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Sauk Centre Area Fishing Reports


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I was out checking ice yesterday and it is still spotty on most of the lakes for vehicle but very good for ATV/ snowmobile travel. I drove onto Sauk Lake from the Hwy 71 bridge yesterday and drove clear up to Hooper's. There was a bunch of vehicles traveling to Hooper's but not past with vehicles. If you do drive on be sure to stay on the road that is being used by the trucks. There is a solid 12" of ice with some slush in spots but nothing worth worrying about. There is an ice heave just before you get to Hooper's but where the road crosses it is good ice and the heave has laid down at that spot. There are plenty of big houses out on Hooper's and is about the only spot on the lake that vehicle travel has been happening. Good luck and stay safe.

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Also I did get my big house out yesterday on Sauk Lake and fished from 2-6. The bite was really slow with only 1 crappie bucketed and 1 walleye that got off at the hole. Reports have been good coming off Hooper's but there was a bunch of activity on the ice yesterday with trucks and fish houses being put out. I also was told that the eyes are going on the north end of the lake in front of the Red Barn but have not tried it myself.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The fishing has been good. There are roads plow on the north end of the lake and from Highway 71. Hoppers, the red barn and out past the diamond point narrows are all producing crappies. I was out two nights ago and we caught two limits of crappies from 6pm- 10pm. When we left there were still fish on the locator.

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Yeah fishins not to bad. Plenty of crappies for e everyone! Had about 2 hours to fish tonight so I birch tonight on a tip . Nothing to write home about but had 9 11/13" crappies... Get there! smile

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What are the ice conditions on Sauk Lake like? Can you get around or is there lots of slush and snow. Looking at maybe coming up to the cabin this weekend. Any help would be great.

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The ice conditions are good. I personally have not found any slush on the lake but Fletcher's has some really nice roads plowed on the lake. Fishing has been good. This cold front hurt the crappie bite a bit but if you put in your time you got your fish. This weekend should be really good with the weather getting nice again. There are a few walleyes mixed in with the Crappies off of hoppers but no reports of walleyes on the north end yet. Good luck.

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The north end will produce a few walleyes after dark. This big boy was from Friday night at 6:30 in about 29 FOW. Tons of crappies and its nice to get a few of these guys mixed in. Crappies on average are 8-9" with maybe 1 out of 20 fish are over 10". Heck of a fun time tho catching that many full-42056-41182-image.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

People crack me up, reading threads about how the Sauk lake crappies are on the small side of 13" and are not worth their time. I must say if you are an avid fisherman and can truly say for this area of the state that a crappie 10-11" is not worth your time then my hats off to you. The crappies sizes are not like the 1990's anymore. Then crappies under 12" were little. Yeah they can run on the smaller side but like anywhere you go you have to pick through them.

Well on the lighter side... The fish are still hitting pretty good off hoopers. I have found getting out away from the group produces some larger fish. Good luck

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CrappieSunnyDay... Can you help me with finding Hoopers? I'd like to try coming out there for a day. Because it's nearly a 2 hr drive, I'm lookin to come out probably for just a day this season just so I can say I've been there. Thanks in advance!

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if you go off the 71 access follow the plowed road close to a mile, it will be a pretty tight grouped bunch of houses, thats hoopers

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Well in that case I don't know how anyone measures their fish... The small side of 13"... Not even close. Small side of 11". Getting closer.... 10".... Some. 9" and less.... Generally. 13 inches.............. Ha! Crazy people.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was out this last week again on Sauk. The roads are in good shape but have not tryed venturing off of them much. The fishing has still been good off of hoppers, have not heard of much from the north end of the lake. Fish away from the crowd on hoopers and the fish size goes up but the fishing is tougher. Good Luck

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Trust me smile I wouldn't recommend traveling to far off the road. I blazed my own trail off the plowed road over to kesslers Bay Area... 3.5 hours of digging with a collapsible p.o.s. Shovel and I finally made it back to the plowed road. smile needless to say, I didn't even get a hole drilled! Wheelers seem to be fine though, they sit up on the hard snow but my vehicle didn't ! Ha

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  • 10 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Headed out to Sauk this weekend off of Hooper's. The bite has been slow all around but hoping for some action.

I was talking to many of people and the DNR are netting carp out of the lake. From what I hear it is quite the operation with tractors and massive nets. If they continue netting through the weekend it might be pretty cool to drive out and check out the operation. Hopefully this year they hit the jackpot and get a large number of carp out of the lake.

Good luck fishing and will update on how the bite goes.

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Fishing was slow but managed a few Crappies, NOT on Big Sauk though! Caught a 13" slab and kept a few others for the frying pan. Pretty slow weekend with a lot of jumping around but couldn't have asked for nicer weather to be sitting on a bucket in the middle of the day. full-36560-52387-13.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Plan is to head out Sunday to check ice on Sauk Lake. Have not spoken to anyone around the area but rumor is the lake is buttoned up and making ice. Any reports out there with ice thickness?  

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Saw a spear house on the west side of the Narrows on sunday already, the block by their house looked like a good 4in thick.

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Houses popping up around the lake. Few more spear houses near the narrows and on the north end. Also a large wheel house and wheeler out on the humps west of Diamond Point. Got the itch for big house fishing. 

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  • The title was changed to Sauk Centre Area Fishing Reports

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • jparrucci
      Very low, probably 2 feet lower than last year at ice out.
    • mbeyer
      what do they look like this spring?
    • SkunkedAgain
      I might have missed a guess, but here are the ones that I noted:   JerkinLips – March 27th, then April 7th Brianf. – March 28th Bobberwatcher – April…. MikeG3Boat – April 10th SkunkedAgain – early April, then April 21st   Definitely a tough year for guesses, as it seemed to be a no-brainer early ice out. Then it got cold and snowed again.
    • mbeyer
      MN DNR posted April 13 as Ice out date for Vermilion
    • Brianf.
      ^^^45 in the morning and 47 in the evening
    • CigarGuy
      👍. What was the water temp in Black Bay? Thanks....
    • Brianf.
      No, that wasn't me.  I drive a 621 Ranger. 
    • CigarGuy
      So, that was you in the camo lund? I'm bummed, I have to head back to the cities tomorrow for a few days, then back up for at least a few weeks. Got the dock in and fired up to get out chasing some crappies till opener!
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Lots of ice on the main basin, but it is definitely deteriorating.  Some anglers have been fishing the open water at the mouth of the Rainy River in front of the Lighthouse Gap.  The rest of the basin is still iced over. Pike enthusiasts caught some big pike earlier last week tip up fishing in pre-spawn areas adjacent to traditional spawning areas.  8 - 14' of water using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring has been the ticket.  Ice fishing for all practical purposes is done for the year. The focus for the basin moving forward will be pike transitioning into back bays to spawn,  This is open water fishing and an opportunity available as the pike season is open year round on Lake of the Woods. The limit is 3 pike per day with one being able to be more than 40 inches. All fish 30 - 40 inches must be released. With both the ice fishing and spring fishing on the Rainy River being so good, many are looking forward to the MN Fishing Opener on Saturday, May 11th.  It should be epic. On the Rainy River...  An absolutely incredible week of walleye and sturgeon fishing on the Rain Rainy River.     Walleye anglers, as a rule, caught good numbers of fish and lots of big fish.  This spring was one for the books.   To follow that up, the sturgeon season is currently underway and although every day can be different, many boats have caught 30 - 40 sturgeon in a day!  We have heard of fish measuring into the low 70 inch range.  Lots in the 60 - 70 inch range as well.   The sturgeon season continues through May 15th and resumes again July 1st.   Oct 1 - April 23, Catch and Release April 24 - May 7, Harvest Season May 8 - May 15, Catch and Release May 16 - June 30, Sturgeon Fishing Closed July 1 - Sep 30, Harvest Season If you fish during the sturgeon harvest season and you want to keep a sturgeon, you must purchase a sturgeon tag for $5 prior to fishing.    One sturgeon per calendar year (45 - 50" inclusive, or over 75"). Most sturgeon anglers are either a glob of crawlers or a combo of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners on a sturgeon rig, which is an 18" leader with a 4/0 circle hook combined with a no roll sinker.  Local bait shops have all of the gear and bait. Up at the NW Angle...  Open water is continuing to expand in areas with current.  The sight of open water simply is wetting the pallet of those eager for the MN Fishing Opener on May 11th.   A few locals were on the ice this week, targeting pike.  Some big slimers were iced along with some muskies as well.  If you like fishing for predators, LOW is healthy!  
    • Brianf.
      Early bird gets the worm some say...   I have it on good authority that this very special angler caught no walleyes or muskies and that any panfish caught were released unharmed.        
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