2020 Lake Osakis Fishing Reports

[Boji Guy]

Heading up to Osakis sept. 22 to the 25th with the family. Hoping to get my toddler into some good crappie fishing as well as eyes/pike when the guys go out early and late. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks. Staying at Holiday 

[Fishing Frenzy]

Anyone happen to know the water temperature?

[timjones]

Don't know the temp but there was skim ice near shore and around some of the cattails this morning. A lot of it disappeared during the day. Should be more tomorrow since the winds have died down and the temp is supposed to drop to 14 tonight.

[Fishing Frenzy]

Okay thanks for the update.

[Fishing Frenzy]

Last two cold nights must've cooled down the water... To bad there showing long range forecast is 30s and upper 20s

[timjones]

Looks like they have it cooling down a little a week from now. Not real cold but only 30 for the day time highs. Don't see any walkable ice for a while. Light sprinkles on and off so far this morning. Putting a thin layer of ice on some of the cold surfaces. No ice on the lake. I was looking at your name pschmitz and was wondering, do you come up here a lot and fish with your grandpa?

[ZachD]

Osakis is on my list again as soon as its walkable cant wait.

[timjones]

Looks like it might start making ice Thursday. Not going to be real cold but if the winds stay down it should make some ice. Dec. 7 and 8 are supposed to be cold. Lows around ten with highs in upper teens. Should be making good ice then.

[sartellangler05]

Hopefully north end doesnt ice until after next weeks snow....makes for dangerous and unpredictable early ice and that area attracts lots of early ventures 

[hoppe56307]

The updated forecast this morning shows only minimal chances of snow till the end of next week, with highs in the upper teens and low twenties, and lowes in the single digits.

[BobT]

Time to dust off the winter gear!! 

[timjones]

Yep, glad they took the snow out of the forecast for next week except for some flurries on Sunday but that shouldn't hurt anything. They lowered the temps a little more also. If the forecast holds and the wind stays down I think the lake could lock up by the 9th or 10th. Walked down to the shore this morning expecting to see some ice along the shore but nope. Looked like there was a little skim out in the bulrushes but that was it.

[timjones]

Woke up to some ice on the lake this morning. Had ice from shore out to about 200 feet, just to the outside edge of the rushes. Ice is only about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and is not good ice. Gray in color and soft. Mixed with the blowing snow last night as it froze. The ice that is there has a dusting to 1 inch of snow on it. Should make some better ice the next couple of days with no more snow until Saturday. That 1-3 inches of snow on Saturday could be a problem with the thin ice that we will have by then.

[Fishing Frenzy]

Yep I am Tim Jones... Thanks for the ice update.

[Mike89]

timjones, you must be on the west side from what I see of the ice so far

[timjones]

3 hours ago, Mike89 said:

timjones, you must be on the west side from what I see of the ice so far

Yep. I'm on Schultz's Bay. Which side are you on?

 

Had to head in to Alex today around noon so I took a little side trip to Manthey's Bay because that is typically the first area that has walkable ice. Stood at the 145th Ave access. To the right was all open water, straight out was ice for maybe 30 feet and then open water and that extended to the left into Manthey's Bay for a ways. The rest of the Bay looked frozen over from what I could see from there. Nothing anywhere on the lake looks like it would be walkable yet. Lots of ice on the lake and still making more. The winds have been keeping small pockets of water open scattered through out the ice that has formed so the ice thickness is going to be very inconsistent for a while. The winds have started to die down so with calmer winds I would think the lake might lock up in the next day or two. Just so the snow stays away for Saturday.

Edited December 9, 2016 by timjones

[Mike89]

over across from the Head of the Lakes

[timjones]

Took a drive around the lake today. The only open water I saw was in the middle out from Holiday Resort. Rest of the lake was covered with ice. When I got home I went out to check the ice thickness in front of my place. Went out about 5 feet from shore and chopped a hole with the spud bar. Measured 2 inches of ice with my measuring stick. Went out to about 15 feet from shore, chopped another hole and measured just a hair under 2 inches. Went out another 5 feet and brushed away the snow with my boot as I had done with the other holes. Hit the ice with the spud bar and all I could hear was cracking going off in every direction. Retreated to the shore. Going to give it a couple of days and check again. Hope we don't get that snow for Saturday night and Sunday.

[Mike89]

2 people on the north end of Osakis now

[Fishing Frenzy]

Was it only those two people out there today?

[Mike89]

did not go around the whole lake,, so that is all we saw

[Fishing Frenzy]

Anybody venturing out on the lake?

[Mike89]

yes

[LakeOsakis10]

Called the general store yesterday, he said 4 inches around the half mile and people were out fishing, is that true? looking to come up mid next week and see if i can get out.

[timjones]

Haven't been out since last Friday. Christmas stuff has been getting in the way. Stopped by Manthey's Bay on the way home Tuesday late afternoon. One of two guys that were out there had just come off. Said he had five inches where he had been. My observations from today: saw three small skid houses go out. One with a snowmobile, one with an atv and the other with a utv. The utv might be pushing it a little if it weighs as much as mine does. They appear to be near the southwest corner of the rock pile as far as I can tell from where I'm at. Also saw some walk out from Battle  Point with portables and fish the area north on the north side of the point. One went about 1/3 of the way between there and Buck Point.

Edited December 15, 2016 by timjones

[LakeOsakis10]

heading up to the cabin in millers bay tomorrow. Looking to get the wheeler going. any activity going on in the south end of the lake

[FinnFisher9]

How's the Osakis bite LakeOsakis10 or anyone else?

[BabyDaddy9]

Looking for report on ice conditions. 

[TheTuna]

Still finding only 6-7" of ice on north end of the lake. A few 4 wheelers out and about with others walking. Ahead of last years ice thickness, but wish had more. 

Edited December 21, 2016 by TheTuna

[timjones]

As TheTuna said, mainly walkers with some atv's around. I have only seen a few vehicles on the ice and they have been parked right by shore.