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!
