Portage Lake

[Guest]

Hello everyone, hope a few of you are enjoying our little warm up. I know i am well the wife and i hit Fleming yesterdy evening we had pretty good action but would love to get into a little more size... Anyone hit Portage Lake recently, not much size there either from what i remember but its been a few years. Any numbers or size Crappies to be found on WAWA right now?

[Guest]

Portage has some good size gills if you hit it right, and tip-up fishing at first ice is dynamite for some decent Pike and Largemouth Bass.

The Crappies are...well...Hand size at best.

PCG

[Guest]

thanks for the info..... Heading out at about 1pm for a lake not sure yet which one probably do Flemming again but would like to hear updated info on Minnewawa or we might just have to try it.....driving yet anywhere? we drove on flemming but wifey was very scared.

[Guest]

I agree with PCG. For the most part the craps are small but, I managed to get 5-10 9-11" last season on most every trip out of that 15'-17' hole off the small point on the east side. Lots of bass too, my wife pulled in a monster 20" largemouth on a crappie rod last season. Another nice thing is out of the 7 times I fished that, I only had company once!

[Guest]

Cool thanks for the replys, we live in Cloquet but willing to go anywhere for some crappies..... We did Fleming again last evening same results. Any other lakes in that area that we should try out?

[Guest]

Give Rat Lake a try if you want some consistent 9-10" gills. There is a 22 foot hole in the middle. Start there and work your way towards the east shoreline until you make contact with fish. This lake also has some slab sized Crappies in the 13" range.

Look it up in your Sportman's Connection Book for Brainerd Area Lakes. It is off of cty 232, about 7 miles east of Palisade.

PCG

[knoppers]

also through out a minnow for that walleye on rat lake. there is not many, but they are usually nice fish.

[Guest]

I am not exactly sure of the exact number, but I believe Rat Lake to be approx 400 acres...With quite a bit of shallow weed flats on the north end.

Would you believe that on Fishing Opener last spring there were 47 boats lined up on the shores near the access on Rat Lake at 11:30 pm just before the big fish off!!!???

PCG

PCG

[JVinny]

Hey PCG,I was up there on rat for the opener last year. There were hardly any boats waiting to fish for that walleye. I have fished this lake for the past 18 years and the last 2 yrs, the fishing just has not been that good. Also, the size of the fish has really declined. It does get alot of pressure in may, but the weeds take over in june and makes it that much tougher to fish.I also heard that last year, two people were caught with two limits over their limits on crappie. That does not do anything to help out the population or size. (Rat lake is around 600 Acres)

[Guest]

That means there is about 400 acres of fishable water, considering the north end of the lake is mostly 5 feet deep and less.

My information as to the 47 boats was incorrect then, as I was not there to witness it, but had heard from others. Thank you for the heads up.

It certainly is a shame that some folks have to keep more then their fare share in an outing. Very true that over-harvest does little to aid in the future and current conditions of fish population and sizes.

Rat lake is not the easiest lake to catch large Crappies and Gill's out of, but it does have the fish present with the sizes to provide excellent angling opportunities for those that are up for a little bit of a challenge.

It might take some work, as Rat lake fish aren't usually where they're "suppose" to be in the winter time.

Thanks for your input on Rat Lake.
Good luck,

PCG

[knoppers]

right after ice out, I have seen some of the biggest crappie and gills come out of rat. even while fishin' these pans, we caught walleye up to 4 pounds. this lake is not deep, and only about 400 acres in size, but it can really produce some lunkers. this is one of my sleeper lakes that will produce something. one fish I don't know about is the bass. anyone konw if this lake has any bass that is worth fishin'.
good luck all, this winter.

[JVinny]

Knoppers The bass in there are good size. We were fishing crappies in the weeds and caught several bass that were in the 19" to 22" range. They do not put up much of a fight in the early season. Almost like you are pulling in a log.