Prairie island spillway ice fishing

[tanman]

Anyone ever fish below the spillway at prarie island in winona? i would like to get over and fish the logs but not sure how the ice is with the current from the spillway.  whats the best or safest way to get across?

[Mike Walerak]

That spillway scares me something fierce.  I know a person that fell through there but made it out because the ice caught his backpack.  I won't give any advice on that.  People cross it all the time and I used to. Now I go inform McNally landing and walk across far above.  Maybe that isn't the safest either. 

Be very careful in that area.

[JIvers]

I used to fish that area below the spillway a lot when I lived in Winona. The fishing for sauger and crappie was sometimes outstanding at the edge of the deep water in front of the little island. One winter there was a tree on the bottom, which made for very good fishing.

 

I haven't fished there in a few years now since I don't live up there anymore. The last few times I did get out on the ice below the spillway I did not do very well, so I have not gone out of my way to fish there.