In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Fishing Report - 5/18/16

Another Fishing Opener has gone by with the weather stealing the headlines.  Cold temps and high winds made it difficult for the few anglers that braved it on Saturday.  Water temps dipped to just 50 degrees by mid-Saturday.  But, as conditions slowly improved, the bite did as well.  We have had some good walleye reports for the few days since the opening day.  While those out in the late evenings or early mornings have had success fishing in less than 8 feet of water, there have been a surprising number of reports of walleyes being caught late afternoon into the early evening between 14 to 18 feet of water.  Jigs with fatheads or leeches have been working, and not surprisingly, slip bobber fishing with a leech has been productive.  Areas like Kegs Reef, North Reef and Harms Point are a few locations to have success.  Don’t hesitate to fish the points of Coney Island as well, as they are worth hitting up.  So far we’ve had a couple of 3 pounders, a 5 pounder, and a 28 incher reported, along with several in the 17 to 18 inch range.  Not a bad start considering how difficult Saturday was!

As for the crappie bite, just like the walleyes, it was tougher over the weekend.  However, as water temps have climbed into the upper 50’s to low 60’s again, we are seeing more action happening!  Waconia Bay and the Pillsbury Reef area continue to pump out decent keepers on crappie minnows.  The north side of Coney Island has been great the previous few years, and would be a good option as well. Along with the crappies are mixed in sunfish.  While the sunnies aren’t quite spawning yet, if the water temps stabilize in the mid-60’s, we’ll see an influx of beds appearing in the shallows. Wax worms or a chunk of night crawler or angle worm would be a great choice to pair with your jig/hook and bobber rig, or small spinner.

Bass have been very productive since the warm-up, as they usually are in the spring.  If you’re trying for any of the above mentioned species, you will likely have a bass bite or several.  The favorite bait for bass generally is leeches, but they aren’t too picky at the moment.  Keep in mind, as of now, it’s still catch-and-release only for largemouths.  The bass season opens on May 27^th.

Our shop hours have extended since the Opener.  We are now open Monday thru Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 am to 8 pm. We will further extend our hours starting Memorial Day Weekend!

Our fishing boat and pontoon rental season has started!  We have anxiously waited for some consistently nice spring weather, and we now have it. Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve and get on beautiful Lake Waconia for some good fishing or relaxation!

 

 Here is a link to the Pontoon Prices: http://www.intownemarina.com/Pontoon%20Rental%20Prices.pdf

Here is the link to the Boat and Motor Prices: http://www.intownemarina.com/Boat%20&%20Motor%20Rental%20Prices.pdf

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Fishing Report - Opener 2016

The Fishing Opener is almost upon us, and we'll be open ALL NIGHT this Friday the 13th to celebrate the Opener and take care of your fishing needs!

While it’s seemed like forever since the ice went out, Lake Waconia’s water temps still haven’t gotten over 57 degrees, and likely will be lower 50’s come Saturday.  However, due to the early ice out, expect more weed growth than normal for the Opener.  Because water temps are still in the 50’s, we expect the overnight bite to be best in less than 10 feet of water like most years.  With it being predicted to be a sunny Saturday, those fishing in the afternoon will want to fish in the 12 to 16 foot range.

Areas like Harm’s Point, the Carp Trap, the Rock Dock and weedlines along the Clay Banks/Reinke’s Bay, and wind-blown areas near the beach and around the northwest side of Coney Island will all be good places to target Walleyes during low-light hours.  It will be tougher using deeper crankbaits this year due to the heavier weed growth, so we recommend using shallow diving cranks, jigs with leeches or fatheads, or slip bobber fishing with a leech or shiner for those with the patience to do so.  Center Reef and North Reef would be worth trying for those of you fishing walleyes during the day.

If crappies are what you’ll be looking for this Opener, the lake continues to produce nice action!  We are still seeing the best bites coming from the Waconia Bay weeds in 9 to 14 feet of water.  It wouldn’t be shocking to see some walleyes come from there as well.  Crappie minnows are still the best option for the crappies.  If you’re looking to get away from Waconia Bay for crappies, we suggest trying the weeds on the north side of the lake, the north side of Coney Island, as well as Pillsbury and Center Reefs.  If you need protection from a north wind, the south side of Coney Island and by Cemetery Reef has been good at times as well.

Whether you're going out on Lake Waconia or trying out a different lake this Opener, we have plenty of leeches, crawlers, fatheads and shiners on hand!  If the winds cooperate, we will be renting boats and pontoons starting on Saturday! Stop in to say hi and warm up, and get the latest reports!

Happy Opener!