Lake Minnewaska Fishing Reports - Ice Conditions

[EyeChsr]

14-16 glenwood side

[ducker]

Yup. 14-16 inches of good ice

[sartellangler05]

Heading out to Minnewaska tomorrow if anyone wants to tag up and cover more ice

[JDBars]

Does anyone know if there are any resorts on Minnewaska that has summer spots for fish houses and will pull them out for you in the winter? Much like resorts do on Mille Lacs.

[LandDr]

JD

I store houses just outside of town and can bring them in each year. Can also set them up on fish. Just give me a call.

[LandDr]

Ice conditions are really good on Waska...around 14-18 inches of ice with just a few inches of snow on the lake with a drift here and there but not issues to drive vehicles around. Lots of cars and trucks out as well as larger perms.

All accesses appear to be pretty good...Glenwood Beach, Lakeside, DNR and Sheriff's Landing. There was a heave at Lakeside but I believe it got leveled out and is now in good shape.

There has been a really good walleye, sunfish and crappie bite. All the usual areas. I went out for a little over an hour yesterday and caught a limit of nice sunfish. Most were in the 8 inch range with a few in the 9 to 9.5 inch range...no 10 inchers yesterday. Maybe a fresh fish fry tonight.

Fish On!

[hoppe56307]

Ice conditions are really good on Waska...around 14-18 inches of ice with just a few inches of snow on the lake with a drift here and there but not issues to drive vehicles around. Lots of cars and trucks out as well as larger perms.

All accesses appear to be pretty good...Glenwood Beach, Lakeside, DNR and Sheriff's Landing. There was a heave at Lakeside but I believe it got leveled out and is now in good shape.

There has been a really good walleye, sunfish and crappie bite. All the usual areas. I went out for a little over an hour yesterday and caught a limit of nice sunfish. Most were in the 8 inch range with a few in the 9 to 9.5 inch range...no 10 inchers yesterday. Maybe a fresh fish fry tonight.

Fish On!

Is the bait shop open tomorrow? And would you give a few pointers to a couple of guys who would be fishing Waska for the first time during the winter?

[clayton08]

Start out by the houses then just start drilling till you mark fish. If you wanna catch the bigger fish you gotta get away from everyone. Stay mobile stay on the fish if you wanna catch more. Id use tiny tungstens tipped with either plastics (which is all I usually use on waska), or larva or waxies they like the tiny jigs and greatly improves your chances of catching those tight lipped fish. Should have no problem catching fish.

[Schwanny]

Any recent reports? I think I'm going to head out there on Saturday and stay for a couple of days. Hopefully the cold doesn't shut them down. Wouldn't mind trying to get on some eyes at night if anybody can help me out there.

[LandDr]

Hoppe...sorry, I was out of town working and missed your post. Hopefully you were able to get on a good spot and catch some fish.

Access and ice conditions continue to be really good on Waska and the panfish bite is also really good. Walleyes being caught also. Not sure if I will get out on the lake today or not...a lot of catching up to do.

Fish On!

[slurpie]

Made it out to waska today boy was it nice out. After drilling many many holes in five different spots. Finally spot six paid off got into some aggressive and nice crappies kept 15 let fair amount go. Would launch up and hammer whatever jig you had on color nor size mattered when they were under you. Left the craps to try for some eyes and ended up keeping 5 eyes. Was a good day wish we could have got more eyes but was still good. Ice conditions seem good. A lot of people are trying to enjoy the weather before the cold sets in. Good luck if you make it out.

[Blackhawkxp]

Slurpie, What time were you out today? I am thinking of heading that way tomorrow morning and just curious what time the bite window was. I was in the Willmar area today and lets just say the fishing was slow. I assume you can drive trucks out?

[slurpie]

Caught all keeper fish from noon to four pm. They are driving truck everywhere that I could see.

[LandDr]

Several have come in asking if we had shrimp in yet and we do have shrimp in now and should have some thru the rest of the year. Seems to really help with the finicky fish.

Fish On!

[clayton08]

Just got back after spending christmas up there. I got my wheel house out on waska and only took me about 30 minutes to find a spot to drop it. Not gonna say were I dropped it but its in a great spot lol. Friday night I limited out in 30 minutes on crappies. Didnt drop it till 4 oclock and fished till dark. The walleyes are still being caught all over the lake talked to numerous freinds and the bite is still on. Went out saturday with a couple friends and we caught over 100 crappies with most of them being over 12 inches. We didnt keep a hundred but we did put a good dent in. We were fishing outside and had gawkers all over us. They would come fish in my grid that I had drilled and wouldnt catch anything. Key to catching the fish was being mobile and having numerous different setups on the ready. I only fish panfish with plastics, I didnt even have live bait with and hardly ever do. The jalapeno jig was the hottest jig by far, so hot I lost 4 of them. Northland impulse plastics were all I used all weekend. All I will say is I was fishing structure and everyone else around me moved after not catching anything. The fish are real finicky and you got to work them but they do bite and dont be afraid to try plastics why buy live bait if it doesnt work?

[Genofish]

Nice report, I have been using plastics for panfish for a few years now, no more live bait for me. The crappie lake I have been fishing the crappies are finicky, keep hole hopping to pick off the aggresive ones then on to the next hole. Small jigs/plastics has been the ticket.

[Schwanny]

Went out on Saturday and started drilling holes around noon. Started out on the west side of bottle bay and drilled holes all the way across to lakeside without seeing one sunfish on the camera. I then started to head south and back to the west (one big circle). I did find a few in one spot so I dropped the house. The sunfish were very finicky! Ended up with a few and a few crappies. Also picked up a couple walleyes that night. Stayed until Monday morning, but things really slowed down for us. I guess we were in the wrong spot.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Went out on Saturday and started drilling holes around noon. Started out on the west side of bottle bay and drilled holes all the way across to lakeside without seeing one sunfish on the camera. I then started to head south and back to the west (one big circle). I did find a few in one spot so I dropped the house. The sunfish were very finicky! Ended up with a few and a few crappies. Also picked up a couple walleyes that night. Stayed until Monday morning, but things really slowed down for us. I guess we were in the wrong spot.

The gills really shut down around 2 pm on Saturday. I fished from 11-4 on saturday and caught 7 species though, which was fun.

[Schwanny]

Carpshooter, I knew the weather was going to give us some issues, but I thought I would have seen more fish on camera. I have a nephew home from college that would like to catch some sunfish, so we might try again this weekend. The weather looks like it might do the same thing again, but it might be the only time I can get out with him. Minnewaska is a great multispecies lake!

[clayton08]

It did get alot slower on sunday I would agree with that. Saturday was just so good cause a guy could follow the fish without having to deal with weather it was beautiful out. Waska is a big lake and the fish hide. I always catch most my fish on structure especially crappies. Thats my 2 cents and I dont always keep fish I enjoy slammin them but the occasional meal of 12 inch crappies is hard to resist.

[123fish]

Clayton did you catch any gills?

[clayton08]

Yes we did catch a couple decent gills. They were not the big ones like there were a couple years ago tho. The crappies were in there thicker than the gills. Also some pike which kept breaking me off and couple bass.

[KurtisG]

Are there any recent updates on lake, ice and acces conditions? I am coming up next weekend and dont want to be ill prepaired.

[EyeChsr]

Ice is good accesses are decent shouldn't have a problem with 4x4 can go just about anywhere fishin has slowed a bit but if u work for them u will get a few.

[KurtisG]

Thanks for the update...maybe the forecast will hold for the weekend and a guy can get out. Looking forward to getting the house out for the first time this year.

[ClownColor]

For eyes, the window was short over the past wknd. Around 7-8 am and 4:30-5:30 pm. Few over the night. Lake was very easy to travel on even in 2wd.

[Glockwinger]

Curious of ice conditions on Minnewaska. Any report of ice thickness after the extreme cold? Much obliged.

[bkiceboat]

Has anyone been nabbing eyes on waska? Thinking of making a trip that way on the weekend...if you have been what fow any info would b greatly appreciated!!

[MidCoast]

Can anybody tell me how to get on this lake? Do people access from resorts or public boat launches? Are there plowed roads? I do have a half ton 4x4

[Greenhornet84]

Starbuck just north of waters edge. Glenwood the beach or lakeside ballroom are the main roads. Good luck!