Albert Lea Lake Fishing Reports

[bryguy247]

Wow great picture. Hate to see that, thats how it looked last time we had the winter kill. Couldn't they get a pump running in the channel by the dam to put oxygen into the water, then the oxygen would run out to the lake from there?

[wanger29]

Just to clear things up. That pic was taken 2 months ago on an entirely different body of water. I don't know what it looks like down your way. I just posted that for the example of the glowing eyes.

[jerad_s]

guys,

The two "officials" out there right now are two guys from an engineering firm in the cities. The watershed hired them to do some sediment coring in Fountain. This is being done to see what is in the sediment before we can do our dredging in upcoming years.

Lets not blow this out of proportion, nothing has changed for the past 3 weeks. While the oxygen levels are low, they have remained constant.

I would also like to take this opportunity to squash some rumors that have been going around. I have now heard this from several different anglers.

1. "The watershed's aerators are not even on"

This is not true. The aerators have been running for more than a month.

2. "The watershed didnt turn the aerators on in time"

This is also not true. For an organization to aerate a lake they must first get a permit from the DNR. Our permit has several stipulations. One stipulation was the we couldn't turn our aerator ON until the oxygen levels dipped below 6 mg/l. Well we actually talked the DNR into letting us turn them on BEFORE it actually got that low. When we turned them on the DO level was just under 8 mg/l.

Please help me put these rumors to rest.

[bryguy247]

You are very Helpful!! Thank you for all your info, it is well apreciated by many of us!!

[norwall]

Thanks for the clarification jered,it certainly explains some of the questions I've been hearing ie."the rumors" On a sidenote theres a lake in Canada we fish and there Dnr or ministry used dynamite to blow 2 20-30ft holes in a shallow lake to prevent winterkill,my question is could the same be done here ?

[CrappiesNCats]

as much as i'd like to think its finally happening the dredging is only a dream, plus if it occurred on AL, the contaminants buried in that sediment could make it that we dont even need to worry about a oxygenless kill.

i think this weekend is going to come and give those fish a little boost

[Deep]

Thank You Jerad. It's good to hear the truth some times. Rumors are just that.

[norwall]

I still say use dynmite in a few locations around AL lake and blow a few holes as I mentioned they have done in Canada to prevent winterkill.just my .02

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

I still say use dynmite in a few locations around AL lake and blow a few holes as I mentioned they have done in Canada to prevent winterkill.just my .02

I agree, use dynamite, oh wait I actually just want to be there when they blow it up!!!

[CrappiesNCats]

heard some reports of a nice bite occuring on the lake.

don't have more info, but i'm sure the AL crowd can put the puzzle together

my added info is "thinking outside the box".

this slow ice-fishing has really got me wantin that open water...good to see some life is left though

[zepman]

Last week it was on fire. I've heard it's since cooled down quite a bit. Too many people.

[Blindsniper]

We've gotten what we wanted and needed with this warm spell. Anybody know if it's helped the oxygen levels? Or am I looking for too fast a response from the lake? It was getting pretty scarey last week.

[morefishplease]

I heard the bite was really good over the weekend, I drove by on Saturday and there must have been 75+ people crammed into one little area. Now thats called masses!!

[deek]

I took the o2 level yesterday afternoon and it turned out to be 5.19 mg/l.This weather is sure helping with all that run off to the lake,only heard of some crappies and not too many eyes lately.The test was in the channel out from the landing.Alot of people takin their houses off when i was out there.Good luck!

[Deep]

I was out this morning, WOW the current was realy flowing. Ice hole were starting to erode and that was only 2 hours of fishing. nothing going today, yesterday I picked up a few walleyes, the shack next to me had some crappies.

[eyenut17]

when the dam starts running does the channel open up quick

[SHANTY]

blow up the whole lake! its a dead sea anyway. same story every year. sounds like the dnr or al needs to do something about it.

[CrappiesNCats]

blow up the whole lake! its a dead sea anyway. same story every year. sounds like the dnr or al needs to do something about it.

really? fishing has been some of the best the lake has seen in a long time the last few years.

[zepman]

Absolutely some of the best ice fishing southern Minnesota has to offer.

[deek]

Fished the channel from 5:30 til 7 or so managed only two eyes,missed 2 or 3 hits.The water is sure moving under there, i dont think i will drive on it any more,i fished the same hole from 2 days ago and it was 2 feet wider 1" under the ice!Took o2 test also and that came out to be 9.56 mg/l.Good luck!(Take a kid ice fishing weekend Feb.14-16,adults fish free with kid)

[SHANTY]

i agree thats it's a great lake. it could be so much better. ever year people pull there hair out b/c they think it going to winter kill. we got real lucky this year. hopefully to many did not die.... time will tell. one of these years we are not going to get so lucky and then it will be a dead sea. every lake needs to be properly managed.

[250XB]

A.L. lake is a great lake because of a winter kill so before you criticize the DNR think twice. A.L. lake is shallow and fertile so no matter what is done there is always the chance of a winter kill, but the good news is that the lake recovers fast.

[SHANTY]

i am sure the dnr does a good job. turn on the aerators before the o2 levels get so low... before 6 or 8? dredging? landscaping?

[CrappiesNCats]

i agree thats it's a great lake. it could be so much better. ever year people pull there hair out b/c they think it going to winter kill. we got real lucky this year. hopefully to many did not die.... time will tell. one of these years we are not going to get so lucky and then it will be a dead sea. every lake needs to be properly managed.

fishing in AL would be better if more than 5 percent of the people that fished it understood "catch and release". the "i gotta keep everything because its gonna freeze out" mentality is pretty prevalent all year long.

[zepman]

CnC--I can't agree more with your take on this. Unfortunately, Albert Lea lake isn't the only place that this mentality exists.

[james_walleye]

Funny you say that because a couple years ago on a beautiful september morning i caught 6 beatiful eyes in that 17-19" range around sunrise. I put them all back and the people around me couldnt believe their eyes.

[bryguy247]

I pulled a 23" eye through the ice in the channel this year and when I put it back mouths just dropped like I was crazy. Oh well. Everyone has there own Idea of what fisihing is all about. On a better note, thank you warm spell, to get the water moving. we should be in the clear now as far as oxygen levels go.

[zepman]

I've done the same thing out on Madison with the same reactions. Lifes simple pleasures.

[CrappiesNCats]

kudos to you guys for throwing some back. i dont think its wrong to keep some fish for a meal, but when the bite is on and you see pails and pails of fish being kept its kind of disheartening, especially since many people double dip.

[Blindsniper]

I was all set to go out yesterday near the channel, but when I got there and saw that just about everyone has bailed off of it and what appeared to be a little open water south of the bridge I changed my plans. How much ice is left just outside the channel? Pretty sure I don't want to drive out there, but that open water got me to thinkin twice about walking out. That current was rolling hard the other night.