coon rapids dam

[mike42075]

how does one fish a river for crappies?? Do I fish in the eddies by the fast flowing dam, or do I go for the pond and or slackwater on the coon rapids side? And how do I fish it? Too fast for bobber, can't imagine wieght and sit. Do I cast small jigs?? HELP I have no boat and am bored to death without the ice.....

[mplspug]

Sorry I can't help you on catching crappies in the river. I tried a little last weekend with minnows, but didn't catch crappies.

However, with your thread titled Coon Rapids Dam, I wanted to throw out a question. Does anyone know if the island will be closed off permanently? It looks like it's starting to wash away, but I don't know if the snow fence is left over from construction or whatever. Also, any luck on the West (BP) side?

[fisherman-andy]

Look for edges or where the water breaks, anything that slows down the current along the shoreline. Since it's Spring, forget about the morning bite & afternoon, go down there when it's about to get dark or sunset into the evening.

With the warmer temps them Crappie slabs are real shallow, more shallow then you think. I mean where would the minnows be in the moonlight? Try between 1 to 3ft of water dept. Best used a bobber with bare red hook and sinker.

Position the bobber 1 1/2 feet from hook, reason why is you will be drifting shallow water. Cast towards current and let it drift back slowly as possible, when the bobber has drifted past you down stream then real it in and do the same thing. Remember 1 to 3 ft of water dept, trust me. Repeat over and over a few times then try different spot.

This process should nab you some nice slabs. This technique only works well for rivers or bodies of water that have current. This technique is deadly on the Croix.

[MSRiverdog]

Years ago I went ther a lot. Fished off the low wall by the CR visiters center and caught bunchs. The biggest ones were by the intake in the middle of the top wall with a stray walleye, sauger or sunfish. At the boat launch pool there were Cats up to 25#s. I never caught one that big but did see a kid there that had one and said he had caught others. Been quite a few years though.

[Matt Johnson]

I grew up fishing carp, cats, pike, walleye, crappie, etc, at the CR Dam... and I still make it over there a couple times a summer for the carp action. Not uncommon to land 40-50 carp in a day between a couple guys, and you usually hook into a few cats as well.

Once the season opens, some people drag minnows or pitch minnows on a bobber targeting crappies, pike, or walleye. If targeting pike out there, I'll just throw spoons or spinner-baits and cover as much area as possible. Rattle traps will work well too...

[Dennis Steele]

Great advice fisherman-andy!

If I can pry myself from fishing the cats there, I plan on following your advice.

[mike42075]

well just got back from the (Contact US Regarding This Word). tried everything, but what worked was the tried and true. caught 8 smallies and a cat. Also lost one huge smallie at the shore. ALL ON A WEIGHT HOOK AND CRAWLER.

[Ralph Wiggum]

LOL, I had that problem elsewhere a few weeks ago. Fishing suckers with a worm on the bottom, and we started the day off with three quick smallies. Now come opener, and they will disappear!

[hanson]

Quote:

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LOL, I had that problem elsewhere a few weeks ago. Fishing suckers with a worm on the bottom, and we started the day off with three quick smallies. Now come opener, and they will disappear!

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LOL! Isn't that why we have a closed season on them now- to protect the vulnerable fish?

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm sure that is why it's closed. It'd sure be easy to deplete a resource when they won't let a gob of worms sink 3 feet to the bottom.

[sbro73]

Just a question about the pike out there, are they better above or below the dam ? And is there any truth to the rumor that you can catch muskies there,too ???

[Matt Johnson]

First muskie of my life came from the CR Dam (below). I was about 12 years old and a buddy and I were casting spoons walking up and down the shoreline. We were catching a few pike and then I hooked into a muskie... so it was only about 3 pounds, but it was a muskie I've also seen a few larger ones sunning themselves up in the shallows, so there are some big ones in there.

And for pike, I've done the best either below the dam, or above the dam over by the boat launch...

[Jim43]

Fished the Coon Rapids Dam for years when I lived up there. I actually grew up by Moore Park a couple miles away.Fished there from about 1976 to 1993. Spent many wasted days fishing right off the fishing deck on the old power house side. We would catch crappies by the dozens and some really nice sized to. I would use my glow in the dark ice fishing jigs and had really good luck with them. Caught a smaller crappie off the end of the fishing deck near the fish ladder one day and northern grabbed him before I could pull him out,actually catching both. About 7lb northern .

Carp fishing down there was always a blast, just stop by the store and grab a can of corn and you were set. One thing to, always keep an eye on your rod, had mine set up on fork stick and turned around for only second. Turned back and it was gone. We would use some heavy gear them to, had my carp rod setup with 35lb braded nylon with a heavy duty trolling winch on it. biggest Carp I caught down there must have gone 30 lb.

Those were good times down there fishing, don`t get up that way much anymore. My mother still lives there but getting away from work is tough.

[Pale Green Pants]

I am new to fishing. My summer project is to teach myself and my two kids to fish.

I live up by the Coon Rapids Dam so I went to find some info on fishing it. I found that I need a trout stamp to fish there? Can I access the water from other parts where I will not need this stamp?

Lisa

[Sandmannd]

I don't know for sure, but that doesn't sound right to me Lisa. If youa re trout fishing it you would need a stamp for sure. But say you are carp fishing, there should be no reason you need the stamp. Again, not positive cause I haven't fished it, but that doesn't sound right to me.

[slipperybob]

I am new to fishing. My summer project is to teach myself and my two kids to fish.

I live up by the Coon Rapids Dam so I went to find some info on fishing it. I found that I need a trout stamp to fish there? Can I access the water from other parts where I will not need this stamp?

Lisa

You need the trout stamp if you fish in the lake. If you fish the river, then you don't need the trout stamp.

[Pale Green Pants]

Quote:

Cenaiko Lake is 30 acres, spring-fed, stocked with Rainbow and Brown Trout, and has a fishing pier. Fishing here requires a state trout stamp in addition to a regular fishing license.

I found that info on the above site, but now that I go back and read it again, it sounds like he could have ment that a stamp is required "if" you were to fish for trout. I went back to the DNR site and it does not say that you must have a stamp to fish there. I must have misunderstood that.

[wolfman-k]

You do indeed need to purchase a 'trout stamp' to fish in Cenaiko Lake regardless of what species you are trying to catch.

This is a man-made lake South-East of the River-CR Dam. You can fish anywhere on the river without a trout stamp however. There is a nice place to fish near the visitors center by the boat launch area, or below the over-flow dam in the park. Good luck. If you're not sure, ask at the center and they will point you in the right direction.

[Pale Green Pants]

Thanks for the clarification!

[farmfishing]

I personally fish below the dam lots of quality fish in there. I just pitch jigs with tails white is my fave. Got lots of pike and a few eyes. The kid use a bobber and some small jigs i tye some hair on great for crappies and sunnies. Also gotten some respectfull cats on cut bait. Never know what you are going to catch down there. Good luck.

[fishin4fun85]

can anyone give me directions to the coon rapids dam?

[Lund4ver]

Don't know where you are coming from by here are a bunch.....

From Minneapolis: Take Interstate 35W north to Interstate 694W; follow 694W to East River Road exit. Take East River Road north to Coon Rapids Boulevard west. Follow Coon Rapids Boulevard about 1 mile to Egret Boulevard and turn left. Take Egret Boulevard south one mile to the park entrance.

From St. Paul: Take Interstate 35E north to Interstate 694W; follow 694W to East River Road exit. Take East River Road north to Coon Rapids Boulevard west. Follow Coon Rapids Boulevard about 1 mile to Egret Boulevard and turn left. Take Egret Boulevard south one mile to the park entrance.

From Andover, Ham Lake, Coon Rapids: Take Hanson Boulevard south to Coon Rapids Boulevard east. Follow Coon Rapids Boulevard east to Egret Boulevard south. Turn right onto Egret Boulevard and follow 1/3 mile to the park entrance.

From Anoka, Ramsey: Take Highway 10 east to Hanson Boulevard south. Turn right onto Hanson Boulevard and follow about 1 ½ miles to Coon Rapids Boulevard east. Turn left onto Coon Rapids Boulevard and follow to Egret Boulevard south. Turn right onto Egret Boulevard and follow one mile south to the park entrance.

From Fridley, Columbia Heights, Spring Lake Park: Take Highway 65 north to County Highway 10 west. Follow County Highway 10 west and continue west on Coon Rapids Boulevard (County Highway 10 automatically turns into Coon Rapids Boulevard when traveling straight west). Follow Coon Rapids Boulevard about one mile to Egret Boulevard south. Turn left onto Egret Boulevard and follow one mile to the park entrance.

Hope that helps you out.

[fishin4fun85]

Thanks Lund that helps a lot. I'm going out with a buddy 2marrow and I was thinking about going up there. I was also wondering if anyone knows if Waverly lake has been good fishing lately....my grandpa used to have a house on the laake and I got a lot of good memories of hammering about every kind of fish out there, but not real sure what it's like anymore. Any info??

[fishin4fun85]

Went out to the dam last night. I caught a coule small cats and a bullhead, and my buddy caught some really small walleyes...at least I didn't get skunked!!!

[Lund4ver]

Heck, even getting skunked is better then sitting around at work. Glad to hear that you caught some fish.

[fishin4fun85]

I hear that...but unless I'm getting paid to fish (which will never happen) sitting around at work isn't going to change!!

[mojobobo]

OK I'm gonna be heading to Coon Rapids Dam and I have been to a spot or 2 since going there. I uploaded a map of places I have been ( red circle )and places I want to go ( turquoise circle ) and a place I have thought of ( orange circle ). Would anyone like to give me comments on these at all? And what I could possibly catch at those places. I believe the water is a bit low at this time of the year.

>>>>>>>>>> LOOK BELOW AT EDIT 9/03/08 <<<<<<<<<<

EDIT: 9/03/08 Went to coon rapids dam, fishing along the north side of it, I made a comment on the boilies I made with someone's online recipe ( this was my first time making boilies. Follow this link for what I used to make them http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1506461/Boilies#Post1506461 )It turned out superb. Better than corn and worms IMO.

[no_luck]

hows are the fishin at the coon rapid dam doin this time of year?

[MedBoy]

any updates on the dam recently?

[sanka]

Really, really shallow. Dropped some corn and worms out there the other day. Got a few catfish and two small sheephead, all on worms.