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- Subscribe to this fishing report. Ice conditions still vary greatly from lake to lake. While seven to ten iches of pretty good ice, due to our lack of snow cover, is common, still use caution. Channel areas on Minnetonka, for example, may have much less ice than that. Walking, with or without a portable house like a Clam Fish Trap is a safe bet on Prior and Waconia, and many areas of Minnetonka. ATVs should be cautious, and I would wait to put out wheel houses, especially with another four day stretch of near-record to record temps that is upon us. Panfish are biting on Waconia and Prior. They are working deep water already, 18 to 23 feet, probably due to no snow cover on top of relatively thin ice for this time of year. Try the center of deep bays or coves, or the deep basin areas not too far from bays or shoreline points. We are catching bluegills all day, with peak time being early in the morning, and AFTER DARK. Crappies are getting nocturnal, so try staying out after dark. Small jigs with waxies or micro-sized Gulp! are catching both, and a crappie minow under a float is catching crappies and even some waleyes and pike in these same areas. Good luck, and be safe!

I’m going out today after work to check ice on O’Dowd- anyone been out checking ice? ill put the ice conditions I find on O’Dowd today on here after I check.

Anyone think we will be able to get our ice fishing around the metro this weekend?

I am renting a lakehouse on Lower Prior Lake early July with my family from CA. What recomendations are out there for some easy fishing that require the minimim of gear. Also any thoughts on trapping Crawdads....

Had some luck with the bluegills on Lower Prior Lake yesterday afternoon. Seems they were in pre-spawn mode possibly. A few squirted when I was trying to unhook them. Fished near weeds in about 10 ft of water and landed a couple of larger ones and a few mid-sized ones to fill out the pan. Was using a panfish rod and slip bobber with a 1/2 night crawler on a bare hook. Tried a few leeches also and caught a couple of small LMB. Hooked int one large one that snapped my line on my panfish rod. Might have been a little excited on that one. Toward the end of my trip I pulled a bottom bouncer Lindy rig (blue spinner) with a nightcrawler and hooked into a 8 inch walleye and a small perch. Seems like all species were biting yesterday, hope it continues! There weren't many casts I didn't catch something.