Cedar Lake - Faribault

[wooly1]

Had my best ice fishing season of my life last year. This year exact opposite. Question for you posters - Rumor on the lake is they sprayed this lake in the Fall. My observation of the bottom supports the fact that there is 90% less weeds than last winter. Anyone know about this supposed weed spraying. For fishing it stinks!

There are about one third the houses that were out last year on this lake. Every morning you get to watch everyone move there houses. No one is catching. I think it would be less work if we just switch houses every other day. That way we don't all have to move our houses. OK, everyone move to the house on your right.

[gspman]

Woody,

What were you catching last year on Cedar. To me that lake is a mystery except for the bass. Are there any crappies or sunnies in that lake that are big enough to keep? They sprayed it for weeds in the spring last year. I can catch all the stunted crappies and sunnies I can stand on that lake but nothing even close to what I would consider a keeper. Very frustrating.

gspman

[katoguy]

Spraying does not help fishing!

Cedar was srayed a few times in the spring. It was also sprayed in mid-summer.

Those who can afford to live on some of these lakes must have a lot of political pull. The DNR must realize that the weeds help fishing (ecologically). The milfoil and curly leaf do get thick out there. It makes it difficult to boat and ski, but improves fishing!

[jed]

personally, that lake used to be a dream to fish (15yr ago.), but in the last few years with the proliferation of the milfoil (which i understand is not healthy to a fishery), it has become increasingly harder to fish. the spots i used to consistently catch fish out of then are unfishable now. very frustrating to me. i still love the lake, but have yet to figure out how to outsmart the milfoil.

[katoguy]

If anyone thinks that eurasion milfoil is not good for the fishery, take a look at Minnetonka. After the grass came, the bass rocketed.

Cover in lakes is a good thing! The good spots (structure) are still likely to be good spots, cover can only improve them. You have to adjust your techniques to deal with the grass.

[riverrat56]

my uncles all fished the lake last year and really got into the fish up shallow, 7-8 ft of water, nice walleyes and some pesky northerns. This year I guess it is a differnt story, but it doesn't just sound like Cedar has been sprayed, they said other lakes had been too. It really doesn't make sence to me, fishing the weeds is my main method until snow kills them off, and milfoil may be harmful to fish biologically, but they sure seem to love being it in, just needs to be fished differntly, jigs or topwater for bass, dropping a slip bobber into the opening works for eyes, in my opinion the lakes should just be left with the weeds in them, more people fish than ski.

[Team Otter]

Weeds attract baitfish and typically the rest is history. Opportunities to put the hurt on shallow 'eyes in the weeds in this area could possibly be the understatement of the year.

I think the weeds should be controlled but not eliminated.

[eyepatrol]

This lake interests me as it appears to have a decent population of crappies in there, along with some nice sized ones according to the most recent dnr survey info I have.

[Team Otter]

It's a cool lake basscatcher. I've been there a few times in the winter with mixed results. I just haven't spent enough time out there.

[eyepatrol]

That's what it looks like...one of those fertile southern mn lakes. Hunt lake nearby there also interests me. I know Washington is great and a good stand-by lake, but I'd like to expand my horizons on some other lakes too, and these two lakes definitely interest me.

[Team Otter]

Don't forget to think outside the box.

[eyepatrol]

Yep, I won't. Can't wait for open water to get here...really looking forward to trying some of those "outside the box" ideas you've mentioned so many times in this forum. Only problem is I'll be using my dad's boat, and he doesn't have an electric trolling motor, so I'm concerned a bit about spooking fish up shallow. Might have to get the oars out!

[clamtrap]

I fished out there last year by the second island and I was catching walleyes in 10ft of water but this year I agree it really went down hill

[crappiefisher26]

Hello All. I have fished cedar lake a couple times this winter, and had good success. I suggest fishing 7 to 9 feet of water above the weeds for walleye and northern. There were a couple of guys out last weekend that got some nice walleyes on tip-ups. So fishing has been good. ANd also i fish it a lot in the summer and catch a lot of nice bluegills,crappies and bass

[gspman]

Crappie,

I'd love to know what you do different than me. I can't catch a decent crappie or sunny on Cedar to save my life.

[jed]

anybody ever fisht the west section in the winter, i used to catch some big crappies back there in the summer. just wondering....

[wooly1]

gspman,

My son and I caught 3-5# walleyes (20" +), one to two per night all year long (Dec. - Feb.). We also caught eight northerns over 30" and seven bass over 18".

We caught large quality fish, most released. We had about six fish all year long that we considered "small". Our biggest outing was a four fish trip. So not big on quantity but what we did catch was quality.

This year we are kings of the 10" walleyes.

[wooly1]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention the cream colored chunks in the lake. Looks like someone had a bad night and chummed the water. Its that way everywhere on the lake. They break up if you try to scoop them out.

Whatever they sprayed the lake with, I give it a BIG thumbs down!

[Scott D.]

i've noticed this on more than one lake around...don't know what it is.