Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Recommended Posts

Posted

For current Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports Click Here.

I figured I would start up a new thread for us to use for the winter now that things are starting to set up and guys may be starting to creep out on the bays and smaller water.

 

I did some more poking around on Pike Bay this morning and I don't have anything much new to report. We've got less than an inch of fluffy snow on the ice and things healed up after the warm front this week. I worked my way from shore out into the middle of the bay and ice was relatively uniform between 5.25 and 5.5 inches of nice clear ice. Earlier this week I checked all landings on the Tower end and everything was iced up except for open water way out in Big Bay appearing to mostly be all West of Birch/Ely islands. Not sure if all the recent strong winds from North and South have changed that status though. I'm still sticking with my original guess of December 2 for my first trip off McKinley on 5 inches.

 

Good luck this winter to all and Be Safe!

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

First fisherman seen trying their luck today out from McKinley park access and Stuntz Bay access. 

Posted

I spotted them also this evening out from McKinley.

A few more days yet before I will give it a try!

Cliff

Posted

Is Big Bay completely frozen over yet?

Posted

Big bay did not look to be completely frozen over yesterday afternoon. Broken up and refrozen by McKinley Landing.

Cliff

Posted

7" of good clear ice in the couple holes I drilled in Pike Bay this morning. 

 

Posted (edited)

Thanks for the updates.  Think I will play it safe and wait until Thursday, November 30 to go out from McKinley Park.

Edited by JerkinLips
Correction
  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

Got out today on Niles Bay. We had 4.5" to 6" of good clear ice. Only one walleye between the two of us but the tullibee and whitefish were on a tear. Even got a nice bonus pike! Hoping to dial in the walleyes over the next couple days.

Posted

How deep were you fishing?

Posted

We caught em between 17' and 27' off a shoreline point. Definitely had more action in our shallower holes though.

Posted

Nice JL!

I may give it a try tomorrow somewhere!

Cliff

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

Nice fish, JL! I hope you guys keep posting. We’ve abandoned Black Duck Island, but I still check this forum to find out what’s going on around the lake. It always makes me smile to see the smiles on people in big fish pictures!

Dick

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

Thanks JL! Not a phenomenal report but got to start the season eventually and glad to see lots of recruitment coming up. I caught lots of those size fish on the west end this fall too. Looking long range and beyond the forecasts (for what they are worth) look like mid next week and beyond the temps take a plunge! Hang in there, fellas! And gals! 

I've still been finding anywhere from 6-7 inches of good, hard, bare ice in the wakemup narrows area with atv use occurring for the island and no road access folks in that area.

  • Thumbs Up 2
Posted

Has anyone been out this week at all?  Heading up this weekend and looking for ice reports.  Anyone been on any smaller lakes with any thicker ice?

Posted

Was out yesterday... Buddy saw that there was open water not 50 yards from us that I hadn't noticed. The ice looks strong but the warmer weather is making it a little sketch. I saw wheelers flying over spots that where open the night before. I'm still on foot and not going out of the calm bays yet on big V. We need a week of cold weather. Still need to use caution.

Posted
5 hours ago, BigVwalters said:

Has anyone been out this week at all?  Heading up this weekend and looking for ice reports.  Anyone been on any smaller lakes with any thicker ice?

The smaller bodies of water in the area are holding all about the same 6-8 inches of ice.

Posted

Good call JT.  People need to be cautious out there.  I little local knowledge goes a long way.  We are in a small bay that two creeks run into.  There is always a band of thin ice where the creeks run out and they extend quite a bit into the bay.  As long as land is not frozen that water comes down and slows the freeze.  Probably only 5-6' deep there but still dangerous and hard on equipment if you go through.   

Posted

Sounds good.  Thanks guys!  Ill give a report after the weekend.  

Posted

I tried to skate all the way up pike bay out to McKinley but hit a road block. Please be aware there is a 20-50ft wide varying in width active crack running from the south east side of whiskey island to the shore point Northeast of Glenmore Resort. There were areas the ice was piled a little and other spots the ice was busted up and just floating closer to the island when I tested with my hockey stick. Fingers crossed this potential storm on Monday is a bust or at least has enough wind to keep the ice blown bare. Then we'll be in good shape to build ice quickly.

Photos are looking SE just north of Glenmore and North towards hoodoo point.

20171202_143227.jpg

20171202_143249.jpg

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted

Thanks for the info. S.M. !

I also found a small pressure ridge on the East side of the Pike Bay Narrows this morning.

Look like it runs all the way across to the first small Island North of the Narrows. Not very wide but is open and does not look safe! 4" to maybe 7" of ice found. It looks like the ice is getting softer out there to me!

I actually had the ice crack under me in a couple of spots while walking on the thinner looking stuff!

Cliff

 

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted (edited)

Went back out of McKinley Park this weekend.  I had 7" of ice in the bay on Thursday afternoon when I caught only 3 little dinks in 17 FOW.

Went just out of the bay Friday morning and found 6" of ice, catching 3 dinks and 2 eaters in 19 FOW.  Beautiful sunrise that morning, and while I wore a life jacket and was carrying spikes walking out, an ATV drove past me dragging a portable.  Fortunately he came back later that day.

Saturday I fished straight out from McKinley Park in 30 FOW, had 6" of nice black ice, and had excellent fishing.  Caught a dozen dinks, four 15-16", a 21" and this 28½" walleye.  Love watching the fish come up through the clear ice.  Thought for sure the big one was over 30" as the ice seems to magnify the size.

Nobody was fishing near me on Saturday until the side-by-side ATV with chains on, two people in it, and towing a pop-up fish house was kind enough to test the ice by me and park/fish 30 feet away after noon (after I again walked out wearing my life jacket and carrying picks).  Fortunately the ice held and they didn't scare the fish away since I caught 8 more before quitting at 4:00 while they caught only one.

Another ATV carrying two people and pulling a light-weight permanent house came out earlier Saturday before noon.  They said that somebody tried to walk out to Birch Island earlier in the week and found water around a crack in the ice.  Be careful out there because I'm sure that there are bad spots with the warm weather we have recently had.

IMG_4755.JPG

IMG_4817.JPG

IMG_4858.JPG

Edited by JerkinLips
  • Thumbs Up 3
  • Thanks 1
Posted

JL,

Nice fish and beautiful pictures!

I got out for a couple of hours in Daisy Bay this evening.

Fished 17' of water and had 6 inches of solid ice.

Great to be out fishing finally but only iced one small pike and had a couple of light bites.

Cliff

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

Jerkin, is that an old Sno-Boat shelter?  I have the same thing! Awesome shelter I bought back in 2001, best 1-2 man, portable ever made. 

Posted

BD, it is a Frabil Hideout that I bought new about 20 years ago.  It is definitely worn with lots of patches in the fabric due to dragging it behind my snowmobile while loaded with gear.  Love to use this one before I put out my permanent.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted (edited)

The 7-12" of snow they forecast did not happen; only a light dusting.  Should be making more ice the rest of the week.

Edited by KeithNyst
  • Thumbs Up 3
Posted

We dodged a huge bullet there and looking out into the extended forecast we are going to have phenomenal lake travel in a week except for the fact we will be snowless but I can deal with that vs slush. 

  • Thumbs Up 2
Posted

Hey Tommy! Good to see that you and your family are still kicking!

Cliff

  • Yayyyy 1
Posted

I got out this morning to check ice conditions and ice depths in an area that i plan to try this winter.

I found 7"+ of ice  out to the area that I will be fishing. Still very little snow on the ice as the wind has blown most of the snow off of the ice.

I will be using my 4 wheeler to put my light Alumalite house out tomorrow!

Looking forward to icing a few walleyes finally with my new custom rods made by Northlander!:D

Cliff

  • Thumbs Up 2

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • carlsonmn
      That was a better study compared to last winter when they setup the vertical tube nets and tried to release exhausted fish from being studied and expected them to be able to swim straight down a 3' hoop net.     That lake's crappie population from this latest video was pretty deep at 40-50', and no doubt from those depths that is barotrauma for most.  That is deeper than most crappie holes but certainly how some are. However from helping give fish a good release from the 35' and less range and tracking them with live sonar most of them swim at a shallow angle back to the depths and I watch them rejoin the school and be active.  Uncut Angling's video helped counter some of the initial narrow findings.  
    • SkunkedAgain
      If you fished with me more often, you'd never have to make this statement...   38" of ice - love it. I'm really going to have to dig around for my auger extension. I don't think that I've needed it in over a decade.   Too bad nobody has a locomotive chugging across the ice to do some logging, like the good old days.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Resorts and outfitters on some parts of the lake have ice roads extending over 16 miles staying on nice schools of walleyes and saugers.  Many fish houses are over deep mud.  Some are on structure.  It is always fishing of course, but overall, February has been very productive for most anglers.   Extensions are being used on ice augers as the ice continues to thicken.  The thick ice this year will be good for the extended ice fishing season Lake of the Woods enjoys with fish houses out through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14th and a pike season that never closes. Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with a good number of jumbo perch in the mix this year.  Some big eelpout are also showing up.  Anglers are reporting plenty of fish for fresh fish frys and usually extra fish to bring home.   The one-two punch of a jigging line and deadstick is the way to go.  On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.     Lures with a light have been working well in the stained water.  Please remember, in MN, lures with a light or water activated light can be used as long as the battery is mercury free and the hook is attached directly to the lure and not as a dropper line.     On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    Some days, mornings are better, other days, it's the afternoons.  There is no distinct pattern, they could come through at any time. On the Rainy River...  The start of the day and end of the day have been best for those targeting walleyes on the river. A jig and minnow or a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Some big sturgeon being iced by ice anglers targeting them.  It is a catch-and-release sturgeon season currently.   Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing has been strong in the islands area of Lake of the Woods. Resorts continue to move their fish houses around, staying on the best schools of walleyes.     Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch with an occasional pike or tullibee as well.     Big crappies are still being caught just over the border.  Fish houses are available, check with a NW Angle resort for info on crappie fishing.   Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.    
    • leech~~
      Maybe you should put rattle wheels down, if your going to sleep for 6hrs! 🤭 😆
    • JerkinLips
      Monday was my worst day of winter fishing on Vermilion in the last 4 years.  Caught only one 14" walleye in nearly 8 hours of fishing.  Missed two other bites and was marking very few fish.  Maybe the fish were taking Monday off after a big weekend.   No more water came up on the ice under my house.  Think it was because I haven't banked snow around it for a couple of weeks so the bare ice around the house is getting very thick.  I measured 38" of ice under my house and the Ion barely made it through even with the extension installed.  Needless to say I banked around the house this time.  Another lesson I learned today is don't drill holes if ice is frozen on your blades.  I did that on one hole and it didn't center properly and drilled at an angle on the edge of the opening.  Hope I can correct the location and angle on my next trip up.   Not much change in the surface lake surface conditions.  The drifts may be a little higher and are definitely harder.  There are still a few bare ice spots on the lake.  Very little activity on the lake today.  There are about 3 dozen houses from McKinley Park out to Birch Island.  Another person pulled there house off today, and I am sure many more will pull theirs off this coming weekend.  Only 13 days left of walleye season.    
    • leech~~
      A good start for never picking up a bow!   IMG_1910.mp4
    • leech~~
      Um, #metoo   leech~~ Author 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders Posted January 26 My whole goal for the rest of this season.  Is to watch KC lose and Taylor cry!  🥳
    • smurfy
    • Wanderer
      Smurfy is happy.
    • Dash 1
      Great looking food. So far not much of a game and I thought the halftime show was worse I've seen. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.