Golden Lake in Anoka

[tsewdim]

Hello,

Long time lurker, first time poster...this site is awesome!

So I was scoping out some new ice fishing lakes and came across Golden Lake in Anoka. Looked it up on the DNR website and it looks to be halfway decent.

Anyone fish this lake? There seems to be an awful lot of portables out there. Just curious...

[jpaulson]

I have not ice fished Golden but have some open water experience. There is a pretty decent population of gills and crappies but most are stunted. I have talked to a couple people who say the bass fishing is good but I can't verify that. There are northerns and walleye as well but not that great of numbers. Quite a few people fish for channel cats as well. I see people fishing it now because its a small fairly shallow lake so ice would be decent. It is a no motor lake so no wheelers and I would think no gas augers.

[MNmikew]

I've fished that lake quite a bit in the last several years. There is an aireation system in it so watch for the signs! I'm not sure on the wheeler and auger ruling on this lake though it is non-motorized. Most people out there use power augers and quite a few wheelers, mine encluded.

Fishing hasent been all that great in the last couple years. Small panfish with the occasional OK sized northern taken in the channel. Max depth is around 30 ft and the water is quite stained (hence the name Golden).

Last time I pulled a cat from there was about 5 years ago.

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

i fished this lake in the summer a few times off the pier and you can go out there and just through a small jig out and catch all the 6 inch crappies and 5 inch sunnies you want. Never really caught anything big but i do know there are some nice northerns in the lake and everyonce in a while i see a guy pull in a cat from shore. never fished it in the winter but might have to try it out..

Later,

Ryan

[berfish]

I grew up across the street from this lake and it has been getting worse for fishing in the last 5 years. The aeration system hasn't worked for a couple years now and I think the ice fishing has suffered. If there is open water around the thin ice signs then the system is working...if not then it is still broken. No open water this year either. Small crappies and gills pretty much all over the lake. Suspended in the 20-25ft range and on the bottom in the 10-20ft range. I think I got one 8in. crappie last year. Northerns have also been on a steady decline since the mid 90's. Back then it wasn't uncommon to boat multiple 5lbers in an evening. The biggest I have seen is a 39incher and that was about 8 years ago. The bass are nice but not very many. Walleyes...haven't seen one for about 15 years and it was a 20 incher. I have talked to a guy I know that lives on the lake and he trolls his electric pontoon around the whole lake almost every evening with an original floating rap and he claims he has got a few walleyes. Not sure if I beleive him though. The catfishing can be good. I have posted on here before with a pic of a limit of cats from around a pound up to 5lbs. I still live near the lake but I would go to Peltier or centerville before I would go to Golden.

[soft]

Have you guys seen any cats pulled thru ice on this lake?.

Thanks.

Solf

[tsewdim]

Thanks for the great info guys...

Ice fishing for cats? Is this a good lake for icing cats? I've never ice fished for cats before, but maybe this will be a good try.

[UncleKes]

If you are talking about the Golden Lake near Lexington?lono Lakes it is strictly a small panfish lake with a few scrawny northerns once in a blue moon. YOu wold do better driving up to Centerville and fishing Centerville Lake or Vadnais Lake.

[frazwood]

I haven't ice fished on Golden since 2003 or 2004; but the last time I was there, I drilled a few holes near the open-water aerator area and caught 4 channel cats on wax worms. They were all 12-14 inches long.