Lake Waconia Fishing Report 1-14-10

It's finally getting a little warmer out. With temps reaching into the 30's, you can expect the bite to pick up. So far Sunfish have been more active. Of course you'll still have to deal with sorting out a lot of smaller fish, but there have been more good size sunnies brought in recently. We've still been hearing of action around Center Reef and Pillsbury Reef, but anglers are spreading out further to the north as well. Some folks have been having success in as little as 9 feet of water, but the average still remains 11-14 feet. Crappies have slowly bitten better, but are still not up to the standards we're used to. It wouldn't be a bad idea to try moving to the deeper side of Pillsbury Reef, in the range of 20 to 25 feet. With the warmer temps, crappies on Waconia tend to suspend 5 or more feet off the bottom in these deeper water areas. Most anglers continue to fish near weeds in 12 to 14 feet of water closer to Pillsbury Reef and Center Reef, but the action has been inconsistent. We're continuing to hear good walleye reports from anglers. We've weighed numerous walleyes between 16 to 29 inches in the past week, with the largest being an 8# 9 oz. 28 incher. Both shiner minnows and fatheads have been working, so we recommend bringing both. Anglers have been spreading out all over the lake for the walleyes. Areas such as North Reef, Kegs Reef, Anderson's Reef and Cemetery Reef have been good spots to try to get away from the traffic. The main thing we've consistently heard is that most of the walleyes have been coming between 13 to 18 feet of water. The Northern Pike bite has improved this year compared to the previous few. That being said, don't expect the tip-up flag to be flying up non-stop. Those having the most success have been putting time on the water. Sucker minnows have been the bait of choice. Center Reef and Pillsbury continue to produce the majority of northern being reported. The big pike this week was a 39 incher that weighed 16 pounds!

Don't forget that we rent fish houses! We offer either 4 hole or 6 hole fish houses for 6 or 12 hour time periods. Call 952-442-2096 to reserve. We drill and slush out the holes and have the heat on for you.

Carver County Pheasants Forever Fish House Raffle

The Carver County Pheasants Forever Chapter will be having a Raffle on Saturday January, 23rd 2010 at their annual banquet. The Raffle proceeds will go to the local PF club and the Waconia Conservation Club! The main prize being a custom built Fish House with the following features.

-6 1/2'x12' plus V-front

-square tubing frame

-crank down wheels with leaf spring suspension

-crank down tongue, so the house can remain hooked to your hitch while fishing. The tongue is also easily removable for theft deterrence.

-spray foam insulation

-rubber roof

-2 Vinyl windows

-5 holes, with catch covers

-carpeted and paneled inside

-vent-less heater

-tail lights

Tickets can be purchased at the In Towne Marina for $10 each, with a limit of 1000 tickets to be sold. The fish house can be seen on the ice in front of the In Towne Marina immediately.

Brrrrrrrrr... It sure is cold, but the walleyes don't care! 1-3-2010

The temperature has been cold, but the big walleye bite has been hot! In the last week we have seen and heard of more big walleyes than we can remember in any other short stretch of time! When you talk to anyone who has been fishing on Waconia recently, they have either caught a nice walleye or know someone else who did. period. There are no big secrets right now, just make sure to follow some of these rules.

Be patient- seems obvious, but give it some time, sometimes you get lucky, but usually time on the ice is necessary. this ties into the next point.

Fish at the right time- Again, seems obvious but so many people are walking into the bait shop at noon and asking where the walleyes are. We respond with our own question- "Can you fish into dark tonight at all?" and the answer too many times is " No, not tonight I have to be home by 5pm" what we are getting at is, where isn't always as important as when. Make sure You are on the ice in the evening or early a.m. if You are serious about catching walleye!

Get alone- Being off by yourself where it is quiet isn't always necessary when walleye fishing, but we would argue that the experienced anglers that get away from the crowds are catching the majority of the eyes! This has been hard to do lately, but now that Jim has plowed such a nice network of roads, people can start to spread out!

Try something new- Easy to say, but just get a little creative. Try slowing down, downsize baits when it's tough. When there is action, upsize and get aggresive, pay attention to what the fish are doing today. Just because something worked great with your uncle back in 1988 doesn't mean that it applies to today.

Enough about fish, let's talk lake conditions. Ice thickness is now in the 10" to 17" range , with 14" to 15" being most common. We are certain you can find more or less than this in areas, but these numbers are most common. Slush under the deep snow had been difficult to deal with last week, but thanks to the extreme cold, those slushy areas have firmed up nicely. Driving off road has gotten easier thanks that slush freezing and the snow settling some. When you venture off the beaten path still make sure to check ice ahead of yourself and don't forget the shovel.

Good luck on the ice!

Call the bait shop anytime with any questions!

(952) 442-2096

Lake Waconia Ice and Fishing Report 12-27-09

Snow Snow Snow! That's the word of the week on Lake Waconia. Jim has made it a point to plow to Waconia Bay, the hole between the marinas and Cemetery Reef, making it easier for fishermen to get on the ice. Ice in these areas ranges from 10 to 14 inches. There will be slush in many locations and heavy snow off the roads. We have NOT been driving to any other areas at this point. There is still sporadic ice north of Pillsbury Reef and near Harm's Point. The action has been moderate, with the most potential for Walleyes. Both small shiners and fatheads have been working, with anglers fishing anywhere from 14 to 20 feet. Sunfish and Crappie are smaller than we're used to seeing, and the perch bite has been pesky. For the panfish, find weeds in 10 to 14 feet of water. Give us a call before coming out. We'd be happy to give you the latest report. Also, we look forward resuming our fish house rentals later this week. 952-442-2096.

Lake Waconia Ice and Fishing Report 12-20-09

Happy Holidays from the In Towne Marina! Here is what we have been finding in the ice department. Much of what we are seeing is 8" to 12", with 9"-10" being quite common. Unfortunately we are finding 5"-7" of ice in some of the deeper snow drifts on the lake. When we have found as little as 5" or 6" of ice we have taken the time to mark it with caution tape. We marked these spots so that vehicles can avoid them if they want to. If You find ice you are uncomfortable with, please mark it and let us know where it is at! With todays snow we have run into some slush where the drifts are big and deep. You will see some smaller vehicle randomly on the lake. As of today we have NOT opened our access to driving vehicles, and are NOT recommending driving cars or trucks on Lake Waconia yet . If You choose to drive, make sure to do the obvious and check the ice ahead of yourself!

Caution should be used if you want to head up to the Reinke's Bay area! An ugly pressure ridge has been found up in the north east part of the lake that runs from North of the Clay Banks all the way to the railroad tracks on the north side of Lake Waconia. Keep your eyes peeled!

Let's talk fish! In the last couple of nights the walleye action has heated up. Today alone we have seen 7 fish between 17" and 23". Depths the Walleye's have been reported in are either 11'-13' on the weed edges or a little deeper of the drops in 16'-20' of water. Panfish have remained a little tougher, but sunnies, crappies and perch have all been coming in from Waconia bay, Center Reef and Pillsbury Reef. Depths of 9'-15' are where most of that action has been. Don't forget we rent Fish Houses! Call any time for more info 952-442-2096.

Lake Waconia Ice and Fishing Report 12-14-09

The winter ice fishing season is upon us. As of Monday, December 14th, ice thicknesses range from 7 to 9 inches in Waconia Bay, and 6 to 7 inches in Cemetery Reef. We have heard from reputable sources that ice thicknesses at Pillsbury Reef and Center Reef are 6 to 7 inches as well. To our knowledge, the random areas that were last to freeze now have about 5 inches on them. Keep in mind that we can't cover every square inch, so pay attention during this early ice period. We've been open for 3 days, so the reports have been limited. We've heard the sunfish bite has been good, but the size has been variable. The sunfishermen have mentioned that perch have been overly active at times, keeping the bite going. The early season walleye action has been decent. When the action is there it's been between 5 pm and 8 pm. Don't forget, we RENT Fish Houses. We hope to get started with our rental season soon. Call for reservations. 952-442-2096.

Lake Waconia Fishing Report 9-02-09

September is here and the muskie bite continues to be Waconia's bread and butter. We've continued to hear successful catches this week in the mid to upper 40 inch range. Most of the same spots from previous weeks have continued to work. Evenings have been very good.

This past week we started to hear of a more productive walleye bite. Anglers have been catching them from 14 feet to 20 feet of water. Kegs Reef, Red's Reef and Anderson's Reef have been a few of the better areas. Fathead minnows have been the popular bait of choice.

If you're looking for sunfish or bass, continue to work near the weeds in areas like Pillsbury Reef, Center Reef and North Reef. Action has been decent, but should improve as we get further into the month.

Don't forget about our Nickle Dickle Day Kid's Fishing Prize Pond. September 19th from 10 to Noon, we are giving away prizes for kids 10 and under. Don't miss the fun.

Have a great week!