Pokegama Fishing Reports (Pine City)

[The Donk]

2020 Lake Pokegama Fishing Reports - Click Here

 

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I will be staying up here for the summer (work) and am wondering if this lake is a viable way to entertain myself.

Any pointers, or what species is good to target would be much appreciated, and if any of ya get around St. Cloud I would be happy to return the favor.

[jb426]

Pokegama is a good water system. You have access to two lakes pokegama and cross. You also have river fishing with the snake river. There are bays at both ends of the lake that will give you good northern fishing and pan fish. Walleyes are difficult to catch but can be done around the island and the point. Never really fished cross lake. The river has a few good places for northerns and bass. There also a couple of resorts on the lake that are fun. You will have fun.

[JBMasterAngler]

Yeah, pokegama, the snake river, and cross lake are all good fishing. The area has heavy recreational use however. But you can expect to catch lot's of pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass in the river, as well as crappies and a walleye or 2. You can expect to catch lot's of sheephead or redhorse, and a possible catfish as well. There are some big sunnies in there as well. So yeah, you'll have fun up there.

[john.wells]

JB is filled with lies! There is no fish worth catching in those waters!

[rockingroy]

Wells is right as usual, don't go there, there are no fish.

[The Donk]

As if I had a choice... But I'd better make the best of a summer away from the family, right? If that includes a few nights of fishing, then good. Better than running up to the casino or something stupid like that...

Thanks for the input, any more will be appreciated. This water system sounds like a miniature horseshoe chain around Cloud town.

[john.wells]

pretty much, and as you know there are no fish worth catching there as well

[evinrude19]

isnt there lampreys in there also? or something like that

[JBMasterAngler]

native lampreys...brook and/or chestnut lampreys I believe they're called.

[UncleKes]

I also heard they had an exotic form of of piscatorial herpes infecting the lake so be sure to cover your bait with a condom. You would not want to spread the disease, now would you?

[Chris_55423]

I did preaty well on the lake when i was up ther caught bout 10 crops and 3 eyes

[Neighbor_guy]

Some after dark fun to be had on the north side too.

There is a lot of company out there, but the fishing is great once you weave around the skiers and the pontoons to your fishing spots.

[River Rocket]

Anyone catching anything on Pokegama? My parents live on the lake and I've been out a few times but the usual northern and bass bite has been slow.

[JumpStart73]

all the walleyes you want but they are about 10-12"

[JBMasterAngler]

River Rocket, have you tried for bass/pike in the river? Lot's of bays and backwaters that hold them from pokie down to the 35 bridge. Topwater action on a cloudy day can be phenominal! You probably already know that the majority of that stretch is no wake...I've always done well taking advantage of that by trolling jointed rapalas on the way back upstream...have caught pike, bass (largemouths and smallies), walleye, even silver bass.

If they don't cooperate, you can always throw a nightcrawler on the bottom and catch the ol' reliable sheephead. Have caught alot of big bluegills doing that as well.

[River Rocket]

The river is the stretch that seems slow this year, all the fish I have caught have been on the lake, most of the time it’s just the opposite. I will be out this weekend and go further down the river towards 35. This is usually the time of year I start going up river because the current dies down. My dad was out raising the dock last night so the water level is still going up, the current on the river will be moving fast. Most of the weeds should be under water again which usually makes for good fishing on the lake casting towards shore.

I will try the trolling thing and see what happens.

Thanks

[JBMasterAngler]

If the boat traffic can cease to exist for while, fishing under the bridge can really be good. My biggest walleye and silver bass have come from under there, along with numbers of pike and crappies.

[rockingroy]

The 35 bridge?

[JBMasterAngler]

Yes, 35 bridge. Upstream side holds the fish. The combination of deep water, weeds, and rip rap shoreline in that little spot is quite the fish holder...but like I said before, needs to be a quiet day.

[JumpStart73]

be careful the water is really high

[River Rocket]

be careful the water is really high

That's what I heard. I was going to go up last weekend but the mooring posts I put in for my boat a few weeks ago were 12" under water. Maybe this weekend will be better.

[JumpStart73]

we were up at my father in laws resturante last night and the water is going to still rise over the next couple days so its going to get worse before it gets better

[rockingroy]

Hey JumpStart, what restaurant would that be?

[rockingroy]

Good news. The water seems to have peaked unless there's another wave coming. I've been keeping an eye on the USGS website, and the water at the Cross Lake dam had risen steadily from 4ft. (on the gage) on June 6, to 6.26' at 7pm last night, but it rose to only 6.27' at 11pm, then went back to 6.26' at 3am (readings are posted every 4 hours). This was the first time it had gone down since the 6th. Of course it could come back up again from Saturday nights rain up river, but with the dry days we may have seen the peak.

[rockingroy]

Like JumpStart73 said, be careful, the water is high! I know for a fact that there are submerged docks on the river, because mine is one of them. I got the decking off but the water was too high to pull the dock out without bending the poles. Only the bench remains above the water. There is also alot of floating debris in the river, my neighbor told me he saw someones dock section floating by yesterday. I made a similar post on the Rivers and Streams page, but thought it bore repeating here.

[River Rocket]

Rockingroy what part of the river are you on? My parents used to have a place just down from the Fur trading post before they moved out on the lake.

[rockingroy]

I'm quite a bit up river from there, up river from Pokegama for that matter.

[JumpStart73]

rockingroy the place is mitchells landing

[rockingroy]

I've eaten there a few times, very good food!

[evinrude19]

has any one been out there lately was thinking about hitting it up this weekend and was wondering if there is a bite going on out there.

thanks

zach