Lake Waconia Fishing Report 5-14-13

Another Opener has come and gone, and as expected, the weather didn't make it easy on those who hit the lake.  Strong winds surely kept many from enjoying Lake Waconia on Saturday, but for those who stuck it out, there were some fine catches.  One local angler enjoyed pulling in his monster 28-1/4" Walleye, which he released.  That was the big one reported for the day.  A long time Lake Waconia angler had a fine opener as well.  He spent the good portion of the day on the lake and was rewarded for his efforts.  He caught 3 nice keepers between 19 to 20 inches, and released a few more between 23 to 26 inches as well.  We've heard slip bobbers with fatheads have been a good approach in less than 10 feet of water.  Also, with the weeds underdeveloped at the moment, it's a good time to throw crankbaits.

For those who are looking for the Spring crappie bite, it has been picking up.  The past few days we've seen several anglers catching numbers of crappies and sorting out some pretty nice ones.  Certain days we've seen bigger ones bite in the 11 to 14 inch range.  A lot of the action has come from Waconia Bay, just out from the marina.  We expect the bite to get even better as the water continues to warm up.

Our marina hours have lengthened this week.  We are now open Monday thru Friday from 7:30 am to 8 pm, and on Saturday & Sunday from 6:30 am to 8 pm.  We are still in our construction phase of dock building this week, so we appreciate your patience as we continue building our slips.  We have not started our boat or pontoon rentals as of yet, but will be targeting Memorial Day weekend for the beginning of that.  If you are interested in reserving a boat and motor or pontoon, please call (952) 442-2096 and we'll be happy to help you reserve your day.

Here's hoping we get some more good weather as we head toward the unofficial beginning of Summer!  Happy fishing!

In Towne Marina-Lake Waconia MN Spring and 2013 OPENER NEWS

The Ice is OUT on Lake Waconia ! We're Working Fast to prepare for YOUR return!
The wait for soft water ended here with ice finally gone, around 9 am Tues., April 30th!
Our dock work began the minute the ice left & continues whenever strong storms and wind let up! As you guessed, it's been slow going but we're hard at it, to get back to boating!

We're HAPPY to announce WE ARE OPEN ALL NIGHT Fri, May 10th for your OPENER NEEDS to: launch your boat, buy live bait-tackle-licenses-snacks . We have the deepest access on the lake-well lighted, to start your year off right! 

Northern lakes may be iced over and Waconia is a great close to home destination to fish for a few hours or days.  We've "traditionally " been here overnight on Opener for more than 30 years to serve angler needs. We hope you mark us on your GPS as  your main "pit stop" to warm up, stock up- have a snack or share and photograph your catch. Join us for hot spot gossip or just to watch the water!   Hope to see you here!

SEE UPCOMING May SHOP & Launch HOURS Beginning SOON ! Weather Permitting : 

Tues May 8th: Only the SHOP is open today [sorry-NO access]   9 am-7:30 pm 

 Wed May 9th:  Begin both SHOP & Boat Access Weekday Daily Hours  9 am-7:30 pm

FRIDAY  MAY 10th Opener Night through SATURDAY MAY 11th :
OPEN @ 9am Friday and Stay Open All Night  through SAT  5/11- closing @ 8 PM

Sunday, May 12th  [Mothers Day] : Open 6:30 am- 8 pm

Longer Shop & Launch hours will Resume later this Spring-Watch Here for Updates 


We Can't Wait to See YOU- You're always welcome here! 
THANK YOU for your Cooperation & Patience as we "catch up" on dock work delayed by late ice-out, storms and wind. SORRY- No Boat Rental is Available at this time [until docks are ready].

Your Friends At the Lake,
The Mase Family & Staff   

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 2-14-13

Fishing has been good as of late. If you don't mind looking around, finding a weedline or pocket in the weeds, there is action to be had. Sunfish have remained consistent as long as yo don't mind doing some sorting. Sunfish 4 "to a pound" have been the common "keeper" size. Northern Pike have been cooperating as well. 5-8 pound fish have been somewhat common. The weedlines are still where is is at for the Pike. Sucker minnow have been the bait of choice. Medium Suckers have been hard to come by as of late due to demand, and the time of year. Like the previously mentioned species, Crappies are still being caught on the weedlines as well. A little deeper is working for some folks too. Some suspended Crappies are being caught in the 15-18 foot breaks off the reefs. Some of the bigger Crappies we have been seeing in the bait shop lately, have come from those depths.

If you have been thinking about renting a fish house this winter, the window is closing! There are only 3 weekends left for the permanent fish houses this season! Where did the Winter go? If you haven't had a chance to get out this Winter, or just want to get in that last ice fishing trip, now is the time. Saturdays are booking fast, so give us a call in the "Shop"! 952-442-2096

Here are some recent fish-

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 2-5-13

Lake Waconia has been producing well this season for many anglers.  The bite has continued this past week, although it has been a good idea to use lighter lines, smaller jigs and smaller bait for the sunfish and crappies. It has been more of what we call a "finesse" bite.  Don't just expect the bobber to go slamming under the water.  Sometimes, you will see very little movement of the bobber, and you will have a fish latched on and not know it unless you are actively working your jigs or using a spring bobber.

Since we've finally got snow, we're seeing some fishermen moving around a little more to get away from the crowds and find that new honey hole.  Having said that we continue to hear good action for sunnies and crappies coming from Pillsbury and Center Reef, although we're also getting some action in Waconia Bay.  The depth we're still finding them at is in the 10 to 14 foot range.  A few anglers have ventured to the deeper water in Wagener's Bay, but as of yet the deep bite hasn't turned fully on.  The northern pike bite has been good as well.  We've weighed several nice pike in the past week and you should still be able to find them in the areas mentioned above.  With the the temps warming up a bit this week, don't be surprised if you catch a largemouth bass or two.  Those are generally more active as the temps get in the upper 20's or higher.  Walleyes continue to be biting late night or overnight.  We're still hearing reports of undersized fish, or if they are big, they are fat.  We recommending getting away from the crowded areas for your best chance.  Places like Keg's and North Reef would be good options in 13 to 18 feet.

As far as the ice goes, we continue to be in excellent shape for the majority of the lake.  Thicknesses are over 20 inches, approaching 2 feet.  Keep in mind to watch out for any of the areas that are marked with lath board or branches with caution tape.  We recently marked a good-sized spring north of Red's Reef that you will want to stay away from.  It's best to stop in to our store and check out our map to get a better idea of where you'll want to avoid.   

We have been having a good year in our Rental Fish Houses.  If you're thinking of renting and are new to ice fishing, we have rental jig rods and rental underwater cameras.  We do most of the dirty work, drilling the holes and having the heat on for you when you show up.  We've had good action for most of the year, with a decent chance to get some keepers.  Call (952) 442-2096 for reservations!

Plenty of prizes have been given away from our FREE Ice and Dice giveaway! Don't forget to weigh in your Lake Waconia fish for a chance to qualify!  All you need is 5.5 oz. sunfish, a 10 oz. crappie, a 5# northern, or a walleye between 16 to 23 inches or over 28 inches.  The game ends after Sunday 2/17/13, so get in on the fun before it's over!

Here's a couple of the nice fish weighed in this week!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1-28-13

We've had a gamut of weather since the last report.  Last week's extreme cold added several more inches of thickness to the ice. As of this report, expect to find 19 to 20 inches of good ice on a lot of the lake. There is a major pressure ridge/ice heave up in the far North East corner of  Lake Waconia to report. It is in Reinke's Bay, and is quite treacherous. The area is not used by many people, so it is a good spot for a major pressure ridge if we have to have one. There have been a few more springs found on the lake in the deep water west of Kegs Reef. Please stop in the bait shop to have a look at our map for locations of these small problem areas.

The action during the cold was decent.  Then, with the more recent warm-up, we've seen the action of certain species pick up, notably the northern pike bite, with some occasional largemouth bass. We continue to see solid panfish action out on or around Center Reef.  We're still finding them in 10 to 14 feet of water. Sorting needs to be done to get keeper sunnies. We've even seen a few good sized perch, although those are generally too small. Crappies are still best after 5 pm. Despite the calendar nearing the end of January, we have yet to see the bite pick up too much in deeper water. Now that we've got some snow cover (that hopefully sticks around), we may just see the Panfish bite shift a little deeper as we get into February.

Pike are biting best on smaller sucker minnows in those same 10 to 14 foot depths that we have been talking about a lot of the winter. With the lack of snow for most of the winter, fish have stayed near the weeds in the shallows. The weeds have been getting sunlight all winter, thus putting out enough oxygen to keep the fish in the shallows. Remember, the fish go where oxygen is best in the winter months.

Please remember to Like us on Facebook. It is an easy way to get easy updates from us about the fishing and conditions on Lake Waconia!

Thanks for reading, and see you on the Ice!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1-16-13

The lake is in excellent shape after that warm spell late last week.  Despite the rain, the weekend was welcomed with very cold temps that quickly solidified the top of the ice.  With very little snow now, and cold nights, we're seeing thicknesses in the 15 to 17 inch range.

The best bite recently has been those going for sunfish in the daytime.  The action has been hot, with numerous limits coming out of the lake.  We are continuing to hear anglers having success in the 9 to 14 foot range with good weeds.  They are all different sizes, so expect to do some sorting for the keepers.  Crappies are biting well too, mostly in the evening.  While we expect anglers to target them deeper in the coming weeks, we're still hearing of the best bite shallower, near the weeds in the same territory as the sunfish.  Northern Pike have been getting a little more active lately.  We had one come in yesterday that was 11# 9 oz., which was the week's biggest fish.  We've seen pike ranging in all sizes this year, which has been good to see.  Small to medium suckers are working best, with the bite mostly coming in the same areas as the sunfish and crappies.  Walleyes continue to be either small or big, with the good eaters being harder to come by.  We suggest getting away from the crowded areas by fishing some of the good drops by Keg's, North or Center reefs.  Those spending the night are having the best luck in the wee hours of the morning.

We continue to have plenty of winners in our FREE Ice and Dice prize giveaway!  Don't forget to weigh in your fish during business hours to qualify for a chance to win a prize.

We've had some good success in our Rental Fish Houses so far this season.  We've had plenty of sunfish, some crappies, and a nice northern pike come out of them in the past several days.  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve!  We'll have the heat on and the holes drilled for you!  If you're renting a house and you don't have any gear, you can rent jig sticks, as well as an underwater camera.  We're stocked with live bait for sale, licenses, tackle and snacks for your trip.

Ice fishing season is in full swing, and we've had a lot of happy fishermen join us on the ice!  We hope to see you soon!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1-10-13

The hot bite has continued during the past week.  We've weighed numerous nice crappies, with the biggest being 1# 12 oz. just yesterday!  We're continuing to hear the best action out by Center and Pillsbury reefs. Waconia Bay has also pumped out some good fish.  Find good weeds around 9 to 14 feet of water for the best chance.  Along with the crappies, the sunfish have been biting well too!  Expect plenty of action, but some sorting will need to be done.

If you're targeting northerns, we're getting most reported catches off of small to medium suckers in the same areas as the sunfish and crappie bite.  Since it's warmed up the past few days, we're hearing anglers having some fun catching largemouth bass, while tip-up fishing for northerns!  Not your typical winter catch, they generally bite best when temps reach 32 plus degrees.

We're still hearing that the walleyes are biting well, although size has still been desired.  We're getting plenty of reports of smaller walleyes (10 to 14 inchers) and big walleyes (over 20 inch).  We're missing the good mid-range sizes most anglers want for the deep fryer.  We recommend setting up 12 to 15 feet of water off of weeds, in quieter areas away from the large groups of houses.  Jigging with fatheads seems to be working best, although set-lines with shiners has worked well for those spending nights on the ice.

The ice has continued to build this week.  There is a little more variance in thickness due to the little snow we had from earlier.  Where the snow is undisturbed, you will find the least ice, although it is still a strong 12.5 inches.  Where the snow has been packed down, you will see ice ranging from 13.5 to 15 inches.  There are no new issues to report, and we're very pleased with quality of the ice.

With the action being so good, we've given away numerous prizes to those who have weighed their fish in our Free Ice and Dice game!  The prize giveaway goes on until mid-February, so be sure stop in and get in on the fun!

Our Rental Fish Houses are ready to go!  Call (952) 442-2096 to make are reservation.  We'll have the heat on and the holes drilled for you.  Plenty of fish are waiting to be caught!

We'll see you on the lake!