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Brainerd Fishing Reports

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pathogen Enthusiast

pathogen

Posted
Posted

Although the Whitefish chain is wide open for the most part, many of the bays are iced over. I checked one out today and found 3.5" to 4" ice out for a ways. I also checked out a 400 acre lake that I like to hit early on and it had 4" too. No one was out there but I saw sled tracks where someone had been out a long ways. Might try it tomorrow......

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Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer

Hit a couple area lakes recently. 1st stop was a basin crappie bite. Fish scattered around the edge of the bowl from 24' - 27', suspended 10 foot down.  Dark 5mm jigs, tipped with dark, small minnow p

Shack
Shack

Pelican Lake Report: Crappies going good in 10' of water surrounding weeds/reeds. Crappies minnows and flu-flu jigs (yellow/white) on slip bobbers. Right before dusk about 6-8' down. Multiple limits

Timber Ghost
Timber Ghost

My son and I had a great day bass fishing the weekend of catch and release only. We caught almost 30 fish and the biggest was 23" 7.6lbs and the smallest was 20 3/4" all prespawn pigs on deep cranks o

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otis Enthusiast

otis

Posted
Posted

Quite a few people out on North Long tonight. I found nothing under 4 inches of ice out there in the 371 bay.

pathogen Enthusiast

pathogen

Posted
Posted

How come the Brainerd forum is so dead? Did anyone get out this weekend? I drove over to my 400 acre lake but my intestinal fortitude took a nosedive when I saw the water on top of the ice and could no longer see sled tracks from a previous fisherman's outing. I don't know how much ice melts when daytime temps reach into the high 30s but I wasn't going to chance it. I'm being tortured by not being able to get out and try it.

Todd Caswell Experienced

Todd Caswell

Posted
Posted

How come the Brainerd forum is so dead? Did anyone get out this weekend? I drove over to my 400 acre lake but my intestinal fortitude took a nosedive when I saw the water on top of the ice and could no longer see sled tracks from a previous fisherman's outing. I don't know how much ice melts when daytime temps reach into the high 30s but I wasn't going to chance it. I'm being tortured by not being able to get out and try it.

HMMMM Sounds like you may have answered your own question, what little ice there is has alot of standing water on it. Last I checked temp. needs to be below freezing for ice to form. The last couple of days and nights temps have been above freezing, so no new ice since last week. Counted 15 trucks tonight check the landing on the main lake, 4 of them I recognised from friday night. Not sure what they were expecting to see different from friday. Main lake has about 10 feet of ice and waves...

dvs2008 Newbie

dvs2008

Posted
Posted

I'm hoping to get out next weekend. Hopefully the cooler weather from Tuesday on will help the cause.

Anyone have a good recommendation for a smaller lake in the area that freezes over early? Typically fish on Gull (Wilson Bay) but doubt the ice will be walkable by next weekend unless something really changes with the weather.

Todd Caswell Experienced

Todd Caswell

Posted
Posted

Fr all you ice freeks out there Main lake North Long froze over last night.

centralmnguy Proficient

centralmnguy

Posted
Posted

Woo Hoo! How about Merrifield Bay?

dvs2008 Newbie

dvs2008

Posted
Posted

I talked to a bait shop today in Brainerd and they said the south end of North Long Lake had 5 inches and that people were out fishing. Optimistic about going this weekend.

otis Enthusiast

otis

Posted
Posted

The south end? Never heard of anyone refer to North Long in that way. 371 bay has plenty of ice for fishing.

BryceJ Newbie

BryceJ

Posted
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Merrifield bay looked like it was just skimmed over yesterday at lunch

dvs2008 Newbie

dvs2008

Posted
Posted

Yeah I just assumed she was talking about the 371 bay. My plan now is to go out there Saturday morning. Hope the cold weather tomorrow helps. Anyone who has been out fishing there, how far out is there good ice? How shallow is it in the spots that there are good ice? Is it really 5" thick or is that an exaggeration?

centralmnguy Proficient

centralmnguy

Posted
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full-32942-27263-e41a0662.jpg

Merrifield Bay...getting close!

HotToddyTipUp Contributor

HotToddyTipUp

Posted
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No kidding. If I wanted someone to tell not to go on the ice, I would have asked my wife. She even tells me not to in February. Give it a break.

Very true

otis Enthusiast

otis

Posted
Posted

4-5 inches everywhere I have been on 371 bay. ATV travel by early next week. It amazes me how many people are viewing this site, yet nobody is posting. Nobody fishing? I have been getting a pretty good pike bite on a smaller lake. Can't wait for the bigger water to freeze up so I can chase the eyes.

centralmnguy Proficient

centralmnguy

Posted
Posted

I have only seen a few people out fishing. I went one day out on 371 bay & the fishing sucked...how has it been for you Otis? I am also waiting to get out to my favorite spots.

gregg52 Veteran

gregg52

Posted
Posted

gonna tuff on lakes now that are froze over

weatherbug says maybe 6 or more inches of snow coming

otis Enthusiast

otis

Posted
Posted

It has been good enough to keep going out.

otis Enthusiast

otis

Posted
Posted

greg, where are you seeing that? I know they are calling for snow down in southern MN, but I ca't find anything that we are going to get anything other than a dusting here.

gregg52 Veteran

gregg52

Posted
Posted

its on my weather bug on here the weeather alert was flashing

it was on the news last to 4 inches they said

so i'm just presuming it got updated this morning

it said 6 or more in our area on sunday i believe it was

my weatherbug is channell 5 but the warnings come out of duluth

pathogen Enthusiast

pathogen

Posted
Posted

I didn't do any fishing today but I did drive around and look at a number of lakes. Virtually everything I looked at had 3 1/2 to 4 inches of ice (didn't check out big water, most of those have open water in places). I'm just praying the 6 to 8 inches of snow that is 'a chance' doesn't hit us or the ice is going to be really nerfed up for a while. Nothing I hate more than 4 inches of ice under 6 inches of slush under 2 inches of ice.......

Hawg Proficient

Hawg

Posted
Posted

My 2 apps are both saying 6-8 inches by the time it's over. We have to hope the ice is too thin now. Some lakes with 3-4 in of ice could hold this up and screw up the whole year. How thick is the middle lake of No. Long? Gull is still all open isn't it? Round?

TrophyEyes Experienced

TrophyEyes

Posted
Posted

Is Pelican still open?

gregg52 Veteran

gregg52

Posted
Posted

theres a portable on round

out from the ojibway access

gull is still pretty much wide open...some in front of the 371 scess

pathogen Enthusiast

pathogen

Posted
Posted

Pelican is froze over but I wouldn't think it's very thick in a lot of places. There was a 4 wheeler out on Jones bay. I don't think I would have chanced it.

Jon Chapman Contributor

Jon Chapman

Posted
Posted

So just how much snow did the Brainerd lakes get ?

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leech~~ Grand Master

leech~~

Posted
  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Posted

On Friday when I went by there were two portys out on North long, and Gull was wide open still along 371. frown

pathogen Enthusiast

pathogen

Posted
Posted

So just how much snow did the Brainerd lakes get ?

I'm closer to Crosslake, I'm guessing 5 inches and still coming down. Plus the wind has picked up so with the drifting it's a bit harder to estimate. I haven't driven around at all so my estimate is an 'armchair' estimate.

BryceJ Newbie

BryceJ

Posted
Posted

I was kiteskiing on the access on the south end of pelican yesterday (south jones bay access). I wasn't too far out but it was about 2.5 inches minimum in the area I checked.

Hopefully it doesn't tempt the 4-wheelers and snowmobiles with the snow on top. Can't handle those yet!

JP Z Veteran

JP Z

Posted
Posted

In Merrifield we got 6-7" of snow...just enough to insulate that ice and screw up fishing for a bit

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