Lake Waconia Fishing Report 1-14-10

It's finally getting a little warmer out. With temps reaching into the 30's, you can expect the bite to pick up. So far Sunfish have been more active. Of course you'll still have to deal with sorting out a lot of smaller fish, but there have been more good size sunnies brought in recently. We've still been hearing of action around Center Reef and Pillsbury Reef, but anglers are spreading out further to the north as well. Some folks have been having success in as little as 9 feet of water, but the average still remains 11-14 feet. Crappies have slowly bitten better, but are still not up to the standards we're used to. It wouldn't be a bad idea to try moving to the deeper side of Pillsbury Reef, in the range of 20 to 25 feet. With the warmer temps, crappies on Waconia tend to suspend 5 or more feet off the bottom in these deeper water areas. Most anglers continue to fish near weeds in 12 to 14 feet of water closer to Pillsbury Reef and Center Reef, but the action has been inconsistent. We're continuing to hear good walleye reports from anglers. We've weighed numerous walleyes between 16 to 29 inches in the past week, with the largest being an 8# 9 oz. 28 incher. Both shiner minnows and fatheads have been working, so we recommend bringing both. Anglers have been spreading out all over the lake for the walleyes. Areas such as North Reef, Kegs Reef, Anderson's Reef and Cemetery Reef have been good spots to try to get away from the traffic. The main thing we've consistently heard is that most of the walleyes have been coming between 13 to 18 feet of water. The Northern Pike bite has improved this year compared to the previous few. That being said, don't expect the tip-up flag to be flying up non-stop. Those having the most success have been putting time on the water. Sucker minnows have been the bait of choice. Center Reef and Pillsbury continue to produce the majority of northern being reported. The big pike this week was a 39 incher that weighed 16 pounds!

Don't forget that we rent fish houses! We offer either 4 hole or 6 hole fish houses for 6 or 12 hour time periods. Call 952-442-2096 to reserve. We drill and slush out the holes and have the heat on for you.