2020 Alexandria-Miltona area Fishing Reports ( Lake conditions)

[gr8icefishinmind]

I'll be on a killer walleye lake on opener in central minnesota!!

[LandDr]

Minnewaska of course.

[MinnesotaMuskie]

Lake Amelia but probabaly only a few hours...

[creepworm]

I like that choice. I was thinking Osakis or Big Birch but that lake peaks my interest as well.

[Lee_B]

heard something about lake mary from someone the woman works with...

[Sportfish1850]

I have never had much luck on Osakis during opener weekend. Usually the lake is gin clear the fish are still in pretty shallow and are extremely spooky and on a post spawn funk. My experience (and others may have very different experience) is that Osakis is a typically slow starting lake with only smaller fish biting around opener. That being said, the early ice out and early warm temps may have accelerated the lake by a couple of weeks and we may have late may versus mid may patterns. Who knows really but if you go by its history, you may want to wait a couple of weeks after opener for Osakis to start getting more active.

[Finlander]

Memorial weekend Osakis, i'm there!

[beer batter]

Put in the dock on Reno this past weekend. Usually the water is gin clear this time year, but there was already the start of an algae bloom floating on top of the water. It was really green, and could only see about 4 feet deep. I'd say this is typical for around Memorial Weekend, so we're way ahead of normal.

[timjones]

Yep, bass opener is usually walleye opener on Osakis. Always takes a couple more weeks for them to start.

[Prairiefire]

My daughter and I made it out on Sunday and fished a lake west of town. The action was fast; water temps are already at 60 degrees in the bay we were fishing. We kept 6 for a meal and let the rest go.

[CJH]

Very Nice.

We are putting our boats in on Carlos for the year this weekend. Are the Crappies biting on it yet? Or would i have better luck on LHD or Darling?

Thanks!

CJH

[alaskadreamin]

Agree Osakis traditionallyon opener is a tough bite...been fishing it since 72....we head to Park Rapids every year.....but if there is a year to fish Osakis I think this is it....so took mon and Tues off to fish Osakis.....let you guys get the dumb ones out then get inthere to see if there are any left.....but with early Ice off thinking opener everywhere should be good!

Got the boat fired up last night get on the water this weekend and get everything checked out.....Ready for opener...

[putter]

Do you guy's fish Mary at all?I just got a place up there and was wondering how the fishing is.I dont see mutch talk about this lake i had some luck in aug trolling for eye's.

thanks for any info

[carpmanjake]

nice fish! i just got back from my week long fishing trip down in brownsville. i will be fishing on sunday, hopefully getting some crappie.

[carpmanjake]

Pretty much got everything but crappie today.... Maybe the sunnies and crappies will start up there when the sun starts shining again

just 2 of the many bass and pike I caught today on yum vibra king tubes

[WaveWacker]

4 or 5 years ago, Mary was one of THE lakes to be at for opener. I personally haven't been on it but I know it use to be packed for opener. I believe the pressure may have reduced the numbers that use to be caught out there.

[1eyeReD]

ill be fishing a certain bay, on a certain lake, in a certain town, in minnesota

Hey me too

[cvanderweyst]

Here a 13incher from yesterday.

The strange thing is i was in the same spot friday and only caught small fish and yesterday they were all 11.5 and up.

all fish released to catch another day.

Also caught and released about A 20lb snapping turtle, But i wasnt going to risk getting bit trying to take a photo with it.

All fish caught casting black and yellow flu-flu tipped with gulp twister tail

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Do you guy's fish Mary at all?I just got a place up there and was wondering how the fishing is.I dont see mutch talk about this lake i had some luck in aug trolling for eye's.

thanks for any info

We spent a weeks vacation on Lake Mary at Maryland Resort every year for twenty some years when I was younger. The crappie fishing was amazing, the northern fishing was steady, the bass fishing was dynomite, and the walleye fishing was a pain in the butt. Way too many boneheads playing bumper boats after seeing a fish caught. There are two bars that got the most pressure when we were there and a little known rock pile made by the old resort owner that we fished mid week when fewer people were around (we had to find it by lining up an aspen tree with a brown cabin door then easing straight out towards the middle all while watching the "green box" to find the rocks, back up a touch and ease down two anchors). Ahhhh the memories, thanks for the trips dad!!!

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Pretty much got everything but crappie today.... Maybe the sunnies and crappies will start up there when the sun starts shining again

just 2 of the many bass and pike I caught today on yum vibra king tubes

Speaking of Pike and Bass when does the season open anyway?

[bturck]

Pike and Walleye on May 15th, bass the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend....

[Fishin_Jacks7]

Well I guess I'll use my first post ever on here talking about the lake I love and have a cabin on "Lake Mary" I've seen it have its ups and downs. The panfish used to be amazing but you gotta hit em' at the right time either in the spring or get lucky in the summer...

The walleyes used to be numerous but now i'll catch a few decent ones but many little cigar walleyes because of stocking... You can hardly fish the bars anymore because there's a boat on them constantly. There has always been many resorts on the lake and you'll see the big pontoons trolling right through the pencil weeds like they don't know their there. Its truely sad to see the lake go down...Carp numbers have gone way up... have snagged a few while walleye fishing and caught one trolling once. Gotta love catching a nice Bowfin(Dogfish) every now and again. You know when the walleye bite is over when you catch a bullhead.

The Lake Mary Association did one carp removal a few years back in June and need to do another one because I feel really helped...they did this on the southwest side known as "Skoglunds Slough" I feel they need to do a rough fish removal on the north eastern side where many bass and panfish spawn because this is an important spot for them but also is a favorite spot for the rough fish to hang out once the water becomes to warm for other fish and is dominated by the rough fish. The water levels over the past couple years have really affected the lake by seeing water flow out of the lake is not a good sign and then when August comes it makes the spots to fish limited.

I think Mary could be a great lake if some restrictions went up on the walleye count and/or the legal length. The natural reproduction spots are there for the walleyes but if they are being over harvested it's hard on the population. I understand that the resorts wouldn't want a restriction and that they come to the lake to catch fish, eat fish, and just enjoy a week or weekend. Because I have a cabin on the lake I am going to lean toward the restrictions and just hope the big guys get CPR because every fish is important to this lake! Keep the little northerns BTW because there are a lot of hammerhandles! Good luck fishing to all on opener as I will be fishing Mary, hopefully not playing bumper boats with anyone!

[gofishingtom]

fishin jacks7 i agree with totally and i have fished mary the last 7 years for opener as i have a place on the lake also...i think the lake will be vry good this year and i also think with the warm weather hear earlier then in the last 10 years i think alot of other lakes will have warmed up alot so mary wont be as busy on opener as usual this year and that fishing opener will be like fishing the first week in june we are that far ahead...i heard that they did do some more stoking in the fall on the lake..and that a possible beaver is making it harder for the water to go out into the slew across 114 and could keep lake levels up for the summer..i know as we get to the end of august i have a hard time getting my boat on and off the lift...Good luck on opener...i cant get up till sunday night for the week so post on here and let me know how ya did on opener..

[Fishin_Jacks7]

With this warm weather I don't know what the bite or the pressure on the lake will be like...it will be interesting to see! I did see on the Lake Mary Association page that they did have enough funds to put a few more walleyes in the lake. If your not a part of the association you should think about joining! They send out a seasonal newsletter informing members on whats going on with the lake. I just tried to look for the website and it looks like it is no longer there so I can't give you a link to that.

I was always wondering what made them close the bay behind Eden Acres I resort. My grandfather said it used to be a great spawning place and good spot for bass fishing in the summer!

[et600]

The Lake Mary Association is doing another carp removal this year 3 weekends starting May 29th. They need help, google lake mary association and contact a director for info. They also stocked $2000 worth of walleye fingerlings last fall, with the help of the vikings sportsman club.

I agree on the pressure, have had a cabin up there for 11 years, fishing

has changed a lot. lot's more dock needed now too. It's been really dry up there for a number of years now, with no consistent rain.

[MNdreaMN]

Great looking crappie, cvanderweyst. Nice to know some of those big ones go back too.

[cvanderweyst]

thanks MNdreaMN, I have about 30lbs of halibut left from my trip to alaska

so there is no need to keep more fish.

I encourage peaople to take pictures of there fish on a measuring stick,

it is nice to see an honest size versus claims of several 15in. crappie, 12in. gills, etc.

[walleyeman1]

If they took a picture with the fish and a ruler most of there big fish would shrink!!

[carpmanjake]

nice crappie cvanderweyst!!!

[cvanderweyst]

Walleyman- that is true they do kinda shrink! If you measure a crappie with its mouth open you can gain almost a half inch