Our Final Winter Weekend

 This weekend (3/1 & 3/2/25) we will allow walking, ATVs and Side by Sides through our access. We are not allowing cars, trucks, skid houses, or wheel houses of any size through our access.  Remember that after Sunday 3/2/25 our bait shop and access will be closed for the Winter season.

 Thanks

Access and bait shop update

 Our access will be closed to driving Cars and Trucks starting Thursday, 2/27/25. ATVs and Side by Sides will still be allowed. On Friday, 2/28/25 we will post an update explaining what we will be allowing through here for the weekend.

The bait shop will be open from 9 am to 5 pm from Thursday, 2/27/25 through Sunday, 3/2/25. The bait shop and access will be closed for the season after Sunday.

Thanks

In Towne Marina Lake and Ice Report 2/25/25

 2/25/25 The water that covered the ice during the last couple of days has drained through drain holes and the softening ice. The Warm weather ahead will continue to diminish what was some of our best ice in years. Most houses have moved off the ice. Our access is hanging in there but can only take so much of the extremely warm and sunny weather. We will continue to update you daily when it makes sense. Thanks

In Towne Marina Lake and Ice Report 2/24/25

It’s wet out there! In just over 24 hours conditions have significantly changed on Lake Waconia! Many of the houses that were on the lake have left. The snow has melted and is now water on top of the ice. The ice is still 20 plus inches and not honeycombed or deteriorating yet. Around many of the remaining houses significant water is pooling up. If the water doesn't drain through the ice before Thursday and Friday, things could get serious when the predicted winds come. When your house is sitting there during an extended warm period the ice under the weight of your fish house can sag. As water accumulates it sags worse. When it sags enough that all the freeboard is gone (positive freeboard is when the ice is floating above the lake’s water level) water starts running down your holes (or makes its own holes). When we get high wind mixed with warm temps and water draining through the ice under or near your fish house there can be serious problems.

One winter in the mid-to-late 1980’s (1986?) and one in the Early 2000’s (2002?) This happened

and MANY permanent houses went through the ice during these similar extreme weather events. It’s important to point out that many fish houses are heavier nowadays than during those previous times.

We also want to point out another factor that contributed to some of the first houses that went through the ice. Height of the house off the ice. Fish houses that were on wheels that were left cranked UP or houses that were blocked super high or wheel houses that couldn’t crank down like a camper seemed to go through FIRST! The houses high off the ice let the wind and water swirl under them opening up holes worse than the houses closer to the ice. Ice thickness doesn’t matter as much when heavy swirling occurs under houses. We recommend NOT leaving your house out there cranked UP!

Our access is holding up well but can only take so much traffic during this long warm stretch. If you have a tandem fish house and wish to use our access to remove it from the ice, it’s important to do that sooner than later as we will likely be limiting use of the access as each day goes by. We will more than likely NOT be allowing houses to enter onto the ice this weekend, but will update that news as we know more.

In Towne Marina Lake and Ice Report 2/23/25

 A major warm up is here! With gamefish season closing tonight 2/23 and a lot of warm weather ahead of us, many houses have been leaving the lake today. We will be pulling our rental fish houses off the ice early this week. The houses have to be off the ice by the end of Monday 3/3/25, but removing yours earlier might be a good idea when looking at the forecast. General ice thickness hasn’t changed (over 20”) and our access is in good shape at the moment. Later in the week and next weekend might be a different story. With high winds predicted for Friday 2/28, keeping a very close eye on your house would be a good idea if you insist on leaving it out there for the final weekend.

We will update you as conditions change.

In Towne Marina Lake and Ice Report 2/14/25

Happy Valentines Day! We are loving conditions on Lake Waconia! Ice is over 20 inches in most areas and growing. Getting around off-road has been easy since last weeks minimal snow (enough to lightly bank your house). If the weather predictions are correct we will have another couple inches of banking snow for Saturday morning 2/15. If needed we will clean up our roads late tonight or early tomorrow morning 2/15

Our roads currently head to 

• Waconia Bay
• Center Reef
• Pillsbury Reef
• Wagener’s Bay deep hole
• The Walleye Hump/Hole
• Cemetery Reef

After Friday's snow, getting around off road should still be pretty easy with most vehicles. Keep you eyes peeled for marked springs, branches in old "Spear Holes" and hard snow banks from old fish house spots.

See you on the ice!

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 2/5/25

 Snow! It looks like we have a couple chances for some snow this week and weekend! We have all wanted banking snow for a while and it’s looking promising. If we get some white stuff tonight Wednesday 2/5 and a lot of wind (40 mph gusts predicted) on Thursday 2/6 we won’t be plowing much until Friday 2/7. 

Saturday 2/8 looks like our best chance for significant snow so far this season. If you have a fish house off on your own away from the crowd, make sure you have a capable vehicle as getting around on the lake is going to get more difficult soon.

By the end of Sunday 2/9 we plan to have roads to the following areas. 

• Waconia Bay
• Center Reef
• Pillsbury Reef
• Wagener’s Bay deep hole
• The Walleye Hump/Hole
• Cemetery Reef

If a road is needed up on the North side of the lake we will work on that next week.

We will update you as predictions and conditions change on Lake Waconia

See you on the ice.

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/30/25

Happy Thursday! Many of you have asked us about this week’s warm-up and the impact to the Lake Waconia’s ice. To preface, while ice is never safe, conditions currently remain very good! For us, it’s business as usual and our access remains open. We still have 20 plus inches of ice in most areas. While it is never ideal to have temps in the upper 40’s with sunshine glaring on the ice, a couple of things are working in our favor to minimize the impact of this weather. The lack of snow helps. While there will be some surface ice melting, since the winds are light (today/tonight) and there isn’t much water on the ice, there should be little issue with water swirling in holes etc. Also, thankfully temps are forecasted to drop into the 20’s each night during this warm stretch.

While it is important to check on your house if you have one on the lake, we are not pushing the panic button. Look over our previous reports to see the areas to avoid on the lake, specifically the pressure ridge on the NE side of the lake and spring activity. We will update if we see any changes to the conditions of the ice.

We’ll see you on the lake.

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/23/25

Avery was on the ice today (1/23/25) drilling a bunch of holes to get updated thicknesses and look at changes to the ice since the deep freeze. Lake-wide he was measuring ice between 18 to 22 inches, with a lot of it around 20 inches thick. The old goose/swan hole east of the island that was open a few weeks into the ice season is now between 16 to 18 inches thick. Since things have thickened to this point, we are now allowing all tandem houses to use our access.

As for what to avoid, many of you already know to stay away from the pressure ridge on the northeast side of the lake that extends along the east shoreline towards Reinke’s Bay. That ridge has gotten much bigger and as the video shows, there is a lot of standing water on the edges of it. The County Road 92 access has a very large heave and is now impassable. The access at the County Park is heaved as well (see pic below), with a deep drift and is very difficult to use unless you have high clearance on your vehicle. Look it over before trying to cross it. We haven’t noticed any changes with the springs on the lake other than what we have marked earlier in the winter. Avoid any of those areas that are marked with lath board and flagging tape.

Access fees per day are $2 to walk on (per person 16 years and older) and $5 to drive on (ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Snowmobiles, Cars and Trucks). A Winter Access Season Pass is $40.

We still have availability if you’re looking to rent a fish house! Saturdays are filling fast, but Sundays we have some room to book. They are set up about a mile out near Center Reef. If you’d like to set up a reservation, give us a call at (952) 442-2096.

We’ll see you on the ice!

 

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/16/25

 Avery drilled 60 holes during his ice check yesterday, 1/15/25. He was finding 15.5 to 17.5 inches of ice with much of it being 16 to 17 inches where he checked.  Starting Saturday, 1/18/25, we will be allowing access to small tandems with ¾ ton and 1-ton trucks. No huge houses yet. 

Access fees per day are $2 to walk on (per person 16 years and older) and $5 to drive on (ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Snowmobiles, Cars and Trucks). A Winter Access Season Pass is $40.

We are now currently renting fish houses! They are set up about a mile out near Center Reef and we are driving ½ ton trucks and cars to them. If you’d like to set up a reservation, give us a call at (952) 442-2096.

We’ll see you on the ice!

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/13/25

 

Last evening (1/12/25) a car partially broke through the ice on the Northeast side of Lake Waconia Near Reinke’s Reef. The car had its problem on the north end of a pressure ridge. The pressure ridge runs near the public access by County Road 155 and heads along The Clay Banks towards Reinke’s Bay and Reef. Extreme caution should be used if using the ice around that far Northeast part of Lake Waconia.

The person/people made it out of the vehicle fine. From what we understand, the car did NOT break all the way through the ice and did NOT sink to the bottom. The Vehicle was pulled out of where it partially broke through last night and is not on the lake anymore. The coordinates of where the car broke through are 44°52.835’N  and  93°46.188’W. 

This news helps remind us that ice is never 100 percent safe. Much of Lake Waconia’s ice remains around 15 inches and in great shape. Use caution when headed out to less traveled areas. Never cross pressure ridges without thoroughly checking where you cross. Avoid marked springs by using Navionics or look for flagging tape where we have marked potentially bad areas when possible. 

Be Safe and We will see you on the ice!

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/12/25

Happy Sunday! With the little bit of snow last night and the wind today, some of the beaten paths have accumulated snow. Ben plowed out to Waconia Bay, but not past the bay yet as the wind on the main lake would fill in any new road with blowing snow. Once you get past Waconia Bay, if you’re driving a vehicle, it’s easiest to go off the beaten path as there is less drifting there. When the winds settle (likely Monday), Ben will begin plowing our usual lake roads past Waconia Bay. General ice thickness remains between 14.5 to 15.5 inches.

We’ll see you on the ice!

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/10/25

Ben was on the ice this morning (1/10/25) to get an update. He found thicknesses ranging from 14.5 to 15.5 inches. Those of you with vehicles up to 1-ton, gas or diesel can now use the access. If you’re bringing a fish house with you, we are still allowing single-axle houses with ½ ton pick-ups only. If you have a tandem-axle fish house, you can only use the access if you’re bringing it out with a dolly and ATV or Side-by-Side and chains.

We expect an active day on the lake on Saturday with many anglers bringing houses out and a couple of events going on. Please keep speeds slow if you drive on the ice! The Waconia High School Conservation Club will be in Waconia Bay with a large group in the afternoon. There is also a fishing contest put on by the Future Flames Committee of First Lutheran Church of Glencoe. We are NOT the access point for this event. Here is a link to their info page… https://www.zeffy.com/.../2025-first-annual-lake-waconia...
Before driving out on the ice, if you have not been keeping up with our reports this season, either re-read our previous posts from this winter or stop in to talk with us about areas to avoid going.

Access fees per day are $2 to walk on (per person 16 years and older) and $5 to drive on (ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Snowmobiles, Cars and Trucks). A Winter Access Season Pass is $40.

We are now currently renting fish houses! They are set up about a mile out near Center Reef and we are driving ½ ton trucks and cars to them. If you’d like to set up a reservation, give us a call at (952) 442-2096.

We’ll see you on the ice!

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/8/25

Ben was on the ice today (1/8/25) for another ice check. Most of the holes drilled today were between 14 to 14.5 inches. He did measure a few holes with as little as 13.5 inches, but also had several with as much as 15 inches.

With that news, we are now allowing those of you with vehicles up to ½ ton pick-ups pulling single-axle fish houses through our access.

Also, we are now allowing ¾ & 1-Ton gas trucks without fish houses or enclosed trailers. Diesel trucks are still not allowed. For those with tandems, we are still waiting for more ice to pull them with trucks but will allow smaller tandems if you use an ATV or side-by-side with chains and a dolly to get them out.

Before driving out on the ice, if you have not been keeping up with our reports this season, either re-read our previous posts from this winter or stop in to talk with us about areas to avoid going.

Access fees per day are $2 to walk on (per person 16 years and older) and $5 to drive on (ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Snowmobiles, Cars and Trucks). A Winter Access Season Pass is $40.

We are now currently renting fish houses! They are set up about a mile out near Center Reef and we are driving ½ ton trucks and cars to them. If you’d like to set up a reservation, give us a call at (952) 442-2096.

We’ll see you on the ice!

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/7/25

We drilled about 80 holes today for another ice check. Between the marina and Center Reef we were finding 13.5 - 14 inches of beautiful ice. Currently we are still only allowing ½ tons trucks or smaller to use our access. We really want 14 inch minimums of general thickness before we open the access to vehicles WITH single axle houses. Hopefully with one more night of good cold tonight we will be at 14” minimums tomorrow. We will cross our fingers and check tomorrow morning. We will post that update right away.

Over by the East side of the island we checked on the bird hole that was open water for so long. The spot that was last to freeze has 10 inches of clear ice on it now. The crack/ridge that ran from that area to the beach is looking decent and can be crossed pretty easily if you look ahead and use caution.

We also checked on some of the major springs and some of them remain bubbling and open even through this cold stretch.

The videos posted show the bird hole and one of the active bubbling springs east of Cemetery Reef. Regarding the spring in the video, it is NOT marked on Navionics for everyone to see publicly. It is consistently the most active, but was missed by whoever added all the springs into Navionics. The coordinates for that spring are… 44 degrees 51.586’ N and 93 degrees 46.474’ W

There is also another spring that isn’t currently active, but is typically one of the major bubblers most winters that is also NOT marked on Navionics for all to see. Those coordinates are… 44 degrees 51.673’ N and 93 degrees 46.262’ W

If anyone knows how to make those 2 springs public for all to see on Navionics, just like all the others marked on there, that would be greatly appreciated.

Before driving out on the ice, if you have not been keeping up with our reports this season, either re-read our previous posts from this winter or stop in to talk with us about areas to avoid going.

Access fees per day are $2 to walk on (per person 16 years and older) and $5 to drive on (ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Snowmobiles, Cars and Trucks). A Winter Access Season Pass is $40.

We are now currently renting fish houses! They are set up about a mile out near Center Reef and we are driving ½ ton trucks and cars to them. If you’d like to set up a reservation, give us a call at (952) 442-2096.

We’ll see you on the ice!

 

 

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/5/25

We drilled about 50 holes today (1/5/24) for another quick ice update. On our check we headed out toward Center Reef, turned toward Harm’s point and then back to the Marina. 12.5 to 13 inches was most of what we measured. The ice is “leveling out” and getting more consistent in thickness.

We opened our access to cars and trucks up to ½ ton pick-ups to use our access. We will NOT be allowing cars and trucks to tow houses behind them yet. ATV's and Side by Sides for pulling single axle houses is allowed for now.

Before driving out on the ice, if you have not been keeping up with our reports this season, either re-read our previous posts from this winter or stop in to talk with us about areas to avoid going.

Access fees per day are $2 to walk on (per person 16 years and older) and $5 to drive on (ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Snowmobiles, Cars and Trucks). A Winter Access Season Pass is $40.

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/4/25

Happy Saturday! The ice growth continues during this good cold stretch. Today (1/4/25), Ben drilled a bunch of holes and found ice thicknesses ranging between 11.5 to 12.5 inches. So, from yesterday to today we gained about an inch of ice! Excellent news! For today, we will still only be allowing ATV’s and Side-by-Sides with single-axle wheelhouses through our access.

Knowing we’ll make even more ice overnight, tomorrow (1/5/25) we will be allowing cars and trucks up to ½ ton pick-ups to use our access. We will NOT be allowing cars and trucks to tow houses behind them yet.

Before driving out on the ice, if you have not been keeping up with our reports this season, either re-read our previous posts from this winter or stop in to talk with us about areas to avoid going.

Access fees per day are $2 to walk on (per person 16 years and older) and $5 to drive on (ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Snowmobiles, Cars and Trucks). A Winter Access Season Pass is $40.

In Towne Marina Lake Waconia Ice Report - 1/3/25

Happy Friday! Avery was on the ice yesterday and Ben joined him today for some ice thickness checking. This cold is helping build ice back. Yesterday Avery found between 10 to 11 inches of ice. Today they found 10.5 to 11.5 inches with a lot of it around 11.

Since the ice thicknesses are growing, we are now allowing ATV’s and Side-by-Sides with Single Axle fish houses. No Tandems yet. We are NOT allowing cars or trucks to use the access yet either. We’ll let you know when we have enough ice for that.

 Quick reminder, as we've mentioned before, we no longer sell fishing licenses or fish house licenses. 

We’ll see you on the ice!