providing better travel conditions for sleds and wheelers. The lake snowmobile trails are packing down nicely. Voyageurs National Park staff are checking ice thickness in an effort to open more snowmobile trails and ice roads. Walleye anglers are having success out of Gappas Landing on to Spunge Island to Deer Island and further east. Tom Cod Bay is giving up lots on northern pike to spearers and tip-up anglers; some walleyes are also being taken to the east of Tom Cod Bay. 1-800-524-9085; www.kabetogama.com

Ely

Ice conditions have improved and area lakes now have ice measuring 12-15 inches thick. Some patches of slush remain, but these should soon turn solid. Anglers are still asked to use caution when traveling on the ice. Walleye fishing is in full swing, and lots of 13- to 18-inch walleyes are coming through the ice. Most of these fish are being pulled from 10-20 feet of water, with some of the larger fish coming from the deep holes down to 30 feet or more. Jigs with minnows and rattling baits are good techniques, but minnows under a bobber are working as well. Northern pike weighing up to 12-pounds are being reported, with fish responding to sucker minnows and ciscoes fished on or near the bottom. Some crappies are being caught by anglers using small spoons or jigs tipped with wax worms. 1-800-777-7281; www.ely.org

Cook/Tower - Lake Vermilion

Walleye anglers are taking fish from 26-30 foot depths on Lake Vermilion, especially during early morning and late evening hours. The best approach has been a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head, and a set line baited with a shiner or pike sucker. Travel conditions are slowly improving but a few areas of thick slush remain. A decent ice road has now been plowed out as far as Birch Island. The groomed snowmobile trails through the woods are in great condition. 1-800-648-5897; www.lakevermilionresorts.com

Grand Rapids

Ice conditions continue to improve following numerous days of below zero temperatures. Lakes, including Pokegama and Winnibigoshish, have an adequate amount of ice for travel by snowmobile, four-wheeler and side-by-sides with chains or tracks to help push through snowdrifts and/or pockets of slush. Please watch for grey and depressed snow which pinpoints areas of quicksand-like slush. Check with a local bait shop or resort on the lake you intend to fish to learn the most current ice conditions; travel conditions can change daily due to windblown snow and slush caused by vehicle travel. Roughly half of the walleye are being taken by jigging a rattle spoon or spoon tipped with a shiner minnow head. The other half is coming through the ice on full chubs or smaller shiners allowed to swim freely on a dead stick or under a bobber. Morning and evening hours have been the most productive. Jigging aggressively will sometimes trigger an action bite, yet at other times, downsizing the presentation will trick fish into biting. Perch are still cruising the shallows, frequenting the remnant weed beds and sandy/gravel flats in 8-10 feet of water. It won't be long until the perch head deeper, possibly even yet this week. Smaller jigging spoons with a crappie minnow, fathead chub or waxies have produced good numbers. And depending on the lake structure, perch may even be holding in 15-20 feet of water or on the secondary shoreline and main lake structure. Most panfish have slid into the deeper holes where they will remain most of the winter. Instead of fishing the deepest part of the hole, focus on the rims as the crappies and bluegills will follow the forage that lingers there. Shallower lakes should still be holding bluegills and crappies in and on the edges of weed beds in 8-14 feet of water. www.visitgrandrapids.com
Northwest Minnesota

Baudette - Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River

December brought a very active walleye and sauger bite to Lake of the Woods. Currently, the best bite is in 23-28 feet of water, especially when jigging a gold or pink jig, stop sign or #32 macho minnow tipped with a whole minnow or just the head of a minnow. Drop your line to about 6 inches off the bottom. Try jigging with one pole and use a dead stick with the other to see which technique works best. One resort measured 20-23 inches of ice in areas where they've placed their fish houses. 1-800-382-FISH; www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

Cass Lake

Portables continue to be pulled out by snowmobiles and 4 wheelers. Roughly 15 inches of ice was recently measured on one of the packed ice roads on Cass Lake. Over the weekend, a group of anglers reported some nice limits of walleyes when fishing 15 foot depths on Steamboat and Cass lakes just before dark. 800-356-8615; www.casslake.com

Bena -Lake Winnibigoshish

The ice on Lake Winnibigoshish is growing about an inch a week, and most of the main lake areas have ice measuring between 12 and 15 inches underneath 8-12 inches of snow. The ice at Tamarac Bay is roughly 10 inches thick. Please note that some areas still have slush. The perch bite remains spotty, with anglers reporting the most success at the Mississippi river mouth up to the campground. Main lake bars are kicking out walleyes during evening hours. Northern pike are still active, hitting presentations 2-4 feet off the bottom on the edges of the drops. Snowmobiles are traveling everywhere on the lake, and ATVs can get around in some locations. Be sure to check in with an area resort for road access updates. www.lakewinnie.net

Detroit Lakes

A severe cold front has caused a slower bite for all species, but warmer temperatures are in store for the beginning of this weekend. The best time to fish is around 4-5:30 p.m. Most walleyes have been caught in depths of 15-25 feet by anglers using various jigging spoons tipped with minnow heads. Sallie, Cormorant, Pelican, Lida, Rush and The Pines have been best. Some good daytime panfish action is occurring, even during the cold spell. Little Detroit has had a consistent perch, crappie and sunfish bite, with some northern pike and walleye mixed in. Tamarac and Height of Land have been producing some large bluegills. 1-800-542-3992; www.visitdetroitlakes.com
Central Region

Glenwood

Walleye action on Lake Minnewaska has improved significantly. Most of the walleyes are being pulled from 15-18 feet of water. Sunfish and crappies remain active on the Glenwood side of the lake. Walleyes and perch are coming from the northwest side of Lake Reno. Panfish anglers report lots of action on Maple Lake. 320-634-3636

Whitefish - Whitefish Chain of Lakes Region

Ice conditions vary widely on area lakes but the recent cold temperatures have penetrated the snow pack to help firm up the ice. Please note that some areas remain unstable. Ice thickness ranges from 6-17 inches. Anglers fishing good ice are finding lots of walleye action in 18-30 feet of water. Suckers are turning the most fish, especially during evening hours since this is when fish are schooling. More and more fish houses are going out and the additional anglers should lead to additional fishing information. www.whitefish.org

Brainerd Lakes Area

While trips out onto the ice have been extremely cold, ice thickness has improved and ice conditions are relatively good on Brainerd area lakes. Still, one recent measurement revealed 15.5 inches of ice on Gull Lake, along with some slushy spots. The walleye bite has slowed a bit and become somewhat sporadic. The best action has been in 20-35 feet of water when using jigging spoons and set-lines. Crappies have been biting in the same locations, but in deeper holes surrounded by vegetation. Those willing to brave the elements should do well after sunset. Sunfish are generally more aggressive during the day, hitting small jigs tipped with minnows or wax worms. 1-800-450-2838; www.explorebrainerdlakes.com

Aitkin -Lake Mille Lacs

On the north side of Lake Mille Lacs, 8 inches of ice was measured roughly a third of a mile out on Dec. 30; as of Jan.2, the ice measured 10 inches. And yet some areas near Bombeck Flat and beyond were flooded due to cracks that had developed due to extreme cold temperatures. And today’s warm up may cause the shoreline to heave due to the extreme temperature change! 1-800-526-8342; www.aitkin.com

Isle/Onamia - Lake Mille Lacs

Several Lake Mille Lacs resorts have plowed roads out a mile or more onto the lake. The roads are mostly narrow in width, but in pretty good shape. Please remember that each resort has a slightly different set of rules for using their roads so it is important to check ahead of time to see if they can accommodate your group. Fishing has slowed a bit with the recent cold snap. The best time to fish has been during evening hours and past dark. Use a shiner on a gem-n-eye, demon or other bright glow jig for the most action. During the day, a few anglers are having success when jigging. When jigging during the day, use a jigging rap or a darter. Anglers are seeing large numbers of smaller perch which is good indication that the fishery is healthy; this food base has been lacking over the past few years. While large perch have been taken, most have been small. Northern pike action remains better than expected. 888-350-2692; www.millelacs.com
Twin Cities Greater Metropolitan vicinity

Waconia/Lake Waconia

As of late last week, lots of anglers were pulling out permanent and portable fish houses. The ice had thickened, and anglers were spreading out to their favorite reefs. Ice thickness varied considerably. While 14-18 inches of ice covered much of Center Reef, it was possible to stumble onto isolated patches with as little as 7.5 inches of ice. Panfish reports were good, with some larger fish mixed in with lots of smaller fish. For sunfish, the best depths was 9-12 feet of water. Crappies were coming from slightly deeper depths. Northern pike were biting on milder days. Anglers fishing Center Reef reported some good crappie action in 12-13 feet of water around the weeds. The best time to fish was between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Walleyes were also biting, but many were under 16-inches in length and had to be released. Larger, keeper-size walleyes came from Waconia Bay, Wagener's Bay and toward Pillsbury Reef in 12-15 feet of water. 952-442-5812; www.destinationwaconia.org
Southern Minnesota

Lanesboro -Southeast Bluff Country Trout Streams

Fish were caught on the Winter Stream Trout Catch-and-Release Opener! Because of the extremely cold weather, most parts of the South Branch Root River that are open to winter angling in Forestville State Park were covered in ice. Areas of Canfield and Forestville creeks were open enough to drift. As of Jan. 3, stream conditions were clear and low for most area streams, creeks and rivers. The Whitewater Stream was mostly clear, with normal water levels. As updates on stream conditions become available, they are posted on the Southeast Minnesota Stream Conditions web page. 800-944-2670; www.lanesboro.com