Clearwater Lake Fishing Reports & Info - Annandale

[jigginjim]

How if your fishing a point that has perch and walleyes. Take as many kids as you have poles for, now that's how many tip-ups can you put down? You work the tip-ups and your walleye rod, the kids catch the perch. The perch draw in the walleyes, I did this on lakes in minneapolis. We would go home in 2hrs with 4-8 walleyes and alot of perch. Some really small perch but a lady down the block would grind them up for cat food. Everybody wins.

[DuckBlind]

Wondering where a guy could find a lake access to drive out on to Clearwater Lake near Annandale. Thinking about heading out there on Th night...I heard there were a couple of places to drive out on the west side...wondering if there is any place to get out on the east side of the lake...?

Anything to keep an eye out for out there? Can a guy drive anywhere on that lake??? Springs...?

Any help would be appreciated, first time out there.

[Brad B]

the west side is the only side that has public accesses. BJ's Bait is located between the 2 accesses and they plow roads over to the east side. they charge a access fee to use their road system. don't go out of the public access that is the most northerly on the west side is has a 50 foot hole there and this area has river current in it from the clearwater river. this area is not safe to drive on. also becareful around the narrow areas by bungalow island and the "narrows" area where you go from the west basin to the east basin. the best is to stop at BJ's and talk with them. also put this thread over in the annandale area forum and you will get more responses.

[tsande00]

Yep...Brad is correct.

I went out a week and a half ago. Stopped in at BJs - they were helpful and the road was only like $4. Driving on this lake I'd be nervous venturing too far off the main path...but talk to the guys in BJs they should set you straight.

[Farley]

Anyone been catching anything latley, was planning on spending the weekend out there. I dont need to know where, just want to know if anyone has caught a walleye in the last week or two. Are they shut down, marking them and not biting, etc.. whats going on??

[tsande00]

Anyone been catching anything latley, was planning on spending the weekend out there. I dont need to know where, just want to know if anyone has caught a walleye in the last week or two. Are they shut down, marking them and not biting, etc.. whats going on??

I was out the weekend before last from about 5:00pm to 7:30pm. I caught nothing and my fishing partner pulled in 2 small walleyes right away. Not big enough to keep...probably only 10" or so.

I think there are walleyes to be caught there though...we got there too late and didn't have enough time to move around like one would like.

[jigginjerk]

Spent sat.-sun overnight in the house last weekend. 22ft of water and nothing sat.. Sun. morning about 7:30-9:00 4-5 10in walleyes. Went to my sunny spot after that and caught a few nice fish, but pretty much a waste for eyes. I think there's better lakes right now than clearwater.

[FishSystem]

Hey Farley. I did find a good agressive bite on clearwater last week, and put someone on it the next night while I enjoyed the spoiles of working. They got 9. Not bad but the bite is very agressive, which is wonderful. I know better than to give the spot up, but find a shallow hump/island with a nice fast break to deep water. I look for humps with a fair size flat area in the 15-20 range. Set up on the edge of that flat area, right where it starts to drop off. Mid winter walleys (especially on clearwater), you find a good spot, but nothing on the electronics, don't leave. Gotta be there, and already set up a good hour before sundown, and they move in and are there for a lil while or a long while. That depends. I found where they are comming in about 4-4:30 pm and there until atleast 8 pm. You just gotta trust that this spot you found that shows no fish right now, is gonna have'em at prime time. Thats what I did, and I works out great. You find the eyes during the daytime staging, and they just don't seem to be biting often if ever. My experience anyways. Good luck.

[hydro]

Good points FS. I have always had the best success in exactly that type of pattern, and normally the bite only lasts about an hour or so, so you have to be set up and ready. No point in moving around unless you have several holes on the same pattern. Finding a flat area in 15-20 of water on Clearwater is most of the challenge. Moset of the lake breaks at about 4' onto 30' of water.

[tsande00]

Hey Farley. I did find a good agressive bite on clearwater last week, and put someone on it the next night while I enjoyed the spoiles of working. They got 9. Not bad but the bite is very agressive, which is wonderful. I know better than to give the spot up, but find a shallow hump/island with a nice fast break to deep water. I look for humps with a fair size flat area in the 15-20 range. Set up on the edge of that flat area, right where it starts to drop off. Mid winter walleys (especially on clearwater), you find a good spot, but nothing on the electronics, don't leave. Gotta be there, and already set up a good hour before sundown, and they move in and are there for a lil while or a long while. That depends. I found where they are comming in about 4-4:30 pm and there until atleast 8 pm. You just gotta trust that this spot you found that shows no fish right now, is gonna have'em at prime time. Thats what I did, and I works out great. You find the eyes during the daytime staging, and they just don't seem to be biting often if ever. My experience anyways. Good luck.

So you are fishing the top of the humps?

[Farley]

Fish System: thanks for all the info, I'll put it to good use this weekend. Without looking at the map I have a few spots in mind, not quite 15-20 feet deep though. I'll have to take a look at the map and see what I come up with. You going to be out there this weekend at all?

[hydro]

Is anyone heading out there this afternoon? I am thinking about chasing some walleyes over the PM bite. West basin, mid lake area. If you are interested in meeting up, post a reply.

[RumRiverRat]

So how exactly does BJ's enforce the fee for using "their" roads?

It cracks me up that guys actually pay to use roads plowed on a public lake.

[centralmneyeguy]

If you go onto the ice from his shop it is $4.00. Is that really asking all that much?? I don't have any problem at all paying him the money. It isn't cheap making and maintaining a road. It is very hard on the equipment and is time consuming. Obviously if you go out of the public access and then hook up with his road I don't know what he can do, but is it really the ethical thing to do? I personally don't think it is, but that's me. He is doing us a favor by plowing a road. It isn't something he has to do. Don't abuse it.

[jigginjim]

I have heard he could enforce you to purchase a pass for it is his work. Much like driving on Mille lacs roads.

[H2O Milfoil]

One pays a fee to cross his private land onto the ice. Once on the ice, the water is public property. If you come off the ice using his private access you either pay or are trespassing. It's very simple.

[fishingfool]

Where would someone find out a for sure answer to this? I have heard the same thing, but it is from a friend of a friend sort of thing.

I agree with centralmneyeguy about the ethics of it, but legally i can't wrap my head around how someone (on Mille Lacs or not) can for you to pay for using roads they plowed on a public lake - assuming you legally accessed the lake.

on a side note regarding Mille Lacs - i have often wondered what besides ethics stops anglers from using some of those west side resort acesses without paying - seems to me between the road and lake is only right of way, not private property.

[daylate]

I would think that if you went out of a public access and drove onto the plowed road their would not be any wrong doing legally. you cannot drive off of private access without paying though. that would be tresspassing.

[fishersofmen]

I just think if you don't want to pay the fee then stay off the roads that are costing these people alot of money to clear. If at any point on the lake you want to venture onto the plowed road anyone with a decent conscience would want to willingly pay the small fee in appreciation for what is being done. We don't legally have to do alot of things in this world, but if we all showed a little more love and respect for our fellow neighbor this world would be a better place.

[daylate]

well put fishersofmen.

[Corebelas]

Fishfool, you do not have to pay to drive on it, you would just have to pay to access the lake from private land. I also agree to just help your fellow outdoorsmen out to keep havin a plowed road on a lake. To find out for sure for yourself, call the DNR Information Center, they can answer any question related to the DNR you have.

[Brad B]

why not just ask them at BJ's. I think if people take advantage of this then BJ's will just stop plowing the road. By the way I plan on printing this thread out and talk with them directly. Remember like others have said it cost alot for the gas for the plow truck and the wear and tear on the equipment.

[Brad B]

people need to stop being penny pinchers and to stop being unethical. it givings all fisherman a bad name in my opinion when there is a few that take advantage of the generosity of others. BJ's is not obilagated to plow the road out there. Is $4.00 really that much when some of these people have $10,000 + wheels houses, come on people.

[elkrivermn]

All these conservative tightwads in Minnesota Yuk!!!

[DuckBlind]

I built my first perm shack this winter, just put it out 2 weekends ago...decided on Clearwater lake and I go out of BJ's roads. With all of this snow, and more coming...we are pretty lucky to have someone do this for us. They do a great job!

I did hear from a friend...so I may be wrong...but he was told that the DNR said they can not enforce the $4 fee...again I would double check on this...

But...for $4 he provides quite a service. And I am happy to pay the money for what they do. There is a public access just south of his place, if you dont want to pay $4 then use the public access. With all of this snow coming it might be tough to connect with his roads though...

On a side note...went out Friday night...nothing...woke up at 7am on Saturday and caught 4 walleyes and about 50 perch, everything went back in the lake...too small.

[mike morris]

All these conservative tightwads in Minnesota Yuk!!!

Mmhmm. $4 to drive off of BJ's, or a fresh tin of copenhagen and a quarter mile drive to the public access. Hmm??

Lol I'm jk. The 4 bucks isn't bad for the nicely plowed roads they got out there.

[Farley]

If you are going out on a 2WD car, then be smart and pay the $4.00 since you'll be driving mostly on the plowed road anyway. But for having to pay, Bills landing could be a little better, kind of steep but at least it's clean. Watched a car try to get up that incline from the Waterfront yesterday, after the third try they made it and the whole bar cheered! they must have been from Florida. Same guys who got stuck out by us yesterday.

[FishSystem]

Hey Farley. Fished out on the 5th, and was too busy to get back out since, but it slowed alot! I had another guy next to me and he went back out on Saturday the 6th, and got squat! We got a couple on that friday night, but that was the slowest I'd seen it this winter. No other fish even came by. Tried some of the deep spots up near the shallows about 8 pm, couldn't find a fish! Someone else out there on that same mission said that it's been like that all winter, no crapps in the typical spots. I might get out again Friday or Saturday of this week, but not for sure. If I do, I am gonna find a new hump to fish, I think that one got hit hard by some people.

To answer your question TSANDE00, I was on the top of the hump, but very close to the drop. Dropped quick starting about 5 ft away from my spot. It does get as shallow as 13 ft on that hump, but I was in the flat area of 18 ft. Not directly on a break, just at the top of it. Good hard sand. Green/Silver Dodge Dakota 4dr, if you see me, Im adam.

[Farley]

Fish System: We ended up with a couple 16" walleys and one crappie Saturday. they came through early, probably an hour before sunset. We had 2 houses in 12.5 ft, thats where the fish were caught, and then had one out in 18ft, and I fished 25 (opposite side of the sunken island) nd another buddy in 28ft. 3 of us stayed the night and all we caught was the 2 eyes and one crappy. Sunday made a move to the north side of bungalow in 35-12 feet, had a lot of lines down between the dozen or so people with us and not one fish caught. You might of seen the red F150 with a "Stockholm Militia" sticker on the front windshield, thats a buddy of mine, I drive a black f150 with a final approach sticker on the back. We'll be out there again after walleyes are done to catch some of those big panfish out there. We fish mostly the northwest side of the lake though.

[scoot1215]

hows the fishing been?