Lake Minnewaska Fishing Reports - Ice Conditions

[usmtsrocks]

Any new ice report?? I would think the rain had to take a toll on the ice. Was maybe gonna head up one last time this weekend. Seems pretty quiet on here, must not be many people out.

[hhguide]

Its either not many people are out fishing or everyone and their brother is out fishing and not on here! I havent heard much about minnewaska as of late. Many of the lakes oyu can find some place to get onto the ice. you might need some 2 by 6s to get across on some lakes but once your on the ice its much better. good luck.

[LandDr]

I am in Mexico...borrowing someone's computer at the resort to check the forum. I will be back later Monday and will try to get out to check ice and fishing conditions Tuesday if I can. 7 days in Cancun have me itching to try for some panfish if the ice is till decent. If not...then I will dig the boat out to start getting it ready for the Waska spring crappies.

Gracias!

Fish On!

[LandDr]

I was told that there is good ice on Minnewaska. Shoreline will be variable...some spots with open water and others where the ice has pushed up against it for easy access. Usually the ice pushes up on the Glenwood side so you will have regular access.

The weather report looks to be all snow tomorrow...great to come back to that! However the report is also high 30s through the week with low 20s at night...that should make for keeping the ice good and maybe even improve the accesses. I would say that it looks like a good week to week and a half of fishing on Waska yet until we see weather above freezing at night.

I will give some reports through the week and for the weekend...but I will have a lot of catch-up to do now back from vacation.

Fish On!

[Take'Em]

Can a guy still run wheeler out there

[LandDr]

Sorry...had a lot of proposals for spring work to get out and catch up after being gone.

I have not seen any ATVs lately...all walking out. I heard there is around 18 inches of ice. I also heard the fishing was pretty slow over the weekend. That has been very typical with cold weather...slows the bite. But when it gets up to 40 to 50 F they turn on again.

Can't wait for the open water!

Fish On!

[basssmasher*]

Landrr. do u know is the ice off the starbuck marina yet by chance?

[Angry Irishman]

The ice is off and people were fishing there on Friday, when I went thru Starbuck.

[nitefisher]

They were fishing there yesterday the 13th and nothing at all was going out.

[LandDr]

Ice was off Waska last Saturday and several boats out...most are using the DNR landing.

Was out last night and just had a hay day with the crappies. Threw some back but most were in the 10 to 11 inch range with about 3 that were 12+. Out of the 3 12+, two were males and only 1 female. Out of all of them, only about 4 or 5 were female. 3 of us kept a limit and headed in with about an hour of light still available. Most people were fishing by Torgy's bridge but we headed out...and I think we caught just as many fish or more. We tried in shallow to start and got nothing...so we moved out and really got into them. I heard the Starbuck Marina was turning out fish as well.

Fish On!

[walleyeman1]

any sunfish biting?

[LandDr]

We did not catch any sunfish but I seen some nice ones being caught off shore. I am sure they are there as well...we just were not using sunfish techniques.

Fish On!

[axman19]

What were the hot colors???

[LandDr]

I started with a minnow and bare hook which worked just fine but I also threw some tube jigs and those worked just as good. Didn't seem to matter as they were pretty agressive.

Fish On!

[mustup]

Limits of 12"+ crappies, and mostly males!! My buddies from work and I are excited to get up there with me again, esp. after the sunny bonanza we had nearly every time up this winter. We've all got the next couple days off and coming up Thursday for the day and possibly more, depending on fishing. We missed out on the crappies, then, but sounds like a good time to get into them now. Am I right that taking those large male crappies won't do any harm either!! Don't matter, I can't tell a male from a female. I have a limit of 9-11" myself, but my buddies are all the bigger the better. Hopefully I'll rub off on them. Just got all my gear ready, now I've got to try to get some shut eye. Our rigs are rolling out of town at 5am. Reports on the carnage to follow.

Almost forgot, Thanks for the heads - up Landr.

[nate larson]

I am planning on getting up there on Saturday. Too bad it is going to be a high of 48 degrees. I wonder how much that will affect the fishing...

[LandDr]

Yesterday was a tougher bite in Torgy's Bay...caught only one crappie. Went from 50 to 70 the day before to 1...that's fishing! There was a better bite along the shore towards Glenwood so that is worth checking as well.

I would expect with the south wind beating into Torgy's Bay that it willb e tough fishing again...but well worth working around till you find them. Starbuck marina is also out of the wind and putting out good fish as well.

It is nice the 12"+ are males but I encourage everyone to put the females back if at all possible to keep the fishing good for years to come. The 10 and 11 inchers fry up better and taste better anyway. If the crappie are biting that good...there is no reason to keep 12"+ fish when you can have all the 10 and 11 inchers you want. I kept three the other night and now wish I hadn't, even though only one was a female, as they did not fry up as nice and taste as good as the smaller ones.

Mustup...I appreciate you encouraging your buddies to try to do the same as you did. I am with you on that one.

Fish On!

[axman19]

Fishing was brutal today. We fished for 4 hours today only boating one crappie. The winds were roaring and made it tough to fish light tackle. We threw every color and style you can think of. The only one we caught was in 10ft and bit a white marabu w/ minnow 2 ft off the bottom. We tried all depths as well.

[nate larson]

Yeah thats the problem with Waska...it is so wide open that it is really hard to get out of the wind! We are putting our dock in tomorrow morning and then we hope to find some fish in the afternoon. I might have to stop by your store Landdr to see if you can point us in the right direction.

[axman19]

Landdr,

#1-Where is your store at??? #2-How long does the crappie bite on minnewaska typically last??? Although we came down thursday and had to deal with the hurricane, i really enjoyed the lake and would like to fish again next thurs on my day off if the wind is under 30mph from the south.

Thanks

[LandDr]

2 blocks south of the stop lights.

When the wind comes out of the south into Torgy's Bay...the crappie fishing is tough. Always has been. Any wind out of the west, north or east is pretty good for the bay. Might have to wait this cold front out as well.

Crappie bite will go strong for a few weeks but is completely dependent on weather and temperatures. However, even whent he spawn is done...the crappies simply move out to deeper water and are still readily fishable all summer long. Not many go after crappie during the summer, but the ones that do catch limits of nice ones. I am just too busy fishing walleye to consider fishing crappie. I kinda like the big sunnies during the summer anyway.

Stop on by...happy to help people visit our area and help the local businesses. They appreciate your business!

Thanks again

Fish On!

[koonie]

Dude. They aren't in there spawning. Just feeding.

[goose89]

62-65F. Gotta ways to go for spawning.

[basssmasher*]

Koonie wanna try tomorrow afternoon, say 3ish or so?

[koonie]

Can't make it this weekend. Probably won't get out until after opener. Post some pics if you get any so I can remember what they look like.

[basssmasher*]

lol its not that long that u have been fishing!

[koonie]

seems like it though!

[LandDr]

Really a great bite on the calmer days/evenings. Didn't see many that were not catching fish. Some good sunfish as well.

Watch for forcasts with warmer weather and calm winds or winds out of the west, north or east for the best fishing in Torgy's Bay.

Sounds like both crappie minnows and tub jigs were all working fine.

Fish On!

[scaup]

Dude. They aren't in there spawning. Just feeding.

That's interesting..... I really don't do any open water crappie fishing. I would have guessed that they spawn much sooner. I bet that most people would think those fish are spawning not just feeding. Learn something new everday I guess. Thanks for the info..............

[meathunter]

Hey landdr any reports on big stone or traverse? Heading there sunday lots of tight lips with the tourneys going on. I am after some fillets.