Lake Minnewaska Fishing Reports - Ice Conditions

[EyeChsr]

15 in last weekend where we were. lots of trucks and houses out there. Beach and lakeside landing get rough from the ice pushing but the city does what they can to keep it knocked down. Hope that helps.

[clayton08]

I was pulling my wheelhouse around last week had no problems there was 15-18 inches. I drilled from the beach to the high school and in between. Fish are there to be had but it took us a lot of holes to find em. Sometimes I would be catching fish while my brother 10 feet away got only perch.

[Hammertime0802]

How has the fishing been. Iv have heard mixed reports. Was thing of trying out of the ballroom for some crappies and walleyes. Is that the best option or should I got to the private access by 28?

[jake125]

Any one know if there is an access on the south side of the lake around the Swenson point area? Don't really feel like driving all the way across the lake if I don't have too

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Any one know if there is an access on the south side of the lake around the Swenson point area? Don't really feel like driving all the way across the lake if I don't have too

No public ramps; I know there are a few spots where guys take wheelers off from but they are private and you have to know somebody. Best bet is just take the 2-2.5 mile drive.

[sartellangler05]

Haven't heard a good report on Minnewaska yet this winter...anyone catching sunfish, or are they still not biting?

[Schwanny]

I've been waiting for a good report also. I'm sure if a guy puts his time in looking for them it will pay off. I think I'm going to try it this weekend.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

I spent the bulk of two days after new years looking for gills and couldn't find any schools larger than 4 or 5 fish on the camera. Apparently all the weedlines I fished this summer were the wrong types of weeds, as they were the first to die off and lay down. Then when you finally do find a small school of nice gills, the stupid 3" perch move in so fast it turns the gills off. We ended up changing tactics, and using the small perch to our advantage, one guy jigging small jig tipped with a waxie to attract the perch, with the other jigging a large spoon tipped with a half minnow. We'd get the perch to chase 3-4 feet off the bottom and then every 10-20 minutes a pike or walleye would come in underneath the perch and either work the spoon or a bobber/fathead 3 feet off the bottom. Take what you can get I guess.

[clayton08]

Sorry guys been busy fishing tourneys. I havent been out on waska too much. Last time I was out I got into some sunfish on accident. I was looking for spots to put the house for my dad. He tends to like the rattle reel action more than panfish. Either way I hit some weedlines out in bottle bay. Dropped the house and had a few gills come thru it wasnt steady action by any means but we did get some decent ones. The crappie bite has been ok at best which was weird but the last couple years I think way to many people have been keeping way to many fish. Almost every time I go out its strictly catch and release just how I like to reward waska and it seems to reward me. Plastics have been outfishing meat from what I have seen for panfish. Walleyes are pretty tough to come by but people are catching em. Waska always provides some sort of excitement I think thats why so many of us like to fish it. Lets all try to make it a better fishery and throw some back only leads to smiles in the future!

[Schwanny]

I agree 100% clayton. I'm sure the arms will be tired from drilling holes. Like to keep on the move until we find something and stay away from the crowds. I will post a report when I get back.

[jake125]

Slept over night last night and didn't mark a single fish before I went to bed and the rattle reel went off once over night. Have my house on the south side away from the crowd on a flat. Got a few different spots to after this weekend where there hasn't been any commotion.

[GoingFishin]

With very little snow on the lake and good ice, you can drive anywhere. Find a nice quiet spot away from everyone. Had excellent walleye fishing this past weekend fishing on the edges at about 14 feet. Between 5PM and 6:30PM the action was steady jigging and even on a dead stick. Lots of fun on a mild weekend!

[Rookie13]

Haven't fished the lake yet this winter but drove by Friday afternoon. Seems to be fewer houses on the Glenwood side then in past years. With no recent posts the fishing must be slow or it's too good and no one wants to talk about it.

[123fish]

We were at Minnewaska from Friday afternoon until Monday. Fishing was very poor for us at Minnewaska. Only caught a couple of nice gills on Friday afternoon and some keeper perch on Saturday. I can't believe how many small perch are in that lake. They were every place that we stopped and tried. Tried a different lake on Sunday which showed some promise and made some hay on there Monday. We knew a couple of guys that spent the night on Minnewaska with a just a few crappies to show for their efforts. Pretty slow fishing overall for the time we put in on Waska.

[Cobber]

Heading up tomorrow night for the weekend for a 'valentines weekend' with the old lady- Family has a cabin on Minnewaska and an older wheel house that we'll have to use (so we are kind of tied to Waska)-

Hoping to drag it somewhere on the lake to get into some fish and really have nothing to do day/night so far BUT fish, and with how cold it'll be it doesn't seem like the portable will get too much use.

We are just west of Priest Point at the cabin, but I'm hearing that after the early-ice, that area has slowed / always slows down quite a bit?

Any suggestions, tips or hints of where we can chase the house to get onto some to keep ourselves busy?

Also- any poor ice areas to know about, or heaves that have come up?

If anyone could help by posting back, or with a PM I'd sure appreciate it- especially after getting her to give the go-ahead for a weekend like this for the ol' V-day instead of flowers and all that stuff.

Thanks All!

Cobber

[BLACKJACK]

COBBER, I'm envious, V-day out fishing with the wife!! Best bet would be to call the bait shops, Fish on Bait (call early and talk to Kyle) and Minnewaska Bait and Tackle.

Have fun!!

[BLACKJACK]

Was up to Minnewaska Friday night/Sat morning, spent the night in my Ice Castle, ended up with 3 nice crappies, thru a few small ones back. With the warm weather this week, looks like it will be the last trip with the house this winter!!

Never saw the lake so deserted this time of year!! Normally there are people are swarming all over, you wake up to the young turks out drilling holes at sunrise, the fishing must really be down this year.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Was up to Minnewaska Friday night/Sat morning, spent the night in my Ice Castle, ended up with 3 nice crappies, thru a few small ones back. With the warm weather this week, looks like it will be the last trip with the house this winter!!

Never saw the lake so deserted this time of year!! Normally there are people are swarming all over, you wake up to the young turks out drilling holes at sunrise, the fishing must really be down this year.

Crappie and gills were really scattered this winter. Couple that with much more consistent crappie bite along with nice perch on other area lakes and it's no surprise guys didn't waste much time looking for them lately on waska.

[Rookie13]

Maybe the lower fishing pressure this winter will let some of the little ones grow up.

I'd like to see a tournament on small northerns and bass that had a fish fry at the end. Reduce the number of eating machines in the lake and maybe we could get some quality fish growing.

Take a kid fishing and just watch the joy. Remember back when .... I know it will bring a smile.

[clayton08]

Crappies and sunfish are biting ok with some mixed reports starting to show up. We have been getting them in 4-9 fow. The water temp yesterday was 45-49 degrees. I think with the warm weather that is coming the bite should pick up. The bite Ive been experiencing has a lot of small fish in the mix. Either way this weekend was actually decent compared to the wild wind we have been having. This next week Im sure all the area lakes will have some crowds on them.

[Prairiefire]

The big crappies disappeared for the most part, but I got the opportunity to catch this guy yesterday on Minnewaska!

[icefisker]

Thats really awesome! What a great surprise. I know i have heard reports throughout the years of escapees from the hatchery. Nice work.

[hoppe56307]

Wow the colors on it are amazing.

[BartmanMN]

Truly special catch there. Beautiful.

[goose89]

Lake was really up that day

[clayton08]

Nice fish prarie fire. My brother was out 3 weeks ago fishing and they hooked into a lake trout. I know they get out every year from that make shift trap in the dnr pond. But I have never caught one. We ventured out sunday and got into some nice fish took awhile to find em but once we did the bite was good.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

How has the fishing been?

[clayton08]

The fish are biting. I personally havent caught a walleye on waska for a couple weeks but havent really targeted them on there with other area lakes producing decent walleye action. The bass and northern bite has been good plenty of bass roaming around. Shiners are running like crazy so shiner has been my go to for all the area lakes when targeting eyes either trolling lindy rigs with a red hook no spinners. Or jigging fireballs with shiners. Bass are smoking spinnerbaits which is my favorite lure for them on waska as your able to throw it in the reeds and watch the bass smoke em. Tight lines

[frozenminnow]

Anybody have any current reports.  Just got up here yesterday afternoon could have won a large mouth bass tournament fishing for eyes.  Finally picked up a couple eyes late afternoon/evening.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

I was on the lake every day from the 3rd through the 12th.  Bite was great for every species except pike.  Best week of open water fishing I've had on that lake in 4 years.