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Lake Alexander


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Does anyone have an update on the ice on Alex? About three weeks ago we set this weekend to put the dock and lifts in.... now i am thinking I should just bring the Fish house.... ????

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I know it's late but took a drive by the lake this afternoon. There's open water along north and west shore out about 50 yards or so but is still close to shore on east and south sides. Can tell the ice sheet has been shifting by all the fractures. I'm thinking it should open this weekend or early next week by looking at the forecast.

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What a bummer... I was at the Cabin over the weekend to do some work inside, outside work was NOT an option. The ice was still tight to the shore by my place (south side). I am shooting for a BEAUTIFUL AND ICE FREE day this Sunday to put the dock in.... Actually, i would just settle for an ice-free sunday!

Information from anyone checking out Lake Alex this week would be greatly appreciated!

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I will try to drive by later this week, probably thursday so I can report back here before you leave. Lets hope the rain and wind the next few days does something, temps aren't much help right now!

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 Originally Posted By: ANYFISH
I will try to drive by later this week, probably thursday so I can report back here before you leave. Lets hope the rain and wind the next few days does something, temps aren't much help right now!

I'll be in Pillager on Sunday... So I'll try to swing by and see what up with the ice situation on Alex.

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Just got back from checking Alex and Fishtrap. Lakes ice has shifted to the north and west. Is breaking up nicely.

Alex: east end is open out about 150 yards. Ice is still tight against the south shore but breaking up and very rotten. much different from monday. North and west ends now have ice blown into them but is just ice sheets that are broken and rotten. Best guess is if we finally get the forcasted rain tonight and tomarrow ice should be gone on sunday or monday. Not sure about putting a dock in on south end sunday.

Fishtrap: lake is about 50% gone, east end bays are wide open. West end has blown in but is garbage. lake should open up tomarrow or Saturday if I where to guess.

Lets hope for rain and wind to shift each of the next few days.

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Thanks for the updates! Anyone checked the lake today or planning on doing a drive-by tomorrow?

Thanks!

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Ice on Alex is gone. Even a few docks already in, I didn't check the landing to see if the access dock was in this weekend, but highly doubtful.

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 Originally Posted By: not_nuf_time
Ice on Alex is gone. Even a few docks already in, I didn't check the landing to see if the access dock was in this weekend, but highly doubtful.

After helping my buddy open his lake lot up in Pillager we stopped in at "The Landing" for an early dinner, and watched the final throes of Ice out.

As of 5:30 on Sunday, the ice was off all of Alex, except Candles were still piling up on the south and East shore...

No Ramps were in, and the water level is still a little low (By my guesstimate... Alex is a Foot down from where it was this time last year...

****

Does the DNR do any dredging? Because the Propwash pile on the east landing is going to be a nightmare by July if we go into our usual mid summer drought.

I really wish people would just take their trailers a little deeper and crank up their boats instead of powering them up the trailer...

Because if that Prop wash pile isn't taken care of this spring, the east landing will be un-launchable to deep V boats.

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I don't think they do any dredging. The access situation has been a sore subject for a long time. I only use the access a few times a year because we keep the boats on lifts for the year, but it seems like the landings are in bad shape the few times that I use them.

Have you ever used the west access? I usually have better luck launcing deeper V's there.

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The west landing is deeper and better for deeper boats. The east landing is getting a big wash pile and if the water levels dont come up it will be unusable for bigger boats.

I wonder if one could try to nock it down without getting into trouble by the DNR. A couple guys with rakes and or shovles could nock it down in no time.

Duck

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Anyfish... What's the word on the water level in Fish Trap. Last fall it was horribly low, I've heard its up some, do you know?

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I know it is lower than normal (in spring) but I do not know exactly how much, I would guess less than a foot. Fish trap creek coming out of the lake looks to actually be flowing this year. Probably not for long. Sorry I can't be more help, at least there is very few hazards of Fish Trap.

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That's good to hear, just hoping its better than last year. Yes, luckily there aren't too many hazards.

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Fishtrap is about where it should be for late June or so, which is a major improvement over last year. I put in my dock last Friday (brrrrrrrr) higher that it ever was in 2006 or 2007. The culvert to Alexander is actually flowing INTO Alex!

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Good to hear... We're actually putting the dock in on opener. Last year it was awful with the low water, so it sounds like it will be better this time. Too bad I'll be putting in the dock while watching other people fish! Good luck if your fishing!

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Any updates on Fishtrap or Alex? Will be fishing there later this week. Heard it was a slow opener...lots of pike but no wallys.

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Fishtrap was slowww. 1 17" walleye and 3 northerns < 22". Fished all day deep, shallow, and every where in between, just slow. Water temp was 45 degrees. Should only get better.

Alex had a good crappie bite going sunday.

good luck

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Any crappies in Fishtrap yet? I usually try to find them pretty quickly if the eyes' aren't biting. I think my first outing will be memorial weekend, hopefully warmed up a little. I did put the dock out Sat morning, water is up nicely.

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Any crappies in Fishtrap yet? I usually try to find them pretty quickly if the eyes' aren't biting. I think my first outing will be memorial weekend, hopefully warmed up a little. I did put the dock out Sat morning, water is up nicely.

Yep... Very slow... Most exciting part of the weekend was the random Kent Hrbeck Sightings...

Water level based on the Rock off Haystack island, tells me that it's still about a foot low.

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well anything is better than last year...we got up there mid summer last year and there was an extra 5 feet of shore. Had to push the docks out a little further just to get some of the bigger boats tied up in our shallow bay.

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What was Hrbeck doing on fishtrap? Filming a KHO show by chance? Just curious what would have brought it to Fishtrap on the opener.

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Yeah, no fishing for me last weekend, but putting the dock in I could still hope for another foot of water, but as long as it stays where it is, we're ok. Funny about Hrbek, fishtrap has gone hollywood all of a sudden...

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does anyone know the water temp in the west bay where the boat launch is on alex

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Quote:
fishtrap has gone hollywood all of a sudden...

I'm sure the slow fishing will stop that dead in its tracks. I just talked to my buddy up there since sunday...still no walleyes yet.

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does anyone know the water temp in the west bay where the boat launch is on alex

It was 52 degrees before the cold rain of Saturday...

I checked the temps all over the lake... Warmest water was on the North and East sides...

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I saw 44 on the west side and 46 off the Gold Coast on Sunday morning/early afternoon.

The good folks at the Lakeside Store bait shop said Hrbek stopped in for some bait on Friday and fished Alex. He wasn't filming either...just fishing.

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went out this weekend did all right on the crappies problem was that if you caught one and some one would see it they would pick up and anchor right next to you and try to cast into where we were getting them. even casting right over our lines. some people are unreal

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was up on alex sat was all over the lake.

it was real slow we tried shallow water to deep.

could not find fish any where. was out from 6am

till 1 pm 1 pearch is all we caught.

lot of boats in the bay. didn't real se to many fish caught. only small ones. hopefully with warmer weather it picks up.

god luck if ya go out.

gk

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