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.

Medicine Lake


Recommended Posts

I just got home from work and noticed some portables on Medicine! I just moved from Duluth and I live right on the lake. I plan on attending the FM event Jan 22 on Medicine but would like to get out there sooner than that. Can anyone offer me their "expert advice"? I would like any info I can get regarding this lake. Is this a good ice fishing lake? What are the main species targeted? I would like to go out after work since I live so close but I don't know where to go? Any info would be appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 437
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • MedicineMan

    96

  • Lee the bonehead

    38

  • moby1

    29

  • tisch008

    27

Portables on Medicine already! I thought the lake was open a few days ago!

Crappies, Gills, Pike, and the occassional walleye are targeted on Medicine. You might want to check with Joe Harty at Harty's Boat Works or MedMan on FM here might have some first hand knowledge already.

I've been tossing around some lakes to hit this Sunday, maybe I'll try Medicine then since I don't have to drive anywhere. grin.gif I'd go Saturday but I've got to assemble my Otter Lodge and start on some customizations!! wink.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live on the SouthWest part of the lake and the little bay was blown open by the strong winds we had. It got calm that one evening and she locked up. I could hear it making noise at night. The one night I swore some one was shooting off fireworks!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i had the same reaction portables already anyone now the ice thickness how far out were they or what part of the lake its close to home for me but never get down that way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

bklimek, I would consider Medicine a pretty good ice fishing lake. Naturally you're not going to have a lot of luck if you don't know where to begin. So my question for you is this: What species are you looking to go after? Are you looking for higher numbers of fish? Or are you looking for larger specimens?

If you have any questions, you're more than free to shoot me an email. cool.gif

[email protected]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I went out today. I was setup on a point just south of where the reeds are in front of the launch. Caught some really nice Bluegills along with some Merch and 2 Norts. It was great to get out! cool.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got out for a couple of hours this afternoon off the West Medicine Park. There was about 3.5 inches of good ice, but I didn't venture out too far. Got one pike in 16 ft. Saw a few more get iced as well. I'm sure there will be quite a few people out there this weekend. I'm just hoping Tonka has 4-5 inches by Monday or Tuesday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey thanks Chris Hanson. I just love it when a new guy asks questions about this lake, and especially if they are directed towards me. Even after all these years, it never gets old. I've directed hundreds and hundreds of folks over the years to all of my sweet spots and I can count on one hand the number of times that someone has come back and said "nope"....nothin!

There are just so many places to fish out here with decent results. Feel free to get ahold of me, I'll do the best I can.

Joe Harty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went out yesterday, decided to try a few new spots. Didn't do all that well. Caught some Merch, a few Shiners, and a couple Pike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we're going out tomorrow.

Can you help a fellow angler who's never fished this lake? We're looking for panfish. Where should we start?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like a good solid 8" as of today, but I'm sure it goes up an inch per day with these temps. I opened up the access and plowed a parking lot on the ice with absolutely no sign of a crack. I think a few vehicles could park there this weekend. It's basically froze to the bottom right in front of the Baitshop. I would not go any farther than the snowbanks I plowed though. It's still too early to be driving out there, that is for sure, however, 4-wheelers should be no problem. Again, if someone needs a shuttle ride to another part of the lake from my place I would be happy to help with my 4-wheeler and trailer.

I'll be open Christmas Day 9:00--5:00/Sunday 7:00--6:00

The time has come,

Lakeman cool.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

joe where are u located on the lake? medican is close to home for me ill probably be out there quite a bit this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Duffer,

If you want to call me, feel free and we can take it easier from there. I'm definitely in the book. cool.gif

Joe Harty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Joe-

I plan on seeing you Sunday morning. What time are you open?

Also, do you think that ATV travel is OK now? It looks like you are planning on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I'm just having a brain fart or something but what's a Merch?

I think I figure it out, is it a "M"edicine Lake p"erch"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

went out this afternoon with crappie minnows...pretty slow

we were right off of the access on the west side

some guys next to us were using tip-ups and the flags were flying

8"+ of good ice

Going out again tomorrow. Can anybody point me in the right direction for panfish?

I've never fished this lake before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

tisch008, what species of panfish are you going after? Sunnies and Crappies hold in totally different areas out on Med.

greeney, you can catch pike anywhere on that lake. There are better numbers on the south end in the main lake. I'd set up tip-ups in 8-15 feet of water with shiners. Set the shiners anywhere from 5 feet of the bottom to right on the bottom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a note to say Hi to you all. I was on here ladt year, but forgot my screen name.....I got the big itch to get out and drill a few holes. All have a good holiday and i will be checking in from time to time....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

medman,

I'd take either. Just love to fish panfish. I've got some crappie minnows sitting in the garage right now and a container of waxies so I'm ready.

Will I catch either over on the west side by the access?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

tich- yea you can get into some crappies by the west side access. Im headed out sunday to my crappie hole on the lake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i have a fish on wheels but no 4wheeler would like to fish for crappies any help pulling it out

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just wondering how many ( if any ) permanents are out on the hole by the west side access ?? I have yet to drive by and take a look, and am thinking of heading out on Monday.

Gave the boy new ice rod for Christmas and he is ready to break it in .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

heading out to medicen this evening for some night fishing this will be my first time ice fishing on this lake i have fished it in the summer but not in the winter any tips on where to start location wise would be greatly appreceated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went out to med yesterday. The fishing was slow. Me and 2 buddies caught only 16 crappies all day. But they were all between 8-10 inches so they werent dinks. They were real lathargic and were roaming around all day. Ice was a solid foot. I saw some cars and full size trucks out there. A car came out of french and drove all the way across the middle of the lake and got off on the south end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We fished crappies for about two hours yesterday late morning. Caught one 27" pike. That was fun on my panfish rig!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.



  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Nope not me.  May want to go nextdoor and ask around?  
    • smurfy
      Looks to me like Leech brought his chair home!!😅😆
    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
×
×
  • 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.