Lake Zumbro

[CrappieJohn]

We are again at the time of year when the issue of the ice on Lake Zumbro needs to be brought up again.

Lake Zumbro is hard to set good ice early, so venturing out on it is not a very sound idea until we have had a prolonged period of cold weather without wind. Once the ice developes in most areas it continues to grow well unless we get a heat wave early in the making process. I say "most areas" because there are some that simply will not set ice that can be trusted period and the one I think of most often is the stretch from the public landing at Sandy Point to just west of Fishermans Inn. For whatever reason, this part of the lake does not do well in the ice department and every year someone takes the dip. Most of these are snowmobile related incidents. In this area you might find good ice one day and open water the next in the same exact spot.

Ice fishing in the channel should not be attempted until we have some very serious cold and even then a brief warming can do away with good ice there. The best early ice thru mid-winter fishing will occur further down the lake along the high banks with deep water so there really is no need to get in a situation with the shakey ice up the lake in the Fishermans area.

I'd like to see one year where there are no incidents to hear of on the lake. Many of them go un-reported other than thru the rumor mill. Fortunately the lake has not had any fatalities in a while, but with people assuming the ice is safe it will only be a matter of time.

Be safe out there!

[Crickschop04]

Any ice reports from the Zum???

[Scrod]

Anyone heard anything about the Zumbro? I was thinking about going out there tomorrow morningvery early to trying out my new toys. Just wondering any info would be great!

[CrappieJohn]

I would give the mighty Zum another few days. I had heard that the shore ice was maybe thick enough for foot travel, but when the center took ice we had wind and then there is current to contend with. Even the shores have moderately deep water so it is not worth the chances you'd be taking.

[CrappieJohn]

Idid some checking on the lake this morning and found about 3 1/2 inches at fishermans, but water was coming up on the ice so I got off. There are a lot of green areas where the water had saturated the snow on the ice and I always assume that that means it is not too safe. I will give the lake another week. This weekend is supposed to be cold again and hopefully ice making will take place yet in spite of the addition of the forecast snow.

[crappieguy473]

Where i go out there had to have been 5 in in some places and about 3 1/2 where i was sitting but no water came through the hole but that is farther down the lake more towards pondarosa.

[crappieguy473]

A buddy and I made it out to the zum again today and the ice is in pour shape but it holds. Water does come threw the holes though makeing things abit sloppy in the shack. Theres alot of snow out there and still some soft spots that you can see. we ended up fishing 23fow and mark a decent amount of fish but they were picky. kept 2 crappies at 11", one sunny at 9 1/4" and many released. probably catch 20 fish between 2 of us in about 6 hrs not that great but ok. Tom are you still shooting for monday?

[Dan Thiem]

Awesome report crappieguy! I still haven't even made it to the lake yet. I don't know why, but maybe this weekend will change that. Sounds like you had some luck.

The water was coming up tonight on the ice for me too. As soon as I got done drilling the water would just start soaking up all around us.

Anybody else thinking Zumbro for this weekend?

[crappieguy473]

Dan

my father and I are going out sunday morning. I think you too know each other. Terry Abraham is his name but anyways we will be out well at least I will be out there around 6 am i dont know about him . shoot me an email and we can make a meeting spot if you like [email protected]

[Dan Thiem]

I went to the lake today and fished out near the White Bridge fishing area. There was nobody else out there today with the exception of two guys who left early in the morning.

I fished all day and only ended up with two perch and on nice l.m. bass.

I forgot the waxies at home so all I was using was crappie minnows. The flasher was showing fish but I couldn't trigger very many bites.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. Might try down by Rattle snake.

[Dan Thiem]

I made it out to the highbanks today and met up with a few people. Not a whole lot going on, Crappieguy got a few big panfish, and I saw a few small white bass being caught also.

I decided to go back to Fisherman's Inn and meet Tyler. It was slow there also. Just a few gills and a perch.

Here's a shot of one of the gills today.

[crappieguy473]

Not a bad sunnie there dan. I ended up with 6 crappies and one bull sunfish. One crappie caught was over 12" caught by my dad and the rest being 10.5 to 11" caught by me. Many other crappies caught but only about 9".Other fish caught included white bass, perch, and something that busted the line guessing it was a Catfish. over all i cant complain.

[Tyler Holm]

It was a tough afternoon for me on the ice. I only marked about 6 fish in the two hours we were out there and I never had a certain bite. I felt just a tad bit of weight once, but it could have been my line freezing in my hole. We'll do it again thou Dan.

[Rainydaze]

Hi Guys!

I've been following this forum for quite awhile, and thought I'd try to contribute a little. My girlfriend and I headed out onto the questionable ice of lake Zumbro this afternoon around 2:00 p.m. The ice still is around 3-4 inches with the snow acting as a insulator. Water was seeping in our Otter pretty good. Fished about 18 feet of water and had a lot of activity on the Vexilar. Strangely enough caught quite a few suspended catfish. It wasn't the species of choice, but put up quite a fight on 2lb test. Caught a couple nice Crappies and Sunnies. Caught a bunch of tiny Stripers, and oh yeah my girlfriend caught a Shiner! Pretty impressive huh! I wouldn't suggest any atv traffic as the ice was pretty spotty. Fish seemed to cooperate if you made them chase a little. Used Tiny glow teardrops tipped with a couple spikes.

Click the link below to see some pictures:

http://www.fish-n-share.zoomshare.com

[MURPHFISHER]

Catfish!!! That is my species of choice and would love to target them on the ice.

[Rainydaze]

We are new to the picture thing, should be fixed now. Click on the link and then click on view album.

Thanks for letting me know.

[Dan Thiem]

Cool pictures Rainydaze. Nice bag of mixed species! Looks like you two had a great time!

[crappieguy473]

Nice Cat you got there rainydaze. A buddy of mine got one about the same size a week ago man what a fight . Me and a buddy are heading out to the lake tommorow around 6am its going to be a great day weather wise anybody else going to be out. If so ill be fishing the highbanks in a grey flipover.

[Rainydaze]

Hi guys!

Another day fish'n! What a nice day on the ice. Still lots of fish on the electronics. I'm telling you if you have a hankering for some big cats you might want to try your luck. These beasts are acting like crappies the way they are suspending off the bottom and chasing. Its only when you set the hook do you realize either your about to set the new state crappie record, or Mr. whiskers wants to play! We've had a blast the past few days, and the fish have been fairly cooperative. Might try our luck finding some early ice eyes in the A.M. Good Luck if you get out, and be careful on this ice! Updated our Photo site to get your blood pumping... Check out that cat!

http://www.fish-n-share.zoomshare.com/

[Dan Thiem]

Way to go! You two seem to have the ticket out there on Lake Zumbro. Congrats on your sucsess. I know that spot where you got those cats. Last year they were there around at this time too. In the same area. As a matter of fact there were 3 or 4 of them laying on the ice for a while. Shame! Good job on the release.

Any chance you and your fishing partner will be out to the lake on Sunday afternoon-evening?

Murphy, you see those cats in their pics? What do ya think?

Thanks for putting the pictures out for us and keeping us up on the reports!

[MURPHFISHER]

Those cats rock!! Take me out to that spot Danno. I want to catch (and release) cats like that all day. I have a family party Sat. night otherwise I am free to fish for a kitty Christmas.....

[Rainydaze]

Hi Dan,

Those Cats seem to stay there for the first few weeks of ice, later on I've caught them closer to the dam in deep water away from anything else. If you know where I was from the pictures you can fish pretty much anywhere in that channel. The current runs pretty good through that spot, and the down river side of the hole where it starts to come up attracts lots of fish as you probably know. You have to go light light light or you'll never feel the bite bite bite plus sure makes it a challenge. All those cats were caught on 2 lb test with my crappie rod. I have a feeling those big panfish may be hanging around the middle bar. Let me know if you guys give it a shot. Probably won't be out there Sunday evening, but if we are we'll be in a Otter resort, and you will probably here "Theres One!!" quite a bit. Good Luck guys! Going searching for some eyes until I can pull the sleeper up north. Twitch and make them chase until they rip it out of your hands!

[Tyler Holm]

Chris and Cheryl,

Awesome photos and glad you found success at the mighty Zumbro. I hope to be reporting similiar results in the morning.

Were those cats taking minnows or waxies? I love it when I feel the power of a big fish on my crappie/bluegill rods. That's a rush!

[Rainydaze]

Hi Tyler,

It might be a good idea to bring along some multi-colored spikes. Hmmmmm! Good Luck!

[Dan Thiem]

I forgot all about this. Yesterday along the hi-banks I was walking around looking for the same spot I was at before. While I was walking (and not looking where I was going) the heel of my boot broke through what I though was a refreeze ice fishing hole. After kicking it open bigger I noticed it was a huge hole. Maybe two feet across. The only thing I can figure is the melting has caused water on the surface. Then I think the water has been using this spot as a drain. Opening it up. I'm just lucky my step wasn't 6" farther back. I would have sunk at least one leg.

Now, there may be more that I didn't see. And, the thin layer of ice on top of it made it look just like any other lake surface. There was no distinction of this spot.

Be careful everbody!

[crappieguy473]

I will be going out there Friday morning around 7ish maybe earlier. Is anybody going to be out or maybe thinking of going out?

[CrappieJohn]

Hey Eric....It was good to see you out again.

The wind made fishing inside a necessity today and that in it's own right was quite a chore. Its hard to chase down shacks when the wind is blowing thirty miles an hour..lol

The fish hit preety good this morning early and while the clouds were present. As soon as the clouds blew off and the wind really picked up, the bite got a little tough.

Crappies were abundant right off and a few nice sunfish came to visit as well. Eric got the top honors with a kitty about six pounds. I got one that was a bit smaller. The shiners were thick at times today too. I got six of them on that many drops. The schools were four to five feet thick and would be present for as long as five minutes. Smaller white bass took a likeing to being under me, but eric popped one in the 13 inch range.

Did things a bit different today....

I put two holes in about 20 inches apart. In one I dropped a glo red jigging spoon (JB's 1/16 ounce Jigging Eye) with a red Euro and the other a yellow/orange marmooska, the dinky one, with a red euro and a spring bobber. The locator went in the hole with the marmooska. I kept that line at about four feet from bottom and left it idle. With the jigging spoon I was able to watch it's action since the holes were so close and when I'd get a mark at about four feet that came to the spoon. I'd set that rod down and beging jigging the marmooska very rapidly but hardly hard enough to move the spring, all the while gently raising it in the water column. Bang! Those crappies and sunfish would smash it hard. The crappis and sunnies would come in to the spoon great guns, but would not commit to a hit on it. That small ice jig did the trick though.

All told I caught seven sunfish, 13 crappies, six shiners, one catfish , four white bass and three perchies.

When the cold front came rolling through with the clear skies the fishing got tough yes, but it was also then that the larger crappies and sunnies hit for me.

[dust58]

About how thick is the ice out on the zumbro now? Thought about going out on sunday if i get back from cass lake early enough.

[JIvers]

Are you guys fishing Zumbro right now heading out across from those wooden steps going up the hill?(I think those are the high banks, but I am not sure.) I am in the area for the weekend, and I might go up and try Lake Zumbro Sunday. I know the ice is always bad up towards Sandy Point and that area. The couple times I have ice-fished Zumbro, I parked by that restaurant (Ponderosa?), and walked across the ice to those steps, and I guess that is where I would try Sunday.

[CrappieJohn]

Depends on where you are fishing out there. In some areas the ice is maybe 6 inches...closer to five is more like it, butthen a short walk and you can have 10-11.

One area I will repeat a caution for is the ishermans Inn area. Open water is found thru the old bridge channel and extends clear over to the shoreline to the left of the point. The ice in front of the downstream fishing pier is fractured and pretty sorry looking. I saw some evidence of people having been out there, but this boy ain't got that big pair required to slip out on stuff that looks this shakey.