The Tackle HD Swimmer is equally effective in the spring rigged weightless or with a tiny weight or split shot jerking it and letting it fall like a dying baitfish. We have 12 to 20 inches of snow on the lake. Walleye fishing has been very strange this week. — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH. Fishing Reports for Alberta … If there’s one positive to the pandemic: it’s more people getting outside and experiencing nature. Crappies remained finicky on area lakes. But I wonder; how will I know and identify a “squiggly” when I see one on my map? We will be disinfecting and sanitize transportation, fish houses and bathrooms on the ice." Most spots have 6 to 10 inches of slush under the snow. One the jigging line, spoons with a minnow head or tail effective for jigging line. Large dead minnows laying on the bottom or suspended about a foot off the bottom, at the mouths of shallow bays was very effective. They pick and choose the habitats with the best forage and most lush cover. Hoping for cold temps and calm winds. Early ice is often changing so before you go on and off the ice, make sure you check in with us – either call 320-676-3227 or message us on Facebook. Anglers can submit more than one report. Check out the latest 2-minute fishing report to find the hot bite in your area! You can harvest 1 fish that is between 21 to 23 inches or longer than 28 inches. He was visiting me in my portable and saw the fish looking at my lures but not eating. Category: fishing reports. West Wind Resort Fishing Report. Thanks for stopping by! As soon as moved back on top of the flat, fish that appeared on my screen bit again. BoatUS Feature Boating boomed in 2020, with thousands of first-time... Minnesota News. Cold fronts can slow the bite some but be patient and work lures. Ice conditions in the Northwest Angle are improving daily, but resorts and lodges have had crews checking and report that the ice is not yet ready for travel. Cick here to enlarge >> Lakemaster Chart Lake of the Woods. Your IP: 139.162.174.230 There were lots of fish in the area, my graph was lit up almost all day long. 30-year average ice condition graphics for the Arctic, Hudson Bay, East Coast, Great Lakes For clarity about the road and how it will be used, I contacted Joe Henry at Lake of the Woods Tourism. Having the open water seal up is a big factor in safety. Asking a question or responding to a question does not constitute a fishing report. So whether you have anglers on your Christmas list or just want a great deal on lures for your own tackle trays, save some money and have some fun checking out >> Lurenet's Black Friday Flash Sales. Hello from Big Winnie. Ice conditions are a challenge this year . Watch Jon as he shares tips for changing up the cadence when fishing with Lindy Glow Spoons that will help you how to make the most of your time on the ice with a Lindy Glow Spoon. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL. On my way home, I took Co. Rd. S = Slow F = Fair G = Good . The rod tip needs to load ever so slightly under the bait's weight to detect bites -- in this scenario, a tiny bit of ..." View Video to Learn More >> 4 Best Rod Setups for Ice Fishing Panfish. Of the lessons I’ve learned, one that almost always pays off is to locate a “squiggly” on the map. "Locally, in the Grand Rapids area the fishing has been relatively good! Ice thickness changes on a lake, one area may have 4” and the next bay only 1”. And like always, the early freezing Red Lake is often the only game in town for anglers eager to get in on first ice action. My Tuesday afternoon tour began at Fred’s Bait, in Deer River, MN. 6 and then east on Co. Rd. Anglers reported average ice thickness of 4-6 inches, but some deeper lakes still have open water. Upper Red Lake, and to a lesser extent Lake of the Woods have been getting all the attention and that didn’t change this weekend. Eventually, time takes us all and I guess this was Ron’s time. This week on Fish Ed, host Jon Thelen travels to Lake of the Woods in northern MN chasing early ice walleyes. Many years it’s hard to know when the ice fishing... How to do a Midwinter Checkup on your Boat. Key depths have been 15-20 feet of water during the evening hours." Mornings and evenings have produced the best walleye action. That is to be expected because most anglers know that the secret to bagging walleyes is to get up there early. This past week saw some strong winds blow ice around the basin, eating up some of the thinner ice that had formed. Anglers should focus in 10 feet of water or less for best results. I haven’t wet a line for anything other than walleyes myself, and that won’t change until after next week when I have another walleye trip to Lake of the Woods planned. Southwest boondocks still had a picture of open water. Remember, ice is never 100% safe and these conditions are only to be used as guidance. How to read an ice chart. If you’re planning to use a snowmobile or ATV, you want at least five to seven inches. This is a place to report ice conditions and how the fishing is on Upper Red Lake Helping your fellow fishermen and women stay abreast of fishing conditions in your area is good for everybody and it's easier than you think! Drilling holes from 12 to 22 feet of water will give you better odds at catching nice fish than going deeper will. If anybody knows how to make a fish bite on that lake, he can do it. Upper Red Lake Fishing Reports. Weekly DNR enforcement report for northwest Minnesota: Ice fishing in full swing but thickness continues to vary on many lakes Written By: Minnesota DNR | Dec 28th 2020 - 12pm. Electronics very helpful with some larger fish suspended. Fishing has been doing well, there have been many little ones which we really appreciate seeing. For now, it is important to check with each resort as to when they will start fishing and what types of vehicles, ATVs, snow machines etc., will be allowed on their ice trails. To find out more about a specific lake, click on the star to view the information. — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH. Instantly report lake ice conditions at your current GPS location to other fisherman. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. Leech Lake, Trappers Landing Lodge December 28, 2020 "Currently we are seeing 11 to 14 inches of ice on Leech Lake. Covid update; We intend to be operating at full speed this winter and have been planning as many disinfecting processes as possible to avoid major impacts to our normal service. I'm on their website, checking for bargains myself, right now. Definition of Lake Ice Out. Sportsman's Oak Island Lodge & Sportsman's Eagle Ridge PO Box 56 Oak Island, MN 56741 Phone 800-772-8411 or 218-223-8411 Email: [email protected] However, I’ve heard from some who say that the action is slowing down already, especially wherever there are large crowds of people. They did well by sticking to shoreline breaks in water depths of 7 to 17 feet. With safety in mind, resorts have been out checking ice thickness, ice conditions, cracks, and in some cases starting to mark trails. Every resort ice road is different but pickups and … For that, I am eternally grateful. Panfish - Crappies were on the negative side this last weekend, as many anglers reported little issue finding fish but struggled to get them to bite. The system that they’ve come up with for administering the road passes combines both Facebook and Eventbrite. For us, selecting an area to fish was based primarily on getting away from the crowded areas and staying on the safe side of the rough ice. On the south end... Ice is thickening and making progress. West Wind Resort Fishing Report. A mix of walleyes, saugers and jumbo perch. — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH. On the Rainy River... Ice fishing is taking place on the river mainly by locals. Guided Lake of the Woods ice fishing packages include bait, transportation ... Rates are Valid from December 2020 – March 2021 DECEMBER 26TH-JANUARY 31ST ALL RESERVATIONS MUST BE ICE FISHING PACKAGES. But they’re being caught on smaller lakes too, so it should be a good time to experiment. Crappie action up in sucker Bay and portage bay has been strong in 7 to 10 feet of water. On the lake, the ice was rough, broken up by strong winds during it's formation. When we planned this, our first ice fishing trip to Lake of the Woods, we expected to fish at least 2 full days, maybe 3. Some of you may recall hearing the word before, I’ve mentioned it in past reports. There weren’t a lot of people fishing anywhere, but there were a few people fishing everywhere. But there’s a warning that comes with it this time of year. Precise timing depends on the weather, so anglers interested in using the system are encouraged to check frequently for updates using the Facebook page @nwaiceroad. So, getting in on “early ice” action is still feasible. Justin provides an honest and insightful breakdown on when an affordable rod (under $100) can get the job done. “I suppose that an angler with a portable shelter in a pickup truck could use the guest road to access the angle. There are a lot of variables and Mother Nature is in charge. Towers says small bays like Black Lake have thick enough ice to fish on. Heading into this weekend,… March 12, 2020 10:29 p.m. A car through the ice on Lake Minnetonka in 2017. If you’ve been fishing on Mille Lacs, or any other lake for that matter, your reports are always welcome. It's important to wait until they say it's good to go and stay on their marked trails when it is time. Anglers are finding them in 15-20 feet of water. Ice Conditions and Thickness Reports for Maple Lake: 1/29/2020 – We are seeing anywhere from 11.5” to 19.5” of ice. So you have to check in every day to see which ones they running at the moment. — Jeff Sundin 218-245-9858 or EMAIL, Upper Red Lake 11-25-2020 • Lake Kabetogama 11-25-2020 • Lake of the Woods 11-24-2020 • Fishing Reports Minnesota •. We have about an inch in our yard, but yesterday’s wind was brisk, and I doubt that the ice has even that much standing snow on it. Anyone who likes the idea of being the “explorer” who walks out first on the ice can cross a few lakes off the list this morning. UPDATED: Friday, Feb 19, 2021 The Halifax Regional Municipality is advising residents that it is no longer safe to be on frozen lakes and ponds as there is noticeable thin ice and open water in many lakes across the region. Ice fishing is taking place on the Rainy River, mainly by locals.  Most of the ice fishing is done on the main lake during the ice fishing season where there isn't current.  Some nice walleyes are being caught in various spots of the river.  Ice conditions vary greatly, work through a resort for safety.  No snowmobile trail yet, stay tuned. But so far, most of their traffic is headed for Upper Red Lake. Ranging in thickness from 6 to 12 inches, the ice is not yet ready to support vehicle traffic, so don’t plan to drag your wheelhouse up there just yet. The snowmobile trail will be staked soon across the lake. Rigged with an exposed hook and swimbait head it can be fished throughout the water column. Late Season Ice Fishing Trip. Or could simply be that walleye and sauger are more comfortable on those structures, I don’t know for sure. Looking for a fishing report about a lake here in Alberta? Reminder: The PFBC does not monitor ice thickness. If you’re interested in action, you’ll find it, albeit many of the fish will be small ones. That’s the news from the small lakes in north central Minnesota’s Itasca Region. 11 talking about this. Fishing has been good with a mix of walleyes and saugers in 15-24'. CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the past week monitoring hunting, fishing and trapping activity. There were a few ice shelters out there, 3 or 4 in view from the north landing and another 3 or 4 in view from the west side. Fishing primarily shoreline structure is Monson’s M.O. Accesses at most, if not all resorts are, or will be open for ATV and snowmobile traffic today. DNR crews manage 1500 public water accesses. Ice thickness below the slush is a good 10 inches. "Ice fishing has officially begun on the south end of Lake of the Woods, "The Walleye Capital of the World". Walleyes are hitting on big lakes like Winnie, Leech, Cass, Red and Lake of the Woods. The accompanying photo tells the story there, 5 to 6 inches of ice already cover the shallow, shoreline portion of that lake. The NW Angle Guest Ice Road ice access on the south end will be at Springsteel Resort. Ice conditions can change rapidly and should be checked frequently. Swan Lake drawdown underway. Virtually every concept we see portrayed on TV, in videos or on the pages of fishing publications today, traces back in some way to the systems of fishing that we learned from the early work that came to us by way of In-Fisherman, TV, Magazines and Radio productions. I’ll bet that’s true, so farewell Ron, and remember, keep a tight line! Walleye fishing has been slow despite anglers marking good numbers of walleye each evening. Paul Huttner. Key depth remains 18-23 feet of water. I did not see any anglers fishing out there, but I did see a couple of guys walking out in front of Tamarack Lodge drilling and testing the ice for thickness. But when you think about it, this would be an expensive day trip. 1/17/2020 – As of 5 PM last evening, Big Maple sported 15 ½ inches of good ice … Frequent readers of my reports already know that I’ve never claimed to be an expert on fishing Lake of the Woods. Afternoons, 22-26' have been best. Ron Lindner, co-founder of In-Fisherman died yesterday and whether we’ve known it on a conscious level or not, anybody who has wet a line over the past 50 years owes him a debt of gratitude. Large dead baits tend to produce the most fish and largest pike. Gold, glow red, are great colors and something making noise while actively jigging is a great idea. I was sort of kicking myself for not stopping to take pictures, I thought that it might be time to post a fishing report from the big lake on Sunday morning. Heading into this weekend,… Outdoor News video: ice fishing with set lines Hoping for cold temps and calm winds. The hardwater ice-fishing season on Lake Erie and on inland waters across the state is finally here. I called both Tamarack Lodage and Chad mertz at the Pines Resort to see if they'll share anything about their exploration. Be careful on Walker Bay. 4 nights lodging, 3 days ice fishing: $544 4 nights lodging, 3 days ice fishing with 11 meals: $730 Meals will be To Go for the winter season. Dec 8th, 2020 by Keith Worrall Modified Dec 8th, 2020 at 11:06 AM. Many of the rental shelters are being made ready now and will begin showing up on the ice over the next several days. JR's Corner Access on Upper Red Lake Fishing Reports. Trails are marked for good reasons, please stay on them for safety. Ice continues to improve as lakes remain clear of snow. After I left Deer River, I headed north on US HWY 46 intending to check the ice conditions at Winnie. The snowmobile trail will be staked soon across the lake, stay tuned. Pokegama Lake, at Grand Rapids, hosted more skaters and hockey players than it did anglers, but as of this weekend, many areas of that lake were supporting foot travel. I know it is not as handy, but if it is important that you contact me, the most bullet proof way to do it is by using email. — Randy Simons, Randy's Rentals, 612 961 8360. Lake data can also be found by clicking the list icon in the upper left-hand corner of the map and choosing a lake name from the list. MORE: Minnesota Couple's Texas Getaway Turns Into Scramble To Find Food As Ice … Professional guide, Tony Roach, walks through 4 of his top rod setups that match the ideal power and action to the chosen presentation -- usually small jigs, spoons, and lipless crankbaits that range between 1/16- to 1/64th-ounce. Ice fishing has started up at the Angle with excellent reports. In fact, my first ice fishing trip is scheduled for Monday, after I use this weekend to clear up some unfinished family business. Snow fell throughout the afternoon on Sunday, but I don’t think it was enough to cause trouble on the ice. Forecast looks promising to lock things up in the very near future. But if we decide to go, the trip will be shorter than planned, maybe even just a one day trip. "It's a waiting game for ice on the south end of Lake of the Woods. The only explanation I can offer goes back to the original point; fish on the flat were there to feed and the ones in the deeper corner were there to rest. I know that a lot of folks believe that facebook posts get to everybody, but many of them do not reach the folks who really need them. Map: Lake Pepin ice survey locations [PDF] Lake Pepin ice thickness measurements typically start in mid-February and are conducted on a weekly basis. I’m not sure about the long term implications, but for now, watch out for cracks and ice ridges. What if walleye and sauger on Lake of the Woods have a similar pecking order? Ice thickness was reported to be approximately 6 inches. Jigging Raps to actively jig on one rod is great and a plain hook with an active minnow and bobber works well for your second. I know they need the business, and I will fully support that but dang, it takes a bit of the adventure out of it! Lake Ice-Out Map. That raised the percentages just enough to making gleaning some eaters out of the swarms of small fish easier. A valid fishing report is a posting that reports your activity and success on a specific Minnesota body of water. Many of the smaller lakes in the region had light traffic on them as well. Provided of course that you stick to the areas that they've already staked out. One thing for sure,it was nice working out there after the last two weeks.. We opened up a lot of shallow areas around the numerous in close reefs we have in front of us. With the Canadian border closure still in effect, Northwest Angle Resorts and Community have banded together and will have a “Guest Ice Road” up to the Angle. During the morning and evenings, shallow water bite in 13-18′. Fishing Report 12.1.2020. • I was driving home from my biweekly ECG visit with my mother in the Twin Cities on Saturday and spotted crowds of ice fishers almost everywhere that they could find to park along the west side of the lake, off of HWY 169. This package starts in mid-January with the opening of lake trout season. If the single digit weather continues this week for overnights, we could be on the lake soon. Smaller fish are often forced to take whatever is left over. We are currently in 24-25’ of water. Most of the time, folks just get close to other folks and drill a lot of holes, hoping that they will eventually drop their lure into one while fish are swimming through the area. Imagine, after making the long drive, you’d be looking at one plowed road separated from the ice by tall berms and no way to access a fishing spot except for walking.” Henry said. We are hoping that the snow will hold off this weekend and that we should be able to hopefully open to the public for ice traffic. Gull Lake near Brainerd, MN, is one of the best fisheries in the state of Minnesota. Forecast looks promising to lock things up in the … Definition of Lake Ice Out. Anglers headed for properties within the Northwest Angle’s mainland will pay $120.00. Most ice fishing is taking place between 23 and 27 feet of water. This helpful guide explains the proper way to interpret ice conditions on our charts. Anglers used loud rippin raps to call fish in, but more often then not, crappie minnows, fished under a bobber got the bites. On the south end… It’s a waiting game. 3 nights lodging, 2 days ice fishing: $385 3 nights lodging, 2 days ice fishing with 8 meals: $520. No snowmobile trail yet, stay tuned. Soft plastics worked for some crappie anglers, but small ntungsten jigs tipped with a crappie minnow work best." From that vantage point, I could see most of the lake and it was ice covered. Some lakes they were located in 18-24 feet of water. At one point, fish were really hitting Lindy Glow Spoons tipped with minnow heads. So, I will wait for some more snow before I try that spot again.