Lake Waconia Fishing Report - 5/22/15

What a day to get on Lake Waconia! Enjoy the nicest day of the Spring. Plenty of fish are still biting! If you're looking to get a big tug on your fishing pole, bass are biting extremely well. We are seeing them biting in all depths. Lots of movement in the shallows for panfish too. Sunfish and crappies are well worth getting your line wet. For those interested in walleyes, it continues to be a strong bite. Fatheads and leeches are working best. We are still hearing anglers having success in 4 to 8 feet at night and 14 to 18 feet of water during the day. It's a great time to take the family out fishing.

We've got our pontoon and boat & motor fleet all ready to go, so contact us at (952)-442-2096 to reserve if you're looking to get on the lake!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Weekend!

Lake Waconia Opener Week Fishing Report 5-14-15

Despite the up and down weather, the overall bite has been solid for several species right now.  It’s especially a good time to get out fishing for walleyes on Waconia!  The Opener week was generally a success, as we heard good reports coming from multiple anglers catching plenty of nice keepers between 16 to 19 inches, with some released in the 22 to 26 inch range. The evening or early morning bite was good in 4 to 8 feet of water.  Jigging or slip bobber fishing with a leech or fathead worked well for some, while others casted crankbaits.  For the late-morning or daytime fishermen, we were hearing the bite was best between 13 to 18 feet.  Water temps remain in the upper 50’s, so the early patterns should stay in play.

While many were out targeting walleyes for this week, we had reports of a strong bass bite, which wasn’t much of a shocker since it’s their prime spawning time.  Expect those to be best in the shallows.  Just remember they must be released until Bass Opener on the 23^rd.  Crappies continue to bite well on crappie minnows, and the sunfish activity has started to pick up as well. We are seeing those in 5 to 12 feet.  It’s a fun time to get the family out fishing!

We are renting some of our boats and pontoons beginning this weekend!  We will have our full fleet ready to go for Memorial Weekend, so get your reservation on the books to enjoy a fun day on Lake Waconia!  Call (952)-442-2096 to reserve.

We have Gas available now!  Our 91-Octane, Non-Oxygenated (Non-Ethanol) Marine-Grade gas is recommended for use in all marine engines.  The pump is shut down 15 minutes prior to our store closing time.

Our Hours until Memorial Day Weekend continue to be Monday thru Friday: 8 am – 8 pm, and Saturday/Sunday: 6:30 – 8 pm.  We will be extending our hours after the Memorial Weekend.

We hope to see you at the lake!

Lake Waconia Fishing Report: Open ALL Night Friday 5/8 for Opener!

The Fishing Opener is almost here! Despite the early ice out this spring, the weather has varied enough that the water temperature isn't abnormal for the time of year as it just recently began approaching 60 degrees on Lake Waconia.  Therefore, we are hoping for a good post-spawn walleye bite!  We expect that you will find action in traditional shallower spots, such as the Rock Dock, the Carp Trap or Harm's Point, particularly in the overnight hours. Having said that, during the day it makes sense to move a tad deeper to fish some of the reefs in 12 to 15 feet of water, especially due to the noticeably clearer water we've seen this spring.  Reefs like Center, North, Keg's, and Anderson's might be more productive due to the earlier seasonal start.  We still think that baits like Large Leeches and either Fathead Minnows or Shiner Minnows will be best to catch the most fish, although crawlers have worked well some years on the Opener. Always keep in mind, Lake Waconia has a 16 inch walleye minimum.

For those that like to target northern pike on the Opener, we feel good about the prospects to get some action.  This winter, we continued to see numerous catches in the 4 to 8 pound range.  Reefs like Pillsbury, Center and North are great areas to focus if you are casting.  While trolling shouldn't be to troublesome, as the weeds aren't as high as you'd expect for the ice being gone for over a month.  Locations to troll, like the south side in front of the cemetery, by the beach, and on the east side by the Clay Banks should all be good spots to try. Sucker minnows are a popular choice for live bait fishermen.

Regulations on Largemouth Bass changed this year!  Now, anglers have the chance to actively fish for bass for a 2-week "Catch and Release" period.  Keep in mind, you will NOT be able to keep bass until the official Bass Opener on May 23rd.  Early season bass are always good in the shallows, as they will typically be in their spawning pattern in early May.

As for the other legal species, we continue to hear plenty of good reports of crappie action!  It has continued to be productive by the weeds of Waconia Bay in 8 to 12 feet of water.  Crappie minnows and jigs such as Flu Flus have been popular. So far, we have been surprised that we haven't seen much crappie movement in the shallows by our docks.  Last year they seemed to spawn a little outside the shallow zones, and so far it appears to be another year like that. The sunfish spawn is still a couple of weeks away, so while you may get into some action, the best bite is yet to come!

A safety reminder for all boaters on Waconia...this spring the water levels are lower than they have been for several years.  Keep that in mind when cruising out from or to shorelines, especially in the Nelson's Flats area and the shallow part of Pillsbury Reef on the NW side of the lake.  You don't want to start your season with prop damage.  If you do get unlucky and ding your prop, we offer repair service through BC Propeller.  We get props picked up and delivered every Monday and Thursday during the heart of the season.

We look forward to seeing you as we get into this exciting time of year!  We are OPEN ALL NIGHT on Friday, May 8th for the Opener to take care of your bait and tackle needs and to help get you the info you need for a successful day.  Stop in to say hi, or to have a quick snack and warm up!

For those of you not fishing that are taking part in Waconia Chamber's "Sister Saturday", be 1 of 100 early shoppers receiving free swag bags that include a Pontoon Rental discount from us!

If you are interested in renting a fishing boat or pontoon, give us a call for future reservations.  Our rental season will begin on the weekend of May 16th!

We hope to see you soon.  Happy Opener and good luck!