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Grindstone Lake Fishing Reports


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Planning on heading up there tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon. Anyone from the east metro that wants to join, you're more than welcome. I've never been up there before, so I'm not sure what to expect. I'll be on foot, so where should I get on the lake? How far of a hike will that leave me to some good fishing? I think if I'm reading my map correctly, the map is a little less than a half mile wide. Is that accurate? So if I walk on at the public access, it's about that far to the hump SE and on the other side of the lake of the ramp...sound about right?

As for bait, I will be stopping by my local bait shop here in Stillwater. What critters should I pick up? I was planning on running a tip-up and my jigging rod. I'll have some lighter stuff if smelt move in, but I think I'm good to go with waxies, euros, and some crappie jigs. I have a couple glow white/red front jigging shads, and a couple frostee spoons in glow white. Was going to pick up some tube jigs as well. Earlier posts from previous years say that white is the color of choice. Is that still the consensus color?

Finally, what sort of conditions am I walking into? Will I need spikes on my boots?

Thanks guys! I've read through this entire thread, and I think I'm ready to just give it a shot. You can only do so much research right? Thanks for the advice, and I'll be sure to report back on my success (or lack thereof).

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I would definitely bring spikes for your boots, if it's anything like Minnetonka was yesterday the ice is going to be slick. On Saturday I was up on Big Trout north of Brainerd trying for lakers. No luck but I did learn that swivels are very important, I wasn't using one and I had some serious line twist. As far as colors go, you can use anyone you want as long as it's white...or silver...or glow. We were marking fish by dropping the lure to the bottom and jigging it up a couple feet and then letting it sink back to the bottom a couple times and then jigging up off the bottom. Good luck, I hope you catch a couple nice ones.

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Got up there late Saturday on my way to Duluth. 2 hours in 70 FOW. No marks on bottom. One suspended fish probably stream trout eyed my jiggin spoon and left. Couple smelt tugs. No hookups.

Usually better when it's bright out. Glow jig wasn't enough!

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For years ive wanted to try the Grind and am wanting to try this week but want to stay warm in truck if poss. are U able to drive on this lake or not and if so where and how far at max. also could anyone tell me where to get onto the lake north and south. cool what is the most recent ice report grin THANKS laugh Please keep updated cool

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If you should read this thread because a lot of you questions have already been answered. I would not be driveing on this lake unless you are drilling every 50 feet to check the ice thickness this is a deep lake with a lot of thermal pockets. Get ready to be happy if you real in one fish!

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Well, worked later than I expected today, so no trip to Grindstone for me today, but tomorrow the lake is mine all day! Anywhere I should just flat out avoid? Everyone asks where should I fish...I'm gonna try where shouldn't I fish? smile

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Well you are going to need about 10" of water under the ice for streamers, so don't fish any shallower than that.

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I'm assuming alot of people are driving trucks out there? What is the consistant ice thickness? With this cold weather, any chance for 15 inches throughout by monday?

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I'll be there this weekend but not just for the trout. My first time this year hope the fish gods are with me!!

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Was out on the lake for most of the day. Caught a few skinny smelt, a nice 12" crappie and a mystery fish. I'd never caught a smelt before, and it was my first fish of the day, so here's my story:

I setup in 70 FOW looking for some lakers, and marked a decent sized fish about halfway down. Had a nickel diamond jig with a waxie on my second rod to catch the smelt or crappie heading by, and got the fish to bite. It fought well and I got it up to the hole and through. Unfortunately about the same time, the hook let go and the fish flopped once on the ice and then down the hole. I'm guessing the fish was around 16" long and 2 - 3 inches across. It was dark on the top and I didn't get a good look at the side of it, but it was getting lighter towards the belly. Having never even seen a smelt before I assumed it was a smelt and figured if I caught one, I'd catch more. I probably could have made a more athletic move to keep the fish from getting back down the hole, but I didn't realize that this wasn't just a normal fish. The rest of the smelt I caught told me that I had either caught a VERY nice smelt, or something else. The only other thing I can think of is that it may have been a brown trout. But would brown trout be in that much water? I don't know enough about either species to make a good decision. I wish I had made more of an effort to keep it from getting back down the hole, but I was caught quite off guard by it coming off the hook just as I was reaching down to get ahold of it. Anyone have any ideas as to what this fish could have been?

Anyway, if there's a lesson here it's don't count any fish as an "average" fish until you actually identify it and are able to make a real decision about it. There are no "average" fish.

Good luck out there, and has anyone landed a laker yet?

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Swimbait you could have had a laker on if it was darker, the browns I have caught out of there are usually pretty light colored. The lakers I have seen come out of that lake are usually pretty dark and almost a dark green. So who knows, I am glad you had some action though!

P.S. you probably want to no how to identify the fish on the lake you are fishing. I always carry a fishing reg book with me.

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I don't know about inland trout that have been stocked, but with Lake Superior run fish they tend to be very silvery and fish that have spent time in tributaries are more colorful. Depending on how long a brown trout had spent in the lake it might be more silver with a darker back and a white belly but if it was fresh out of the hatchery it might be brown throughout, becoming more golden toward the bottom with a white belly. This is an example of both a lake run and a river brown trout.

brown%20trout.jpg

This is an example of a rainbow. It's back would be more olive colored and it would get lighter on the bottom, with a white belly.

Rainbow%20Trout.gif

Finally, this is a lake trout. As you can see it is olive colored with lighter markings on it and a light colored belly.

lake%20trout%20by%20JZ.jpg

What you caught could have been a smelt, but I have not heard of them growing to 16" in freshwater (they might be able to in Atlantic tributaries). If I had to guess I would say you probably caught a laker based on the depth because stream trout often run shallow under the ice although it's definitely not unheard of to have them suspend over deeper water like that. Congratulations on your catch (and release) anyway, maybe next time he won't get away.

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I will be up there tomorow, I can't wait and hope this is the trip I hook into a laker! I better bring one home soon or my wife is going to thinkI have been going to a strip club instead!

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I was up there all day yesterday. I got one small Laker about 12" in about 72feet. I had lots of marks all day, but not many takers. I will have to say that the Smelt in Grindstone are some of the largest I have seen anywhere. They can be fun to play with, when the Trout are not biting! smile

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Leech, hows the ice out there? Are the smelts coming through consistant? Thanks

I think there was a good 15" or more. There were trucks driving around. The Smelt where I was were coming and going. There are better spots for them on the north end then where I was fishing.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Can you get around with a wheeler or do you need a snowmobile?

I used a Snowmobile, but there were a few guys with trucks and wheelers out there. The snow on the lake was not to deep.

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I was out today, got skunked, but i did just fine with two wheel drive pick-up. Very little snow, I had any were from 14" to 20" of ice. I even saw cars driving around out there.

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Yeah the snow cover as of Wednesday was very light. I walked out, and the sled felt very light skittering across the bare ice!

Well I still wish I had made a better effort to keep Mr Fish from cruising back down the hole. The reason I couldn't ID it is because I didn't get a good look at it. I've caught lakers on Lake Michigan before, and caught browns, brookies, and rainbows on the fly, so I can ID those if I see the whole body. That only fish I hadn't seen before was a smelt, so if I had been able to see the entire body of the fish I would have been able to ID it.

Should probably get one of those books just for reference sake.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Was going to pick up some tube jigs as well. Earlier posts from previous years say that white is the color of choice. Is that still the consensus color?

I've had very good luck this season up north with the Lindy Slick Jig paired with a white 3" gulp minnow on lakers. This jig almost combine a jigging rap with soft plastics. Really calls them in and they smack it pretty good too. Just another option for lakers. With the Grindstone smelt this should be a good option there as well. White Gulp minnow was my best color but there are some more smelty colors that would likely work well too.

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Was out Sunday. THICK ice. Set up in 30 ft water. Had tip ups out further. Son caught a Mud puppy and a perch. That was it. But tip ups froze in and lost bait sometime during that. That was 70 ft of water. Varying depths.

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Where do you find these tube jigs in a large store like Gander? Should I look in the ice fishing spot or in the open water area? Lot of ground to cover in those stores!!

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Look in open water stuff. Plastic worms usually for bass. Salted tubes can be nice but tend to rust anything they come in contact with. If you tip you tubes with bait, unsalted may be preferable. White IS the color. I would recommend riggin up a small stinger hook to improve your landing percentage. Cabelas has 20lb wire and crimp sleeves that work real nice for making stingers. Not sure if Gander would carry them.

If you target smelt, I like a tiny jigging spoon tipped with a crappie minnow dead head. Works like a charm!

I might make it up there on Saturday. Depends on Lake Superior conditions.

-Minner

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I'm planning on hitting it Tuesday. If there's anyone that wants to tag along from the twin cities, let me know! I'd be more than happy to share space in my vehicle. I'll be walking out once I get up there...I like the exercise!

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Swimbait what times were you thinking of hitting Grindstone? I'm off work Tuesday, but I have a meeting in Chanhassen I need to be at by around 4.

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