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Grindstone Lake Fishing Reports


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3 of us are going Saturday in lieu of bad reports and no Lake Superior ice over deep water. Probably not going to ice one this year.

I've fished 25-80 FOW this year and havent marked any fish I would think would be lakers. Been using cut suckers for bait with jigs. Maybe it's time to get out the smelt...

Any tips on spots or baits that have worked this year would be appreciated. Haven't heard of anyone icing ANY trout this year.

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Boy, am I sure glad you all are out there doing the grunt work and proving to me that this is a lake not worth one second of my life.

I can find hundreds of other lakes to fish on for skunks and save a lot of time and $$! wink

Do people even catch lake trout out of there, or is it an urban legend? Seriously, I don't think one person has posted any successful reports, pics or anything that leads me to believe that they even catch them in this lake. I have some frinds that live near Grindstone, too, and they have never caught one either.

Thanks again for posting your dismal fishing reports of this lake, I know now to permanently cross it off my list. laugh

I'll save my nickles and plan on always heading further north for the lakers!

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Ive caught Lakers every other time up there. Havnt been there this year but lakers are there.

Usually get them on a tip up in 40 feet of water

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I could care less if i catch a laker on this lake as i like to go up there for the fact that the idiots are not up there. So yup it is a myth that the lake holds lakers so go ahead and cross it off your list that way there will be more lakers i mean pearch for me to catch!

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Just getting to make a report for last Saturday for the 3 of us finally! Got 3 lakers (all one guy, not me) all in 65-85 FOW some suspended. I did actually mark fish but they were finicky. Downsized from bucktail jigs and we used white jigging spoon with dead head crappie minnows. Also got a nice 11+" crappie 55 feet down in 77 FOW! Dead on arrival with a bad case of the bends.

Also got hot on the smelt after the moonrise at 5pm and got a quick dozen when a school sat under me.

Maybe one more outing left in me for hard water season yet....

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With the way the weather is looking, I'm wondering if I'll be able to take a canoe out on grindstone on the 31st? Would casting spoons work, or would I want to stick with jigging?

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I was over by the barn on west grindstone rd Today 3/15 and there is a big pocket of open water there and the boat access is open water but down by audubon and over by the bible camp the ice still looks pretty solid. I walked out on bass lake and lake eleven still 20 plus inches of ice a little thinner by the shore definitely walk on only.

Bob

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I bet there will be a good possibility of some canoeable water on the 31st on Grindstone. Pitching spoons might work but I would troll them so they stay down longer.

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Any update on the ice? I'm thinking if the lake can be 50% or more ice free it'd be worthwhile to take the canoe out there on the 31st.

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I think it's at about 15% now maybe a little lower based on my trip to the cabin on Saturday still saw a lot of ice.

Bob

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JB, I was thinking of getting out there too. 60 on tuesday and 70 on wednesday! That ice might be gone! Leave the canoe, I'll bring the boat!!!

-Minner

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Yeah, hopefully the forecasted rain on saturday will be the wrecking ball, and the warm sunny days after that will be the clean up crew smile

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Interesting point...what if your able to "park" your boat along the edge of the ice...would you be able to stand on the edge of the ice and cast a spoon while having a shiner swim around behind you on a tip up? I personally would never do something like that, I'll stay in the boat. Once ice isn't connected to the shoreline, I have no business being on it.

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I think you can use two lines as long as you are actually on the ice. So if a guy beached his canoe on the ice and dropped a tip-up he could then also cast a spoon if he were still on the ice. At least I think that's how it would work.

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I wasn't being completely serious about the question but it does make you wonder. I'm with you JB, I'm not into playing the fool just to get an extra line in

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Problem with them ideas is most people dont use shiners and spoons for panfish or even tipups.

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Eurolarva, they sure don't use shiners, spoons and tip ups for panfish but they sure do use them for lakers wink

Also, if anybody needs an open seat filled I'd love to get up there before the season closes and I've got Monday and Wednesday off and I'd pitch in for bait and gas.

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Forecast says 70 degrees for wednesday!!! Any updates on the ice? I think it's looking good for at least 50% of the lake to be open.

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I would like to know too. My boat is very dry! Someone must live up there, please pipe up....

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Doesn't matter for me anymore...I checked the forecast for tomorrow and it shows 20-30 mph wind with chance of thunder storm. That's not something I want to deal with in my canoe. So I'm just gonna save myself the 170 mile roundtrip.

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  • 3 weeks later...

have the smelt started runnning yet? i know the north shore already started and i would think its time for grindestone..just dont want to waste time and money, tight budget this month

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We've been getting them for a while now. It's either done or very close. The 'run' is earlier on grindstone than it is on Superior. Good luck next year.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I went up their today and thought it was funny that they had a caution low water levels sign, when it is the highest I have ever seen! We did not get any fish eathier!

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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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