2020 Forest Lake-Hinckley-Lindstrom-Pine City-Rush City Fishing Reports

[TKIII]

Tunrevir,

Good report. We live of North Shore but never have gotten into any sizeable panfish on Forest. We hit Chisago Thursday and Friday and did all right. We kept 22 crappies/sunnies for the 2 evenings. Lots of boats out there. We will have to hit Forest being it is right across the road from us. Have a great week.

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

Tunrevir,

Good report. We live of North Shore but never have gotten into any sizeable panfish on Forest. We hit Chisago Thursday and Friday and did all right. We kept 22 crappies/sunnies for the 2 evenings. Lots of boats out there. We will have to hit Forest being it is right across the road from us. Have a great week.

Live on North Shore as well and honestly don't fish forest much. I tend to fish south center or chisago. Mostly though you will find me down on the st. croix chasing cats with a buddy.

i really should try forest more.

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

Decided to try my luck on flake for a couple of.hours this evening. Managed to catch a 30" northern in the second lake.channel. Also managed 1 sunny and a really small largemouth bass. Ventured out onto lake 1 and got nothing. Then fished the deeper hole on the south side of lake 2. Got a few perch there but that was it. The northern made my day, oh and the dog not jumping overboard like he usually does lol.

[tunrevir]

Looks like it will be a banner opener on Flake this year. Walleyes are post spawn and should have already moved to the summer spots. Look to the edges of the weeds and holes 14-20' and work jigs and minnows or livebait rigs with minnows or leeches to get bit. There should be a shallow crankbait bite for pike in 8-12'. Crappies will be found along and over the tops of newly emerging weeds and bluegills will be in the same areas and near the gravel preparing to spawn. The DNR recently applied weed killer in the lake to control some of the weeds and from past experience, these areas seem to hold less fish untill later in the year. The sprayed areas are marked with surface bouys which are easily visible. Good luck on the water tomorrow!

Tunrevir~

[Castinski]

Surface temps have been around 60 degrees or so this past week in the late afternoon. The lake association must have got some additional funding for the weed killer this year. There seems to be a lot of additional areas being treated compared to last year (on 1st at least). The vegetation in the treated areas seems bigger than in the past when they have treated. Wonder how that will effect the treatment. Either way, I think we are gearing up for some really green water out there this summer after all of that vegetation dies off and breaks down in the water. That on top of the 4 in of rain that washed everyone's spring lawn fertilizer applications into the lake.

Lots of walleyes cruising around out there. Good luck to all who venture out tomorrow. Remember to be curteous to your fellow boaters, even those of us in tiny boats !

[sicheneder]

yep, there are about 4 bouys 30 yards out on the south side of 2nd lake right now.

[DRH1175]

I hit Mille Lacs yesterday but will be out on Forest this week. We will see how it goes. I plan to fish Forest Exclusively this summer When I am not on Winni or Mille Lacs. I am excited for a great open water season.

[tunrevir]

Was on Forest for 2 hours last night and worked some shallow sand flats and weedlines. Caught a ton of bass a dozen smaller pike with the largest running about 30 inches. No eyes but didn't really slow down to target them. Had some good reports in the 15 foot range for eyes out there this weekend and some of the guys fishing deeper water in around the 18-22 foot mark did well on eyes pulling live bait rigs. Was a bit slower then last year but the reports I got was that once you fund some fish there were others if you kept working the area. Water temps were in the mid sixties where I fished and that bodes well for the shallow bite once the lake shiners move shallow and begin to spawn. Weeds are up and quite prolific for this time of year so some of those late spring early sumer spots should put you on some fish. Good luck and tightlines!

Tunrevir~

[tunrevir]

Hit the lake last night right after the squalls moved through and there are alot of folks prefishing for skis for the tourney this weekend. Bass and pike are relatively shallow and can be had along the edges of the defined weedlines. Got some nice muskie reports recently including a 50 inch fish caught by a fellow FM'r. Bass and pike are very active in the 8-10' range right now with an occassional ski thrown in the mix. Folks have been raising fish shallow right now in 5' or less but there are still some deeper edged fish to be had. Walleyes are going strong from shallow to deep with the most active periods being lowlight. Fatheads and jigs are taking quite a few fish as well as a few leeches and cranks. Sunfish are on or near their spawning beds and chasing small lures and very easily caught from 2'-10', crappies are hanging over the developing weed beds and also taking small cranks and minnows. Great fishing on the lake right now, if the weather holds should be a great weekend!

Tightlines!

Tunrevir~

[tunrevir]

Hit the water last night for a few hours and found the pike and bass are quite active stll and even managed a couple of walleyes. I fished an exspansive flat 6-8' deep and found active fish on the edges of the weeds and slightly onto the flat. I fished cranks last night and had to slow down the pace to get bit. Water was rather murky all over the lake. Crappies and bluegills were very active taking a swipe at my cranks a few times. This daANG wind can let up anytime now! Saw a bunch of folks tossing muskie baits but I didn't see any of them hookup.

Tunrevir~

[Fuzzbient]

We had a crazy experience last night trolling around with some cranks on the north side of lake 2, when a buddy of mine hooked what started out like a small bass fighting. As he was bringing it in to the boat it suddenly started to fight like a fish of a lifetime. As he got it closer to the boat we saw a huge musky roll and flip it's tail. This was one of the biggest muskies I've ever seen in Forest Lake. It was easily in the 50+ inch range. It decided to take another run and hit the bottom and wouldn't give an inch.

After fighting it for quite some time on a light rig, it finally started coming in to the boat easier. As he got it up to the boat I did a quick net, and all I pulled up was about a 3 pound bass with battle wounds. The whole time the musky must have been hanging on to the bass stubbornly. It didn't appear that the musky was hooked at all, just the bass.

There sure are some big girls in there now!

[tunrevir]

Yep, those big ones are active right now. My dad had a similar experience a week and a half ago but the skie he caught swiped a small walleye and ended up hooked on his jig. 35 minute battle ensued untill the beast was subdued at boatside.

Tunrevir~

[GSP4ME]

Had a 40plus inch Muskike grab a 26 inch Walleye at the boatside on Vermillion last week, expierence of the life to see that

[tunrevir]

Hit the water last night. Water temps were up quite a bit in the areas I was fishing. I saw readings in the 75 degree range for surface temps. Found active pike and bass over and near the weedlines both shallow and deep, walleyes both shallow and on the deeper side of the weedlines. B;uegills and crappies were active over the developed weeds and along the edges as well. Was a beautiful night to be out last night!

Tunrevir~

[DRH1175]

I will finally hit the lake on Friday night. I am excited I have been busy at work lately so a nice night on the water that I am looking forward to!

[tunrevir]

Fish are still active on Flake with all of the different and changing weather we have been experienceing. Crappies and gills can be found relatively shallow and on over the milfoil in 6-14 fow. Small bass can be had along the shallow edges of the weedlines as well as around the docks with an occassional large fish thrown in. I am seeing some of the larger females sliding out and along the weedlines actively taking plastics and cranks. Pike are on the tear with smaller fish located near the shallow weedlines with an occassional larger fish thrown in the mix. Muskies are active throughout the lake and chasing bucktails and jerkbaits over/near the weedbeds. Walleyes are scattered and can be found from 6' on out to the deeper water along the sand to mud transitions and deeper edges of the weedlines and will take trolled/crankbaits or jigs and minnows. Fatheads seem to be the bait of choice for them right now.

Tunrevir~

[TrollnDrift]

Fished Forest Lake today, jigs over sunken islands and points produced many nice bluegills and a few nice bass, along with one small walleye.

[icemn17]

If anyone is interested in Crappies on Forest, go to the North West end (maybe depending on wind direction?) of the main lake basin on 3rd in about 23-27 FOW. Your graph will soon go black and say you are only in 5 FOW due to fish density. Kill the engine and drop a jig down 15 feet. I caught 45 last night, biggest was 7.5". Gets old, would be a blast for the kids though!!!!

[tunrevir]

Yes iceman you are correct there. There are a ton of 6-8 inch crappies in the lake and they can be alotof fun for the kids. If you want bigger crappies you need to work away from the schools of little guys and think like a bass. There are some extremely large crappies in the lake that will take small cranks.

Tunrevir~

[ole matty]

What's water temp on forest lake? Heading out there tomorrow.

[tunrevir]

Surface temps are running in the low 80's, 6-8' down your looking at mid/low 70's.

Tunrevir~

[gophish19]

Just wondering if anyone would be willing to give a Forest Lake newbie a nudge in a general direction for muskies out there. I just started fishing it this year and although I didn't boat any muskies in June, I was seeing a lot of fish. I stayed off the water when it was warm and just started up again last week and haven't seen a single fish in my last 5 trips. I've got a few friends coming in from out of town and they want to chase skis so the pressure is on to at least show them a few fish. I'd never expect anyone to give up spots, but any general advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a million!

[tunrevir]

Work bucktails and top waters over and along the weed beds. Fish have been as shallow as 3' and out deep over the basin areas. For numbers I'd work over and around the weedlines with areas that have deep water nearby being choice. Some large fish have come from under boatlifts and docks mainly along the south shoresof lakes 1 and 3. Good luck!

Tunrevir~

[gophish19]

Thank you very much for the advice...I was out the last couple of days for a 4-5hrs each day and even though I didn't see a fish, I was more confident in what I was doing. Its probably just going to take time to get dialed in out there. Hopefully I put one in the boat soon because I'm starting to get really frustrated...I suppose that's muskie fishing for ya.

[ole matty]

Stop throwing dawgs or dbl-10 like everyone else, u will catch some Muskie on other baits... . Weedlines, break lines, points, inside turns, and shallow sparse weeds....oh and my favorite spot of all.....open water fishing.

[kaine]

just try fishing for bass, you'll find'em there always there when you dont want them.

[OnAFly]

Any reports for walleyes on FLake?

[tunrevir]

I haven't been out there for awhile but the traffic is down and so are the water temps. This time of year you will find active fish along the edges of the deeper holes with a jig and minnow but can also do well along the remnants of the weeds along the 12'-14' edges. There are lots of pike to be had along both the shallow and deep edges of the weeds and they can be a bit of a nuisance but the walleyes are there and judging from the summer season and last winter there are a ton of fish in the 15-19" range in the system right now. Good luck!

Tunrevir~

[OnAFly]

That's good to hear. I think I've got 1 fish out of the last 20 that was over 14 on the lake I was fishing.

[john.wells]

Starting to form! South bay on Clear in FL