2020 Detroit Lakes-Pelican Rapids Fishing Reports - Lake Conditions

[jig-emup-john]

anyone been out fishing on cotton

[pan man]

was to an small lake yesterday for sunnies and they were driving trucks on it about 12" out there but still to early for me.

[northyman3]

so hows the ice doing on lida has it gotten better after this cold weather

[Cicada]

I was on Lida today. 14 inches where I stopped and drilled. Half decent smorgasboard fishing. Caught 6 crappies (five legal), six largemouth bass, one big bluegill, and about a dozen perch. One crappie and all the bass on shiner minnow and plain hook, all the rest of the fish on cicada with minnow head. I was in the group in the middle. Saw some vehicles on Clay Point. I would hisitate to venture past that in a vehicle yet since the middle of the lake froze over 10 days to two weeks later than the north end.

Saturday I was out on a lake south of Detroit Lakes and the ice was 11 inches. Only got perch, but got there late and didn't want to drill holes with people nearby and wreck the late afternoon bite for the others, so I was too deep.

[Rooster7]

Any report on the ice on Lida? Also, does anyone know if they bar that was on Lida last year is returning or relocating to a different lake?

A new 16 x 20 bar / fish house is being built right now. I believe the plan is to have it out on Lida on Jan 4th. It will only be open on fridays, saturdays and sundays.

[Yetti Al]

are there a lot of people driving trucks out on Lida? how much ice out on clay point? planning to be out there Saturday for pannies and eyes just want info if I can drive out or if I should bring the three wheeler out.

[Guest]

Drove F-150 4 door with Topper out past Clay Point (about 100 yds past the point) yesterday, couple other trucks out there as well but no one driving across the lake to the south with vehicles. Plenty of trucks in the "community spot" to the SW off the landing in that 18" panny spot.

[Guest]

Oops....18' not 18" spot!

[Yetti Al]

thanks for the info! Any idea when the Pelican Rapids Jaycees ice fishing derby is going to be this year?

[Kdog10]

The Pelican Rapids Jaycee Fishing Derby will be Feb. 9th this year.

[pan man]

fifteen silver lee and tilde all have over a foot of good ice

[Cicada]

Fished Lida today. Started over by Clay Point and got two walleyes, one too big and one too small. Lost another at the hole and broke one off. Moved over to the panfish hole and the first bite was a big suprise. Hooked what I thought was a crappie and looked down the hole and saw a huge head shaking. After a long run, I got it back into the hole and freaked out. I had hooked an 11 inch crappie and a 8-9lb northern inhaled it. Ended up catching ten keeper crappies.

[northyman3]

nice catch and i see the truck in the background so whats the ice like and how far are they driving out want to fish lida so bad did really well last year

[lawnbuilder]

Nice catch not too often can you get your own double.

[Cicada]

The ice was 11 inches in front of Clay point and 14 inches where the panfish houses are at. Vehicles are driving over in front of Bass Harbor, but I don't know how thick it is there. I saw no vehicles in the middle of the lake and only one house out there.

[panniesCPR]

Wow, looks like great fun Cicada!

[Ray1]

Hey Cicada, how deep where you fishing?

[DeathFromAbove]

How deep were you fishing and what point is clay point exactly? I really want to start fishing Lida, but I'm new to the lake

[Cicada]

I was in 21 feet.

Went back today. The only thing it had in common with Sunday was it started off wih another big northern. 35+ inches, but fuller gut, so I think this one weighed more.

Only one crappie, a largemouth bass that might have touched 3lbs, a bunch of little perch, and a walleye that went about 6...inches. Didn't mark nearly as many fish today. I thought it was going to be good with the overcast skies and some snow coming tonight. There I go thinking again.

Clay point is the big point directly south of the public access on the east shore.

[Guest]

Clay Point is the group to the left off the access in 17-35', the original Panfish spot is the group slightly to the right off the access in 18-20'. Then there is a group now straight past the original panfish spot in about 15' that is a decent daytime spot for gills.

Several yrs ago there were hundreds of houses in the original panfish spot but it has slowed a bit in recent years (due partly to over fishing and partly to the slot size on Crappies IMO. 11" can be tough to find if you are looking for eaters and many like to take home 9-10" to clean and eat and on Lida you cannot keep those perfect size cutters due to the regs). So people are spreading out in search of more fish.

[lawnbuilder]

Thanks for describing the places I have never fished lida but would like to. Makes it a lot easier to visualize now.

[Paul]

I fished Little Detroit today for about 3 hours and went through 6 dozen wax worms, after I set me self on top of a great school of fish. I had blue gills, followed by crappies as the sun went down. It was one of my best days on the ice in years. Drop my line, catch a fish, drop my line, catch a fish, drop a line...... Wont give you my spot but I will tell you I was using a orange genz bug, tipped with a wax worm, fishing in 10 feet of water, about 18-20 inches off the bottom.

[paceman]

great report paul! You just decribed my normal little D. setup for pannies

[ibfishen1962]

Great Job on the Northerns Cicada - wish I was able to enjoy good ice fishing. Love your "Quote" as well.

[JeffB]

Great Job on the Northerns Cicada - wish I was able to enjoy good ice fishing. Love your "Quote" as well.

Hey Kelly find a bud to ride up here for a trip. I would love to have you up for some ice fishing.

[JacobG]

Was out on a Local DL lake last eveving. Got set up about 3 oclock and starting hole hopping. I noticed there were tons of minnows just a few feet below the ice and actually could look down the hole and see them! I quickly moved to the next hole over and there they were, crappies! They were suspended just 10 feet below the hole and eating anything you dropped down. we were able to catch 24 crappies with most of them in that 12" range with 2 that were at 14". released all but 5 for a meal. Released the bigger fish. For some reason it wont let me post pics from my Iphone! to much megapixs? Anyone else have this problem?

[MJBaldwin]

JacobG, I have never been able to post pics from my iPhone either not sure what the problem is but sure would be nice to be able to!! Make posting on here a lot more simple!

[JacobG]

I think it has something to do with the resolution of the pics that the Iphone takes, not sure on this. But would def be nice to post pics taken on my Iphone. even when I transfer to the laptop I cant post. Maybe the pics are too good!

[Guest]

Too big, just resize on PC (or Mac) to 640X480, rename, and then u should have no problems. Don't know how to resize in the iphone though.

[JacobG]

thanks bbfenatic. Ill give it a shot!