forest lake

[seaner]

i would just like to thank the really smart individuals who drove an F150 and an explorer out about 20 yards from my portable and flooded it. Is it neccessary to drive on 9 inches of ice.

buy a 4 wheeler dudes

[tunrevir]

and it begins! Man people just have no clue! I saw about 4 cars and trucks in the channel today between 1&2 I took the wheeler, the 2 geese or ducks qwere still sitting out in the middle of first. Rivernut, sorry I didn't see your post earlier, I would have hollered and you could have come out with me. Slow day on the water, 1 walleye, 2 crappies all caught within 15 minutes time. We ran two tipups and never had a flag in 5 hours. I guess I'll just keep prospecting. Oh, I did have three snowmobiles do a highspeed flyby and nearly take out my tipup 50' away, people are antsy, won't be long till the reports of trucks through the ice start coming in. Be careful out there and tightlines!

Tunrevir~

[Rivernut]

Randy, I lost your email address w/my comp.crashed. I am at [email protected] It would be great to get out w/ you again. Let me know next time you could use some company. I am off until Dec.22 Nothing to do but icefish til then. Take care, Mike

[Ya Hey Der]

I believe there is a public launch on the south side of 1stlake (but there is no parking area). Anyone know if the ice is thick enough to park on the ice near that entrance?

Thx!

YHD

[Rivernut]

I am new to the lake, but the launch I was at on lake 1, had several trucks parked side by side on the ice. If I had to guess, I was on the se part of the lake. Sorry I can't be more specific.

[tunrevir]

Many people are parking right on the ice near shore right now with even a few brave souls driving right out to fish. Check the access you are going to go out of as some of the edges have about a 12-16" drop from terra firma to the water due to ice heaves which guys have plowed snow up to to make access easier. The public access in town is your best bet. Most of the side streets around the lake have dead end type accesses some you can drive out on and others are foot traffic only. If you park near the entrance to the access remember to move off to the side a ways as the firedept and emergency personel need the accesses clear. Good luck!

Tunrevir~

[Rivernut]

How does anyone think this cold front is going to affect the fishing. I have the week off to fish, and I am going to fish. Yesterday surprised me. I started off very small, and ended up catching the few bigger fish w a small jigging spoon/plain, no meat. Will it be like open water, downsizing. Alway's thought front's affected hard water fish sort of the same. Am I right about that? Thanks

[tunrevir]

I still like to go aggressive with small spoons ect. One thing that can help is just having a shiner or sucker minnow down the hole near you while working for some pannies. A nice smaller shiner can sometimes entice those larger crappies into a meal and the additional bonus if a pike or other large fish comes by. Let the fish tell you what they want. The other thing is deeper water will be the key to getting more active fish as well IMHO.

Tunrevir~

[Rivernut]

Thanks for the info, ice fishing is still rather new to me. I am going to have to get out this week in spite of the cold. Would not have figured deeper is better. See, I learn something new every day.

[lakelovr]

I would like to thank the group of young kids who have their fish house in the 34' hole on 2nd lake that thought it was cool to circle the group of houses all day with their 4 wheelers. They also impressed me with their 4' jump that they made 50 yds from our fish house that they jumping over on 10" of ice.

On a brighter note, crappies were a little slow. Fished Friday from 3:00 - 7:00 and two of us caught 10 crappies. Saturday we fished from 3:00 - 5:00 and caught 6. I've found this hole to be more productive a little later in the year, but we saw the full size trucks out there and felt a little more comfortable towing our shack out with the 4 wheeler.

[jpaulson]

The lake was crazy on saturday. A plane flying overhead, snowmobiles and atv's racing everywhere, and idiots driving on the lake. In response to Seaner's post I was on the channel by willow when these idiots drove out. The ice was thundering. Then they got to the hole and putted around looking for the perfect spot. I was just waiting for both of them to pull in the middle of the village and start asking questions.

As far as fishing goes, we got out just before sunup and caught a few crappies as the sun was coming up. I also lost a nice fish on a shiner right away. Then we caught a few slimers and it pretty much shut down by noon. Made a couple moves with minimal success. The northerns seemed to prefer the shiners over suckers.

[tunrevir]

Lakelovr, welcome to the site! That place over there becomes a party town once the ice thickens enough for people to get houses out there. Have you fished the shallower flats to the east? We typically set our shack in about 28' south of the main hole. If you want a chance at some larger pike try a large sucker or shiner about 15-18' down. Thanks for the report and again welcome to the board!

Tunrevir~

[Ya Hey Der]

Rivernut - just sent you an e-mail.

[jpaulson]

Tunrevir,

I was planning on hitting a couple "spots" on 3rd on saturday but they were too far without an atv or sled. If you are looking for a neighbor on the lake let me know. Otherwise keep an eye out for a 8x8 bluish gray shack and stop by for a beer, I still owe you 1 or 4.

[tunrevir]

JP, you in a porty or permanent? Still fishing out on 2nd or are you over on third? I'm looking to get the permanent shack out this weekend, should be driveable ice by then with the cold temps this week. I'll look for you if I know the general vacinity of your shack. I got a couple spots I need to prospect yet on the lake to see if there is much for activity and will probably be hitting those with the portable for the time being. Good luck and tightlines!

Tunrevir~

[jpaulson]

Hopefully we will be bringing the perm out this weekend or next at the latest. I am not for sure yet on a location but we had it on the deeper hole on 2 last year. I want to find a place where we can still get crappies but have a shot at some walleyes. The one 5 incher I caught last year didn't cut it. I am stuck deciding on staying "in town" or trying to get away from the crowds.

[mhmklein]

Hello all

Im new to this website and also new to forest lake although

i just put a permanent out on lake 1 today, didnt actually fish but im off till friday and plan on doing as much fishing i can get away with till then! anyone know how much ice is out there?????

thanks matt

[Rivernut]

I am off all week also and plan to hit Forest. 8-9" Last I was out.

[mhmklein]

Im wondering after last nights deep freeze if its safe for car traffic yet??

any recommendations?????

[seaner]

give it until at least the weekend in my opinion. I would wait until a solid 12 inches for a car, i wont drive my truck out until I see 15 inches.

[rellis]

So when there's a cold front, is it the deeper the better? or deeper than how many feet?

[mhmklein]

Just wondering about vandals on forest lake, anyone ever had any problems with there shacks being broken into????

[mhmklein]

I am off all week also and plan to hit Forest. 8-9" Last I was out.

Where you going to be fishing, with permanent or portable?

maybe ill see ya out there

[rellis]

Yeah, I have heard of a few break-ins over the years, we leave ours empty and unlocked, and every now and then we find emptys and garbage that we didn't leave.

[Rivernut]

Not sure exactly when/where, but I"ll be in a green 2 man flip over, Canvas craft.

[Rivernut]

I am going to head ou now. It's 3:00, stay out till whenever if the bite dictates. Good luck

[blarkey]

we had the door tore right off once

[seaner]

Last week it looked like they had concrete barriers on the 1st lake access. Does anybody know what is going on over there? I figure should be able to drive out there in about a week or so.

[mhmklein]

I went out this morning from 9 till about 2 and landed some small perch, try again tomorrow earlier about 730 or so, rivernut howd you do today?

[flakeportable]

im heading out tomorrow in my clam 6800 port. was thinking about trying the south bay on lake 1 or venturing out to lake 2. any report on a late afternoon/evening bite? trying to decide what depth the fish will be at with this cold streak. thanks

happy fishing!