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Lilydale ramp is not usable yet. It still has a large ice shelf.

Hidden falls ramp is usable. Ice ramp is about a trailer length wide, 10 inches thick, sloping into a foot of water. Would have gone out today, but I checked it out too late in the day.Somebody get out there and see if the big girls are hungry at the confluence.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hidden Falls ramp unusable with the cold snap. (Large ice shelf out into the open water.) We did get out a week ago. Only managed two dragging ringworm and minnow. Hopefully it will open up again by this weekend.WP_20160207_002.thumb.jpg.98f6251b52bdec.

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I have been day dreaming about Spring fishing on Pool 2 lately. Sure hope this warmer weather opens up the ramps soon. Can't wait to get out! 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Is shorefishing possible at the moment?  I got the walleye bug, and I'm hoping to hit it as soon as it looks good enough.  Also, an off-topic question, but what is the best method for catching walleye from shore?  Thanks for the help!

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Of course it's possible. However, with the low cfs, the fish are not concentrated at current seams, but spread out. They are not at the dam yet. A person could fish off the end of Pike island, but that's a long hike with not real good odds. IMHO.

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Okay, thanks old timer.  I'll wait until at least April when everything warms up enough for them to make their annual run.

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  • 2 weeks later...

im interested in fishing from shore in this area too. do you just cast a jig? or some type of lindy rig set up? I envy the boats I see there every spring, but I don't drag my boat home.

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The best place to fish from sure IMHO is from the riprap on the MPLS side below the dam. Of course, that is when the walleye move up to the dam. You will know that the case when there are lots of boats fishing, (and catching) there. You could cats a jig and minnow or jig and plastic. Be prepared to lose jigs

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the dam, as in the on basically down town Minneapolis? im working on a construction project on the U of M and there is a dam right off of the river.

Edited by WillieMN
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No, it is the Ford Dam. There are two ways to access the riprap on foot. One is parking at the Minnesota veterans home. (Not sure if parking is allowed there anymore. The other is parking at Minnehaha Falls park and walking down. Look at Google maps to get to both of these options.

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I wouldn't wait until April.The way the weather has been that may be too late.I don't have exact numbers but I have boated a ton of fish,a lot of 12-13" inch fish showing up which is good.None bigger then 26"as of yet but I'm guessing it was at least 8lbs along with many typical males 15-18".Fish when you can,I was catching good numbers of fish a couple weeks ago before the real nice weather even began to warm the water.Get up early or stay late,avoid boat traffic and crowds.The fish are defiantly there.

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Found them again after a dry spell. Biggest two were 25 and 22. Not at the dam or confluence. Current seam,  8 fow

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  • 3 weeks later...

Fish are spread out. Small to medium males. Females recovering from spawn? Vertical at the dam on jig and minnow, as well as on 3 ways.  Also bit on cranks at current seams in 8 - 10 fow. Water temp 47.9 degrees

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I've never fished Pool 2 before, so when you say "at the dam" which dam are you referring to?  Ford?  Thanks!

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Sorry, I thought I replied to you. It is the Ford Dam aka lock and dam #1.

Out Sunday 4/3/16. Slow... Lost 1 fish at the boat. Fished from below the confluence up to Hidden Falls ramp. Went to all my go to spots and nobody home. Tried cranks and blades. Nope. Water temp dropped almost 4 degrees from Thursday. Also very muddy. I'm afraid we are in the post spawn, muddy water doldrums.(walleye will spawn at 44 to 48 degrees).

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Made it out with a buddy on shore at Hidden Falls park fishing from shore on Wednesday from 3-6p for the first time this year.  I couldn't stand it any longer and needed to scratch the itch!  I am a novice river fisherman, so that being said I tried to concentrate on what seemed to be eddy's and current seams as I was able.  I used jigs and plastics in a variety of colors and the only action we had were what we would considered two short strikes.  I also tied on a jigging rap in clown color and tried retrieving that to no avail in the same locations.  There were a couple other fishermen along the shoreline, seemed to be that they had the same luck as we were but were able to pull up a carp or two with crawlers.  Just curious, does anyone have any info on general patterns throughout the season on walleye/sauger habits in pool 2?  Not looking for specific locations, but from my research thus far it seems that they tend to migrate up to the dam around spawning time and then disperse?  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Like I said, novice river fisherman!  I am anxious to get the boat in operation and get out and try some more, will report back next time I make it out.  Thanks in advance for anyone willing to share!    

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That is correct about dispersal. Don't worry about not catching anything right now. Give the fish time to recover from the spawn, for the water to warm up and clear up. The river changes daily, (water flow, clarity, temp, etc) . That means that what works in one location on one day might not work the next day. Generally, since the water is never very clear, except just after ice out, meat or lures that rattle or vibrate tend to produce better. Here is a link about migration. It is old data, but informative. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/fisheries/investigational_reports/482.pdf

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Fished 3 hours today. I fish caught. 30 inches. Thought I was snagged. 7 fow,  water temp 59 degrees, current seam, crank bait.WP_20160424_002.jpg

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Awesome! We've been running into a few walleyes downstream as well. Still fairly deep. Fishing should continue to heat up!

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  • 2 months later...

Kind of a late report but I was down on Monday (7/11) morning into the early afternoon. Walleye bite was good. Found fish in faster current in the rocks in 7-11 ft. Jig and minnow caught most of the fish. We would drift downstream with the current and jigged vertically as much as the current/wind allowed. We did catch a couple on a jig/plastic combo. Also a couple trolling cranks upstream. Nothing huge but a good number of fish in the 14-19 inch range. Also caught quite a few cats and sheephead, one pike too.  It's a much different story down there now. With the high water from all the rain up north I am sure the current is really ripping now. Fish will probably be found in slack water areas out of the main current. NWS forecast page says the river in St.Paul should crest at 11ft on 07/25. That's 3ft below flood stage but still very high. Be careful down there if anyone goes out and good luck. I would like to get down there one more time before my son is born the middle of next month but I will have to see what time allows. 

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • partyonpine
      Opener and the week after were good.  Not the numbers we normally get but better quality in the East End.  Not surprised on the weights for the Auto City a.  Usually for us we only catch a few slot fish but we averaged 3 a day for 10 days.  2 overs, biggest 27 inches.     Our best luck was 12-16 feet for quality.  When we went deeper we caught more but smaller.  Bass were really starting to heat up.  For me little earlier than normal.  Found some nice Bluegills the day we went after some panfish.  Dock fishing was as many as we wanted per usual.
    • Shulsebus
      We will be up on June 8th for the week. It will be our 13th year in a row staying on the lake.  I hope the walleye are hitting the bobbers by the time that we get there. 
    • SkunkedAgain
      Those are some fine specimens. Great job
    • gimruis
      I'm quite shocked to hear that a walleye tournament is still doing a live weigh in.  Virtually every event these days around here is doing a catch, photo, and release format.   Regardless, nice work.  Congrats.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   A great week of fishing with walleyes and saugers caught in good numbers.   The go-to presentation, again, was a jig and frozen emerald shiner.  Emerald shiners are a staple in LOW and walleyes love them.  Other minnows worked also, but emerald shiners are a favorite of anglers for good reason.   The Lighthouse Gap area, Morris Point Gap and just in front of Pine Island held nice fish in 17 - 21' of water.  Various schools of walleyes and saugers across the south shore.     A quarter ounce jig in gold, glow white, pink, orange, chartreuse, or a combo of these colors tipped with a minnow worked well again.   Some big pike and jumbo perch being caught by walleye anglers. On the Rainy River...  Some nice walleyes were caught on the river this weekend, although most anglers normally head to the lake.  12 - 15' of water is holding some nice fish.   Sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River is closed until the keep season starts up again July 1st. Up at the NW Angle...  Some nice walleyes being caught along with a mixed bag.  12 - 25 feet of water.  Points, neck down areas and bays with warming water were holding good fish this week.    The go-to presentation was a jig and minnow as on the south shore.  A mixed bag as is common around the Angle.  
    • leech~~
      Nice work!   Here's two words you hardly ever hear anyone say anymore.  "grateful and humbled"   
    • Brianf.
      RLG, thanks for the shout-out!     Jeff and I are still trying to wrap our heads around what happened this past weekend.  We are humbled and full of gratitude  for having won 'The Classic' for a second time.     We practiced through all the rain on Thurs and the wind on Friday and found six different spots holding big fish.  Fishing was good on both days with several 'overs' in our catch...but would it hold up for another day?   We didn't know.     On tourney day, we made a long run to our first spot where I lucked out on a 26.5"er on my second cast.  Jeff followed up with a thick 27" er a few minutes later, which turned out to be the big fish for the event at 7.26lbs.  We finished out our limit and weighed-in at 10:30 am for the welfare of the fish in our livewell.    There were some big weights in this event which would have won in most other years, but - for whatever reason - this was our day.  Everything just went our way.  Again, we are just super grateful and humbled by this success.  We also want to congratulate all the other anglers who did well and give a big 'thank you' to the tournament organizers who put on such a great event!  
    • SkunkedAgain
      I had a good start to the season on opener. Fishing was slow but consistent. I had four eaters in the box by lunch dragging perch raps. Crappies were biting. I haven't been up since so don't know how things have changed since then, but I'm sure the walleye continue to migrate out into the main basins.
    • redlabguy
      Let’s start this by congratulating Brianf and son for winning their second City Autoglass Walleye Classic last weekend. These guys know how to fish.  We just got to the lake for the season. Chores are almost done and I’m ready to fish.  red(new dog is more yellow)labguy
    • Jetsky
      I tried starting a 2024 Lake Vermilion Fishing Report topic but it doesn't show up on this board.   Maybe somebody else knows how to do it?
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