Cannon Lake & River Fishing Reports

[riverrat56]

It reminds me of an analogy an old timer river-rat told me on the Mississippi once, "Why go to a steak house & order a hamburger?"

Not that it is a large sample, but I have found walleyes to prefer standard shad style baits too Salmo Bullheads on lakes with large bullhead predation.

[zepman]

I would also agree that if a walleye had other baitfish etc...available that they would go for them before the bullies but that's just my opinion. I have never cleaned a walleye anywhere that had bullhead in it's stomach and I check every fish I clean. I'm sure that on certain lakes that the bullhead is a prime source of food for the eye's but apparently the one's I catch and keep are targeting other species as their food. I will say that over the course of last year that I did notice a big increase in the # of largemouth bass that I caught with the tails of bullheads sticking out of their throat. Fish, in general, I believe are just opportunistic feeders that will inhale anything that resembles an easy meal. Interesting topic.

[Team Otter]

Why fish for walleyes when one can catch channels on a ice rod? great fighter.

Future Cool Cats 2009 attendee!

[Willy]

Why fish for walleyes when one can catch channels on a ice rod? great fighter.

Because the numbers of them in our immediate area are really not good enough to waste your time with. Yes, you may stumble across a stray or two, but targeting them specifically would be hard. Unless you can find them on the MN river, which shouldn't be too hard. I have caught them before on Tetonka, Sabre, German, Madison. They are in most of our lakes, but these were all accidental catches.

There are some good lakes near fairmount or down in SW MN that have fishable populations.

[Scott M]

Whisker Warrior, I'm planning on putting some time into the deep hole and the north bay of Roberds. Caught a bunch of cats in those spots this summer.

Willy, I'm pretty fired up having seen the number of cats in Cannon and Roberds. I don't mind putting it out in the open either because they are a severely underutilized fish. Ask the commercial fisherman that net out carp and buffalo, they'll tell you the same thing. Those two lakes and a couple others in South Central Minnesota have tremendous populations of channel catfish. I have targeted and caught channels in two other lakes and I'll find out how it goes elsewhere. Like any other fish, get a pattern on 'em and you should be able to ice some fish. Unlike flatheads that go dormant, channels can be pretty frisky through the winter.

[Muddog]

da_chise31

Thank you for all the good info. It is just the type of info I look for at this site.

One thing I would like to say to some of you who have not caught a Channel Catfish and taken it home to eat. Don't let the looks fool you. The meat of a Channel Cat is nothing like that of a Bullhead. Channel Cats have white meat. I would say the taste of Channel Cats is somewhere between that of Walleye and Crappie. I do not think Flatheads are good eating though. I put them back to catch another day.

[Willy]

Thanks for the info. I guess I have never really targeted them besides on the river and they haven't shown up in the DNR's test nets very frequently. That is good to know. I would love to go out and ice a bunch of 2-10 lb channel cats and Muddog is right, they eat just fine.

[sparcebag]

Who ever asked where to catch channels on cannon lake,I've fished boat and shore, in the park on the south shore was my best spot.Cut bait, I used sucker,Theres a point there on it and the east side.This is hot weather fishin.Early or late day.

Never caught anything big but just 2-3 lb nice eaters.

[ivycreek08]

Thanks Sparce!

[Drezac]

I was looking at a house on cannon today and looked out the back at the lake. not many fishhouses out there the gentelment showing me the house was a little bit of a fisherman and asked a gook question. How come there are not many people fishing out on cannon. Has anyone fished it this year with any luck? if so what part of the the lake?

[Matt C]

Welcome to FM!

Cannon is a pretty shallow lake. You will only notice ppl out fishing the deeper holes and near the bridge.

There are a ton of fish in there (it is on the cannon river chain) you just have to find them.

[Team Otter]

Welcome aboard.

Cannon has lots of potential. I'd fish it hard if I had the time but there are just too many others in the area on my radar.

[Willy]

It is a good lake. They really kinda quit stocking for awhile though and it has been a little down. They started up again though adn there is some natural reproduction in there believe it or not that can produce fair year classes. Used to be my favorite lake in May.

[Drezac]

K good good now I think I once heard an oldtimers wisetail, that there is a little current running thru cannon lake that can make for some strange ice conditions. Dose anyone have and eveidence supporting this theory.

[Jesse Drummer]

K good good now I think I once heard an oldtimers wisetail, that there is a little current running thru cannon lake that can make for some strange ice conditions. Dose anyone have and eveidence supporting this theory.

the cannon does run throught this lake right? hence the current or flow of moving water. the cannon was really down this fall too.

[Whisker Warrior]

Cannon is an excellent early ice and late ice lake that will produce excellent eater walleyes..as for trophies they are there but harder to find...try the mud flats when they aren't off the bars they tend to roam them flats when we can't find them on the bars....my dad and i were just talking about hitting it up in a couple weeks...early ice we only caught little dinks that kept you up all night.

[Team Otter]

K good good now I think I once heard an oldtimers wisetail, that there is a little current running thru cannon lake that can make for some strange ice conditions. Dose anyone have and eveidence supporting this theory.

The Cannon River is running through Cannon as well as Gorman, Tetonka, Sakatah and others. Suspect ice is present on any of these lakes.

[Willy]

You should be fine by now though. Low water slows the currents also and we have had that for quite some time now.

There are a few bars out there that are good, some points also. But to tell the truth, I have had my best luck during spring, drifting the sand breaks and basin. Takes work to find them, but once you do it can be good.

[Joe]

You do have to be careful with a permanent fish house on Cannon when you get a bit of snow and a thaw.

The current can pick up in a hurry even in January. So be careful if you plan on leavf\ing a house out.

That's part of the reason along with it being shallow that you don't see a lot of houses on it.

I was just on it and the ice where we went was in good shape. Water is fairly clear as well.

[Willy]

Any fish?

[luckycrank]

just fished it over the weekend, had three flags one was a 12" perch, about 75 6-9"perch while jiggin may snoop again this weekend ,

overall CANNON just fish's are hard to locate on cannon but usually qaulity over qauntity is the rule!

if you are willing to give it the effort.

if you buy a house there I may have a few coordinates for ya!

best of all you won't have people moving in on ya all the time!!

[smeese]

Grew up on cannon and lived there from 0 until I was 19. Ice is just as sturdy there as anywhere, I would trust driving across this lake much more then others in the area. Last year Whisker Warrior and I were fishing 30 feet from open water by the bridge connecting Cannon to Bully Wells vehicles permanents and all the gear. Always learn a new lake you are unfamiliar with before venturing out, but if you really don't know the factors then don't make it sound bad when it is not. Or even better if you hear it is sketchy and really want to check it out ignore the others that may be keeping you away from their hotspots and just scout it out before you drive out. The current that flows through that lake is irrelevant to the ice conditions except on early ice and towards the last days of hard water it will be noticable in the narrow areas such as the bridge and closer to warsaw where the lake channels down to the river. Good luck on the lunkers out there, if you can find the transitions from gravel to mud off of Jewits point or near the sandbars you may find some walleye or perch, crappies are not what they used to be and the pike can be grand in size.

[lilstatik]

does anybody know where the big white bass are biting from shore? get at me thanks

[Muddog]

You must fish Sabre Lake Because no one know of The Little Cannon.

I don't know of a White Bass bite as of this time.

[sheepheadslayer]

I know alot about the little cannon as i live about 1/2 mile away or so from it!!!! Pretty darn low right now anywhere on the cannon. I truley don't think they will run with it being as low as it is.

[Muddog]

Kilkenny???

You Bassfisherman!

[JBMasterAngler]

I caught lot's of little ones below the king mill dam about 2 weeks ago. Nothing over 7 inches though.

As far as the little cannon goes...never caught a whity out of there, lot's of trout though

[luckycrank]

caught a few 12'rs below the hullet ave bridge about a week ago

[sheepheadslayer]

Actually the Real Cannon is a stones throw from my front door and Sabre lake about 300 yards from my back door! The water is prolly at least 12" from where it should be rite now prolly more like 18". Be dry by end of June if we don't get some good rains.

[Muddog]

Quote:

Actually the Real Cannon is a stones throw from my front door and Sabre lake about 300 yards from my back door! The water is prolly at least 12" from where it should be rite now prolly more like 18". Be dry by end of June if we don't get some good rains.

Good I may fish Sabre on Saturday. I now know were to go if I get stuck at the landing.

P.S. Stones throw? You've got a good arm! LOL.