Lake Minnetonka Fishing Reports

[jerkin'm]

As far as depth and time of day, it depends on what bay I am fishing...some of the more stained water is going mostly all day and shallow. The bigger, clear water is deeper and low light conditions...

[pushbutton]

Nice fish Pat! Are you hoofing it or are some fishy areas drivable? Going to take some kids out on the lake and have never fished it before. Might have to have to call in a favor and have you show me your hotspot for 3 inch gills

[Weissguy]

Jerkin'm,

Are you having any success with shiners on set lines? Or are fatheads doing the trick either jigging or dead stick ?

I have had past success late night in a sleeper, but mainly on large shiners.

Hope to give it a try again this weekend.

Thank you for any direction you can provide.

[jerkin'm]

When I was out yesterday it was strange....The first two came in and slammed my buckshot spoon with a fathead head...after that I could only get them to follow it once and disappear..I had to go plain hook and small fathead inches from the bottom on a bobber setup and a tiny fathead on a smallish jig a whopper without moving it to get fish...pushbutton, I have your spot for pannies..as shown by my attached pic you don't need to limit yourself to pannies... .shoot me an email for panfish details..you can drive out to it...when are you coming down?

Weissguy, I haven't spent any after dark time out there at all..I haven't used a shiner all season, I do like small sucker minnows though...

[BartmanMN]

Nice pile of fish you got there. Looks like you had it locked in that day.

[EBass]

Even with a group of us we still couldn't catch that many. Wow!

[mrklean]

nice job nice pile of eyes there

[pushbutton]

Sheesh!!! I drive to Milacs every weekend, dont catch that many, and have to buy burgers. Not bad for a city slicker Brought up pannies because was just thinking about some action...guess you just kill two birds with one stone

Still trying to set it up, but probably before the end of Feb. Will let you know......

[jerkin'm]

Just let me know...I will try to fit you into my city slicker schedule... I don't fish Mille Lacs anymore...

[clayton08]

Probably gonna hit up tonka tomorow if anyone wants to join me feel free got plenty of room. Now if only I could get in to some fish like jerkin. Good job on the walts man that a good day out fishing. I dont really know tonka too good not originally from here grew up by alex. ANyways Ill be out trying to find some fish or maybe just trying to find jerkin lol.

[nenzlick]

Anyone still catching eyes in shallow some guys by me have done ok in 12 feet of water but i haven't spoke to them in a while. Prob got out tonight for a few hours around sundown

I've been sick for about a week or so, so haven't been able to get out (and now cold tomorrow ) but I was having decent luck actually in about 10 feet right on the edge of the weeds...NOT on tipups though...for some reason I can't catch a fish on a tipup around here. No clue why but fishing with a small forage minnow with a waxworm was getting me a couple 18" eyes a night, mixed in with a keeper crappie or two and a few decent bluegills.

Not a huge catch, but if you bring that home every day by the end of the week you're in good shape!

[chefdinthe612]

i will be out tonight on the west end of the lake prob in Carsons bay. Fished last night but only caught one crappie and one 8 inch walleye. Had a few fish follow with no luck may try waxies instead of a minnow head nenzlick let me know where you might be fishing. I will probably be siting in my buddies wheel house due to the wind. Its set up in 20 feet of water

[anchor man]

I've alway been curious about the shallow bite on Tonka. When in 10ft, I just assume it's packed with milfoil and impossible to fish. when you refer to the "weededge" in 10ft, is it just a bare area with little/no weeds within the huge weed flat itself...or is there a true weedline in 10ft? I guess I only figure about 18ft as the weedline out there. Just curious, I'd like to try some different tactics.

Thanks

[mjk]

I've alway been curious about the shallow bite on Tonka. When in 10ft, I just assume it's packed with milfoil and impossible to fish. when you refer to the "weededge" in 10ft, is it just a bare area with little/no weeds within the huge weed flat itself...or is there a true weedline in 10ft? I guess I only figure about 18ft as the weedline out there. Just curious, I'd like to tr

y some different tactics.

Thanks

Good question. I don't open-water fish the lake, but was told in a few of the clearer bays (Wayzata, for one), that the weedline may be closer to 20 feet now.

[DitchDiver]

Caught this 34 incher in the 1st week of January in Wayzata Bay along the weed edge on sucker minnow + tip up. The day before I caught two walleyes (15in and 16in) the same spot...on suckers. Oddly enough, I caught a 10 in crappie on a shiner with the same tip up in the same spot. Its slowed for me since though...

[tweeder]

Are people driving over in the Seton Bay area via Black Lake? Thanks in advance.

[Gort]

Can anyone direct me to the closest landing to get on Crystal Bay? I assume folks are driving onto it? Gonna try my luck there tomorrow for anything that may bite.

Other tips always welcome too!

Tks.

[jerkin'm]

People are driving from Black into Seton, not me however...To get onto Crystal there is an access just West of the Maxwell bay public access off of North Shore Drive, there is one on the South side off of Crystal Bay Road as well...There is an ugly ridge in the middle of Crystal between the Lafayette club and the main point out there..be careful...

[FishInfinity]

I'm looking to fish Halstead Bay this weekend. Is it drivable and is the long bar (running west to east) the primary spot? I was also wondering about ice safety near the inlet. Possibly bringing the kids . . . Looking to catch some pike, walleye, or crappie for the pan.

[jerkin'm]

Don't even think about driving a car on Halsteads...It is a known area to have lots of springs and terrible ice conditions all winter...NOBODY drives out there...Last winter there was open water in the basin all year...

[FishInfinity]

Thanks for the info . . . I'll save that bay for openwater!

[eyesonly]

Id really like to explore some new Areas and have never ice fished Tonka before and would really like to .In your Guys opinion what is the best and easiest place to access / Drive on the Lake for a new person that has never fished it before ? I have an H2o so I can find spots to fish But I have no Idea where I should try getting on the Lake or where to start ? would Like to Target Walleyes in the evening/after Dark- Thanks in advance for any suggestions

[rosspj59]

Which part or bays of Tonka have less clear or dirtier water? By the post above maybe the lower end toward Wayzata is clearer?

[jerkin'm]

As far as easy access, Wayzata bay is easy...As far as clarity...Starts cleanest (clarity wise) on the East and dirties (cloudy) up to the West in general...

[jerkin'm]

Tough going out there this weekend...bounced around and managed a few eyes yesterday..at least the ones we got were nice..had a couple buddies and a LOT of kids with..

[rosspj59]

Great picture of the kids with a nice walleye!

[mjk]

Board is a bit slow, so I'll throw this out. Obviously, no right/wrong answers - just opinions.

Headed out this afternoon for pike. I am either going to go to Robinsons, Wayzata, or Greys.

If you were going out, which bay might you choose? Also, would you target the deeper edge of the weedbeds (~17'), or would you get up into 12'?

Have at it...

As an FYI, my winter has been quite inconsistent, as compared to recent winters. I started moving west last winter, and fishing Crystal bay a bit (a tidbit of info from Wayzata bait). I have had zero luck in this bay for whatever reason (other than a decent 'eye). Best action early on was Greys, but that slowed quickly.

[hart0670]

I did okay on Pike in Crystal bay last year, nothing great though. I was out trying all sorts of depths two weekends ago with tip ups, and the only pike we caught was on the top of a sharp break that went from about 4 down to 30. Hope you've caught more than I did.

[mjk]

Well, I chose Crystal, and chose wrong...

As an FYI, you might want to avoid Wayzata bay this weekend. There is some kind of festival going on, and I heard it is going to be a zoo.

Info came from Wayzata bait.

[anprickette72]

Was out on Phelps tonight in 18-24 feet looking for Crappies and managed to get only medium-size Bluegills. I am not sure where the crappies are but I know they weren't under any of the holes we drilled.