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SE MN, Rochester - Red Wing - Winona Fishing Reports


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Hey, does anyone know some good fishing spots around the rochester area? me n my friends have been around to silver creek, willow creek, and zumbro with no luck lately..we want something new to try

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  • JIvers

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Jeremey, if you have a boat, hit Lake Zumbro, the panfish are snapping RIGHT NOW! Should be really good for a week or so yet.

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  • 1 month later...

went to the smaller caledonia pond last week, the panfish are biting really well, mostly smaller ones but a few keepers. the bass were also biting well on plastics. the weeds are getting pretty thick but its still fishable. ive never been to the bigger pond just wondering if anyone here could tell me about it a little, i was planning on going to that one next time.

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  • 2 weeks later...

went down a section of the north branch over the forth the smallies are biting fairly well, got a couple rock bass, 4 keeper walleys, half a dozen trout, and the suckers were biting as usuall. overall it was a fun day.

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All are pretty much community spots, try a fathead minnow under a float just a few feet down, if that doesn't get them going, I would try the powerbait option.

If I'm not mistaken, it is illegal to use live minnows in a designated stream trout lake. Are any of you guys familiar with this regulation? Just want to keep anyone from getting a ticket. Thanks for the info.

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This is copied from the MN Fishing Regulations.

• Possessing live minnows or using them for bait on designated stream trout lakes is prohibited. Only dried, frozen, or pickled (brined)minnows are allowed. Live leeches are legal to use.

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Is Fosters A designated stream??

I know it never used to be, and you could fish for them from opening day to close of winter season.. without a stamp.

If it is designated.. you need a stamp.. Correct me if I am wrong...

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Foster Arends does has special regulations as it is a put and take fishery.

-you can use minnows

-you can target and keep trout year round

-limit is 3 w/ one over 16"

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello to all. Was out over the weekend around the Winona Dam area and did okay for the walleyes and saugers. Found plenty of eyes between the 12-14" range and many tiny saugers. I did end up taking a limit of decent saugers with one 16" eye mixed in. My buddies seemed to find the nice eater 'eyes for some reason but I managed to pull a solid 24" 'eye. CPR of course. Also ran into some nice channel cats and a couple small flatheads as well. Wondering if anyone else has had any luck in Pool 6/Winona area lately for walleye/sauger? Anyone getting into any nice channels or flatheads?

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Welcome Gaffe Master! You don't happen to be the "Monster" energy drink fanatic that I met out by the spillway last winter??? I hope you are holding up ok...the last time I saw you, you had already downed three cans of monster and it was like 7 AM. Rambling on about random things and ideas...nice work on the eyes. I retired for the summer...waiting for fall and the ice to come back to me.

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Lol...No I think I may know who you are talking about though. I think he is the Gaff Master. You aren't that guy that mounted that 40" Northern by chance? That would have been a nice spawn producer you know! Let me know when you want to get out and find some fish brother. Headed out in the morning in search of the elusive Pool 6 walleye or possibly some catfish. Hopefully the rains passes and I don't expire from the heat. Anyone else been fishing lately?????

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  • 1 month later...

The sheephead fish in lake zumbro is picking up. I caught a 5 pounder in 10 minutes of still fishing with a night craller.

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  • 1 month later...

Crappies or nice pan fish biting any place around town. Silver Creek is closed and had no luck at chester woods the other day.

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  • 1 month later...

Went out on east lake winona yesterday and did not get a single bite. First time I have ever been skunked out there.

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  • 2 weeks later...

havent heard the bites been good anywhere but backwaters... and the occasional guy that went out to the MN City Boat Harbor

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Not catch and realease only at Chesterwoods, but it does have special regulations in effect for the winter months on the Bluegills and always has a Bass reg. I know the bass reg is under 15" must be released immediately, but I forget the Bluegill one.

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When you guys go out to chesters where do you usually set up?? do you make the long haul down to the dam? do you set up by the beach by all the down trees and tree stumps?? or do you just set up by the parking lot?? iv heard good things about the crappie out there but have never had any luck finding them!

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It's true what you have heard about the crappies. There are some dandies in there. When I ice fish out there, I usually haul the shack out to the end of the first finger where it opens up to the big part of the lake. Just drill some holes and start looking for fish.

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I went out again tonight with no luck finding them confused

I punched alot of holes! went over by the beach and looked there, went out towards the dam too...are you guys finding these crappies suspended or are they on the bottom? iv been looking in anywhere from 15 to 30 feet of water and haven't rly seen anything.. i saw a couple big guys (dont no what they were but they showed up nice on the vex) on the bottom in the middle of the lake but they didnt want anything to do with a minnow, spike, waxie, or plastics! are you guys finding schools of fish or are they spread out?

p.s. Is that a groomed trail on the lake or is that just the path from all the portables being pulled out there? ...its freakin nice! makes pulling the sled ALOT ezer, they should make a path like that on ALL the rochester lakes

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The "big guys" you saw, were probably Channel Cats. There's a pretty decent population out there. Most of the times I've caught craps out there, they've been anywhere from just a few feet under the ice, to a couple feet off the bottom. The biggest though were probably in that 25-30 deep water suspended about midway up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got out today from 9-2 and had consistent action all day long, caught between 20-30 crappies, the smallest being 9" and the biggest being just shy of 14". Had to pop about a dozen holes and bounce back and forth to stay on them, they were up about 5 feet off the bottom on a 16 foot break between 22 feet and 10 feet. 1/16oz natural colored jigs with hair or feathers, no bait was the ticket. They would come up 3-4 feet, stare at it and then barely suck it in. Bite was extremely light, never felt them, the spring would move about 1/8" up or down, had to have a steady hand and good timing. Missed too many to count, all in all, it was a good day.

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There were an awful lot of people out on a Tuesday, everyone passed right by me and set up in the clusters of shacks. Too funny.

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Does anybody know if you can drive most of the way back to sam gordies across the wagon bridge by winona? Thanks

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we do very well in the summer there. Way in the back east of the dam we hammer the pan fish. all good size. Havent fished it yet this winter but usually do very well. Dont get down to often to the homeland, have to fight people for spots on lakes up here. Its crazy

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  • 3 weeks later...

Waded around the winter trout streams near Lanesboro. 5 rainbows, all 7-10, one brown trout pushing 12 inches. Caught drifting half a crawler down the stream. Fish only would hit the tail half. Never any hits on the head half.

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  • 2 months later...

The arrival

After a long 5 hour drive, we arrived in Brownsville in the extreme south eastern tip of Minnesota. We were 4 miles from Iowa, and right across the Mississippi river from Wisconsin

We set up base camp at the Shellhorn bar and grill. The owners, and long time family friend, graciously let us stay in the upper apartment.

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After unpacking all our stuff, my brother, grandpa, and his friend, were going to go scouting. And I rode along and got off at the spillway, where I landed my biggest freshwater drum to date, almost 3 years ago

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I began by casting a jig below the spillway, with no success. Then I tried above the spillway, where the water was flowing into the drain. And found several bass laying there.

A nice smallie to start off the trip

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A nice largemouth

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Afterward, success was limited, the holes had changed so much over the 3 years that I had not a clue where they were.

Day one

The guys woke up early to continue scouting, since the season started the next day. I stayed around and hung out at the bar drinking spring grove (a locally made soda that tastes absolutely AMAZING)

I began talking to some folks, and before I knew it, I had a guide to help me in my quest of catching my first trout. And get me on a good start toward my grand slam

His name, was Dan. A Vietnam veteran with a great love of the outdoors.

Needless to say, I was very excited. I had my rods ready within a few minutes. And then we were off.

On the way, he gave me a lecture about the basics of trout fishing. “Just stay low, and just let the bait drift.”

Ok, sounds simple enough for me. Upon arriving at the spot, I was immediately spotting fish, and went off on my own.

It took a while but eventually, I landed my very first trout! A tiny brookie, but I was absolutely giddy with excitement

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After a while of nothing, it was clear I needed a bit more advice, so I went over to Dan, and watched him for a while. I caught on pretty quick after that, and soon landed a nice brookie

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And eventually landed my first brown. Only one more species until the grand slam!

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After that, I was catching trout pretty consistently.

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continued next post

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • smurfy
      i cant help you with the weed thing, but i just came back form out that way......Regal, New London Hawick area. i dont no how big the swat of rain was but there is water standing everywhere. my buddy told me they had over 3 inches of rain yesterday/last night 
    • mulefarm
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    • leech~~
      Nice fish. I moved to the Sartell area last summer and just thought it was windy like this everyday up here? 🤭
    • Rick G
      Crazy windy again today.... This is has been the norm this spring. Between the wind and the cold fronts, fishing has been more challenging for me than most years.  Panfish have been moving in and out of the shallows quite a bit. One day they are up in the slop, the next they are out relating to cabbage or the newly sprouting lilly pads.  Today eye guy and I found them in 4-5 ft of water, hanging close to any tree branches that happened to be laying in the water.  Bigger fish were liking a 1/32 head and a Bobby Garland baby shad.   Highlight of the day way this healthy 15incher
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    • monstermoose78
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      good......you?? living the dream..in my basement playing internet thug right now!!!!!! 🤣 working on getting the boat ready.......bought a new cheatmaster locator for the boat so working on that.   waiting for warmer weather to start my garden!!!
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