Shallow Lake - Nevis Area

[HateHumminbird]

Does anyone have recent info. on Shallow Lake, near Belle Taine and Deer by Nevis, MN? I've ice-fished there in recent years, but have never done all that well. The lake seems to have many small northerns, and a population of small bluegill. There's not much in the way of structure, except for plenty of weeds given its depth. Any information would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to contact directly and email outside the forum.

[MJCatfish]

My guess is that the fish move into Belle Taine in the late fall and stay until the water starts to warm again in the spring. Try fishing in the river mouth in Belle Taine for sunnies and crappies.

Good Luck.

MJ

[HateHumminbird]

Thanks for the tip....will have to try that someday. How deep is the river mouth there? I've never been back there.

We fished a prominent point on the lake and had many tip-up strikes (about 20 flags all day Saturday). Unfortunately we landed 1 fish. I was experimenting for the first time with quick strike rigs and had many problems. We lost fish 1 of 2 ways:

1. Either we'd pull the bait with hooks out of their mouth on the hook-set (how that's possible with 2 #6 size trebles in the sucker I don't know), or

2. We'd get the fish to the hole, and it would be so poorly hooked that we'd loose it coming through the hole, or on the bottom of the ice.

My suspicion is that they were tiny northerns that couldn't mouth the bait (the ones we caught all weekend barely pushed better than a pound).

Suggestions anyone? How do you rig your tip-up baits. I've looked at circle hook rigging, but don't know what size hook to use. In the past I've used just offset plastic worm bass hooks, hooked below the dorsal fin. We'd wait till the northern had the bait turned, then set the hook, and usually had about a 75% hooking percentage.

1-20+ is pretty terrible, so any suggestions are very welcome. I probably won't be using these rigs in the future, even though I've heard they're wonderful. Please advise.

[Guest]

I think you suspected right about the pike being small in there. Fished it once in the summer a couple years ago and everything we caught was tiny.

[Renneberg]

Be careful around the mouth to Belle Taine. The water is really deep there and there is current.

I fished that lake in the winter many years ago. Did quite well with 5 to 10 lb pike. Caught between 5 to 20 pike in that size range a day. Even seen a few bass in the 6 lb range come in and look at my bait.
I'm not going to say where I caught those fish, but I will say your in the right area.
If you do find them keep your mouth closed about it, otherwise the locals will clean that lake out too.

[HateHumminbird]

Well put Renneberg. I was surprised at the willingness of local people to share fishing spots with me. They seemed interested in our fishing, as I did in theirs.

The "danger" of such accessible fishing information is that it can be exploited, by locals and outstate folks. I have not fished many lakes in this area, so don't know about locals "fishing-out" the lakes. It's a shame that with all the lakes in the area, people can't release enough fish to provide sustainable populations for all people to catch.

I observed some questionable behavior while out on the ice this past weekend. We'd be heading out to a spot on foot, when the four wheelers would fire up, race across the lake, and drill holes for tip-ups in the spot we were heading. This happened two seperate times this weekend. No problem if they happen to be fishing the same spot I do, but I do have a problem of them "saving" spots and crowding us out. They seemed to have no interest in the area we were heading, until we started making our way out onto the lake.

They acted friendly, and seemed to be OK with us fishing that area anyway, but I was surprised to see that kind of tactic in action.

[Renneberg]

Locals do fish out lakes. Take Sixth Crow Wing lake. When I was little my cousins and I fished out there quite a bit in the winter for crappies. We did quite well but each year the crappies got smaller and so did the catch. Then finally no crappies and many of the locals left or did fish for crappies on this lake again. Then about three years ago people started catching big crappies again. It wasn't long and the word got out and the lake looked like a minne Red Lake. Now the crappie fishing out there is again poor.
Same thing is happening with Shallow. When I started fishing it no one fished it, but me and my cousins. Now as you can see quite a few people have dark houses on the lake in the area of where we had ours.

Where do you access the lake?

[HateHumminbird]

Renneberg:

Let's talk off-post. Post your email, or send an email to [email protected]

Thanks,

Joel

[Renneberg]

[email protected]

[MinDak Hunter]

mm

[MinDak Hunter]

Just a qick note on Sixth Crow Wing lake... it was NOT fished out by the "locals", if anyone took the time to look at the back of the pickups that were on the lake you would have seen that most where from the Metro Area and the FM area. I grew up at the 5th Crow Wing dam (less than a mile from 6th)and watched in dismay as the lake was fished out. In my eyes it was the people who owned lake cabins in the area that fished out 6th.

As for Shallow Lake if you drive out to the "point" you are crossing private prop. and need to have permission.

m. martin

[HateHumminbird]

MinDak Hunter:

Thanks for the information. Judging from the number of vehicles using this road, I guessed wrong that it was public, as the section in front of the cabins and all the way to Nevis is. Also, there is no fence, gate, or other structure on the road that I remember seeing to suggest you're entering private property. The landowner should not have to post his land to keep people off of it, but some sort of sign or other indication would be good if he has a problem with people being out there.

From now on I'll check with the landowner; let me know if you're willing to share this person's name/location.

Thanks,

Joel

[Renneberg]

MinDak Hunter my cousins live next to the turn to go down to sixth. I remember going out with them when I was little. They know just about every person out there.

How can you tell a truck is from out of town just by lookin at back?

So is it you or your dad that cut down those trees to stop people from fishing in a boat below the dam? You know that's illegal to try and stop boaters from getting access to the dam by cutting down trees. Non the less me and my uncle made it in there and the fishing was quite good for walleyes in there. I think the biggest one we got was near 5 lbs.

[MinDak Hunter]

Renneberg- I could tell because the dealer stickers on the back end of the trucks were not from one of the three main dealers in PR. Most of the stickers were from the Metro area and the FM area.

As for who cut down the trees... you'll have to ask the guy that owns the land about that. If you ask your cousins about my family I'm sure they'll tell you that we'd never do that. (I grew up with Darin and Dan K. if that is who you talking about. They would tell you that my family doesn't own the land AT the dam but just to the west about 50 yards).

I'm glad you caught a nice walleye I hope you practice catch and release so the next gen. will have something to look forward to.

M. Martin

[Renneberg]

Yes I did release those walleyes.

It's sad that the owner of that land had to cut those trees down and try to keep it to himself. I remember when I was little and me and my cousins would go swimming there. We seen a ton of nice fish swimming below that dam. One year we caught some really nice slap crappies down there. I wander what made that person so mad that he/she decided to keep people from fishing down there?

You can get in there if you have a small 12 boat.

Do you know Joel and Nancy K. if so they are the ones I'm talking about.

[This message has been edited by Renneberg (edited 01-30-2003).]

[MinDak Hunter]

I'm the same age as Darin... my brother and and I grew up with the K's.

Why did he fence the land? My guess is that he is afraid of a LAWSUIT... some people will sue over the smallest thing.

m.martin

[Renneberg]

If you know the K's then we have most likly meet. Do you by any chance know my brother Scott. He lived up there for a year or so with them.

It's truely is a small world.

I could understand being affaired of a lawsuit, but why cut down all those trees to plug the entrance? The only thing we could think of is so he can have it to himself.

[Guest]

MinDak Hunter,
I was just browsing and see you grew up just west of the 5th Crow Wing dam.

I'm originally from Southern Illinois. We first came to 5th Crow Wing, Fran-Rick's Resort, in 1955 (I believe) and went back for a couple of weeks every August. My parents made the trip 43(?) consecutive years. We used to buy vegetables from your folks. You must have been one of the kids that used to swim at the dam.

Didn't mean to interrupt, just reminissing. Some of my best memories are of Park Rapids and 5th Crow Wing.

------------------
Anyone see a white whale around here?
Captain Ahab

[Guest]

Hi Renneberg and Martin,

I saw your posts and I am also related and Darin and Dan. My parents owned the little cabin just west of their house and also fished both 5th-6th Crow wing and also fished and swam at the dam.
It is a big shame what the owner did and I think the person is just greedy and wants the area to their self. And a point about fishing out 5th and 6th. It is nowhere near fished out. If you want to compare fishing pressure between 5th and 6th to lakes I have fished in Brainerd and Saint Cloud. There is next to nothing. The farther you get from the cities the less pressure. Saint Cloud was unbelievable for fishing pressure. One lake while I was in College there we caught about 20 crappies a night ok size. On the weekends the lake was covered with people. The next year we caught in two trips a max of three small ones. A local on the lake came out and talked to us the second year and told us it goes in cycles--the fish will come back in a few years than get fished out. Brainerd is a little better because there are so many lakes, but still bad in places.

Tom K.

[Renneberg]

If you thought St. Cloud is busy then don't come down to the cities. On some of the bays in Minnetonka there are more fish houses then houses in the entire town of Nevis, and that's on a slow weekend.

I've noticed that sixth crow wing crappie numbers go in cycles too. They don't get entirely fished out but they become really hard to find. That's when people go to other lakes for a few years. Then return to find the crappies are back in good numbers and size.

Tommy, Nancy is my aunt. I think we've meet before. I'm Steven, Scotts younger brother.

[Guest]

Hi,

I believe it. I have never fished farther south than Saint Cloud.
I thought at first you were your dad. I remember Scott the best.
Have you fished lake minnetonka? How was it?
I did pretty good for walleyes early over by Akeley this year. I did not do very good in Brainerd this year.

Tom K.

[Renneberg]

Minnetonka is way to busy for me. I fish some of the smaller lakes around it and do quite well for crappies, trout, pike.
I'm sure my brother remember you quite well. He too spent a lot of summers up there.
I fished out on Leech earlier this year and did quite well out there for walleyes, perch and a few northerns.

[Guest]

Hey everyone,

My Dad has a place on Shallow. He has been there for the last 10-12 years. We love the lake and all that it has to offer. We have cought some really nice Northerns, Crappies, and a few Bass. It is really cool to see everyone talking about the lake. Has anyone ever caught any Walleyes on this lake? My Brother-in-law swears that the come up the river from Belle. I have never seen a Walleye caught on this lake. Can't wait to get the Lund out in the spring!! Keep the rods bending!!

Whiskey

[Renneberg]

My dad and his brother have caught walleyes out of Shallow, but that was a long long time ago.

[fishtrap2]

Have any of you gone up the channel into 7th and fished it? I was wondering if it was worth the trouble. I figure there would be less people there.