Orwell and the Red

[Scoot]

Ed or some other knowledgable river dude. How do I get to the Orwell dam from Fargo? A buddy of mine is bugging me to give it a try and I thought I might take him up on it one day this coming week. Can we pull a small aluminum boat above the dam? Which side of the dam do people usually fish? I don't know anything about this area, but I'd like to explore a little. I need relatively detailed directions so I don't get lost!!!

Ed, mt wife had her second (and hopefully last) surgery this past week. I'm hoping my schedule will start to look a little more normal and I'll be able to meet up with you in the next couple of weeks. If I go up to Selkirk next weekend, this week is out for me. However, I'm not sure I'm heading up there or not. So... if I don't go I'll give you a call and we can hopefully meet up some evening in the near future. I still have a 6-pack of cold O'Douls Amber in the fridge with your name on it.
Scoot

[Guest]

This will help you find the dam at Orwell Scoot.

http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/imageinfo.asp?S=15&T=2&X=112&Y=800&Z=14&W=2&O=c46096a1&P=8+km+SW+of+Fergus+Falls%2C+Minnesota%2C+United+States

Look at the first mile or so below the dam as the best SM, walleye, and cat fishing areas this time of year. You can get a light boat or a canoe in below the dam with no worrys.

I am busy as heck right now and may get some time to meet up with you latter in the week.

[Scoot]

Thanks Ed. I appreciate the info.

I'm not normally so weird about getting a meeting scheduled, but things have been a little difficult around our household lately (for a couple of months). God willing, I'll have a lot less stress in the near future and things will be more normal.
When things settle down for you and you get a little break from the water we can meet up and talk fishing and the gear we discussed.
If I get to Orwell I'll get a report out.
Scoot

[Guest]

I hope all settles down for you and your wife soon Scoot. Hope she if feeling better very soon!

Good luck down at Orwell, you may find some nice cats and walleye right up in the wash of the dam too eh.

Give me a ring latter on in the week and we will see how things shake loose to hit the Red.

ED

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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300

[email protected]

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[Scoot]

The tally at Orwell was one small walleye and a bunch of small smallmouths. It was a lot of fun. I enjoy fishing new waters and we had a blast.
Scoot

[Guest]

Cool!

Were there any catfisherman about? Did you see many frogs on the waters edge today?

The first 2-3 miles of the river below the dam has some interesting small river fishing from shore or a small boat.

Hope my map helped you Scoot.

ED

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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300

[email protected]

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[Gissert]

Scoot -

On the north side of the dam, there is a small picnic grounds. From here, I think you are allowed to fish the rip rap on the reservoir side of the dam. There will be signs telling you if this is permsissable or not.

There is a public access on the north side of the reservoir a couple miles to the east of the dam. Most of the west half of the reservoir is off limits, as it is a wildlife sanctury. There are usually bouys marking the line of the sanctuary.

If you have a shallow drafted boat, you mught be able to work upstream eastward to the Dayton Hollow dam. There may be some cats, walleyes, of smallies in that stretch as well. I have fished the waters below the Dayton Hollow dam on foot a lot as a kid.

The Orwell Reservoir is pretty featureless, except for the river channel. I have never fished the reservoir, but have hunted ducks/gees there quite a bit. A few years ago the Corps had the reservoir drawn way down for construction work below the dam, and I was able to get a great view of the bottom structure of the basin. I wish I had taken some photos now.

[Scoot]

Nobody fishing cats and not one frog was spotted by us. We did see one little pecker (catfish) floating on the surface.
Scoot

[Guest]

next time you get down there, you might want to try Dayton hollowd dam, just upstream found there to be bigger smallies there, especially come late August/september.

I was there about 3 weeks ago and there were a few frogs, didn't look real hard. Caught a few for smallie bait and they hammered em.

There were also a couple guys fishing cats, watched em catch a few 3-6#rs. There was also a guy bowfishing for carp, and what I think were suckers?,

Scoot did you notice all the fish on the side opposite the playground, that would hang near the surface of the water and slurp the surface for air. Just wondering what they were, suckers?, carp?

Orwell is a great area, little bit of everything, I'd recommend everyone get down there at least once. If you love catching smallies, I believe there's a state record C&R in those waters somewhere.

[Scoot]

I didn't notice many fish sucking the surface opposite the playground, but I did see a good numbe of carp catching air in the middle of the channel. I'd guess those are your surface suckers.
Scoot

[Scoot]

How big do the smallies get in the Orwell dam area? I found mostly very small ones, but did manage a few better ones.

[Jay R]

I need a little help on directions!!! How do you get to Dayton Hollow Dam?? Can you drive to it or do you need to float upstream to the dam?? Thank you

Jay R

[Guest]

my biggest out of Orwell was 19", I got a 20.5" out of Dayton Hollow last summer. Its been kind of strange, the first time I was out there this summer, I caught around 15 smalliers better then 2 pounds, biggest being just over 4. The pounded buzz baits and skitter pops all day!!, the next time all we caught were little suckers, although I lost one decent fish when it jumped.

Talking to some local HS kids who were fishing out there (they were the ones that caught the big walleye), they said they've caught smallies up to 6#s plus and have heard of bigger fish, I'm guessing they're in there, I'm wondering if you'd have better luck with the bigger fish downstream a little ways, maybe just around the bend downstream from the bridge. There was a couple of guys wading in that are while fly-fishing, that might be worth doing, would be a lot of fun.

[Guest]

You will find what your loking for on this map.

http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/imageinfo.asp?S=15&T=2&X=112&Y=800&Z=14&W=2&O=c46096a1&P=8+km+SW+of+Fergus+Falls%2C+Minnesota%2C+United+States

The old gravel pit and beds on the river inlet on the North Eest end of Orwell can be hot fall SM bass action too.

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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300

[email protected]

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[DARK30]

I don't know exactly how long the DNR has been managing the Smallmouth in the Otter Tail River in that area but theres some nice 3-4lb+ fish in there. Being its C&R...its only going to get better too.

The thing I like best about Orwell is the variety of fish there are. Can't wait to toss the ol Shad Rap in there again!

Theres alot more people there now too so maybe things will change with the added fishing pressure...We'll see. I have noticed alot less eater size walleyes myself.

WET NETS!

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