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Anybody been down to Winona around the Airport lately? I was down last week of January and it was slow out by the island, only got a dogfish on a tip-up.

One guy I know said he got a couple nice northerns in a little current.

How's it been out there since?

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I got 3 perch last Saturday. All day. I was silly, set my shack up over 26 ft of water and never moved. Pretty much on a deep flat.

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 Originally Posted By: 11-87
200 PEOPLE, AND HARDLY A POST....

KIND OF LIKE A DAY OF ICE FISHING....

Typical Winona-area thread--the proportion of lurkers to actual contributors is very high. Check out the Trempeleau/Dresbach thread on the "Mississippi Pool 4-11" forum, where it is 370:5, or the "Winona Walleye?" posting on this forum.

I will not post detailed info. about fishing in Winona because of the high number of lurkers vs. the low number of contributors. (There are maybe four people who provide information about Winona on this site.) I'll post ice thickness and open water conditions when applicable, information about what I caught or didn't catch when I am back in the area, and general tips about what I found about fishing when I lived there. That is pretty much all.

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I think that the main reason that Winona area posts don't get as many replies is because most of us who do post in the SE MN/ Rochester/ Winona forum are fishing either streams, close to Rochester, or fishing up river from Winona (closer to Alma and Wabasha). I don't think that by giving out information that you will overly affect the amount of pressure that the Winona area lakes recieve, but it may. Just my two cents worth.

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I was on airport probably 2 weeks ago. Me and a buddy of mine caught probably 50 sunnies between the 2 of us in a day. Alot of small stuff but caught probably 2 or 3 real slabs as big as my hand or so.

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Got out on the lake today. Caught a good mix of crappies and bluegills. Most of the fish were caught from 1 to 5 ft under the ice in about 26 fow. Red seem to be the color today tipped with a squished waxie.

Buck

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TOOK MY KID OUT ON SUNDAY.... DIDN'T DO AS GOOD AS RIVER RUNNER...

PICKED UP 5 DINK SUNNIES, AND ONE BIG OL DOGFISH ON A TIPPER.

BUT MADE THE LITTLE GIRL HAPPY.. SHE'S 2-1/2 AND HER FIRST ICE TRIP.

OUT IN 10-23 FOW.

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I had one bite on a fat head and 2 on a Big Cecil (chartreuse w/glitter) with 3 waxies. Didn't catch any of them. Beautiful day though. My ice cube sure heated up being black and all.

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was down ther last sunday. caught plenty of sunnies from 2-6ft below the ice. yellow worked good. had tip ups out with suckers and didn't get any flags

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I fished the airport lake backwaters Friday morning. No action on my tip-up, nor did I see any other flags. I caught enough sunnies to make the trip worthwhile, but it was not a fast and furious bite.

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Fished the lake yesterday, caught a nice mess of bluegills and one crappie. They still seem to be hanging out right off the break in 26 fow and 2-6 ft under the ice. They realy seemed to shut down after about 4:00 pm. Has anyone else seen the pair of mute swans out there?

Buck

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Was this straight out from the landing near where the weed line would be? That's usually where go. I've never been way down to the left where the city normally is. I don't have the patience to walk all that way. I want to start fishing asap. Being from La Crosse, can you tell me if the bait shop in La Crescent is open on sundays and what time they open? I want to try by the dam down there on sunday.

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Did you ever see where the perm. house was to the right of the landing? It has been very consistent spot, I have never had the need to walk all the way down the left side. Ill be out there Mon. and Tue. and will try to remember to put up a report.

I was just at the shop in La Crescent he said 7:30 but most likely 8:00 remember we spring ahead at midnight so sunrise is an hour later. Also if you are coming down I-90 there is a bait shop on French Island. Take exit 2 and go south on Brainbrige st, go east on B(at the stop sign) the shop is right past the quiktrip on your left.,usually open at 7:00.

Buck

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That's where I try to get to but the perm is always there. I have just slid over toward the island to the right of that.

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Just got back from the lake. They were still suspended off the break in about 26 FOW we were hoping for a late ice bonanza but it just didn't happen today. The waxie had to be split in half and balled up on the hook, I had the most success with a green gillpill. As a waterfowler the binos got use a lot today. If your into that sort of thing it would be worth bringing them with.

Buck

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I was out on Bartlett Lake, AKA "the airport lake" yesterday and today. No one was driving trucks or cars out anymore, as the open water at the landing has crept pretty close to the boat launch.

Out towards the island, the ice was still in pretty good shape for fishing purposes. There was about three inches of white, cloudy ice with a re-frozen crust on top that melted to slush by the time I left early in the afternoon. Beneath those several inches of pulp ice/slush/water was about 16" of clear ice, by my conservative estimate. I am not yet giving up the hope of fishing out there next weekend, but we will see.

The bluegill bite was decent, and I took home my personal limit of ten fish in the 6" to 8" range. I also caught what was either a redear sunfish, or a hybrid (bluegill x redear). It had the red spot behind the blue gill spot, and very bright markings on the rest of the body. Whichever, it was the first redear or hybrid I have caught there. And, the tip-up bite was not happening for me, or anyone around me, today or yesterday.

I drove out to the Prairie Island spillway Friday afternoon, hoping I might be able to sneak one more evening of walleye/sauger fishing through the ice. There was a lead of open water running from the nearest gate downstream to even with the head of the island, and the ice below there in the channel looked pretty dark. I stayed in my truck and kept driving.

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Very helpful. I wanted to get over there this weekend,but dinner with my mother-in-law on sat., and my mom on sunday kind of killed that idea.

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How has the ice been lately? Thinking of heading out there sat but dont wanna if the ice is sketchy. Thanks

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So, did anyone get out and try Bartlett this weekend, or any other ice in the Winona area?

I was hoping to get out on the ice at the airport backwaters one more time while I was back in Minnesota, but that isn't going to work out due to other things I need to do.

I *think*, based on what I found a week ago Friday and Saturday at Bartlett in terms of ice, and the area weather since then, that I could have still fished hardwater there today, with a little caution. (Don't take my guestimate for gospel if you do go out there--BE CAREFUL!) As is, my ice gear got put away today...see you fellow Winona-fishers on open water this summer.

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  • 1 month later...

Down in Winona t0day... not much at the airport, then off to the pier at Lake Winona............ Kid caught a couple nice bass, and one Crappie about 11"

Bait em up and get ready with da net..

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 Originally Posted By: 11-87
Down in Winona t0day... not much at the airport, then off to the pier at Lake Winona............ Kid caught a couple nice bass, and one Crappie about 11"

I assume those "bass" were caught accidentally, and immediately released, since largemouth and smallmouth bass season on in-land waters like Lake Winona is closed until May 24.

Not accusing anyone here of anything, but when I lived in Winona a lot of people either didn't know that Lake Winona is an in-land water in terms of regulations, not a MN-WI boundary water, or conveniently "forgot" that fact. In other words, I would see people fishing two lines per person during open water, running tip-ups baited with large shiners in March, or keeping bass, walleye, and Northern they caught in April and early May.

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Don't worry partner,

we took a couple pix, and the boy set em free to be caught again. I wouldn't keep a bass to eat anyway. I prefer the eyes, and pans.

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  • 1 month later...

The bass action on lake winona has been awesome. Lots of big fish!! We have been fishing the weededges and picking up some jumbo largemouth. Sinkos, crankbaits and Carolina rigs are working the best.

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  • 6 months later...

I will be heading up to airport lake tomorrow to check out the ice will give a report on how it looks tomorrow night sometime.

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Care to share what bait/technicques you guys have been getting the dogfish on? I've been wanting to go after them thru the ice sometime this winter. Thanks!

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I've never caught a dogfish on a tip-up but thats how i'm going to try and catch some. I'm sure they'll hit a sucker minnow on a tip-up. Thats the approach I'm going to try this winter and hopefully get some dogfish! Any other ideas??

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Ive caught a bunch on a tip-up with a sucker or shiner. They do put up a good fight. Airport lake seems to have alot of them.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Nope not me.  May want to go nextdoor and ask around?  
    • smurfy
      Looks to me like Leech brought his chair home!!😅😆
    • Brianf.
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    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
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