Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

St. Croix River Fishing Reports


Joe

Recommended Posts

I think there's a LOT less fish in the St. Croix, especially Walleyes, and it declined about 4 years ago. Sure we catch some, but not like 5 years ago & through the past.

But as soon as I bring it up it gets shot down. Oh well.

I could buy into that. I started fishing the Croix with my dad about 10 years ago and the first 4 or so years we caught lots of eyes. The past 3 or 4, like you said we still get fish but not the numbers and somedays we just cant seem to nail 'em down. Though the past 3 or 4 years we have been catching fish a lot larger average size. When we started most fish were 14.5", rarely any bigger ones over 20". Starting around 4 years we noticed we seemed to be catching a decent amount over that 20" mark.

I chalk it up to the population fluctuating...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

It was a windy day on the Upper St Croix River on Saturday but the walleyes were biting. Started the day on Yellow Lake in Webster ,WI but got blown off,so decided to hit the croix at Nevers. The walleyes bit but most all were too short but they were hungry and aggresive. Kept enough to eat. Had pike and sturgeon bite also, overall a good day on the river. One other boat is all we saw, fished from 1-4;30 everything on a jig and minnow, fathead or sucker worked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the report saffer, sounds like a fun day. Have you been fishing Yellow this fall? Would love to a recent report from there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was my first time to Yellow since mid-June, it was something else to see all the damage to the area from that storm. May try this weekend if it is nice. Good Luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hit the river yesterday south of Hudson at the community spot from about 12:00 to 4:30. Ended with 1 walleye and 4 saugers. Nothing huge, but all nice eaters. Missed several others also. Walleye came on small rapala in 40 ft of water. However, all of the rest of the action on firetiger jigs with fatheads in 39-45 feet of water. Nice not to have all of the boat traffic out there. Probably the last trip of the year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fished last Friday and again on Sunday with Andy. Water temp was 43 on Friday and 42 on Sunday. Found lots of Saugers in the 14" to 16" range plus an a couple of Walleye. A few of the fish were caught on plastics but dragging Rapalas was the clear ticket to putting fish in the boat. Usually in the fall, as the water cools, we have found it necessary to slow the trolling speed but lately we have been picking up fish running between 2 amd 3 mph. Strangest part was that almost all of the fish were caught in 32-45 FOW! I seldom fish in more than 30' on the Croix because I have very rarely caught fish deeper but this fall the fish are hanging out very deep. Only tried fishing deeper because that is where I was seeing a lot of bait.

On Sunday we didn't see another boat on the Croix from the Kini to Prescott until we were leaving and there was one boat by Prescott.

Good luck out there and stay safe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Friday 11-25-11, 7 a.m....put in at Prescott and got one 16" sauger on a three way rig in a couple hours of trolling....moved to the Kinni and nothing...moved to a sharp break and found lots of bait fish in 30 to 45 feet....three with a rapala was the ticket...caught about 10 sauger 12 to 14 inches before the day was done at 4:00....most fish came trolling into the wind at 1.5 mph gps speed

was a little disappointed to launch at Prescott because the Bluffs road closed sign to the launch was up earlier in the week.....only to see trucks & trailers parked by the Bluffs launch on my way north to the Kinni

is the Bluffs launch still open?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

How's the ice been at Bayport? I've been dying to get out to Bayport, just not sure of how the ice has been yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hey Asiansensation ice are about 9" when i was out there last week it should be good we had a good day overall and also people were riding atv with trailers out there already

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How is the fishing out there? And how deep ppl are fishing? I never had the guts to venture out there this year, I drove by it one week before my co-worker invited me out to the st.croix but I kinda use my wife as a excuse and headed SW for some ice fishing instead. So i was just curoius what ppl were catching that was worth venturing out on the st.croix. thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were out there this past weekend and ice was about 8 to 9 inches and also we were catching crappies and couple eyes and they were in 24 to 30 FOW

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys! Looks like it'll be Bayport for me this weekend then. Hope to see you guys out there if you go too. Look for a dark blue killzone popup shelter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been out a couple times within the last 2 weeks. The bite imo has been pretty good. There seems to be an hour window in the mid morning and late afternoon where it really picks up. In between that, the fishing is kinda slow but not dead at all. 85% of the crappies we caught last Sat. were in the 9-10", with the biggest going 13.5. Landed 2 whities (12&14")with the other 2 lost at the hole. They show up as red blobs and they really chase your jigs. I get them to come up 10-15 feet, pause and then they just slam it. A few sturgeons also, biggest was a 41". Most fish caught on a crappie minnow. Head, tail dorsal hooked, it really doesn't matter. I really don't think they're being picky at all, with the only exception that red colored jigs seems to have a slight edge. Forage minnow, Bro's bloodworm, scudbug, and my personal favorite that's tied on full time, glow red/orange Demon jig are all working. Once it's dark I'd deadstick but once that slows, switch to jigging. Not near crowds and fishing from 35-39 fow. Whatever, just get out there and enjoy it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ice fishing out on the croix has been great. as of right now there are many people driving out there. Ice is fairly thick from what I remember it was about 14-15 inches. It might be a little thicker now. Over all crappies are 9-11 inches and once in a while you'll land a nicer 13-15 inch crappie. Any thoughts on anywhere to fish on the croix? I was thinking north of the group that fishes on the wisconsin side of bayport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All I'm new to this board and were thinking of heading out on the Croix today after 3p. for newbies heading on the croix were would you suggest to park and try for the first time? I'm in WI and my friend is in MN so either side just need to know were to park and try. Was thinking bayport area?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sconnie girl, last year we parked by the beach and walked out about 5oo yards, and set up in like 35 fow. We did good on crappies, and I even landed a 40" sturgeon. I am sure there will be others out there too! Good luck, and make sure to report your experience here on teh forums, and welcome to HSO!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I meant to say the Bayport beach! You will see where people are parking Good luck and tight lines>~!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all that replied. I found the place to park and ended up driving out since they had bigger trucks than mine on the ice and 16 inches of ice. We had no luck not even a bite. May give it a try again sometime. Friend of mine that was right next to us caught many crappies the day before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Friend of mine that was right next to us caught many crappies the day before.

Ah, the old "Shoulda been here yesterday" line. grin That's the way the Croix is.

Some days are definitely better than others. Some days you have to search harder than others, some days it just don't happen. Some days you'll catch 5 or 6 different species.

Keep at it and you'll probably have "one of those days".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jarrid, the pict was deleted at the request of one of the individuas in the picture. Definately a beast of a fish but he requested to not have his photo on here. The poster also stated that they were not fishing for sturgeon and knew that the season was closed. I suspect that he wanted the pic deleted so that the debate didn't get started about angling for fish out of season. Thanks!

Tunrevir~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tried fishing the MN side for the 1st time ever today. Had something on within seconds of my bait hitting the bottom, which I suspect was a mudpuppy. Do they fight or just feel like dead weight? Anyway, it got off after a few turns of the reel. Fished from 10 to 35 ft. Caught a little perch and a thick 12 inch crappie. Missed several more hits. All the action came in about a 20 minute window. The other 3 hours were quite uneventful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fished out of the park near Prescott this morning. I was marking fish consistently but they would not even nibble. Anyone tipup fish for pike in this area?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Crappie fishing no doubt. wink

Dont suprise me that some are so quick to assume. Suppose you never fished the st croix river over hard water before so can understand the easy assumption.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Similar Content

  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Kettle
      Walked today and yesterday, flushed 9, shot at two and got two. Hopefully next year I'll have a dog to hunt with. Still warm up here, skim of ice on ponds. Weather has been nice. Hopefully walk a bit more the next few weeks. Been pretty cautious walking for birds to not interfere with deer hunters. There sure are not the deer hunters there used to be 
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  The focus for many this week is the ongoing deer hunting season which is a big tradition in these parts, even for avid walleye anglers.  There were some that either already harvested their deer or are more into catching fall walleyes than hunting.     Those that are fishing are taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and excellent walleye and sauger bite that is happening across the lake.  Cold weather is in the forecast in the upcoming days and weeks so that is also getting many excited. The best depths on the south end of LOW are 22-28 feet of water.     Vertical jigging with frozen emerald shiners is catching most of the walleyes, saugers and jumbo perch.  Depending upon where on the lake you are fishing, some slots and big trophies are in the mix as well, but most reports are talking about good numbers of eaters.    Jumbo perch are coming in good numbers this fall which will serve ice anglers well.  Watch out for an occasional pike or even lake sturgeon mixed in with the walleyes.      There are good numbers of walleyes and saugers across the south shore which is setting up nicely for early ice.   On the Rainy River...  There continues to be good numbers of shiners in the river, and consequently, there are good walleyes in the river as well.     Walleyes along with saugers, pike and some sturgeon are coming in up and down the river.  Most walleyes are being caught in 10-25 feet of water in various stretches of the river.   Jigging with live or frozen emerald shiners is the key. Some anglers are also still slow trolling crankbaits upstream to cover more ground and find fish. Both methods are producing solid results. Sturgeon fishing remains strong.  The catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is open into the spring when it changes to the "keep season" on April 24th. Up at the NW Angle...  As temps are getting colder, most are in the woods hunting and not fall fishing, however, for those who bundle up, fishing continues to be excellent.     A nice mixed bag with walleyes, saugers, perch, pike and crappies being caught. Very good muskie fishing with the colder water temps and shorter days.  Some big fish and some good numbers are being caught amongst the islands.  Both casting and trolling is getting it done.  
    • gimruis
      I hunt in the rifle zone so I don't have a need to use a shotgun to hunt deer, but I would be looking at this if there was ever a need to.   There could be state legislation introduced next summer that eliminates the shotgun zone completely.  It has bipartisan support.  Wisconsin removed theirs years ago and MN is usually later to follow.  They've tried to pass it more than once and it came up just short both times.  Probably just a matter of time.
    • Wanderer
      Oh, h e l l no! 
    • leech~~
      Screw that, here's whatch need!  😆   Power-Shok Rifled Slug 10 Gauge 766 Grain Grain Weight: 766 Shotshell Length: 3-1/2in / 89mm Muzzle Velocity: 1280
    • Wanderer
      20 ga has become a real popular deer round in the last 5 or so years.  The rifled barrels are zinging those sabot slugs with rifle like accuracy out to 100 yards easily.  Some go so far as dialing in for a 200 yard shot but really, by 150 they’re falling off pretty low.   I have a single shot Ultraslug in 20 ga that shoots really well at 100 yards.  Most everyone I know that has bought a slug gun lately has gotten the Savage 220 in 20ga.  Problem can be finding the shells you want.
    • leech~~
      My son always bugs me about getting a nice light over-under 20ga for grouse hunting.  I say Heck no, I'm getting a 3 1/2" 10ga so I can put as much lead in the air that I can!!     So, I'm keeping my 12ga.  
    • 11-87
      That’s almost exactly what I was thinking.  Have slug barrels for both   One for turkey and one for deer.      I have a 20ga mosseberg as well. (Combo came with the scope but never used.   I always liked the 12 better
    • leech~~
      Wanderer is right on the money and covered it well.  I was wondering too if you had a slug barrel for one of your guns?  If so you could make that your slug gun with a scope, and the other your turkey gun with the Red dot.  As you can afford it. 
    • Wanderer
      Kinda depends on if you want magnification or quick target acquisition.   More magnification options and better accuracy with a scope.  You get what you pay for too so get comfortable with a budget for one.  Tasco and Bushnell work but I find they lose their zero easier, have low contrast and don’t gather light well in low light conditions.  That said, I’m still using one I haven’t replaced yet.  Vortex has been the hot brand for the past several years for bang for the buck.  Good products.  Nothing beats Swarovski though.  Huge dough for those.  Burris is another decent option.   There are some specific models for shotgun/slug hunting in the economy brands and bullet drop compensation (BDC) reticles.  Based on experience I’d recommend not falling for that marketing ploy.   Red dots are usually lower magnification and easier to get on target.  Reasonably accurate but don’t do well with definition, like searching the brush for your target.  I put a HAWKE red dot on a .22 for squirrels and it’s been good.  For turkey, that’s probably the route I’d go.     If your slug shots are normally not too far and too brushy, I’d think a red dot could work there too if you’re only buying 1 scope.  You’ll be better off dimming the reticle to the lowest setting you can easily use to not over shine the target and get a finer aim point.   If you don’t have a slug barrel, you might appreciate one of those.  I had a browning with a smoothbore slug barrel that shot Brenneke 2-3/4 inch well.  The 11-87 would well fitted with a cantelever rifled barrel. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.