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Posted

Just want to put this out early... hoping to keep up on the ice conditions along the north shore of superior from Duluth N. 2 1/2 hr drive is a bit far to check ice. Thanks for all the help from people in the area.

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Posted

Big lake is still wide open. Guess some people are having luck fishing from shore, although I don't know where they have been fishing. We've had some pretty consistent West winds,  so if there is pack ice, it's all by the Sault. 

Posted

Only way the Gitch is going to freeze is if we have long, extended periods of arctic cold and calm winds.  Even then, the ice pack shifts in and out of the bay depending on wind. Best thing to do from a distance is keep an eye on the weather up north over the next month or 2 and if we get some serious arctic blasts and we're deep into the deep freeze by Feb, there may be a chance. I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, though. Your best option is to focus on Cheq bay and around the Apostle's where ice-up is far more common and regular.  

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Posted

Can I get into 1.5-3lbs coho’s in either of those spots it would be a trip up for food.

Posted

As far as I know, never been there.  I know it's great for splake, browns and lakers. 

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Posted

Most coho being on Minnesota side are 12" - 17".   Occasional bigger fish.  Very few 3# pound fish.

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  • 5 weeks later...
  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Posted

Any updates guys on the ice if there is any?

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Posted

Only ice is in McQuade harbor and Knife River, and not much at that.  Cohos are biting really well on some days for guys fishing off the Two Harbors break wall. Pretty miserable conditions in which to fish, though....    South shore has good ice around Washburn, and a few cohos mixed in with good catches of Browns, spoke, and whitefish.

Cohos on MN side have averaged 13-14" this winter.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Posted
2 hours ago, oilandwater said:

Only ice is in McQuade harbor and Knife River, and not much at that.  Cohos are biting really well on some days for guys fishing off the Two Harbors break wall. Pretty miserable conditions in which to fish, though....    South shore has good ice around Washburn, and a few cohos mixed in with good catches of Browns, spoke, and whitefish.

Cohos on MN side have averaged 13-14" this winter.

oilandwater Welcome to the forum. 

Thanks for the report. Any Loopers in the mix with the Coho's? 

Posted

Have heard of very few.  An occasional rainbow (looper and steelhead, make sure to learn the difference) mixed in with the catch in Two Harbors, along with lake trout near the bottom on the right day.  I've seen a few cruising under the ice in McQuade, but pretty slow there.  Rainbow action will pick up as spring progresses. 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Posted
2 hours ago, oilandwater said:

Have heard of very few.  An occasional rainbow (looper and steelhead, make sure to learn the difference) mixed in with the catch in Two Harbors, along with lake trout near the bottom on the right day.  I've seen a few cruising under the ice in McQuade, but pretty slow there.  Rainbow action will pick up as spring progresses. 

Thanks, for the info.  I'll just look at the Steelhead and Looper on my wall to refresh my memory! :P

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted
8 hours ago, oilandwater said:

Have heard of very few.  An occasional rainbow (looper and steelhead, make sure to learn the difference) mixed in with the catch in Two Harbors, along with lake trout near the bottom on the right day.  I've seen a few cruising under the ice in McQuade, but pretty slow there.  Rainbow action will pick up as spring progresses. 

Thanks for the report. Do you or anyone know how things are looking around Duluth? Ice and fish that are biting?

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Posted
11 hours ago, Rick said:

Thanks for the report. Do you or anyone know how things are looking around Duluth? Ice and fish that are biting?

I was hoping with this cold weather there might be ice

Posted

On the big lake at Duluth, no ice. Little daily sheets that form and blow out, but it will take bitter temps and low/no winds for more than a day or two to let it start forming.  The south shore/Chequamegon area has great ice if you're looking for trout and salmon.

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Posted (edited)

If you want to fish Lake Superior you should pull up MODIS  http://ge.ssec.wisc.edu/modis-today/index.php?satellite=t1&product=true_color&date=2017_12_07_341&overlay_sector=false&overlay_state=true&overlay_coastline=true&sector=USA3&resolution=250m ,,, On the nice clear sky days you can see the ice cover  and see the mud lines in the spring and summer months

 

You do need to change the date on the top left

Edited by LoonASea
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Posted
12 hours ago, oilandwater said:

On the big lake at Duluth, no ice. Little daily sheets that form and blow out, but it will take bitter temps and low/no winds for more than a day or two to let it start forming.  The south shore/Chequamegon area has great ice if you're looking for trout and salmon.

That is exactly what I want to come up and target. Can you pm any areas to try I have never targeted them in winter. Thank you for the info.

Posted

Depending on ice conditions, areas from Ashland to Bayfield are producing fish.  If you are unfamiliar with the area and ice, hire a guide.  Ice conditions and cracks can change by the hour, and although the area is more sheltered by the islands and points, it is still part of the 'lake that eats people.'  HotSpotOutdoors has decent reports on fishing spots, ice conditions, and species.  Facebook feeds for area businesses (River Rock Bait, Beyond the Catch guides, Up North guides, etc) post occasional ice reports and locations.  To try yourself, go to Washburn and head out to a break in 30 or so feet of water, or try to get north of Houghton Pt.  Again, watch for cracks and heaves.  You can get around them, but follow other groups.  In those areas, you never know what will bite; Browns, splake, coho, whitefish, herring, smelt, or lake trout in deeper water.

On the north shore, there is limited opportunities in McQuade harbor, Knife River, etc, but if you're coming from the metro, you're better off to head to Chequamegon area.  Only if we get fish able ice a ways off of 21st Ave in duluth is it worth swinging this way compared to the south shore.

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Posted

Drove up to Silver Bay yesterday to go snowmobiling,,, Took the scenic drive to check out the shoreline ,,,, Quit counting at 40 vehicles parked along the shore between McQuade and Blueberry landings ,,, No one in McQuade harbor fishing but lots of busted ice around some open water at the entry ,,, A guy pulling a boat at the Two Harbors Kwik Trip planned to get some open water fishing in  

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Posted

Cheq bay and other related areas have had winds wreck havoc this last week.  We were consistently guiding on ice that has now been jeopardized and no longer safe.  The bay near Ashland is the safest ice. Like someone mentioned, hiring a guide out there is very beneficial for a beginner to Superior Ice angling.  Tight lines, Thanks, JH

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Posted
10 hours ago, Jarrid Houston said:

Cheq bay and other related areas have had winds wreck havoc this last week.  We were consistently guiding on ice that has now been jeopardized and no longer safe.  The bay near Ashland is the safest ice. Like someone mentioned, hiring a guide out there is very beneficial for a beginner to Superior Ice angling.  Tight lines, Thanks, JH

Jarrid, do you have a Lift suit?    Please be safe out there. :(

Posted

Lift suit, nebulus, PFD, rope, picks, never leave home without any of them.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Wanderer
      Nope!  But it’s more funner!
    • smurfy
      I don't need no livescope to catch fish....🤔🤪  It's all in how ya wiggle the worm!😜 Just sayin  🤣
    • Kettle
      Obviously this is more of a hot topic due to forward facing sonar. With that being said, I know people who have pulled crappies out of basins 40+ deep since the fl-8 and zercom flashers came out. That's over 30 years ago. I do think there's a push to ban these in MN and I could see them doing it here. They'll have to pay my livescope from my cold dead hands 😆 on days I can't catch a walleye jigging or rigging it's nice to turn it on and throw corks at individual fish
    • Kettle
      It wasn't just you, I was fishing west of you about an hour on Monday. Fished 8am-4pm, no fish, two keeper walleye and one small one from 4pm-630pm. Marked a lot of fish, they would come up to a jig and swim away. They were skittish to the dead stick too
    • leech~~
      I wonder like divers, if we let them decompress every 10' for 1/2hr. If that would help?  🤔  It would slow the bite down a bit!  🤭
    • 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.    
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