Lake Alex ice...

[Phunnyfarm]

Anybody been out on Alex lately? How's the ice doing? Unfortunately I've been too busy to get out there since early Feb, but have heard that some lakes just south of there are starting to show signs of giving away and was curious about Alex.

Thanks guys!

[Dances with Walleye]

Figured I'd bump this and see if any of the locals have any input...

I'm looking to help my buddy make his Maiden Launch on April 14th, and I'm wondering how close Alex will be to Ice out, with all these cold temps about to pound in on us in the next week.

[Phunnyfarm]

Am going up on Friday to Alex for the weekend...anybody seen the lake lately to report?!

[shamalex72]

Sorry I can't help, havn't been out there since the end of Feb.

[Dances with Walleye]

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Am going up on Friday to Alex for the weekend...anybody seen the lake lately to report?!

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I'm curious to know what shape the ice is in myself... As the maiden voyage of 2007 for me is tentatively scheduled for next saturday on Alex!

[Phunnyfarm]

Sorry it took me so long to report, but I was up at Alex last weekend. I actually got some crappie fishing in Saturday night, but unfortunately it was with a chair, sitting over a foot-thick hole in the ice out in front of the cabin. The ice was making a LOT of noise out there too...sounded like people were playing bass drums all around! Ice was stable around me though, and it was a beautiful, quiet evening to sit outside and get one last jig in the water.

Now it's time to bring on the open water!

[Dances with Walleye]

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Sorry it took me so long to report, but I was up at Alex last weekend. I actually got some crappie fishing in Saturday night, but unfortunately it was with a chair, sitting over a foot-thick hole in the ice out in front of the cabin. The ice was making a LOT of noise out there too...sounded like people were playing bass drums all around! Ice was stable around me though, and it was a beautiful, quiet evening to sit outside and get one last jig in the water.

Now it's time to bring on the open water!

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Glad you at least salvaged a good time...

I've currently rescheduled to hit the maiden voyage next Saturday up at Alex... I've got to imagine the ice will be out by then!

Hope to see you on the water this summer!

Take Care Bro!

[Phunnyfarm]

Report from the mother-in-law at the cabin this weekend...lots of ice and even a few ice fisherman out there STILL this past weekend. I'm beginning to wonder if we'll be able to get the dock in this weekend as scheduled!

[Dances with Walleye]

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Report from the mother-in-law at the cabin this weekend...lots of ice and even a few ice fisherman out there STILL this past weekend. I'm beginning to wonder if we'll be able to get the dock in this weekend as scheduled!

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(Contact Us Please)... So unless some other local has a report, I might have to take a little drive on Friday night to make sure the ice is out, before I head up on Saturday... I would hate to tow the boat up there, and then be staring at an ice sheet!

[rockyhook]

This morning I noticed the ice on North Long and Round was really starting to pull away from shore and it was getting very dark. I would think they will be open pretty quick...

[Dances with Walleye]

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This morning I noticed the ice on North Long and Round was really starting to pull away from shore and it was getting very dark. I would think they will be open pretty quick...

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Yeah I'm hoping... I'm trying to think of an alternate plan, for if I get up to Alex on Saturday and it's still Iced... I wonder what the Crow Wing River looks like around Pillager... Or Lake Slyvan... ?

[DUCKJ]

Danceswith Walleye, The river is wide open. No ice at all. Above and below the damb. Ill be out this weekend chasing some crappies. Ya I know maby still a little early for the river bts I need to gets out.

Northlong 371 side is out

Let it melt, let it melt, let it melt!

Duck

[Dances with Walleye]

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Danceswith Walleye, The river is wide open. No ice at all. Above and below the damb. Ill be out this weekend chasing some crappies. Ya I know maby still a little early for the river bts I need to gets out.

Northlong 371 side is out

Let it melt, let it melt, let it melt!

Duck

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My friends actually have a place up on Lake Placcid... So I suppose I could go there... But I gave my heart to Lake Alexander last summer...

If you have something that takes you down The Alexander way for a peek, keep an eye out for me...

Thanks!

E

[Dances with Walleye]

I launched at 2:00 pm on Alexander on Saturday... According to the Locals I spoke with, the Lake Iced out at 10:30 am...

Fishing was the worst I've ever experienced...

I searched every shallow structure I could find... Nothing but a Dead zone... Rocks and waterlogged timber... Only structure worthy weed growth, was a couple spots on the north side, and in thoroughfare bay.

Water temps in the shallows were around 46 degrees... Main Basin was around 42...

I finally found the fish when I put some small Crappie spinners on and started trolling... They were suspended between 10-20 feet over 40 feet of water... If I even got near a sunken island or hump that came up over 40 feet deep, they vanished.

Lake was windy the first 20 mins, then DEAD CALM... Water was like Glass... With the slight fog, and heavy gray clouds the Dead silence was kind of Erie.

From what I saw, checked both landings, I was the second boat on the lake for the year, and was only 1 of four...

Of all the boats and shore fisherman I talked to, only 1 guy caught a fish... He foul hooked a walleye.

My guess is that it's going to take a week or two for the shallows to warm up, to allow the lillys and weeds to grow up to the point where they attract the pan and bait fish.

The Slop bays that are normally impassable with weeds behind the Crow/Geens island were nothing but rock and water logged timber.

We had a couple of light bites at random intervals, but nothing that made the hook up.

So the lakes open... It's just way behind the curve temperature wise...

I'd almost say it has yet to over-turn?

[Phunnyfarm]

I knew you made it out there this weekend! Mom-in-law was out at the cabin and reported that not only was the ice out, but she saw 2 boats, and I just knew one of them had to be WD. Great job man!

I'm chomping at the bit to get up there and get some lines wet. Have a good one, and thanks for the report!

[Dances with Walleye]

There was one guy out there water skiing!

I'm guessing it's going to be another two weeks before the pan fish action in the shallows really gets going... At least on the south side There's just nothing to draw them in...

I'm just shocked at how little vegitation there is right now compared to this time last year

[Phunnyfarm]

This time last year the vegetation had 2 more weeks of sunlight and warmth by this point! If I know that lake though, you'll go out one day here and it will look like a July-jungle down there!

[Dances with Walleye]

I'm headed up this Sunday to see how things may have changed...

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Something I forgot to mention in my previous post... On the way back, we drove past a field on the north side of Alexander, and there was a herd of 30-50 deer forageing in the field...

It was quite a site to see... Makes me think I should take up deer hunting and get some land in the area!

[Phunnyfarm]

There's about 10 acres or so for sale to the north of the Blue Port bar that might be nice deer country!

That would be quite a site to see up there. I am always on the lookout and can usually see one along 3 over by Fish Trap, but I have never seen numbers like that before. Awesome!

[Dances with Walleye]

Is it 10 acres with no split-deed... Any info on Price?

Probably out of my range, but you never know until you ask!

[Phunnyfarm]

I'm not quite sure...there was a Brainerd area realtor that was sponsoring the Brainerd Area Forum, but now they aren't, and I can't find it. I remember it being a lot more expensive than I thought it would be though!

[Dances with Walleye]

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I'm not quite sure...there was a Brainerd area realtor that was sponsoring the Brainerd Area Forum, but now they aren't, and I can't find it. I remember it being a lot more expensive than I thought it would be though!

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My Fiance's 90 year old Grandmother sold her place on the Northside to her son, for a steal of a family discount...

One of my "Loose Goals for the Future" is to someday get a place out on Alexander... Whether I retire there or move there... Something about that lake that I just love.

I night fish it a lot in the summer, and then fight the fatigue making the hour long drive back home.... I don't know how many decades I can keep that up!

LOL!

[MUSKY18]

Hey Dances.......How was the water level looking? Is the lake still down pretty good? Thanks

[Dances with Walleye]

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Hey Dances.......How was the water level looking? Is the lake still down pretty good? Thanks

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I was up there on 4/29... Got into some nice Crappie and Sunny action... Saw a pair of Musky sunning in the shallow bay... They actually came up about 3 feet from the boat... Female kept staring at us while the beat up male just kept nudging her

Pretty cool sight.

As for the water level... It's not down that much at all...

Based on the rock on the north end of Hay Stack island... I'd call it a foot lower than where it was when I last fished Alexander on open water on September 15th 2006.

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Say I'm thinking about taking my Dad up that way around Father's Day...

(My Dad's ever reducing mobility and memory has him not long from the nursing home... I took the whole family out for dinner yesterday, and my Dad told me he wants to get out on one last real fishing trip one last time while he still can.)

Does anyone know if that Shady Inn is actually a cottage rental... Or is it just a time share deal?

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Also on the north end, it looks like there's a Camper park... Is that an actual campground/Camper time share... Or is it just some guy who lets a bunch of his buddy's keep campers there?

Thanks!

[Phunnyfarm]

I don't believe the Shady is renting out any more. If I understand correctly, they sold all the individual cabins off a few years ago. I am not sure of the camper arrangement on the other end either.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, but best of luck to you though. That's great that you'll be able to get out with your dad like that!

[MUSKY18]

Look into the new resort that is down in the SE corner of the lake. They turned the old Bible Camp into a resort. Not sure of how many cabins, etc. but it is a viable choice.

[CaptainMusky]

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As for the water level... It's not down that much at all...

Based on the rock on the north end of Hay Stack island... I'd call it a foot lower than where it was when I last fished Alexander on open water on September 15th 2006.

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A foot is a LOT of water! The water level should be at its highest right now, it will only go down from here. If it is starting out that low, then it will probably be really low by Fall.

[Dances with Walleye]

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As for the water level... It's not down that much at all...

Based on the rock on the north end of Hay Stack island... I'd call it a foot lower than where it was when I last fished Alexander on open water on September 15th 2006.

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A foot is a LOT of water! The water level should be at its highest right now, it will only go down from here. If it is starting out that low, then it will probably be really low by Fall.

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Yeah but a foot is (Contact Us Please) good when you consider that some of the water level reports I've caught around central and North central MN are talking about numbers like 3-4 feet down from last year.

And we're just at the start of the transpiration cycle right now... (Tree leaves increase humidity, and allow for atmospheric energy to create the late spring and summer rains.) There's going to be some delluding rains coming in the next couple of weeks.

[Dances with Walleye]

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Look into the new resort that is down in the SE corner of the lake. They turned the old Bible Camp into a resort. Not sure of how many cabins, etc. but it is a viable choice.

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Do you have any contact info?

Last I heard that converted resort went belly up, and has been sitting empty.

[not_nuf_time]

I was looking at a real estate web site and came accross a bunch of assocaition cabins for sale on Alex in the SE corner of the lake. I wonder if thats the bible camp converting over to an association.