White Bear Lake Fishing Reports

[mallardnwalleye]

I'll take some measurements next time, if I can get to that hole first before a few others who have started to fish it also lols. Didn't see too many holes there so not many were fishing there and now, always somebody there. Taking a second look at the measuring tape, probably closer to 7-8in I'm thinking. We have however, found a pattern to catching them crappies ;-) And we're always pretty much the only ones fishing that spot :-)

Hope your secret crappie pattern lasts as the pattern other places is not a secret anymore. Good luck-tight lines and bent poles Ishikawa!

[Ishikawa]

oh its not a secret spot at all, we are probably within 50 yds of others but fishing where most are not and catching :-) buddy went out with three others last night with our pattern of fishing and got his limit to their 3 combined lols...sucks to be at work instead of fishing!

[mallardnwalleye]

oh its not a secret spot at all, we are probably within 50 yds of others but fishing where most are not and catching :-) buddy went out with three others last night with our pattern of fishing and got his limit to their 3 combined lols...sucks to be at work instead of fishing!

Nice pattern you and your buddy have Ishikawa.

If I'm fishing crappies I like to be about 1/4 mile away from the City on the Lake.

[Ishikawa]

Ok, I'll admit somthing. It's not a secret pattern! We are running and gunning and burning up the gas on the auger ;-) Same thing again last night, but dang it was cold so we were off the lake by 730. Managed six keepers in short period of fishing. Being warm on the lake gets in the way of catching lots of fish lols!

[tip_upclyma]

Ishikawa is right....you can go out to that lake almost every night and catch a limit or close to a limit of crappies...at least that has been my experience too. LOTS of 7-8"ers...but you also catch quite a few 9-10.5"ers....and the occasional slab of 12+"s

[Ishikawa]

Ishikawa is right....you can go out to that lake almost every night and catch a limit or close to a limit of crappies...at least that has been my experience too. LOTS of 7-8"ers...but you also catch quite a few 9-10.5"ers....and the occasional slab of 12+"s

Yep yep, but for us it has been mostly 9-10.5 with very few smaller than that and a slab about once a night :-)

[KrappieKilla]

I can't argue with many of these reports. But I don't know how much longer WBL can sustain this mini metro crappie boom. Time to start looking for a new crappie lake! That being said keep fishing it and if you want eat some fish, what a fun fishery!

[Ishikawa]

Well, you just gotta work harder to catch fish and most are not so I think the lake will be just fine ;-)

[little walleye]

i was out on wbl last weekend and went straight out of belle air beach. we caught 3 perch in 4 hours and the guy next to us caught a 35 inch musky on a tip up. does anyone know a good crappie spot?

[mallardnwalleye]

i was out on wbl last weekend and went straight out of belle air beach. we caught 3 perch in 4 hours and the guy next to us caught a 35 inch musky on a tip up. does anyone know a good crappie spot?

Your close but your probably in too hard of a bottom area and didn't hit it at sunset or night. I like by weeds close to a softer bottom deep area.

Go to the bait shop on 96 just off 61 north of the lake, they'll steer ya right.

Good luck!

[Craigums]

Hows the snow on the lake? Im going to bring my dad out of belleaire tomorrow night and dont feel like getting stuck.

Thanks, Craig

[tip_upclyma]

As of today (it is snowing as I speak)....a 4WD vehicle would have zero problems out there.....good luck!

[bavincent]

been fishing wbl for crappies for over thirty years. still the best metro crappie lake by far. always a chance for a fifteen incher.

[little walleye]

i was by the city at sunrise and still didnt catch any crappies.

[clayton08]

start popping holes till you mark pretty much common sense I thought? I dont fish if I dont mark simple as that...nobody is gonna tell your were to drop your house get out there and work for it like the rest of us do.

[shamus]

Never been on this lake. Can someone tell me where the bad ice is typically found? I'd like to stay away from the crowds so I might want to get off the beaten path a bit.

[mallardnwalleye]

Never been on this lake. Can someone tell me where the bad ice is typically found? I'd like to stay away from the crowds so I might want to get off the beaten path a bit.

I have it listed in previous posts. The tip of the island has some springs. NE part of Ordways bar which are now islands on the north end can be bad but is mostly good. Under the bridge of course is bad and the area between the peninsula and island can be thin early but I have driven across it late ice right down the middle with plenty of ice. The east side and main basin area can have 4 +inches less ice than the west side as it freezes later. The area very close to the commercial docks has been posted for thin ice before as well.

You should be fine on the west side off Bellaire. If you Don't drive off the beaten path and walk there you will have little to no risk there.

Measure ahead of where you go and your risk is minimized as well.

The bait shop on 96 is a good place for info.

Good luck!

[mallardnwalleye]

i was by the city at sunrise and still didnt catch any crappies.

What technique are you using? Try 10-15 ft. or 20 ft. during low light dark.

The Bait shop on 96 will get you good info.

Good luck!

[tip_upclyma]

Crappie minnows, 12-14 FOW, presence of weeds on the bottom, and fishing in the window of 5-9pm equals catching crappies on WBL. GET AWAY FROM THE CITY...that area is great for early ice fishing...but worthless this late in the season IMO.

[Ishikawa]

I've been fishing under 10fow with weeds. No weeds in any hole I drill means I'm not fishing it. Green glow jigs have been good to us ;-)

[Craigums]

Crappie minnows, 12-14 FOW, presence of weeds on the bottom, and fishing in the window of 5-9pm equals catching crappies on WBL. GET AWAY FROM THE CITY...that area is great for early ice fishing...but worthless this late in the season IMO.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt the whole west side >10' except in the basins... And isn't the basins were the shanty towns are? I'm heading out with my dad right after work. Plan on driving out of belle air and hanging a left in search of some crappies. Plan on finding any deeper water(basin type structure) that isnt completely packed with shacks.

[tip_upclyma]

Too nice of an evening tonight to not go fishing! I will report tomorrow my results.

[tip_upclyma]

I just shot you a PM Craigums that should help you for fishing tonight. (i hope it worked...it was my first ever PM attempt)

[Ishikawa]

If you're using lake maps the lake is about 5ft less than what they show

[Craigums]

If you're using lake maps the lake is about 5ft less than what they show

Yea, I noticed that the 1st time I went out. Took a right out of belleair and set the portable up in "22'" only to drop the flasher and find we were in 17.5'

I've just been looking at the DNR map at work and west of belle air looks pretty structure-less except for a few random basins. Never fished it in the summertime so not sure were the weed edge is. I'll let you guys know how I fair out there tonight though

[th64]

'The City' is straight out from Bellaire I went there 2 weeks ago and did okay.

We went out by Kowalkis in front of the channel by the island and got about 3 fish, we left at 7.

Sat. we will give it another shot, should we turn right or left at B. Park?

Thanks for the help

[little walleye]

thanks guys, i was using wax worms on a small jig in 10-16 F.O.W.

[Craigums]

Got out yesterday and started drilling holes in what showed on my old lakemaster chip as being 20'. Dropped the flasher and realized I was in 11.5' (add 2' for the ice and it was probably closer to 13.5') There was a maybe 6'' of dead/dying weeds at the bottom. Ended up catching and releasing 5 crappies between 7-8.5''. Caught the majority on a vertical tear drop jig with a lively crappie minnow. The fish did not seem very aggresive at all and without a flasher and a powernoodle/spring bobber I probably wouldn't have caught any.

[OnAFly]

I'll be giving this lake a try tonight. I haven't fished this lake in a couple years, so we'll see what happens. I scouted out a couple spots on my map that are in the 20' range, we'll see what they end up being with the vex. Hopefully not 11.5' with dead weeds.

Anyone been catching any pike out there? I looking for a couple snakes for pickling so right around 20" is fine with me.

[tip_upclyma]

I had similar luck last night Craigums.....just 4 7-8"er crappies that went back down the hole....didn't mark hardly anything either...caught 2 at 6:15...and then 2 more at 6:45...and then I didn't even mark a fish...fished 6-8pm. With the lack of marks, I think the fish are starting to move to deeper water....I am gonna log some hours this weekend....so I will report.