Late April Update

The Bait Shop is opening with limited hours this Thursday, April 28th. Monday-Friday hours will be Noon-6 pm. Saturday and Sunday hours will be 9 am-6 pm. As usual, we will be open all night Friday, May 13th for fishing opener. Normal Summer hours will begin after the opener.

We are witnessing a slow start to the open water panfish season. The cold and nasty weather has definitely affected the bite. Today, Jim took a water temperature reading of only 38 degrees off our dock. People have been out on the nicer days, but for the most part, not our normal start to the season.

Thank You for being patient while we install our docks. The "Ice Out" date was pretty average this year, but our installation process has been slowed due to the extreme weather. Hopefully the weather starts to cooperate soon so we can make some good progress.

Lake, Marina Shop & Boat Launch News 4-19-11

We went to bed Tuesday, April 12th with ice still floating on the majority of Lake Waconia and awoke Wednesday morning, April 13th to WATER. What a welcome sight!

As of this writing, our shop & boat landing will remain temporarily closed for a short time, as we move docks off our parking lot into the lake, to make room for customer vehicle and/or trailer parking.

Unusual high winds and cold have interrupted work, and comfortable boating. When things calm, Marina dock system installation begins ASAP.

We will update news on our phone message @ (952) 442-2096, and also this blog. When parking space allows we’ll open the shop & launch with shortened hours to accommodate early boaters. We look forward to resuming regular hours as soon possible, as the weather allows us to complete summer business preparations.

Thank you for your patience, see you at the lake ! Let the fun & fishing start soon!

OTHER NEWS:

-Water levels are very high -use closed throttle near shore to avoid erosion

-This year we have a NEW reduced rate Mon-Friday Season Pass [excludes Holidays & Weekends]. FULL Summer Season Passes can still be purchased which includes all Weekends & holidays.

-We have added 2 NEW 21’ Rental Pontoons to our Pontoon & 14’ Boat Rental fleet. Go to our web site @ intownemarina.com for rental details, rates & times.

-Regular Summer Hours will Resume by Opening Fishing Weekend, 5/15/11 or before.

-Go to www.destinationwaconia.org for lots of fun and savings in Waconia, every day!

Closed Until After Ice Out

The marina is now closed for the season as of Monday, March 7th. Thank you for your business during this unusually snowy winter. The access will remain open until the ice starts to deteriorate or if there is any more significant snowfall, whichever comes first.

We look forward to opening soon after the ice turns into open water, and after we begin our dock-building process. See you then!

If you are interested in keeping a boat with us for this summer, please email your information and boat specs to InTowneMarina@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

There are still roads plowed on the lake

Jim and Ben spent several hours on Tuesday plowing new roads from our marina past Waconia Bay, out to Center Reef and finishing off at Pillsbury Reef. These roads took the place of the old roads that got roughed up during the warm weather last week. It is still possible to travel off-road in many areas, although 4 wheel drive is a must. Ice is still in excellent shape. It's much quieter on the lake now, so take advantage of the light traffic and join us on the lake for the last weekend of Gamefish season!

We survived the meltdown! Let's get fishing!

A blast of spring came through this week, causing a stir amongst ice anglers all over. While we lost all of the snow on the lake, the ice remains in excellent condition. The snow melt caused a few inches of water on top of the ice, but the cold front that passed through on Thursday night, allowed most of that water to freeze back to the surface. The accesses and old roads will be the roughest areas. Take it slow when entering the ice. Once on, we suggest navigating off the old roads, driving cross-country to have a smoother ride. All in all, we are very pleased with the condition of the ice despite the intense sun and 50+ degree weather. Now it's time to get back fishing!

Crappies continue to be the best chance to get fish for the frying pan. We're still hearing good reports in 20 to 25 feet of water south of Pillsbury Reef, mostly after 5 pm. Center Reef continues to be a quality location to find a variety of panfish. Expect to sort through a number of littler ones as well as perch to get a few keepers. Before the thaw, anglers could see close to 20 feet down with excellent water clarity. Because of the melt, you will notice that the clarity has greatly diminished for the time being.

A quick reminder that Gamefish season is closed after Sunday, February 27. Also, fish houses must be off the ice no later than midnight on Monday, March 7th.

This is the final weekend of our Ice and Dice Prize Giveaway, so don't forget to weigh your catch for a chance to win a great prize.

See you on the ice!

Fishing Report 1-31-11

Wow! Ice fishing season seemed like it just got started, and February is knocking on the door. The action on Lake Waconia has been decent since the extreme cold a week and a half ago. Many anglers continue to catch sunfish during the day, although the size of those fish aren't what we hoped we'd see this winter. Sunfishermen have certainly caught some nice keepers, but patience is needed to sort out the littler ones. We're still hearing the best action by Pillsbury and Center Reefs between 10 to 15 feet of water. If you're looking for a better chance to have a fish fry, crappies continue to be the best bet in the evening between 5 and 9 pm. We're not talking giant slabs here, but quality fish in the 9 1/2 to 10 inch range. Again, Pillsbury and Center Reefs have been the place to go, although some have found them in a tad deeper water south of Pillsbury in 18 to 22 feet. Walleye anglers have had a tougher go of it pinpointing a consistent bite. Many have moved around lake with varying success. Anderson's Reef and Kegs Reef are both worth spending a little time on, as there are good weeds to work from and both areas haven't had a lot of pressure yet this year. Find depths ranging from 14 to 20 feet.

We want to congratulate the Waconia 2011 Ride-In Vintage Snowmobile Event for 3 great days on the lake. It was their 21st Annual, and thousands of enthusiasts came out to see the action.

This Saturday February 5th, the Waconia Lions are hosting their 29th Annual Wild Game Dinner at the Lake Waconia Event Center. There is a huge raffle with over 140 prizes including 16 guns. Hor d'oerves begin at 4, with the dinner at 7:30. Fish all day, and join the party for a great dinner and prizes in the evening. Cost is $35 advance and $40 at the door.

Don't forget, we still have our FREE Ice and Dice Prize Giveaway going on. Just weigh a qualifying fish caught on Lake Waconia, for your chance to win! See you on the lake!

Adrian Peterson Blizzard Blitz contest a success!

What a beautiful day Monday turned out to be! Anglers of all ages came out to Lake Waconia to support the Starkey Hearing Foundation and the Adrian Peterson All Day Foundation. While the bite wasn't what we had hoped, we witnessed many smiles across the crowd who enjoyed the nice weather and the chance to meet some celebrities. The Minnesota Vikings very own Jim Kleinsasser, John Sullivan, Ben Leber, and Hall of Famer Paul Krause were present. Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding was there, and looked at home on Lake Waconia's ice. "Minnesota Bound" star Raven along with her good buddy Ron Schara made a point of stopping out as well! Adrian Peterson of the Vikes was the big draw though, and people sure were excited to see him! Many very nice prizes were given out throughout the day. The top 3 fishing prizes for the Adults were all won with perch, while the Kids did a little better with the top fish being a 6.9 oz. crappie caught by Nathan Heinen. The 2nd and 3rd place prizes were awarded to kids who also caught perch.

We were very happy to be a part of this event and want to thank some very special volunteers that helped us make this event run so smooth. Fred Radde III, Fred Radde IV and his wife Jennifer of "Fred W. Radde and Sons Auctioneers" donated the use of a lot of essential equipment as well as countless hours in planning, as well as on-ice time to help anglers get on and off the ice safely. Jeff Schulz, Dan Goetz and others from the Waconia Lions, as well as Travis Frank of Ron Schara Outdoors were instrumental helping at the gates and in the contest site. Kris Raether went above and beyond spending the entire day working with parking and contest set-up and take down. Kellie Sites and Carmen Gesinger from the Waconia Chamber did a wonderful job promoting this event and showcasing Waconia. Thanks to our ITM staff for their time helping us put this event together. We also would like to thank Lola's Lakehouse for their efforts in bringing this contest to Waconia and the great food on the ice as well as the sponsor dinner after the event. There were many others who contributed to the success of the event. The Starkey Hearing Foundation and Adrian Peterson have mentioned their intention to hold this event again next year. We are already looking forward to the next "Blizzard Blitz"!