New Years Eve "mini" Ice Update

The following is a small update; a more expansive ice check will be done tomorrow when temperatures are more bearable.

We just got off the lake to get you an ice update. With today’s extreme cold, this was more of a checkup- not a full ice examination. We are finding 8-11 1/2” in Waconia bay and the Walleye hole. The Cemetery Reef area had 7 ½”- 10”.

We plowed a large area in front of our Marina with our ATV. The plowed area had 10 ½-13” of solid ice. These extreme cold temps have been wonderful, but the ice isn’t as thick as it would have been had we avoided the 5” of insulating snow we have on the majority of the lake.

Check back here tomorrow afternoon for more info and have a Happy New Year!

Fish House rentals are back on the ice!

We have 3 of our rentals back on the ice ready to reserve! We have a 4-hole 7' x 8', and 2 6-hole 7' x 14' fish houses on the ice within close walking distance from the marina. We drill the holes and have the heat on! Call to (952) 442-2096 to reserve!

Lake Waconia Ice Report - 12/24/14

We just got off the ice for another update today (12/24) after drilling over 100 holes.  We went out to Waconia Bay, the Walleye Hole between the marinas, Cemetery Reef, the SE side of the Island, “Under the Wires”, Center Reef, Pillsbury Reef and Wagener’s Bay.

The thicknesses we measured were very similar to what we reported last Wednesday (12/17).  While we had gained a little ice last Wednesday night and Thursday night while it was cold, we have since lost a little during this warm-up and rain.  Therefore, that is why we have similar readings to last week.

With cold weather around the corner, we look forward to much better ice soon!

We will be closed tomorrow, Christmas Day.  We will see you Friday!  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Hours

We will be open tomorrow for Christmas Eve from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. Christmas Day we will be closed. Normal Hours will resume on the 26th! Have a Merry Christmas!

Lake Waconia Conditions 12/22/14

Once again the unseasonably warm weather and rain is upon us. There is a fair amount of water on top of the ice on Lake Waconia. With wind in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow, we have decided to remove our two rental houses from Waconia Bay. We don’t want to worry about the wind swirling around the fish houses allowing the water to carve out the ice. At this time we are recommending people at least check on their fish houses if they are currently out on the ice. We will be placing our houses on the lake again as soon as conditions allow.  

We have Rental Fish Houses ready to go!

We are renting fish houses in Waconia Bay! If you reserve for 6 hours in the morning, we will drop you off with our sleigh* and pick you up when you are done in the afternoon!  If you reserve in the afternoon, we will drop you off, but you will need to walk approximately 400 yards to shore when you’re done at night (bring a sled if you have a lot of gear).  It’s time to get on the ice for the bite!  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve.

*Sleigh rides are weather dependent and for a limited time (while our access is closed to car/truck traffic).

Regular Winter Hours start tomorrow, 12/19!

Tomorrow (Fri. 12/19) we start our regular hours for the winter season! Monday thru Friday we will be here from 7:30 am to 6 pm. Saturday and Sunday we will be here from 6:30 am to 6 pm.

We have 2 of our 7' x 14', 6 hole fish houses on the ice available for rent starting this weekend! They are within walking distance from the marina in 10 to 11 feet of water. Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve.

Also, this Saturday, 12/20 from 10 am to 3 pm we are doing Sleigh rides again for fishermen to Waconia Bay (one way). $1 per person (kids under 10 are free) goes to the Waconia Food Shelf! Normal $1 access fee still applies.

See you at the lake!

Lake Waconia Ice Report - 12-17-14

We spent a full day on the ice today (12/17) to get you the current conditions across the lake. Not surprisingly, the warm weekend of 50 degrees and rain did affect the thickness of the ice.  In a lot of areas we lost between 1 to 2 inches of ice from our previous report last week.  Despite the warm-up, we are still very happy with the condition of the ice.  We felt comfortable on 4-wheelers while doing this ice check.  We drilled hundreds of holes today, but keep in mind, we cannot cover 3000 acres in it’s entirety.  That is why we always recommend checking ice yourself if you’re going to an area away from the larger groups.

Here’s what we found where we checked…

-Waconia Bay is now around 8 to 10 inches, with 6 to 7 in the old goose hole. 

-“Under the Wires” was mostly 6 to 8 inches, but we found as little as 4 to 5 inches a little further north.

-Center Reef was a lot of 7 to 8 inches, with as little as 6 and as much as 11 inches.

-Pillsbury Reef had 8 to 11 inches.

-North Center and Nelson’s Flats was generally 7 to 9 inches.

-North Reef had the largest area of variance.  We found as little as 4.25 inches on top of the reef, and several holes between 5 to 6, with some as much as 8 to 9 inches.

-Kegs Reef varied quite a bit too.  We found as little as 5.5 inches, but up to 9 as well.

-Anderson’s Reef was mostly 6 to 8 inches of ice.

-Cemetery Reef had the majority of ice between 6 to 7 inches, but as much as 9.

-The southeast side of the island had a large area of 5 to 6 inches, but the east side of the island had 7 to 9 inches.

-The walleye hole between the marinas had 7.5 to 9.5 inches.

We also went looking for a couple of the springs that have been active in recent history.  We did find the main one that has been the largest over the years, and it was mildly active.  It’s located in the deep water between Cemetery and Anderson’s Reefs and is now marked with lath board and flagging tape.  Thankfully it’s much smaller than the past, but we will be keeping an eye on it.  We are happy it’s not very active, as that may be a sign that some of the other smaller springs that we’ve noticed in previous years might not be an issue this winter.

If you’ve been following our ice updates this winter, you may notice in the above report that most of the areas that froze last, like North, Kegs, Anderson’s and Cemetery, have less ice and are more varied.

So, what does this all mean?  This week and weekend, we feel comfortable with anglers getting out on the lake with ATV’s and Snowmobiles and lighter-weight skid and wheel fish houses through our access.  We will not be allowing cars, trucks or heavy fish houses through our access until further notice.  Don’t forget, our daily access fee is $1 for walking, $2 for ATV or Snowmobiles, and $25 for the winter season.

We look forward to seeing you on the ice!

Lake Waconia Ice & Fishing Report - 12/9/14

We did a more extensive ice check on Tuesday, 12/9, drilling and checking over 200 holes.  We covered Waconia Bay, "Under the Wires", Center, Pillsbury and Wagener's Bay, as these areas are currently the most used fishing spots on the lake.  It's important to know that we are always looking for the worst ice we can find, therefore the majority of our drilling is in snow-covered ice, which is generally less than the clear "black" ice.

We started in Waconia Bay, and found a lot of 8 to 10 inches, with a top-end of 12 inches in the clear, snow-less ice.  Then continued on to "Under the wires" (between the south peninsula of the Lakeview Terrace and the island), where there was as little as 7 inches of ice under snow drifts and up to 11 inches of ice where there was no snow.  A little north of "Under the Wires" was a small area of 4.25 to 5 inches which was the worst ice found of the day.  As you continue even further north of that, the ice got very jagged (where the wind broke up chunks while the ice formed, which froze in a jagged manner creating sharp pointed edges).  A lot of that jagged ice was around 6.5 to 8 inches.  These locations are northwest of the island, but east of where our road usually goes to Center, which gives you reference for the future.

We then headed a little west on the way to Harms Point to the area we usually have a road, and found a lot of 8 to 10 inches with a little bit of 7 inches mixed in.  From there we went north to Center Reef and had a variety of ice there as well.  We could drill in one popular location and find a spot with as little as 6 inches, and 10 feet away measure a hole in clear, snow-free ice that was up to a 12 inches.

If you're sensing a theme, you are right.  It didn't matter where we went today, the ice greatly varied.  It's easy to get excited when you see 10 to 12 inches of ice in locations you want to get to.  We are excited to see those thicknesses too, but it was clear to us today, that most areas with those thicknesses also had plenty of ice mixed in between 6.5 to 9 inches as well.

Pillsbury was much the same.  There are certainly plenty of locations there that had 9 to 12 inches, but had 7 to 8 mixed in.  We went from Pillsbury to the south toward the Wagener's Bay access.  We drilled in several locations where snowmobiles and 4-wheelers have made tracks going to and from those locations. Where there was little-to-no snow, we found 10 to 12 inches of ice.  The closer we got to the terrace, there was more drifting of snow, so as you can expect, there was a lot of 7 to 9 inches of ice (with as little as 6.25 inches found 40 feet from shore).

We are very happy we have ice that we can use to 4-wheel and snowmobile on.  While it's tempting for some to want to drive your car or truck out there, we are not recommending it and won't be allowing vehicles through our access for the time being.  No one wants driveable ice more than we do at the marina, but we will continue to be patient and wait for the ice to get a little thicker before we drive.

In the mean time, we'll keep you posted on the ice as the warmth of the weekend draws near.  If you have a permanent fish house on the lake, it would be a good idea to keep a close eye on it this weekend.

As for the bite, it was a good weekend for northern pike fishing for those who took advantage of the mild weather.  The pic of the weekend was by twins Connor and Tanner Besse who each had a nice northern and won prizes playing our FREE Ice and Dice game.  Waconia Bay was a good location for some of this action.  Walleyes were also decent as well.  We had some keepers over 16 inches caught from the walleye hole between the marinas, as well as Waconia Bay and parts of Center.  Sunfish and crappies continue to bite, although as expected, sorting needs to happen to get keepers.  Pillsbury is a great go-to spot for panfish as well.

Happy fishing!

Lake Waconia Ice and Fishing Report 12-4-14

We did another ice check yesterday afternoon and continued to see ice thicknesses increasing.  Most of the main areas anglers like to target early season are in great shape.  Waconia Bay has between 7 to 9.5 inches (with a small marked area of 5.5 inches).  The walleye hole between the marinas has ice around 6 to 9 inches.  Ice out towards the Deep hole in Wagener’s Bay and Pillsbury is between 7.5 to 9.5 inches.

We continued our check north of “Under the Wires” between the west end of the island and Lakeview Terrace.  While the ice has grown there too, we still found some spots in that area with as little as 4 inches and up to 7.5 inches.  

We headed to Cemetery as well to get a better feel for the varying ice there, and found anywhere from 5 to 8.5 inches.  The newest ice which formed over part of Cemetery and a little east has caught up nicely, however we have not been out to Anderson’s, Reds or Kegs.  We haven’t assessed if the springs from past years in the 25 to 30 foot areas in the east-central part of the lake are active yet, so keep that in mind if heading that way.

As far as fishing goes, we’ve had some reports of successful sunfish and crappie action off the weedlines of Pillsbury as well as Waconia Bay in 11 to 14 feet of water.  Walleyes have been decent between the marinas in the walleye hole.  Most of the successful bites have been on the north side of the hole as depths climb in the 13 to 15 foot range.  Jigging with fatheads has been working, as well as set-lines with shiners.

With the warm up coming this weekend, it’s a great time to get some sucker minnows and set a tip up or two!  We expect a good northern pike bite for those interested.  Our big fish of the season so far was weighed in at 9 pound 12 oz. pike on Tuesday  by Bob Leistiko.

We hope to see you at the lake!

Lake Waconia Ice Update 11/28/14

We took another ice walk today, and thanks to the extreme cold over Thanksgiving, we were pleasantly surprised with the growth of the ice over the past few days.  We found between 4.5 to 6 inches around the “Walleye Hole” between the marinas.  We headed out to Cemetery, where there is a crack/ridge that goes over the center of the reef and heads toward the east point of the island.  West of the crack (on the west edge of Cemetery) you can expect to find 4 to 5 inches of ice.  East of the crack (which includes the east side AND south point of Cemetery) will be newer, thinner ice in the 2.5 to 3 inch range. That newer, lesser ice extends east toward Anderson’s and north toward Reds, so we advise using extreme caution if you plan on trying those areas.

We continued our walk along the south side of the island where we found 5 to 8 inches of ice.  As we got to “Under the Wires” which is between the island and Lakeview Terrace, we found bumpy ice that was between 4.5 to 6 inches.  We advise using extreme caution if you head north past “Under the Wires”, because that is also where the freshest, thinnest ice continues.  We found 2.5 to 3 inches in that area, which extends toward North Center to the north, and northeast toward Kegs Reef.

As far as Waconia Bay is concerned, we are very happy with the ice, with the exception of the goose hole (which froze last).  Most of Waconia Bay is between 5 to 8 inches.  The goose hole (which is marked with lath board and caution tape) was as little as 2.5 inches.

All in all, the lake ice is improving.  We are seeing anglers get their first taste of Lake Waconia fishing action. We’re excited to hear all your fishing stories!

Don’t forget, we will have temporary hours of 9 am to 5 pm for the time being.  We’ll be extending our hours in the future as the ice thickens.  We are selling Season Passes for lake access again for $25 for the season.   Daily access is $1 for walking out ($2 for driving when we open it up for vehicle traffic in the future).

Stop in and say hi!  We'd love to see you!

Lake Waconia Ice Report - 11/26/14

We look forward to seeing you, as we open for the winter season this Friday, 11/28 from  9 am to 5 pm!  We have a GREAT “Black Friday” special on an Apache Ice Combo, spooled with 6# test for $8.99!

We took our first ice walk of the season to parts of the lake on Tuesday afternoon, 11/25.  We found was ice that varied by several inches everywhere we went.  In Waconia Bay, we found as little as 1.5 inches in a small area that finally froze over late due to birds keeping it open.  We found the majority in Waconia Bay between 3.5 to 6.5 inches.  As we headed toward the “walleye hole” between the marinas, we found a lot of 3 to 4 inches with some as much as 6.  We were not able to make it out to Cemetery Reef or beyond to the east, because that area had even less ice, as it was one of the last areas to freeze. 

We also went to Wagener’s Bay for a quick check, and found anywhere from 3.5 to 7 inches in the holes we punched, so that does vary a lot too.  It’s important to know that the last areas to freeze were near North Center, Kegs, Reds, Anderson’s and Cemetery, so those will have the least ice. 

Remember, we can’t cover every area, and it’s possible to find less ice in areas we have checked.  We highly recommend you use caution your first time out.  Chisel ahead of yourself, and drill numerous holes to get a feel for the ice.  Now that we have an extra 2 to 3 inches of snow due to today’s (11/26) snowfall, it will take a little longer for the ice to thicken because of the snow’s insulating factor.

Be safe this Thanksgiving!  We are thankful for your business and look forward to a great ice fishing season!

Opening for the Winter on "Black Friday" 11/28/14

We will be opening for the winter season on “Black Friday” November 28^th with temporary hours of 9 am to 5 pm.  Thanks to an unseasonably cold November, the ice fishing season has arrived earlier than usual!

Although it’s been extremely chilly of late, it’s important to know that Lake Waconia does still have some areas of open water that were kept open by heavy wind and birds.  On Thursday, 11/20, we estimated that around 40% of the lake still had open water over North Center, Kegs, Reds, Reinke’s, Anderson’s and Cemetery Reefs. By Friday, 11/21 there was a thin glaze on most those areas.  There is potential for these glazed areas to open back up with predicted weekend weather above 32 degrees and rain/snow with strong winds on Monday.

There is also a small area of open water in Waconia Bay near popular early-season fishing locations (Birds are keeping this spot open).    We have not done an ice thickness check, but will be doing one next week before we open for the season.  Check here for future updates.

We look forward to seeing you!

Nickle Dickle Day is coming this weekend. Come join us!

Don't miss out on our Free Kid's Fishing Prize Pond on Nickle Dickle Day (this Saturday, 9/13). Kids 12 and under can "fish" for a free prize from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. We have specials in the store for this weekend, which include 25% off our existing stock of Rods and Combos. We also have a special early buy on an Ice Combo worth checking out! While here, enter into our drawing for a FREE Weekday Fish House Rental (7' x 14', 6-hole Fish House for 6 hours, valued at $89) for this winter! We hope to see you!

Lake Waconia Fishing Report 8-28-14

The end of Summer is fast approaching and since the kids are off to school, you'll notice the lake will have less traffic, which is good news for fishermen!  It's been an unusual summer, and since we never really had any long stretches of extreme hot weather, the lake bite has been better than most years during August.

We've continued to have some nice bass reported and brought in to share before releasing. Fishing the weeds on Center, Pillsbury and North Reefs have been productive.  Sucker minnows have been good for those using live bait.  If artificial lures are your thing, spinnerbaits, Texas-rigged worms and Jigs are working. We still recommend trying shallow water with topwater baits as well for a fun bass bite. Also, after a rainfall, its always good bass fishing near the Carp Trap (Peterson's Creek) on the NW side of the lake.

Crappies and sunnies continue to be active for those of you looking to get some fun action with kids. A lot of sorting is needed to pick out keepers, but it's possible to get some for the fry pan. The north side of the island is still a popular spot in 10 to 12 feet of water. Of course, fishing the weedlines of Center, Pillsbury, North and Kegs reefs almost always produce a good amount of panfish, with some of the bigger ones coming from those locations.

The muskie bite has started to turn on.  While it has been an up and down season for them, we've had some of the nicer reports of this summer during August.  The big fish of the season on our shop's photo counter came in on 8/16 from Kelsey Johnson.  She got into a 52 incher on her first attempt at fishing for these monsters.  We've also seen and heard of several in the mid-to-upper 40 inch range as well.  Fishing around the island and reefs like North and Anderson's are good bets.  Bucktails and big spinnerbaits have been some of the baits of choice for these successful catches.




Walleye activity has been hit or miss for a lot of the summer.  While we've certainly seen an increase in successful catches, they are still generally under the legal slot size of 16 inches.  Lately, we've been hearing of anglers getting action on Red's Reef in 14 to 17 feet of water off the rocks.  Kegs, North and Anderson's reefs, right off the weedlines have also produced some "marble-eyes".

After Labor Day, we will be starting new shortened hours.  Starting on Tuesday, September 2nd, our hours are Monday-Friday 10 am - Sunset, and Saturday/Sunday from 8 am - Sunset.  We will be renting boats and pontoons into early September, but please call (952) 442-2096  to reserve as we have limited staff this time of year.

We want to thank our staff for another great summer this year!  Most of them are back to college or heading back to high school soon, and we're lucky to have such quality employees.  Earlier in the the month, we had an Employee fishing contest, and this year's winners were Carl Wenning and Nick Hughes, who teamed up to catch the most weight in bass for the night.  Here's a nice pic of the crew... from left to right (Avery Aalfs, Carl Wenning, Isaac Kluver, Eric Wolf, Jimmy Mase, Ben Mase, Curt Hodgin and Nick Hughes).

Lake Waconia Fishing and Lake Report 8-04-14

GREAT NEWS! The Carver County Sheriff has lifted the remaining wake restrictions on Lake Waconia. We are now back using the lake under the normal laws!

Now that the weather has finally settled down and things are back to normal at the lake, it's time to take advantage of the rest of the summer and get boating or fishing on Lake Waconia!  We're here with all of the basics to make your day on the lake a memorable one!  If you need re-fueling, we have 91-octane non-ethanol marine gas.  If you need the latest word on the bite, bait, tackle or if you just want to stop in for a snack or ice cream, we'll be here to greet you!  If you don't have a boat, we rent fishing boats with motors and have nice options for pontoon rental as well.  Take advantage of our Weekday 20% Off coupon for pontoon rental, which expires on Thursday, 8/21.  Just call to reserve at (952) 442-2096.

The bite has been good during this stretch of summer.  Bass have been active with multiple depths and styles of fishing working.  With the August algae bloom, it's always a great idea to throw topwater baits, like Scumfrogs in the shallows, especially early in the morning.  Some of the most fun is watching a lunker largemouth slam your bait at the surface!  If you're not into fishing the shallows, anglers using live bait such as leeches have had success in the weeds or on weed edges in 10 to 15 feet of water in areas like North, Center, Pillsbury and Cemetery Reefs.  If you're into artificial lures, some good options are Texas-rigged worms, jigs and spinnerbaits.

Sunfish and Crappie action has been surprisingly steady this summer.  There has been no shortage of panfish caught, although sorting has to be done to get keepers.  Working the weeds around Coney Island has been a good bet all year and continues to produce between 8 to 14 feet of water.  Fishing any of the reefs with good weeds is also productive.  Chunks of night crawler or wax worms have been the bait of choice for sunnies, along with crappie minnows for the crappies.

Walleye and northern pike have been more active this summer compared to previous years.  The walleyes have been best during low-light times, with action coming from Kegs, Anderson's and North Reef, and between the marinas.  The weed theme continues, as we're hearing of more fish coming from the weedlines than the deep water.  Expect to do a lot of catch and releasing for the walleyes, as a majority of the catches have been under the 16 inch Lake Waconia size limit as of late, although we've seen our fair share of keepers this summer too.   As for the pike, we've been seeing anglers bobber fishing with sucker minnows, as well as using artificials like spinnerbaits and trolling with cranks or spoons. 

We hope to see you at the lake!

Here are some of the best pics of the month of July...

UPDATE! Waconia "Entire Lake" Restriction Lifted....Now no wake within 300 feet from shore

Due to the high water back in late June, an entire lake No-Wake restriction was put on Lake Waconia June 21st, 2014. Lake levels are dropping and the "Entire Lake" portion of the restriction is being lifted at this time. Waconia will now be No wake within 300 feet from shore. Remember to give at least that much room, many docks are still close to being underwater around the lake.

Lake Waconia Fishing Report 7-7-14

As of this morning's writing, Lake Waconia is still under a no-wake restriction for the entire lake until further notice.  While pleasure boaters are patiently waiting to cruise at higher speeds, the no-wake has presented a great opportunity for some calmer day and night time fishing.  Areas that normally have a lot of high traffic are readily fishable. 

Walleyes have been a nice surprise this late spring and early summer!  We've had numerous reports from anglers catching lots of numbers, with the possibility of catching some keepers as well.  One of the areas close us, between the In Towne Marina and Lola's has been productive.  The evening or early morning bite has been best here near the weeds in 10 to 13 feet.  If you're fishing daytime, move a little deeper up to 20 feet. Working the weedline in Waconia Bay between 9 to 15 feet (depending on the time of day) has been productive as well.  The north and northwest side of Coney Island has produced some walleyes too. If you're venturing further out, the shallow weedlines of Pillsbury and Center reefs are worth checking out.  Using an 1/8 oz to 1/4 oz jig with a fathead minnow or leech has worked well.  Slip bobber fishing with a glow or red hook is always good on Waconia. Slow trolling a harness with a crawler is a good bet too.

The north side of Coney Island between 12 to 15 feet of water has been good for both sunfish and crappies. Waconia Bay and Harm's Point are two other close spots to us that have put out some fish. Chunks of a crawler or angle worm and waxies for the sunnies have been best.  Crappie minnows are great for the crappies.  Expect to do some sorting, but there have been some nice stringers and baskets full of fish! We've had some nice bass mixed in these same areas as well, along with the reefs further out like Center and North. If you prefer live bait, some are bobber fishing sucker minnows or using leeches.  Others might be flipping jigs or plastic worms, or casting spinnerbaits.  We've had a few reports of northern pike coming through as well, with anglers using the methods above.

Don't forget, you can rent a fishing boat and motor with gas for as little as $24 for 2 hours.  A pontoon boat with 40 hp motor and gas, for up to 9 people, can be rented for only $159 for 3 hours.  Call (952) 442-2096 or go to www.intownemarina.com for details.

We hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July Holiday!  It sure was eventful in Waconia with the Taste of Minnesota in town.  A lot of good music and food was had by the event goers.  The highlight for many was the nightly fireworks shows by the "Taste" and the double fireworks show on the 4th.  Once again, the Lake Waconia Fireworks show was something to be proud of!  Great job to all of those who helped put it together!  It was really exciting to watch as the normal Waconia show by the Regional Park ended with the finale at 10:20, and then immediately switching views to the west side of town by Bayview Elementary to see the action packed "Taste" show.

Here is a picture of some happy anglers!  Mike Olson, with the father son duo of Jami and Gus Schupp (10 years old), had a nice stringer of crappies, with a Gus catching the big fish of the day, a nice bass!  Great job fellas!

"A Taste of Lake Waconia"

In Towne Marina WELCOMES “A Taste Of Minnesota” and VISITORS 7/03-7/06/14!

In Towne Marina is excited this great event will be held at Waconia’s  Carver County Fairgrounds           from Thurs. July 3^rd to Sun., July 6^th . Come enjoy Great Food, Music and Fun near  the lake! Get a Taste of Country Living…Near the City at Our Marina. We are conveniently located on the South  Shore of Lake Waconia within walking distance from the “Taste” event , held in downtown Waconia!

Plan to go fishing or boating for a few hours while you’re here!  Check out our website at InTowneMarina.com  to see photos of our RENTAL Pontoons or 14’ Fishing Boats- you’ll find prices & information to Call NOW- to RESERVE [Recommended].  Relax aboard the boat as you enjoy beautiful views and Great fishing as you cruise the lake! Own your own boat?  Bring it along to launch at our stable, double-wide Access dock. Our access is much easier to use than the Public accesses on the lake. Access fees are $5 weekdays and $10 Weekends and Holidays.

Stop at our convenient Gas Dock to fill up [Non-oxygenated No ethanol 91 Octane] head into our shop to find everything from ski tow ropes to a bag of ice!  We carry Marine supplies; Fishing Tackle & Live Bait.    Enjoy the view from our deck with a snack; beverage or ice cream treat- or just to find local information & pleasant conversation.    

TWO Fireworks shows begin at dusk this July 4^th in Waconia. Our shop remains open late that night until both Fireworks displays are over! Waconia’s’ show begins 1st at dusk usually 10pm [shot from the east end Carver County Waconia Regional Park over the lake] - followed by the “Taste of MN” - sponsored Show [shot near the event- over the West end of the city].  Watch the sky at 10:30 PM nightly 7/03 to 7/06 for the “Taste of MN” Fireworks  Display  for all to enjoy!

Don’t miss Great MUSIC; Great FOOD; Great BOATING & FISHING HERE with Waconia hospitality!     COME SEE US anytime  this Summer [Regular hours: Mon- Fri 7:30 am- 8:30 pm  & Sat/Sun 6:30am-8:30 pm].

                               

 PS: As of this writing “No Wake” 5mph maximum boat speed remains on Lake Waconia -until further notice.

No Wake Restriction on Lake Waconia (entire lake)

Due to the extreme rainfall and high water, Lake Waconia has been placed under a No Wake restriction on the entire lake by the Carver County Sheriff until further notice.  We will update as soon as we find out that the restriction has been lifted.

Summer-like weather is here! Rent a Pontoon or get on the lake for some GOOD fishing!

Now that the weather and the water temps have warmed up, it's time to enjoy the lake with a group of friends or family by renting one of our pontoons!  We have two 21 foot pontoons and one 20 foot pontoon that hold up to 9 adults each.  Our new edition to our fleet is a 24 foot pontoon that will hold up to 12 people and will be ready soon once it's completely configured for rental.  Gas is INCLUDED with Pontoon Rentals.  We also rent 14 foot fishing boats with motors!  Give us a call at 952-442-2096 to reserve and get on beautiful Lake Waconia!  Click the link for the Pontoon & Boat Rental page to learn more...http://www.intownemarina.com/Pontoon&BoatRental.htm

As for the fishing report, the bite has been good when the weather has allowed anglers to be on the lake.  The sunfish spawning period is on.  Expect plenty of action for sunnies in the shallows and weedlines.  Generally 3 to 8 feet of water is best right now.  Crappies can be found in the same depths or a touch deeper, although their spawning period is over.  Fishing in reeds, in Reinke's Bay, Waconia Bay, Harms Point, and the shallow parts of Pillsbury Reef are just some of the areas to give a try.

Bass have been biting well all over.  Anglers are catching them while panfishing as well as walleye fishing.  The Rock Dock, Peterson's Creek (the Carp Trap), and reeds are good shallow spots to try.  Center, Cemetery and North Reef would be worthy areas to target in the weeds and outer weedlines.

Those looking for walleye have been fishing low light times of day for the best success. Harms Point, the Clay Banks, North and Kegs Reef would be good places to start.  Large or Jumbo leeches have been a popular choice, with fathead minnows doing good as well. Don't forget, walleyes must be 16 inches to keep on Waconia!

With Muskie season almost here, we won't be shocked to hear of some big fish stories.  Fishermen have seen their fair share of them following up panfish catches and cruising the surface.  The season opens up this Saturday the 7th, so let the big baits fly!

We have all of your fishing needs, with bait, tackle, and good deals on rods and reels!  Stop in for a quick snack, beverage or ice cream.  Don't forget we sell 91 octane, non-ethanol marine gas as well.

We hope to see you at the lake!

Open for the Season starting Friday, May 2nd! Boat Access is temporarily unavailable.

We are excited to be open for the season starting tomorrow, May 2^nd for all of your bait, tackle and license needs!  However, due to the extreme week of rain and wind, which delayed our dock installation progress, our boat access will NOT be open for use this weekend and potentially the early part of next week. Once we are able to get our launch dock installed and safe for use, we will announce when the access will be available.  Our shop hours for the next week are 8:30 am – 7 pm.  Don’t forget, we are open ALL NIGHT on Friday, May 9^th for the Fishing Opener, closing at 8 pm on Saturday.  Sunday, May 11^th our hours will be 6:30 am – 8 pm.

Thanks again for your patience while we construct our marina docks.

Lake Waconia Marina Spring Update 4-23-14

The ice is FINALLY off of Lake Waconia as of today and we will be preparing our marina in the coming days and weeks to get ready for the open water fishing and boating season!  When weather cooperates we will be installing and building our dock system.  Because it takes several work days to get a head start on that process, the shop and access will not be open immediately. We ARE looking forward to opening for the season on Friday, May 2nd! Our shop will be open from 8:30 am to 7 pm for that week leading up to the fishing opener.  We will be open ALL NIGHT on Friday, May 9th for the Fishing Opener, closing on Saturday, May 10th at 8 pm. Sunday, May 11th our hours are 6:30 am - 8 pm.  We will announce future hours after the opener weekend at a later time.

Once open, we'll be here for your fishing and boating needs!  We'll have a full assortment of bait, and great tackle options for the spring bite!  If you need a new rod and reel, we've got great prices on some nice combos spooled up with line.  We will announce later when our Boat & Motor and Pontoon Rental begins, but if you like to plan ahead for the summer, we're happy to take reservations.  Gas won't be immediately available on the lake, but we'll be working to get it ready and will announce when it's up and running.

Thanks for your patience while we get ready for what we hope will be beautiful late Spring and Summer!

Closing for the Season after Sunday, March 2nd.

We want to thank all of our customers for another good ice fishing season on Lake Waconia.  We will be closing our shop for the winter season after Sunday, March 2nd.  We will leave our access open for use while we're closed, but will not be keeping it plowed after the 2nd.  The access will be shut down if there is too much March snow or when it deteriorates after Spring warmth.  Our Spring shop hours will resume when the ice is off the lake.

Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing you when there is open water!

Lake Roads are OPEN! 2/22/14

Good news! We were able to plow roads past Waconia Bay, to Center Reef and around to Pillsbury Reef today.  The roads are much narrower than usual, so drive slow and use caution when passing other vehicles.  If you are looking to fish near the road, please park so you don't clog the lane and drill all holes at least 25 feet from the road so you don't potentially flood it.  There is a lot of weight on the ice now from all of the heavy snow, so don't expect much freeboard.

We'll be doing our best to keep the current roads open, but pay attention for any future snow.  If we get any more measurable snowstorms, it will be increasingly more difficult to keep the roads open and to retrieve permanent houses off the ice.  Don't forget permanent fish houses must be off the lake by March 3rd.

Quick Lake Road Update - 2/21/14

Due to the extreme snowfall last night and the continuing blowing snow, the current lake roads are non-existent at this time. They are blown completely shut and will be until further notice. It will all depend on the winds we get in the coming days and the difficulty plowing.  We will be doing our best to create a road if possible to the main areas of Waconia Bay, Center Reef and Pillsbury Reef.  We will NOT be plowing a road to Cemetery Reef, or beyond the areas listed above.  We'll update this blog with more reports in the coming days.

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Update 2/2/14

The wind has been blowing, and the snow has been flying on Lake Waconia! We have been out with the plow trucks, and the lake roads are open! We maintain roads that go to the major fishing spots! On the roads you can make your way out to Waconia Bay, Center Reef, Pillsbury Reef, Wagner's Bay and Cemetery Reef. There are plowed areas along the road to exit off. Off roading is getting more difficult, especially when pulling a wheel house. Make sure you have a capable four wheel drive and a shovel if venturing to far off road.

The fishing has remained good on Lake Waconia! Northern Pike have continued to bite on small or medium sucker minnows. Folks are still catching them along the weed edge in Waconia Bay, Center Reef and Pillsbury Reef. Any good weed edge could produce pike right now.

In the daytime crappies and sunfish have still been doing well along the weed edges. The same areas the pike are being found are good places to find them too. The beauty of the shallow areas is the mixed bag potential. The deeper water in Wagner's Bay (17'-25' of water) has still been producing lots of crappies in the late afternoon/evening hours.

Don't forget to weigh your qualifying fish in our FREE Ice and Dice contest!  With less than a month left in the giveaway, bring your Lake Waconia fish in to weigh during business hours to have a chance to win up to $101.  All it takes is a 5.5 oz. Sunfish, a 10 oz. Crappie, a 5# Northern or a Walleye between 16 to 23 inches or over 28 inches to qualify.  We'd love to see you're fish and take your picture!

If you're looking to get on the ice, and want it to be an easy, pleasant experience, try out our Fish House Rentals.  We drill the holes, and the heat is on!  All you need is a license, rods, and bait.  If you don't have some of the equipment, we rent jig sticks either individually, or in buckets for a group.  Underwater cameras are also available to rent!  We also sell licenses, bait, tackle and snacks!  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve.

We'll see ya on the lake!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1/24/14

Vintage Snowmobile fun on Lake Waconia this Weekend! Come on out to see some classic Sleds motoring around on the ice! The 24^th annual Snowmobile Ride In Event is always so much fun to see and or visit! Click on this link for more info! http://www.mwvss.com/

The fishing has remained good on Lake Waconia since our last update. Northern Pike are being consistently caught on the weed lines in 10’ to 14’ of water on most of the reefs or bays. Center reef and Waconia Bay have produced several fish very recently. Medium Sucker minnows on Plain hooks, or Sucker Rigs are working great. Tip-up fishing can be tough in the extreme cold that we have been enduring lately. Put that sucker down that hole on the other end of your house and wait out that big Pike!

Sunfish and Crappie anglers have been smiling lately. In 20’ to 25’ hole south of Pillsbury Reef, suspended crappies have been visiting the evening anglers. The weed lines in Waconia Bay, Center Reef, Pillsbury reef and Wagner’s Bay have all been producing Sunfish and Crappies depending on the day and or bite.

Don't forget to weigh your qualifying fish in our FREE Ice and Dice contest!  With less than a month left in the giveaway, bring your Lake Waconia fish in to weigh during business hours to have a chance to win up to $101.  All it takes is a 5.5 oz. Sunfish, a 10 oz. Crappie, a 5# Northern or a Walleye between 16 to 23 inches or over 28 inches to qualify.  We'd love to see you're fish and take your picture!

If you're looking to get on the ice, and want it to be an easy, pleasant experience, try out our Fish House Rentals.  We drill the holes, and the heat is on!  All you need is a license, rods, and bait.  If you don't have some of the equipment, we rent jig sticks either individually, or in buckets for a group.  Underwater cameras are also available to rent!  We also sell licenses, bait, tackle and snacks!  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve.

We'll see ya on the lake!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1/16/14

Lake Waconia continues to be pumping out fish for the hundreds of anglers trekking on the ice.  The northern pike bite has continued to be very strong with fish ranging in all sizes from 4 to 10 pounds being weighed in.  The usual spots of Waconia Bay, Center and Pillsbury have still been very productive.  Small to medium sucker minnows have generally been the bait of choice.  Walleye action has tapered off a little, but to have the best success we suggest finding depths between 12 to 16 feet of water away from heavy traffic areas.

We continue to catch plenty of sunfish and crappies as well.  Sorting to get keepers is the prevalent theme of the season.  We're catching them in 10 to 14 feet in Waconia Bay, Center and Pillsbury Reefs.  The main difference lately has been the bite in the deeper water south of Pillsbury. Anglers have been finding crappies suspended 4 to 8 feet off the bottom in 20 to 24 feet of water.  So it's been encouraging to see action both shallow and deep.

The ice on the lake is in very good shape, but with the snow and wind, expect plenty of large drifts all over. We will be plowing normal roads when winds diminish.  It's important to mention we did find 1 open spring in the deep water between Cemetery and Anderson's Reefs.  We marked it with lath board and caution tape.  Keep you're eyes open for anything that looks unusual if you're driving to areas that are lightly fished or haven't been traveled to yet.

Last weekend we had a free fishing sunfish and crappie contest to thank our customers with Winter Season Passes.  Some nice fish were weighed!  The winner with the biggest crappie who received a $50 Gift certificate was Mark Young with a 1# 1 ouncer.  2nd Place was Bob Theis who won a Rod and Reel Combo with a 13.5 ounce crappie.  The sunfish winner was Raynard Becker, who won the $50 Gift Certificate with a 5.8 ouncer.  Lee Olson finished 2nd and got the Rod and Reel Combo with a 5.1 ounce sunnie!  Thanks all Winter Season Pass holders for your continued business!

Don't forget to weigh your qualifying fish in our FREE Ice and Dice contest!  With less than a month left in the giveaway, bring your Lake Waconia fish in to weigh during business hours to have a chance to win up to $101.  All it takes is a 5.5 oz. Sunfish, a 10 oz. Crappie, a 5# Northern or a Walleye between 16 to 23 inches or over 28 inches to qualify.  We'd love to see you're fish and take your picture!

If you're looking to get on the ice, and want it to be an easy, pleasant experience, try out our Fish House Rentals.  We drill the holes, and the heat is on!  All you need is a license, rods, and bait.  If you don't have some of the equipment, we rent jig sticks either individually, or in buckets for a group.  Underwater cameras are also available to rent!  We also sell licenses, bait, tackle and snacks!  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve.

We'll see ya on the lake!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Update 1/6/14

Through the 1st week of the New Year, the fishing action has been very good.  Despite sub-zero temps, we've been pleasantly surprised with the bite.  Most of the activity on the ice has come from 3 main areas. Waconia Bay, Center Reef and Pillsbury Reef have been the most populated spots with anglers, and a lot of the reported fish have been coming from there.

We've had a run of really good Northern Pike fishing.  We've had numerous pike weighed in between 4 to 12 pounds.  Small to medium sucker minnows have been working best, generally between 10 to 14 feet of water.  With the temps warming this upcoming weekend, it would be a good idea to get your tip-ups ready to take advantage of the best pike bite in years.  Walleyes are still biting, although the majority of the reported catches are fish under the legal size limit of 16 inches.

Sunfish and Crappies continue to be plentiful.  Again, 10 to 14 feet of water is the depth range you'll have the best success.  While it's still common to do a lot of sorting to get keepers, we have been seeing a better ratio of bigger ones since the new year.  Sunnies are biting well on wax worms and larva, while the crappies are doing best on crappie minnows.  While the best time of day for the crappies continues to be after 3 pm, we are still getting a daytime bite that has made plenty of people happy.

The ice has been building daily during this arctic stretch of weather.  While we're seeing the majority of thicknesses ranging between 18 to 24 inches of ice, we have still seen some small areas with as little as 10 inches.  We have yet to venture to North, Reds, Kegs or Anderson's to do a thorough ice check, so if you're looking to get away from the large groups, we still suggest to do some checking ahead of yourself before driving a vehicle to an untraveled location.

Don't forget about our FREE Ice and Dice game.  If you weigh in a qualifying fish (sunfish, crappie, walleye or northern are eligible) that meets the weight or length requirements, you will have a chance to win a prize up to $100 if you're really lucky!  Bring your Lake Waconia catch in during business hours (we're here until 6 pm every night) to weigh and qualify your fish, and get your picture taken.

Our fish house rental season has been off to a good start.  If you're looking to get on the ice, and want it to be an easy, pleasant experience, try us out.  We drill the holes, and the heat is on!  All you need is a license, rods, and bait.  If you don't have some of the equipment, we rent jig sticks either individually, or in buckets for a group.  Underwater cameras are also available to rent!  We also sell licenses, bait, tackle and snacks!  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve.

Winter Season Pass holders, pay attention in the coming days!  We will be having a fishing contest this weekend in appreciation for your business.  All you need to be qualified for the contest is your season pass. We'll give out more details later in the week. Watch signs by the access.

We look forward to seeing you on the lake as the weather gets a little warmer!