In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Fishing Report - 5/26/17

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and with that come extended summer hours.  Starting this weekend, our hours are now Sunday thru Friday from 7:30 am until 8:30 pm and on Saturday from 6:30 am until 8:30 pm.  The past 2 weeks we’ve had water temps fluctuate from 69 degrees on Mother’s Day to 55 degrees last Sunday.  It’s back on the climb, as today’s surface water temp hit 64 degrees.  That should help reignite the sunfish, crappie and bass bite on Lake Waconia.  Expect to have good success in the shallows like the reeds on the northwest side of the lake, the Carp Trap (Peterson’s Creek) and by the Rock Dock.

Walleyes would be worth trying on the reefs such as Keg’s Reef, Center Reef, Cemetery Reef or North Reef.  Fishing around 12 to 18 feet of water with leeches or fatheads is most popular.  However, crawlers work well too in early summer pattern fishing.  If you’re a slip bobber fisherman, we still have shiners!  We won’t have them for long, so get them while you can.

The pike bite has been good so far this spring.  Trolling with spoons or diving cranks has worked.  It never hurts to bobber fish with a sucker minnow, which along with pike can also produce some big bass.  Speaking of bass, Saturday is the official Bass Opener, so you can now keep them if you’d like.

We are in full boat rental season!  We have fishing boats that accommodate 3 to 4 people, as well as pontoon boats that accommodate up to 9 adults for 3 of our 20 foot pontoons and up to 12 people for our 24 foot pontoon.  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve!

Have a safe and fun-filled Memorial Weekend Holiday!  We’ll see you at the lake!

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Fishing Report - 5/10/17 - Open ALL NIGHT Friday 5/12 for the Opener!

The Fishing Opener is almost here! Once again we will be open all ALL NIGHT this Friday the 12th for the Opener with plenty of bait (fatheads, shiners, leeches, crawlers, etc...), tackle and snacks to keep you going!  Whether you are heading on Lake Waconia or checking out a different lake, we hope to see you! 

After opener, our hours until Memorial Weekend will be Sunday thru Friday from 8 am to 8 pm and Saturday from 7 am to 8 pm.  We have 3 of our fishing boats ready for rent starting Saturday morning.  Pontoon rental will begin the weekend of the 20^th/21^st. Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve! We begin pumping gas starting this Friday, with pump hours ending at 7:30 pm.  Our gas is 91 octane, marine grade non-ethanol, perfect for all your watercraft.

It’s been over 2 months since the ice officially left the lake, and water temps are in the upper 50’s (58.6 degrees as of the morning of 5/9/17) to low 60’s. With air temps in the 70’s this weekend, we’ll see lake water stay above that 60 degree barrier, which is rare for opener weekend.  With the higher water temps and earlier than usual weed growth, we don’t expect usual Opener fishing conditions.  Of course it’s never a bad idea to try areas like the Rock Dock, Carp Trap (Peterson’s Creek on the NW side of the lake) and Harm’s Point.  But, if those usual good Opener locations aren’t producing walleyes, it might be a good idea to head to the breaks off reefs such as North, Kegs, Red’s or Anderson’s.  Slip bobber fishing is a great approach, but if you don’t have the patience for that, jigging with a fathead or leech is smart.

We’ve had a good several weeks of crappie fishing on Waconia so far.  As with most spring fishing, the weather dictates the bite.  When the weather has been reasonable, anglers have been pulling out keepers in the 10 to 11 inch range with some bigger.  Most of the spring, fishing out in Waconia Bay has been best in 12 to 15 feet of water.  With water temps rising, we expect the shallow bite to pick up, with crappies likely to be found around the reeds on the NW side of the lake, Pillsbury Reef/Old Camp Manakiki area, shallow weeds on the north end and around the marinas.  The sunfish bite has been better than usual so far, and expect it to pick up even more, as they get closer to their spawning pattern.

As for us at the marina, we thank you for your patience this spring as we have had a lot of projects going on!  We have completed our dock installation and are in the process of getting boats back into slips and on moorings.  You’ll notice some changes to the surface of our parking lot.  In conjunction with the City of Waconia and Carver County, there have been surface water runoff design changes to both our lot and the street coming down our hill.  These improvements will greatly reduce storm water runoff, with proper filtration into the lake.  This project also enhances the use and look of our marina!  There is still work being done this week, so again, thanks for your patience.  The project will resume in September for completion.

Have a safe and Happy Opener!