metro area Metro Area Minnesota Fishing Reports & Ice Conditions

[pikeguy2003]

Finally had a chance to get out to Phelps last night. Got out on the lake and was set up at 1:00 am. At 2:00 I was starting to think that maybe I should go back home. The fish were down there and they would keep coming up to the bait, and would just as quickly turn around and go right back down. Gotta love the vex! Absolutely no action for the first hour. A few minutes after 2:00 am, I had both lines get hit at the same time, picked up another pair around 2:30-2:35, and by 3:30 am I had 9. Right around 3:35 the wind picked up, and the fish shut down. Had to hang out until about quarter after 4 to get the last fish for the limit. To trigger most of the bites it was non-stop really light jigging. Spring bobber was a must, and they liked the smallest minnows I had in the bucket. I was using #10 and a #12 horizontal panfish jig, and I was tail hooking them. I've heard it is a tough bite tactic? Hopefully this helps someone? Hard to say with the pending weather?

[can_cooler]

Waconia-Been fishing that hole in Anderson's a-lot this year with relatively good luck over there. After getting smaller crappies the last few times out, I finally decided to try something new. Went out by Anderson's on Tuesday night for the first time this year. I couldn't believe my eyes, not one single house over there. I guess with the date for having houses of the ice is close but I thought there would be at least a few left over there.

Anyways, fished from 7 to 10. Had a lot of fish coming up to take a look all night. When they did bite, it seemed pretty aggressive. Caught 9 and missed about 4 or 5. Went home with 1-9 and 1-10 incher.

[ry5]

I hit Phelps yesterday from 12-2 everywhere from 10-26 feet, and only pulled up dinky bluegill.

Good Luck out there!

[BuckKiller]

waconia has been slow I maybe got 8 crappies in the last week, haven't tried sunfish for a while.

[frazwood]

I fished Coon (Anoka Area) for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. I arrived about 2 hours before sunset. I immediately caught two very aggressive crappie on a Shrimpo. I was in 10-12 FOW... they rose 3-4 feet as my jig was dropping to hit it (and hard).

After that, fishing was a little weird. I'd go 5-10 minutes without a bite (I was fishing spikes too) and then I'd catch 3 or 4 in a row. There were fish on my Marcum almost continuously, but they'd suddenly turn on and then back off again.

I took home 9 crappies for dinner, only one of which was "decent" (I didn't measure it... but I'd say that the decent fish was about 9 inches). I probably caught another 15 crappies and 5-10 bluegills (these were all tiny).

I left at sunset because the bite was slowing down and because a nearby ice fisherman was doing something... well, something inappropriate to mention on a family-oriented site like FM (I was glad that I didn't bring my kids along).

[anprickette72]

Anybody ever fish Harrisons Bay on Tonka? I have just recently relocated to that area and wondered if that's a decent bay or not for throwing a line?

[Burnham]

my grandparents live in that bay, i have fished it casually a few times and catch a few small crappies and bass. i would be open to hearing more info on the bay also as i havent ever seriously fished it

[dodd0037]

With all this rain how close is Big Wac to opening up? By Monday? A week?

Thanks for the info!

[bwally]

got out for a few hours this morning. caught two crappies on a blue yellow tube. i think it will be about a week or two before they start going on the lakes.

[hookie]

Were you able to get around Waconia with a boat or maybe it was a different lake you're speaking of.

[bwally]

haven't been out there yet. this was a smaller lake.

[Timrek]

Any one ever fish Rice Creek up in Anoka / Ramsey county between Long Lake and the Miss?

[Ice Sultan]

Waconia will be ice free by tomorrow.

[ZEEK1223]

went out yesterday to an ice free metro lake. I marked several fish in the deeper winter holes. Couldnt get them to bite, deep or shallow.

[Tye]

Any sunnies biting in open water

[Big Northern]

I was out yesterday and found 44-45 degree water in a west metro small lake but no biting fish shallow or deep. Other boats appeared to be getting shut out too. Tried tubes and crappie minnows.

[Tye]

Anyone have anything

[BrianF]

Was out in the metro yesterday. Main lake temp was 43-46. We found water temps in some protected areas that reach 56 degrees. Caught 100 craps in 3.5 hrs (we counted them), then had to leave. They are thick in the right spots and new fish seemed to be loading into the warm water by the minute. The time is now if you're searching for shallow, aggressive crappies. We had equal action on bobber/jig combos and casting small plastics.

Brian

[markkstanley]

I fished Prior for the first time over the weekend - with a little runnin and gunnin we found a lot of crappies and even decent perch. Look for the warmest somewhat dingy water you can find which means shallow bays. The fish are in there feeding during the day but quit come sunset. The west end of Tonka finally cleared Sunday so I'll be chasing crappies there.

[MNfishtrapper]

I fished Prior for the first time over the weekend - with a little runnin and gunnin we found a lot of crappies and even decent perch. Look for the warmest somewhat dingy water you can find which means shallow bays. The fish are in there feeding during the day but quit come sunset. The west end of Tonka finally cleared Sunday so I'll be chasing crappies there.

we'll be hitting the west end of tonka after work today. lets post our reports on here tomorrow. We have had early crappie success in Halsteads years in the past. Think we'll give that a try. good luck markkstanley! I'll post tomorrow, or maybe I'll see you out there

[MNfishtrapper]

we fished around some different spots on the west side of tonka last night. The only crappie action we found was in black lake and emerald lake in about 5 to 8 FOW. It was a slow bite and the fish were small...

[MinnetonkaMan]

MNfishtrapper what was the temp on the bays you were fishing also if you went in to the channels what were temps like their. We tried a smaller lake in the west metro and the water temp was 45F which I would have rather seen at about 52. Thanks for any info ahead of time!

[PostFrontal]

Was out this evening on Tonka. Water temps were 53-55. Caught a couple crappies on Black Lake on the weedline dropoff. Also hit 2 schools inside a sheltered dock area. Was using slip bobbers with red hook and minnow, and white tumper and minnow. They were hitting right when the minnow hit the water in the dock area. All were 8-9 inches.

[ry5]

Hit Tonka 4/15 from 5:30-7:30 PM

Tried in Wayzata Bay (nothing) and Tanager Lake (caught one 8-incher) saw a few others caught, but nothing of size. Obviously, from the reports, I was in the wrong area.

Water temps 45 on main lake and 55 in the bay.

Good Luck!

[PostFrontal]

Was out on Tonka this afternoon for some crappies. Started out in our honeyholes in the back bays and got blanked.

Tried next to a bridge, and noticed fish on the bottom between the bridge and the buoys. They were in 8 feet of water on the bottom up to 3 feet from the bottom. Caught 8-9 inchers consistently then they shut off as we got close to sunset. We moved up to the bridge and started catching them consistently again.

[BuckKiller]

waconia was at 48 degrees yesterday at 9:00 in th morning.

didn't get no fish tho just out making sure everything worked

[MNfishtrapper]

MNfishtrapper what was the temp on the bays you were fishing also if you went in to the channels what were temps like their. We tried a smaller lake in the west metro and the water temp was 45F which I would have rather seen at about 52. Thanks for any info ahead of time!

The temps in the small water areas were about 50-51, in the main lakes they were more like 47-48.

[grunttloors]

Walked out in Waconia yesterday to about 3.5' and saw a ton of baitfish but no crappies yet.

[Coach]

Was on Independence Saturday, C@R'ed at least 300 with 3 guys but only a handful were over 9 inches. Were we too early or is is this the class of fish for the year?

[Meatwad]

Fished Minnetonka on Saturday with some average results. Caught a lot of bass, and sunnies while trying to locate crappies. Ended up finding some Crappies before we left and dumping the basket of 6 keepers since I didn't feel like cleaning that small of an ammount. The crappies were in about 8' of water. The crappies didn't seem to be in the real shallow water just yet, but I'm sure they will be soon.

The DNR and Sherrif stopped us within a half hour of eachother, so that was kind of frustrating. Hopefully they will focus on the joy riders once the weather warms up.