12-05-2004, 02:40 AM
This was originally published on the 1st. But I doubt the information has changed much:
Minnesota Fishing Report
Outdoor News
Associated Press
The small ponds and bays on a few small lakes have ice. There isn't enough to walk on, but the ice has stayed intact through the winds earlier this week. Ice also has started to form along the shorelines of most bigger lakes, but the wind has limited it from extending farther out.
BATTLE LAKE
Anglers fishing from shore on Battle Lake and at the Otter Tail River outlet are catching walleyes at night. The small bays and shallow lakes have limited ice, but it has stayed intact, even during the day. A few wax worms have been sold to anglers who are looking for walkable ice, but it's not advised yet.
BEMIDJI AREA
A handful of anglers have begun sneaking onto the small, shallow lakes in this area. The bigger bodies of water such as Lake Bemidji remain completely open, but if you look hard enough, you'll find a spot to chip a hole and fish in this area. If it continues to get cold at night, look for more ice fishing activity by the weekend.
BLACKDUCK AREA
The main portions of most big lakes remain open, but there have been a few anglers fishing through the ice in the bays on Gull Lake and Blackduck Lake. As of this writing, 3 to 4 inches could be found in spots, but not everywhere, so caution is advised.
BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA
While a few anglers continue to fish Gull Lake in boats, or from shore near the dam, most anglers are waiting for ice. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't cooperated. The ponds and small bays offer a thin layer of ice, but most lakes remain wide open.
CROSBY AREA
The big lakes remain ice-free with the exception of some ice in the bays. However, there are a few small lakes tucked back in the woods that offer enough ice on which to walk. Anglers have begun fishing these spots with tip-ups for northern pike.
DETROIT LAKES
There is now ice on most of the small lakes and bays, but it's not safe for foot travel. If overnight temperatures continue to dip well below freezing, you should be able to find ice suitable for walking by next week.
DULUTH AREA
There's been some excellent 'looper' (Kamloop trout) fishing in the French River area of Lake Superior. Spawn sacs seem to be most productive for anglers fishing from shore. Most of the lakes now are ice-covered. You'll find as much as 4 inches close to shore on the small lakes, but it thins the farther out you go. Look for some ice fishing activity in this area within the next week if it stays cold at night.
FAIRMONT AREA
Crappies continue to be caught from shore on South Silver Lake. Look for a few walleyes to be mixed in with the crappies. Ice is limited to small ponds and shorelines, and there's still plenty of open water to fish.
GRAND RAPIDS AREA
Crappies, sunfish, and northern pike are still being caught at the warm-water discharge area of the Mississippi River. The ice is taking shape on most small lakes and bays, and with another night or two of single-digit temperatures, there could be a few areas thick enough for walking.
HACKENSACK AREA
A handful of small lakes are covered with ice, but it's not thick enough for foot travel. The big lakes remain open mainly due to the wind and daytime temperatures, which have hovered at or just above freezing the past few days.
LAKE KABETOGAMA
You'll find as much as 3 or 4 inches of ice on the small lakes in this area. Expect to see a few northern pike anglers on the ice by this weekend. The big lake remains wide open, and the ice that has formed continues to get blown off due to strong winds.
LAKE MILLE LACS
The shorelines have limited ice, and the bays cap over nightly. The problem is that they open each day, because either wind or air temperatures climb above the freezing mark. Wahkon Bay offered the most ice earlier this week with a skim covering the entire bay.
LAKE MINNETONKA
Don't expect more than a skim of ice on any of the lakes, bays, and channels in this area. What little ice that does exist usually takes shape overnight and then melts or blows open during daytime hours.
LAKE OF THE WOODS
The feeder streams to the Rainy River are now frozen and a few more nights of cool weather should lock up the river shore to shore. The lack of ice on the river has allowed anglers to continue to fish it with success. A jig and minnow combo is still producing numbers of walleyes throughout the day. Ice has been slow to develop on the main lake with nothing more than a skim of ice in a few bays and along the shorelines.
LAKE VERMILION
Ice has started to form in the small bays of Lake Vermilion. Pelican Lake and Elbow Lake also have been locked up for about a week. Although there hasn't been anyone fishing on the ice as of this writing, it may only take a night or two of cold weather for that to happen.
LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH
The majority of the main lake was ice-covered last weekend, but the wind on Monday opened it up again. As of this writing, only shoreline ice existed and even that was limited. A few nights of cold weather followed by calm winds during the day are all that are needed to get a good sheet of ice on the lake.
LEECH LAKE
Walker Bay locked up last weekend, but the wind blew it open earlier this week. You'll find walkable ice on Steamboat Bay and on most small lakes in this area. There have been a few people ice fishing on these small lakes, mainly for panfish, with little or no success.
McGREGOR AREA
You'll still find anglers fishing from shore for northern pike, below the dam, on the Big Sandy Flowage. Most small lakes and bays now are covered with ice, and it shouldn't be too much longer before this area offers its first ice fishing report of the season.
ORTONVILLE AREA
The small lakes offer nothing more than a skim of ice. Bigger bodies of water such as Big Stone Lake have been ice-covered, but they continue to open during daytime hours. The key in this area is the wind, and if it remains calm for a few days, look for ice conditions to improve quickly.
PARK RAPIDS AREA
Ice conditions look good, especially on the small lakes, where a few anglers have already begun to fish through the ice. Unless it gets well above freezing this week, there should be quite a bit of activity on the ice in this region by the weekend.
RAINY LAKE
There's no ice to speak of on the main lake. You'll find a thin skim of ice in Black Bay, nothing more than an inch, so it will take a few more nights of cold weather before anything is safe for foot traffic.
RED LAKE
The ice is looking good, and there have been a few anglers fishing. Caution is still advised because ice thickness is just approaching 4 inches and it's thinner in some areas. A few cracks were evident late Tuesday, but the lake appears to be fully covered with ice. Look for a few more anglers to hit the lake by this weekend.
TWIN CITIES
NORTHEAST METRO - The St. Croix River and Mississippi River continue to produce walleyes on a jig and minnow. The ponds and small lakes are ice-covered, but don't expect to find more than 2 inches of ice. Local anglers are starting to check the ice that exists, and most report little change in ice depth during the past five days.
SOUTHWEST METRO - Except for some limited shoreline ice, you'll find nothing but open water. Even the bays and most small ponds offer little more than a skim of ice, which tends to melt during midday hours.
WILLMAR AREA
Most lakes are wide open. Small lakes in the area offer nothing more than shoreline ice. You can fish from shore and catch an occasional walleye during the evening hours at any of the traditional late-fall spots. A jig and minnow is your best bet on lakes such as Andrew, Willmar, and Foot.
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Minnesota Fishing Report
Outdoor News
Associated Press
The small ponds and bays on a few small lakes have ice. There isn't enough to walk on, but the ice has stayed intact through the winds earlier this week. Ice also has started to form along the shorelines of most bigger lakes, but the wind has limited it from extending farther out.
BATTLE LAKE
Anglers fishing from shore on Battle Lake and at the Otter Tail River outlet are catching walleyes at night. The small bays and shallow lakes have limited ice, but it has stayed intact, even during the day. A few wax worms have been sold to anglers who are looking for walkable ice, but it's not advised yet.
BEMIDJI AREA
A handful of anglers have begun sneaking onto the small, shallow lakes in this area. The bigger bodies of water such as Lake Bemidji remain completely open, but if you look hard enough, you'll find a spot to chip a hole and fish in this area. If it continues to get cold at night, look for more ice fishing activity by the weekend.
BLACKDUCK AREA
The main portions of most big lakes remain open, but there have been a few anglers fishing through the ice in the bays on Gull Lake and Blackduck Lake. As of this writing, 3 to 4 inches could be found in spots, but not everywhere, so caution is advised.
BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA
While a few anglers continue to fish Gull Lake in boats, or from shore near the dam, most anglers are waiting for ice. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't cooperated. The ponds and small bays offer a thin layer of ice, but most lakes remain wide open.
CROSBY AREA
The big lakes remain ice-free with the exception of some ice in the bays. However, there are a few small lakes tucked back in the woods that offer enough ice on which to walk. Anglers have begun fishing these spots with tip-ups for northern pike.
DETROIT LAKES
There is now ice on most of the small lakes and bays, but it's not safe for foot travel. If overnight temperatures continue to dip well below freezing, you should be able to find ice suitable for walking by next week.
DULUTH AREA
There's been some excellent 'looper' (Kamloop trout) fishing in the French River area of Lake Superior. Spawn sacs seem to be most productive for anglers fishing from shore. Most of the lakes now are ice-covered. You'll find as much as 4 inches close to shore on the small lakes, but it thins the farther out you go. Look for some ice fishing activity in this area within the next week if it stays cold at night.
FAIRMONT AREA
Crappies continue to be caught from shore on South Silver Lake. Look for a few walleyes to be mixed in with the crappies. Ice is limited to small ponds and shorelines, and there's still plenty of open water to fish.
GRAND RAPIDS AREA
Crappies, sunfish, and northern pike are still being caught at the warm-water discharge area of the Mississippi River. The ice is taking shape on most small lakes and bays, and with another night or two of single-digit temperatures, there could be a few areas thick enough for walking.
HACKENSACK AREA
A handful of small lakes are covered with ice, but it's not thick enough for foot travel. The big lakes remain open mainly due to the wind and daytime temperatures, which have hovered at or just above freezing the past few days.
LAKE KABETOGAMA
You'll find as much as 3 or 4 inches of ice on the small lakes in this area. Expect to see a few northern pike anglers on the ice by this weekend. The big lake remains wide open, and the ice that has formed continues to get blown off due to strong winds.
LAKE MILLE LACS
The shorelines have limited ice, and the bays cap over nightly. The problem is that they open each day, because either wind or air temperatures climb above the freezing mark. Wahkon Bay offered the most ice earlier this week with a skim covering the entire bay.
LAKE MINNETONKA
Don't expect more than a skim of ice on any of the lakes, bays, and channels in this area. What little ice that does exist usually takes shape overnight and then melts or blows open during daytime hours.
LAKE OF THE WOODS
The feeder streams to the Rainy River are now frozen and a few more nights of cool weather should lock up the river shore to shore. The lack of ice on the river has allowed anglers to continue to fish it with success. A jig and minnow combo is still producing numbers of walleyes throughout the day. Ice has been slow to develop on the main lake with nothing more than a skim of ice in a few bays and along the shorelines.
LAKE VERMILION
Ice has started to form in the small bays of Lake Vermilion. Pelican Lake and Elbow Lake also have been locked up for about a week. Although there hasn't been anyone fishing on the ice as of this writing, it may only take a night or two of cold weather for that to happen.
LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH
The majority of the main lake was ice-covered last weekend, but the wind on Monday opened it up again. As of this writing, only shoreline ice existed and even that was limited. A few nights of cold weather followed by calm winds during the day are all that are needed to get a good sheet of ice on the lake.
LEECH LAKE
Walker Bay locked up last weekend, but the wind blew it open earlier this week. You'll find walkable ice on Steamboat Bay and on most small lakes in this area. There have been a few people ice fishing on these small lakes, mainly for panfish, with little or no success.
McGREGOR AREA
You'll still find anglers fishing from shore for northern pike, below the dam, on the Big Sandy Flowage. Most small lakes and bays now are covered with ice, and it shouldn't be too much longer before this area offers its first ice fishing report of the season.
ORTONVILLE AREA
The small lakes offer nothing more than a skim of ice. Bigger bodies of water such as Big Stone Lake have been ice-covered, but they continue to open during daytime hours. The key in this area is the wind, and if it remains calm for a few days, look for ice conditions to improve quickly.
PARK RAPIDS AREA
Ice conditions look good, especially on the small lakes, where a few anglers have already begun to fish through the ice. Unless it gets well above freezing this week, there should be quite a bit of activity on the ice in this region by the weekend.
RAINY LAKE
There's no ice to speak of on the main lake. You'll find a thin skim of ice in Black Bay, nothing more than an inch, so it will take a few more nights of cold weather before anything is safe for foot traffic.
RED LAKE
The ice is looking good, and there have been a few anglers fishing. Caution is still advised because ice thickness is just approaching 4 inches and it's thinner in some areas. A few cracks were evident late Tuesday, but the lake appears to be fully covered with ice. Look for a few more anglers to hit the lake by this weekend.
TWIN CITIES
NORTHEAST METRO - The St. Croix River and Mississippi River continue to produce walleyes on a jig and minnow. The ponds and small lakes are ice-covered, but don't expect to find more than 2 inches of ice. Local anglers are starting to check the ice that exists, and most report little change in ice depth during the past five days.
SOUTHWEST METRO - Except for some limited shoreline ice, you'll find nothing but open water. Even the bays and most small ponds offer little more than a skim of ice, which tends to melt during midday hours.
WILLMAR AREA
Most lakes are wide open. Small lakes in the area offer nothing more than shoreline ice. You can fish from shore and catch an occasional walleye during the evening hours at any of the traditional late-fall spots. A jig and minnow is your best bet on lakes such as Andrew, Willmar, and Foot.
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