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Burntside Lake Fishing Reports---Lake Conditions


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Any luck the last week or so on b-side? My dad, gf's dad and I are headed up on the 28th. No sled unfortunately, just vehicles, which sounds like we won't get far... I promise we won't park in the middle of or drill a hole in anyone's road...

Typically we've fished out of the Burntside lodge access or W of Van Vac - how are the roads in those spots looking? Do you know if anything is plowed off the NE landing or North Arm?

My dad and I have been doing this trip for 7-8 years now, always a good time, hoping the fish will cooperate.

Any info is much appreciated.

- Andy

Fishing has been ok. I have caught a few fish this past week. I don't know what shape the road is in off Burtside lodge. Above is a picture of a section of the road off Van Vac. The majority of the road west of Waters was getting very sloppy. A lot will change in the next few days. Trucks are really not the way to get around on Burntside this winter. Even with the roads open there are very few areas to fish. There will be even fewer after this storm. You may have to park and walk off the van vac landing. It all depends on how much snow we get. Check back in a couple days.

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I measured 9-10in of fresh snow this morning in my driveway in town. It is still snowing and the wind is just starting to pick up and is supposed to blow pretty good for the next couple days. There are going to be some BIG drifts out on the lake. I might try to get out there later and see what it's like.

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Mike,

With all the snow and high winds we have, best wait until tomorrow, and live to fight another day!! wink

That is, unless you want to spend an entire day digging your snowmobile out of slush when it stops dead, which could be about 10 feet off the landing!! gringringrin

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Took a trip to the Van Vac this afternoon. There are a bunch of big drifts out there.

This picture is looking west off the Van Vac landing. There used to be a road in there somewhere.

photo1_zpsfb6852a1.jpg

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Wow, Mike what a difference one week can make out there! frown

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Looks like you guys better start plowing so folks will have roads to get to their your spots. smilewink

Fixed it for ya wink

Sad to say for me but I doubt I'll have a second laker trip this year. Unbelievable.

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Took a snowmobile ride out to my fish house today. It is rough out there. Lots of big drifts and lots of slush underneath all that snow. The road past Maroni point has slush on it. I walked around away from the road and snowmobile trail and found at least knee deep snow with 4-5in of slush underneath. It is pretty bad out there. Snowmobile travel was rough and that was on old roads. My trail on the way in was pretty much gone on the way back to the landing. I am glad I blocked my house up real high. It slushed out bad and came up quite a bit. My road and parking area slushed out bad too.

This cold next week won't be cold enough to firm up the slush. There is too much snow on top of the slush. We need a lot of warm weather and sun. And who knows when that will happen.

This is looking out over the main basin west of Waters Island.

photo4_zpsd6d0a115.jpg

Van Vac landing.

photo4_zpsd2f21074.jpg

Whats left of the road off Van Vac.

photo1_zps735fad4b.jpg

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Looks and sounds ugly Mike cry

Yea. It's bad. Even fishing with a snowmobile and portable is going to be a challenge.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Yea. It's bad. Even fishing with a snowmobile and portable is going to be a challenge.

What's the plan for getting your house off the lake? confused

Know anyone with like a "tracked Ranger" or something like that? whistle

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What's the plan for getting your house off the lake? confused

Know anyone with like a "tracked Ranger" or something like that? whistle

The snow has to melt before the ice goes out. smile Not sure if that is going to happen by the 17th of March tho. I will get it off at some point.

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Mike,

Your pics remind me of my last trip up there last year. I went solo and even though I had my porty with me I left it in the truck and just took a couple rods, my packpack, auger and LX5. In some of the spots I fished I was sure I would've been stuck had I been dragging my house.

Over knee deep powder snow and slush pockets with virtually no other tracks around to run for more traction. It was awesome sled riding on my RMK but I was a bit nervous about where I stopped and if I was going to be able to go again easily. With the wind and all that powder it felt kinda eerie being on my own.

One of the more memorable trips for sure.

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Checked out the lake again today. A lot of the drifts have leveled off. It's not quite as rough as it was the other day. I stayed on top of most of the slush when I went off the snowmobile trail or road when I was packing a trail to my house. I did sink down on a couple spots. I'm sure there are some pretty nasty slush pockets out there on the lake. Definitely want to be careful hauling a sled behind your machine. Best bet like Wanderer did is to go light and have everything you need on the snowmobile.

The area of the road that had flooded is very slushy. It is so slushy there may be a slim chance that it will firm up with the cold temps. Maybe...Hopefully... smile

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Is this cold enough to firm up any of the slush?

Maybe some but most of the slush is under a lot of snow. There are really no roads on the lake right now. It has been tough going for the guys trying to plow. If you are planning on using your truck you will be very limited on where you can fish. Really the only area will be right off the Van Vac landing.

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How is it snowmobiling out there? Anyone out and about, or is it all just a dead sea right now.

Was planning on a hitting it up on Sunday. Wondering if I should leave the sled and lodge at home and just snowshoe out somewhere with my light weight portable, or bring the sled and otter lodge and hope for the best. It is a 570 Panther with studs, so I'm somewhat confident, but it does look like a nightmare out on the lakes and I'd be solo. Hate to burry it and try digging out by myself.

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How is it snowmobiling out there? Anyone out and about, or is it all just a dead sea right now.

Was planning on a hitting it up on Sunday. Wondering if I should leave the sled and lodge at home and just snowshoe out somewhere with my light weight portable, or bring the sled and otter lodge and hope for the best. It is a 570 Panther with studs, so I'm somewhat confident, but it does look like a nightmare out on the lakes and I'd be solo. Hate to burry it and try digging out by myself.

It has been a dead sea out there. Very little traffic. At least around Van Vac and the basin around Waters and Dollar Island. I haven't been anywhere else on the lake. It's supposed to be cold on Saturday so I'm not sure how many people will be out with the current conditions.

I have not explored too much of the lake on a snowmobile so I'm not sure exactly what it is like. From what I have seen the machine will stay on top of the first hard packed layer of snow. I have the same sled you have but without the studs. Once you step off the machine you go down into the snow/slush. I would guess that there are some areas that are completely slushed out that you would not want to hit towing a heavy house. And also areas with deep snow. If you do tow an otter it would be worth running out to your spot first without the house and make a trail and see what it's like.

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Took a little ride around the Dollar, Burnt, and Waters Island. Didn't find any slush. Lots of snow but no slush. I did not go between islands or back into the bays tho. I stayed out in the open areas. I would still think there are some areas with slush but what I found today was't too bad. The section of the road that flooded still has water underneath a layer of ice.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Doesn't look like a good ending to this season Mike. Hope you get the house off ok. frown

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The extended forecast is for warmer temps but nothing that will melt all the snow. There is a chance a plow will be able to get out before the 17th. If not I might have to rent a Bobcat! Ha.

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Burntside Lake conditions are POOR!! I took my 800 Polaris Ranger with tracks on the lake yesterday afternoon, and buried it to the top of the tracks about 150 feet off shore. I had trouble opening the door because of the slush and snow depth. Good thing I had knee high Muck Boots on because there was about 10 inches of water underneath the 12-16 inches of snow floating on the top.

I shoveled a small amount around the front tracks, knowing that it was a losing battle. Got back in and tried backing up. It went about a foot, then I went forward about two feet. Repeated in reverse one more time for a few feet, then back into forward and slowly drove the 50 yards to the packed snowmobile trail, never missing a beat.

A snowmobile would have been toast in that area. If anyone's coming up to fish, wear high boots and walk a few feet off the plowed road.

Do not try to drive anywhere!!

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Good report GO, that there is scary stuff. eek

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you have a good amount of water above and below the good ice. i'll bet we won't have the late ice like last year.

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