Lake Minnewaska Fishing Reports - Ice Conditions

[govikes211]

Budzers...got 10 gallons of freshwater shrimp in today if you want to stop by to see what they look like and how to use them. Several gallons are going out for stocking in duck ponds but we will hold some back for fishing.

Fish On!

Landdr - Do you still have shrimp leftover for this weekend? Looking to go out all day Saturday and catch some gills.

[LandDr]

Lots of them.

[BLACKJACK]

With a good lake map, and my Lowrance with a lake master chip, my Vexilar, and no camera, whats the best way to find some sunfish on Minnewaska?? Heading up on Sat with my wife for our first overnight trip in our Ice Castle, would like to get her on some sunfish if I could... We're going to have fun regardless but getting her some fish action would make her want to come back

[LandDr]

I would go to the spots referred to in previous posts and drill some holes...see where you are marking some fish and put the house down. I understand you don't know what kind of fish they are without a camera, but probably the best way to get started. I will probably be in Sat. morning for awhile and then out to get some rental houses set up...if you catch up with me, I will give you some general areas to start with.

Fish On!

[basssmasher*]

Blackjack, maybe try starting in 13- 16 ft of water on the east end of the group in Bottle bay, I've always done well in that area, away from the masses a bit..Hope this helps and good luck!!

[BLACKJACK]

I would go to the spots referred to in previous posts and drill some holes...see where you are marking some fish and put the house down. I understand you don't know what kind of fish they are without a camera, but probably the best way to get started. I will probably be in Sat. morning for awhile and then out to get some rental houses set up...if you catch up with me, I will give you some general areas to start with.

Fish On!

LANDDR, been going back a few pages and reading posts, trying to relate them to maps. Was wondering whether you (or someone knowledgeable about Waska) was going to be around tomorrow!! I'll stop in. I'd like to try some of those shrimp too, never have fished with them. Going to need some wax worms too, I think I left them in my cold, cold fishhouse!!

Thanks!!

[BLACKJACK]

Thanks Teejay!! I'll type up a report on Monday!

[basssmasher*]

Not a problem blackjack!! I get to go to LOTW a week from this sunday and I'm excited like a kid at christmastime!! lol

[Waterwolf22]

How was the bite over the weekend with the colder temps on Saturday and South wind on Sunday? We will be heading up next weekend targeting sunnies. Is the pattern holding steady 15-17 feet of water with weeds present for panfish and northerns? We will be fishing most likely in front of Hunt's resort area... thanks

[govikes211]

We were in 15 fow near crappie town and marked plenty of fish, however the panfish bite was tough.

[vexi]

We also fished in crappie town in 14.5 fow very slow during the day with a few snot rockets and small perech. Did manage 4 nice crappies, 2 keepable sunnies and 1 small walleye after dark. The kids sure liked the fireworks!

[fishadb]

I have been fishing in a little deeper water without weeds and am finding enough eight inch sunnies to eat and a few crappies and perch as well. Also the rattle reels are busy all day with bass and northerns. Fishing has been best before 9am.

[BLACKJACK]

Fished Sat afternoon and Sun morning in about 15 1/2 feet of water SE of Bottle Bay. Caught 3 small northerns, a bass, couple of small walleyes, couple perch, no sunfish or crappies. Was the first overnite trip in the Ice castle, was happy that it kept us warm all night in the below zero temps. Fireworks were a bonus!

[Waterwolf22]

Anyone been fishing in front of Minnewaska Area high school ?.... we usually start there in about 16 ft. with weeds and locate sunfish, crappies...

[123fish]

Just got back from fishing Minnewaska from Friday noon until Monday noon. Sixteen of us brought home a legal limit of sunfish, about 30 crappies, maybe a dozen perch, a couple of northerns and maybe four bass that I couldn't convince some of the guys to release. We also had a big fish fry Saturday night and a bigger one Sunday night to keep everything legal. Yes we were checked by the CO. The biggest gill was 9.25" and I caught a 13" crappie. The average crappie was about 9.5". There were some 7" sunfish kept but the vast majority were at least 7.5" with a lot of 8 inchers and bigger. We fished from about 7:15 a.m. until sundown except on Friday and Monday. We went out by the Lakeside Ballroom and headed southwest I believe towards the group of permanents and then past them a ways out into no man's land. It was around 18 ft. and not a weed to be found anywhere. The guys who set up there portables and stayed put caught maybe 30% of the fish total. What I did was drill a circle of five holes maybe ten yards apart and then check them with the Marcum. If the fish were there they would be from about the bottom to three feet up. I would fish that hole until they ran out and then check the other holes. If there wasn't anything I would drill five holes and do it all over again. This was a very productive way to fish and pretty easy too. This worked right through the cold front too. Diamond jig with a waxie. Just like Landdr always says there was a ton of water that wasn't being fished which I'm sure had just as many fish as where we were. You guys that get to fish that lake are lucky as we don't have anything like that down here in the southwest corner other than going to the Iowa Great lakes region. Thanks Landdr for the access info as I was able to drive my car on without any problem and the lake had the best ice I've been on all year. We had a good time and I hope i get to go back next year.

[Schwanny]

123, I think you guys were right next to us Sunday morning. I had the bluish Chevy 4 door with the V front wheelhouse (2 tone). We left about 9:30 Sunday morning. We did OK for the time we were there.

[123fish]

Sunday was the best day for activity that we had. The fish were active from the start and stayed that way. One of our young guys who was fishing two tip ups had 17 flags go up on Sunday.

[basssmasher*]

Blackjack, next time you wanna go I'm more than willing to go also. We can Swiss cheese the ice til we find em! Lol

[BLACKJACK]

Sounds good!!! Other wifey plans this weekend but would like to make it back up there on the 25th.

[BLACKJACK]

Just got back from fishing Minnewaska from Friday noon until Monday noon. Sixteen of us brought home a legal limit of sunfish, about 30 crappies, maybe a dozen perch, a couple of northerns and maybe four bass that I couldn't convince some of the guys to release. We also had a big fish fry Saturday night and a bigger one Sunday night to keep everything legal. Yes we were checked by the CO. The biggest gill was 9.25" and I caught a 13" crappie. The average crappie was about 9.5". There were some 7" sunfish kept but the vast majority were at least 7.5" with a lot of 8 inchers and bigger. We fished from about 7:15 a.m. until sundown except on Friday and Monday. We went out by the Lakeside Ballroom and headed southwest I believe towards the group of permanents and then past them a ways out into no man's land. It was around 18 ft. and not a weed to be found anywhere. The guys who set up there portables and stayed put caught maybe 30% of the fish total. What I did was drill a circle of five holes maybe ten yards apart and then check them with the Marcum. If the fish were there they would be from about the bottom to three feet up. I would fish that hole until they ran out and then check the other holes. If there wasn't anything I would drill five holes and do it all over again. This was a very productive way to fish and pretty easy too. This worked right through the cold front too. Diamond jig with a waxie. Just like Landdr always says there was a ton of water that wasn't being fished which I'm sure had just as many fish as where we were. You guys that get to fish that lake are lucky as we don't have anything like that down here in the southwest corner other than going to the Iowa Great lakes region. Thanks Landdr for the access info as I was able to drive my car on without any problem and the lake had the best ice I've been on all year. We had a good time and I hope i get to go back next year.

Glad to hear that someone had luck last weekend, gives a person hope for future trips!

[mrklean]

how is the ice holding up out there?

[fishadb]

Ice was good on Tuesday, Should be fine for a couple weeks at least, as it has been dropping into the teens every night.

[mrklean]

can you drive a full size truck out there?

[123fish]

Absolutely you can drive a truck out there. We had five trucks and a car just in our group. There were trucks everywhere that I could see. 17" of good hard ice where we were.

[mnsportsman1962]

Plan on coming to Minnewaska this weekend. I have a 17 foot house and pull it with my Expedition. Will I be OK? How much ice is out by the bluegill area.

[LandDr]

17 to 19 inches of ice and pretty solid ice as well. Accesses can change daily so it is hard to keep up to day reports on those but so far they look good. Some slush on the lake now due to the wet snow we had but temps are supposed to get into the 20s by this weekend so everything should be firmed up very well by then. I think we only had 3 or 4 inches of the wet snow.

Got into some nice crappies shallow this weekend but they have slowed...not that the bite has slowed, just that they moved again. There is a great crappie and gill population in Waska...just gotta find them and then it is typically really good. Crappies will still bite thru the night on a minnow so still not too hard to pick up 10 fish.

Fish On!

[First Ice-Mike]

The Lakeside access was pretty rough today - you can get on and off, but you'll bottom out your truck a little.

[LandDr]

I have asked the City if they can do some maintenance on the Lakeside landing. It should be smoothed out by this weekend once the City gets done with the rest of the clean up.

It has a pretty good hump but I did not bottom out with my little Ford Escape this morning. I think a fish house would definitely bottom out...so a little leveling is needed.

One way or another, we will get'r fixed up for the weekend.

Fish On!

[hamrej23]

Im going up there Saturday afternoon. How's the bite been?

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Im going up there Saturday afternoon. How's the bite been?

I was up on saturday, was pretty slow for us. Lots of schools of small perch kept pushing the bluegills away from the baits. First time I've seen that happen on the camera. Pike were active as always though. Never did find a slam dunk gill bite.