Clearwater Lake Fishing Reports

[noodlerod]

if the accesss you talking about in the east basin is down what they call the p-vine road it is private and if it gets abused by to many that dont have permission it will get shut down i've seen it happen in the past . but thats par for the coarse a bunch of idiots always wreck it for the honest ones !! no matter where you go ..

[Bigslugger]

FishSystem

Is that a public access point or the one that guy has on the east side of the lake where 39 and 24 "T"?

[Drewski]

There are NOT any public accesses on the east side.

[FishSystem]

Shoot me

[Vex Guy]

BEWARE!!That private road states "No Lake Access". Last year 2 wright county Sherrifs waited on the lake with snomobiles about a 1/4 mile out and watched who came out of that landing. Later.. went around and gave tickets for trespassing!!

They also had a squad car sitting up near the end of that road waiting for people leaving the lake and getting the description of the vehicles from the boys on the sleds. If you did not have perrmission from any of the landowners on that road...you got nailed. They also gave out a DWI that day.

I know that they have also towed trucks from off that road that parked went out fishing with there portables.

Just not worth the hassle... kind of like little Pulaski.

[jigginjim]

If someone had a lake lot that was not very steep he could make a nice little profit. Make an access to the lake, maybe some plowing. $5.to entry lake.

[Rick G]

Bjs had a road through the narows last season. And said as soon as the ice is good enough there will most likley be one over to the east basin this season. I am fortunate as to have a buddie on that side the lake with his own small ramp down to the lake. I am probabley wrong about this and Im sure I will be informed if I am but couldnt a person access the east basin from the county park?

[noodlerod]

where

[hydro]

The county park does own access through the woods but it's not a vehicle access. It's a tough crawl even with a snowmobile through the trees.

[noodlerod]

exactly and correct me if im wrong but dont the park signs say " no motor vehicles " ....

[jigginjim]

if you have a snowmobil eastside access should be no problem.

[noodlerod]

if you have a snowmobil eastside access should be no problem.

To my years of understanding and correct me if I'm wrong there is no public land on the east basin !! so are you saying that just because you have a snowmobile you can go where you want and trespass like alot of peaple do OR and I believe its this one , are you saying its no problem to park at either access in the west basin and drive yer snowmobile or wheeler or car ,pick-up etc. to the east basin . which youd have to go thru the narrows that are never safe 12" ice one day 0 the next !!! I've driven thru myself Im a local ( no excuse ) and i would never recomend anyone that does not know the lake drive thru with anything ! case in point , my buddie was out yesterday on the black pool and a half ton p/u tryed to go from the pool to the main basin via the reed bank and fell thru it took 3 other p/u's and a couple of big planks to get him out . THE LAKE IS NEVER SAFE too much current , just my opinion and like i said to send someone thru the narrows that does not know the lake is not very smart or ethical .

[Rick G]

Im with you on this one noodle. Please be carefull on clearwater. I have also seen a truck go thru in the place where the black pool meets the lake. As well as one go in by where the bridge to grass lake is. Seems like some nipplehead breaks thru the ice out there at least once a year.

[g_anoka]

Fell through in the channel at the bridge to grass lake?? As of last Sunday that was open water. I have been fishing the west basin and my son and I have been doing OK, but I was hoping to go check out other spots. I have heard Clearwater can be a tricky when it comes to ice thickness. The wife and I have a summer place on the lake, as of this summer, so I am still learning the lake. And since I am not exactly sure where the narrows are, guess I will be staying on the west side. I do know where the black pool is, and something told me it might not be a good idea to drive in the area.

Oh, stop telling about vehicles falling in, she is going to pull my pass onto the lake...Ha Ha.

Actually, I use a 4-wheeler, not a truck, and while she did get me an Artic Armor suit, I don't want to see how well it floats.

[noodlerod]

Yeah the lake seems to take its toll of victoms at least one a year if not more !!!!

[hydro]

I hope I did not mislead anyone into thinking that the park property was a public access point. There is no official trail or path through the woods and I would not recommend anyone trying to get to the lake there.

I lived on the east side of the Clearwater narrows most of my life, and we sold our place in 2000. Over that time I personally watched many people attempt to drive across the narrows (the shallow side) and saw three of them not make it. One idiot stopped, got out of the car and took a look, then drove onto an inch of ice. The car dropped into all of 18" of water but that cost him dearly for the tow out.

Another one that I did not watch happen but saw the aftermath was three guys out partying late night on new years eve, drove from the north side of the point and broke through on the south bank, the car rolled down into the water and settled about 20' down. The passenger got out at the surface, the guy in the back seat (two door car) crawled out as it was sinking down. The driver could not get the door opened due to pressure and rode the car to the bottom. He managed to kick the window enough to crawl through and swim out, hitting the ice on the way up. All three survived to tell the story as the diver and retrieval crew were pulling the car up two days later.

The last one is more tragic. There was a guy who came from the BJ's end of the lake, through the deep side of the narrows to fish in front of our place. He would often bring other people, including his kids with him, and I would visit with him occasionally. I heard later that he had dropped his van through on a return trip and had drowned.

I guess the bottom line here is don't mess with attempting to drive a truck or car from the west to east basin. It is never safe and your life is not worth a few fish.

[g_anoka]

So the "narrows" is where the pontoons party on the sand bar all summer, and the opposite end of the island where us fisher people take our boats through to the east end?

[2springers]

Just the opposite. The narrows is on the south end of that island. The north end is where the boats line up.

[hydro]

By general definition it's all a "narrows", just with a north and south side. There is a small island in the middle. This should clear up which is which.

[g_anoka]

Thanks hydro, remember the first time I had a boat on that lake, went to the north narrows, thinking that was the deep side, glad it was an older motor, and I had a spare shear pin.

[The Donk]

Is this straight East of BJ's? If so, he has a road plowed kinda goofy around the south end of the island (cant recall the name of it). I fished Clearwater today/nite and caught 1 crappie, 5 big sunfish and a 4 lb northern. Was looking for eyes. I just moved to St. Augusta and this was my first time on the lake. I guess I will have to keep an eye on here and research the lake more, as I drove on this very road today.

[leech~~]

So guys, are you saying that you wouldn't even try getting across either side of the island with a sled and porty anytime this winter? Huum seems like you maybe trying to keep us away from something over on that eastside?

[noodlerod]

Yeah ! thats it !!! LOL

[Rick G]

It just because the fish grow HUGE on that side the lake and every hole u drill the fish come swiming up and outof. No fishin line needed. LOL

[hydro]

Don't try to drive a truck or car across anytime. A sled can navigate over the ridges on the dry land at the edges. You will be fine as long as you don't try to drive through the center.

[setterguy]

Fished the East side on Saturday, typical 30 minute bite. Two fish, a 20 and a 15. Marked fish the entire time from 3-9 but they were interested from 5-5:30. 17' of water.

[jiggin sibs]

Are the sunfish biting by the castways?

[The Donk]

So I guess no one actually answered my question. Is that the spot East of BJ's? If it is why does he plow past it?

[fishinmajishin]

You may be confusing the small island at the narrows with the big island at the center of the west basin. I have a hard time believing they'd plow a road thru the narrows. There is year round flowage thru the lake, so don't take for granted the ice is the same thickness everywhere. I don't particularly like driving(exploring)on Clearwater, but if you stay near the roads there shouldn't be any problems.

Ya the east side sucks for fishing...few fish and they don't like to bite. They also run very small. Really not worth the effort.

[Vex Guy]

North side basin is the best!! LOL!!