Prior Lake

[rangerforme]

Ahh, fishing in the metro, isn't it grand....

[McGurk]

I talked to a couple of the city workers 2 years ago while they were putting up the snow fence along the beach, and they were none too happy with the condition of the beach from the previous winter's fishing. There was garbage everywhere: oil slicks, coolant, 1 lb bottles, number 2 piles, thousands of minnows, hunderds of cans and bottles and boxes, and everything else you can imagine. Frankly, I don't blame them for restricting the beach parking. You can park on top in the lot, or on the ice, or at your fishhouse, but not there.

There was talk of restricting the parking on the ice to no closer than 50' from the normal water level on shore. The shore owners were sick of the condition that all of us fishermen were leaving their shorelines. It is pretty sad. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the city is not able to enact such restrictions due to the fact that they are waters of the state and therefore under the jurisdiction fo the DNR. So parking on the ice is OK, but stay off of the shorelines.

The point of all of this is to just not trash the place. If we as a group continue with this lack of respect of these lakes, there will no longer be ANY vehicles on lakes in the metro. Believe me: if they can restrict motor size, they can restrict motors period, including gas augers.

[Kodiak]

wonder how long till the richies close the sportsmans access?

[McGurk]

I'm under the impression that it is privately owned by a private association of local sportsmen, and they allow public use across it. All it would take is for them to say "It's closed" and it would be closed. I don't know who they are, but I'd like to find out so I can throw a donation their way in order to keep it open. I use that access solely now that I know where it is. The Sandpoint access is fine, but I prefer Sportsman's.

[SnipeZilla]

In 1998, the city of Prior Lake enforced new rules on the access. They narrowed it to 10 feet and put up that gate and said that users of the access would have to pay a fee. This was because of irresponsible people parking and leaving trash all over the access. Then the Sportsman's club sued the city, it went to the state court of appeals and eventually it came down to what it is now--an access owned by the non-profit Prior Lake Sportsmen's Club that is open to the public for use. I found a web site with the whole story and court papers, but when i tried to go back to it, it said i had to have a login name so i only saw it once, otherwise I'd have posted it here.

[walleyeJoe]

i think the time restriction on that access is rediculous.... they make you get off the streets at 10:30... thats npt called for... and its just because the people around the lake are so important that they dont want there beauty sleep ruined after 10:30 at night because of a truck.... thats horrible.. and the worse part is, is that they got THEIR WAY!!!! just becaue a few guys throw things on shore doesnt mean everyone does it. there are a lot of respectable guys out on that lake, and it seems to me that the people who live on the lake are kind of ruining it for everyone. cus i know eye dont bite till after 10:30 on prior

[SnipeZilla]

it only takes a few people to ruin it. But I do agree that the 10:30 rule is bogus. How much noise do a couple guys walking to there trucks make? I wouldn't really say that the people on the lake are ruining it, or that they're too important. I doubt the people who live there are going to argue a rule about keeping people out of their neighborhood. Be thankful that we have that access at all!

[Kodiak]

prior sucks anyway, the fish are tiny, the locals around the lake are snotty, the place is a zoo on the weekend, and it is a pain to park.....you guys can have it.....that place is more of a headache than anything.

[wastewaterguru]

I think the 10:30 rule was put in place due to property owners by the sportsmans access complaining about headlights coming into their windows in the middle of the night.

It's like the people that move in to a house a quarter mile in front of a major runway at MSP and then complain about the noise........the airport was there first.

Same thing here....the access has been there longer than any of the property owners....they knew it was there when they bought their houses....so they shouldn't be complaining.

On another note, traffic on the lake is higher than it used to be so when 65 cars are parked on the lake with their lights shining into my lakeview bay windows at all hours of the night.......I would complain too.

Is it really that much of an inconvenience..?? It takes less than 10 minutes to walk to Sandpoint instead and I don't really see the big deal either way.

We can all use the extra exercise!!!!!

[MuleShack]

Quote:

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so when 65 cars are parked on the lake with their lights shining into my lakeview bay windows at all hours of the night.......I would complain too.

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I would suggest curtains or blinds...

[Ironranger]

can someone let me know if they gate the Sandpoint access at 10:30pm too? Can you pull off the lake at say midnight on your 4-wheeler or snowmobile and get to the parking lot at the beach access? thanks.

[PikePatroller]

Enough about this complaining of the lake lot owners. How is the fishing? Hows the walleye bite, they still kinda shallow?

[walleyeJoe]

sunnies going hard during the day... real tough to get size. crappies begin typicaly at sundown, and go all night, and for walleyes people have been catching them , but it seems to be hit or miss on many spots for walleyes around the lake.

[bwally]

Where do you think the walleyes are hanging this time of year. Ive caught a few on deep edges on a few basins during the day but not very well. Do you think I should be fishing some points or humps or right on the shoreline breaks? Please dont post any spots, just what kind of structure you think I should try.

[AceintheHole]

You should try right outside of paridise cove 12-17' I have always had very good luck there until the first of the year.

[DinkADunk]

Ok, where is Paradise cove on Prior Lake?

[wastewaterguru]

Sand point is alway open.

There aren't any fish in Prior....especially not walleyes.

Anyone going to out there tonight??

Even though there are no fish in there, I might go out and drowned a bait or two.

[walleyeJoe]

out last night untill around 4a.m. no walleyes just a lot of nice sized crappies, in the 10 inch range. and as for the walleyes.... deep breaks during the day....and shallow breaks at night... walleyes move on and off structure and breaks all night looking for food. they also do this durign the day time hours too, when the snow is like it is on the lake. it really darkens things up under there. but prior is a hard lake to become consistent at finding the walleyes. it doesnt seem like there is a specific pattern. but there in there.

[wastewaterguru]

There are no fish in there.....just stunted pannies and cigar walleyes.

So as soon as everyone realizes that.........I'll be out there catching the big ones by myself.

[AceintheHole]

In between the Harbor and Nacys cove. There is a hole out from the opening of the bay one side has gravel and rocks and the other side has grave and weeds 12-17'. The Harbor is also a good spot for crappies and walleyes.

[LEVINEMN]

OUT IN THE SPORTSMANS AREA 22FOW HAD CRAPIES ONCE DARK HIT!!! BEST NIGHT YET!

[AceintheHole]

Got these last night 27' using red glow jigs with red euro and dead stickin with hook and minnows.

[shooter_mcgavin]

Out past the island out of sportsmans access, caught crappies last night in 20 fow, as well as 24 fow. I have yet to crack the 8" barrier on crappies out of sportsmans this year.

Picked up a good-sized bag of garbage on the way out. Atleast they bagged it up so it was easier to pick up after them.

[AceintheHole]

Got these on upper prior in one of the holes. People can be big pigs sometimes. dam sad

[SnipeZilla]

Absolutely hammered the crappies last night. Followed the road from sportsmans to the left past the "Chiefs" house. Near non-stop from 930pm until 1am. They'd get a little finicky in between, but then they'd pick up.

[shooter_mcgavin]

That Chiefs house cracks me up.

Doesn't surprise me that you hammered the crappies last night out there. Seems like anywhere you drill a hole there's targets on the flasher. What would surprise me is if any of the fish you caught had any size to them.......

[Swanny2]

Just came off since my youngest has a case of the sniffles. Slower and smaller than normal. Quite a few tire-kickers but not a lot of buyers. Had quite a variety of lures down the holes. Not certain if its the activity or the front. Curious to see if others saw the same tonight.

[Kilmo11]

yea i had that problem last night too. i was switchign presentations all night untill they started to hone in on the ratsos and shrimpos then i couldnt keep them off my line.

good luck

[Swanny2]

Kilmo, whats the average size of these fish??? Been working my tail off to find a few slabos. However, believe it or not, I have no ratsos in my box. Time to head to the store!! The box is getting so heavy I'll need a wheel cart soon!!

[Kilmo11]

well the average was around 7-8 but we did get a few to crack 10, i was out with snipezilla and walleyejoe. i have always had very good results with a size 10 plain glow shrimpo on prior, for the most part i use euro larva but when they stop hitting that i have had luck putting a very small crapie minnow on the shrimpo and droping it down to the fish the is suspended the most in the water colum. we also usually do the late night bite like 8 p.m. to 1 or 2 a.m. but i have been told that during the day and early evening a really small genz bug has been working great.

good luck