Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1-28-13

We've had a gamut of weather since the last report.  Last week's extreme cold added several more inches of thickness to the ice. As of this report, expect to find 19 to 20 inches of good ice on a lot of the lake. There is a major pressure ridge/ice heave up in the far North East corner of  Lake Waconia to report. It is in Reinke's Bay, and is quite treacherous. The area is not used by many people, so it is a good spot for a major pressure ridge if we have to have one. There have been a few more springs found on the lake in the deep water west of Kegs Reef. Please stop in the bait shop to have a look at our map for locations of these small problem areas.

The action during the cold was decent.  Then, with the more recent warm-up, we've seen the action of certain species pick up, notably the northern pike bite, with some occasional largemouth bass. We continue to see solid panfish action out on or around Center Reef.  We're still finding them in 10 to 14 feet of water. Sorting needs to be done to get keeper sunnies. We've even seen a few good sized perch, although those are generally too small. Crappies are still best after 5 pm. Despite the calendar nearing the end of January, we have yet to see the bite pick up too much in deeper water. Now that we've got some snow cover (that hopefully sticks around), we may just see the Panfish bite shift a little deeper as we get into February.

Pike are biting best on smaller sucker minnows in those same 10 to 14 foot depths that we have been talking about a lot of the winter. With the lack of snow for most of the winter, fish have stayed near the weeds in the shallows. The weeds have been getting sunlight all winter, thus putting out enough oxygen to keep the fish in the shallows. Remember, the fish go where oxygen is best in the winter months.

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Thanks for reading, and see you on the Ice!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1-16-13

The lake is in excellent shape after that warm spell late last week.  Despite the rain, the weekend was welcomed with very cold temps that quickly solidified the top of the ice.  With very little snow now, and cold nights, we're seeing thicknesses in the 15 to 17 inch range.

The best bite recently has been those going for sunfish in the daytime.  The action has been hot, with numerous limits coming out of the lake.  We are continuing to hear anglers having success in the 9 to 14 foot range with good weeds.  They are all different sizes, so expect to do some sorting for the keepers.  Crappies are biting well too, mostly in the evening.  While we expect anglers to target them deeper in the coming weeks, we're still hearing of the best bite shallower, near the weeds in the same territory as the sunfish.  Northern Pike have been getting a little more active lately.  We had one come in yesterday that was 11# 9 oz., which was the week's biggest fish.  We've seen pike ranging in all sizes this year, which has been good to see.  Small to medium suckers are working best, with the bite mostly coming in the same areas as the sunfish and crappies.  Walleyes continue to be either small or big, with the good eaters being harder to come by.  We suggest getting away from the crowded areas by fishing some of the good drops by Keg's, North or Center reefs.  Those spending the night are having the best luck in the wee hours of the morning.

We continue to have plenty of winners in our FREE Ice and Dice prize giveaway!  Don't forget to weigh in your fish during business hours to qualify for a chance to win a prize.

We've had some good success in our Rental Fish Houses so far this season.  We've had plenty of sunfish, some crappies, and a nice northern pike come out of them in the past several days.  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve!  We'll have the heat on and the holes drilled for you!  If you're renting a house and you don't have any gear, you can rent jig sticks, as well as an underwater camera.  We're stocked with live bait for sale, licenses, tackle and snacks for your trip.

Ice fishing season is in full swing, and we've had a lot of happy fishermen join us on the ice!  We hope to see you soon!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1-10-13

The hot bite has continued during the past week.  We've weighed numerous nice crappies, with the biggest being 1# 12 oz. just yesterday!  We're continuing to hear the best action out by Center and Pillsbury reefs. Waconia Bay has also pumped out some good fish.  Find good weeds around 9 to 14 feet of water for the best chance.  Along with the crappies, the sunfish have been biting well too!  Expect plenty of action, but some sorting will need to be done.

If you're targeting northerns, we're getting most reported catches off of small to medium suckers in the same areas as the sunfish and crappie bite.  Since it's warmed up the past few days, we're hearing anglers having some fun catching largemouth bass, while tip-up fishing for northerns!  Not your typical winter catch, they generally bite best when temps reach 32 plus degrees.

We're still hearing that the walleyes are biting well, although size has still been desired.  We're getting plenty of reports of smaller walleyes (10 to 14 inchers) and big walleyes (over 20 inch).  We're missing the good mid-range sizes most anglers want for the deep fryer.  We recommend setting up 12 to 15 feet of water off of weeds, in quieter areas away from the large groups of houses.  Jigging with fatheads seems to be working best, although set-lines with shiners has worked well for those spending nights on the ice.

The ice has continued to build this week.  There is a little more variance in thickness due to the little snow we had from earlier.  Where the snow is undisturbed, you will find the least ice, although it is still a strong 12.5 inches.  Where the snow has been packed down, you will see ice ranging from 13.5 to 15 inches.  There are no new issues to report, and we're very pleased with quality of the ice.

With the action being so good, we've given away numerous prizes to those who have weighed their fish in our Free Ice and Dice game!  The prize giveaway goes on until mid-February, so be sure stop in and get in on the fun!

Our Rental Fish Houses are ready to go!  Call (952) 442-2096 to make are reservation.  We'll have the heat on and the holes drilled for you.  Plenty of fish are waiting to be caught!

We'll see you on the lake!

Lake Waconia Fishing & Ice Report 1-02-13

Happy New Year!  It's starting to look like winter should on Lake Waconia.  In the past several days, anglers have been bringing their permanent houses on the ice and heading out to all the normal fishing holes.

We've monitored the ice thicknesses daily, and are seeing an average of 11 to 12 inches of ice.  The quality of the ice is excellent, as it is solid clear ice in most areas.  Continue to watch out for the areas marked with lath board and caution tape, as those are marking springs.

We opened our access to vehicle traffic last Friday.  We were recommending small to medium sized vehicles at the time.  The past few days, we're seeing more full-size trucks starting to venture on the ice.  We have been driving our small truck and 1/2 ton truck, to our fish houses.

The bite has been excellent in the last week.  If you are looking for action, you should be happy!  We've had lots of fishermen reporting catches of sunfish and perch during the daytime, and crappies in the evening in Waconia Bay.  Look for weeds in 9 to 13 feet of water.  Wax worms have been working daytime, and crappie minnows during the night.  We're also hearing several good reports off Pillsbury and Center Reefs in similar depths of 10 to 14 feet.  Don't hesitate to put a tip-up out, as the Northern Pike bite has picked up in recent days.  Small to medium sucker minnows have been the bait of choice for those.

We're seeing a resurgence of walleye on Lake Waconia.  It's not uncommon to hear reports of anglers catching several a night. The only caveat is that the vast majority of walleyes are undersized (in the 10 to 15 inch range).  Don't forget that Lake Waconia has a special regulation, which states that to keep a walleye, it must measure at least 16 inches.

When you get in on the hot bite, don't forget we have a FREE Ice and Dice game.  If you have a qualifying fish, you can shake the dice to have a chance to win a prize!  We'd love to take your picture!  Check out our main website at www.intownemarina.com and click on the "Promotions" link on the left to see the game rules.

All of our Rental Fish Houses are on the ice now!  We have 5 houses to accommodate your needs.  3 are currently on weeds in Waconia Bay, while 2 are on parts of Center Reef.  Ask about our Jig Stick and Underwater Camera rental (for Fish House Renters only) if you don't have any equipment.  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve and get in on the action!

Lake Waconia Ice Update 12-27-12

Today we spent a good portion of the day venturing off to areas we haven't checked yet, as well as re-checking some of the ice we've covered.

We're seeing a range from 9 to 11 inches of ice most places.  A lot of it was 10 to 10.5 inches in areas where the ice was clear.  The lesser ice was found in drifts, which are spread out all over, but generally small.  The cold we've had over the holiday has really done wonders!

While the vast majority of the lake has some really good ice, we have continued to mark more springs.  If you remember the areas of bubbling open water last winter on the eastern half of the lake, expect to find those areas to be dangerous again, albeit a little smaller.  The deeper water between Cemetery and Anderson's reefs has 2 that we marked with flagging tape and lath board.  Also marked were some north and south of Red's reef, east of Keg's Reef in the deeper water, and as you head north toward Reinke's Bay.

Keep in mind, we look for the worst of the worst, so while we have to talk about it when we find bad areas, our general feeling is that the ice is in very good condition overall.  Remember, we cannot cover it all, so if you find anything that may be dangerous, please help us by marking it with branches, or anything that is noticeable.

Up until this point, we've been happy using ATV's on the ice.  We have not opened the access for car or truck traffic yet, although we are getting closer.  We're hoping to get just a tad more ice developing, since we're still seeing some with as little as 9 inches.  Having said that, keep checking here, as we might open it for small vehicle traffic in the coming days, or for parking on the ice (spread out, of course).

Also, don't forget, we RENT fish houses!  If you don't want to mess with dragging your portable out, or don't have a permanent or the time to put it on the lake, let us handle the dirty work.  We have fish houses that range from 7' x 8 up to 7' x 14'.  They are heated with propane stoves, and we pre-drill the holes for you!  You can also rent jig sticks, if you don't have any gear!  We currently have 3 of our fleet of 5 on the ice for rent.  Let us help you get fishing!  Call (952) 442-2096 to reserve.

Lake Waconia Ice Update 12-23-12

The cold weather has continued to help make ice!  We did a quick check on a few of our previously reported areas, and we've gained about 2 inches in the past few days.  Expect to find an average of 7 inches of ice where it's clean/clear ice.  While snow drifts are rare, you will find less ice (maybe an inch or so less) in those areas.  Continue to pay attention for springs, as nothing has changed with those.  All in all, we're very happy with how the ice is forming.  It's generally in very good shape!

Don't forget, our Free Ice and Dice contest has started!  Weigh in a qualifying Lake Waconia fish to shake the dice for a chance to win a prize.  Check out the rules and fish sizes needed to qualify by clicking the "Promotions" link at www.intownemarina.com

We're here on Christmas Eve from 7:30 to 4:30, and we will be closed on Christmas Day.  We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!  We'll be ready with our normal hours after Christmas to accommodate the rush to the ice!  We hope to see you soon!

Lake Waconia Ice Update 12-20-12

We took to the ice for another round of checking today.  This time, we expanded out to Center Reef, Pillsbury Reef and Wagener's Bay.  We drilled a bunch of holes in these areas and found a consistent 5 to 5.5 inches, with a few areas up to 6 inches.  We also checked some more in Waconia Bay, which is a little thicker, yet more varied, and measured a lot of it in the 5 to 6.5 inch range, with some having a touch more.

We did mark close to 2-dozen springs that averaged 2 to 3-foot diameter in size, so watch out for those. Several of the springs were out from the Wagener's Bay access (similar area to last year).  Also, we marked a number of them in the deep hole of that bay.  We didn't see as much spring activity near Center Reef, although we can't cover it all. Waconia Bay has a couple of springs as well.  Continue to be attentive wherever you are fishing, and if you spot anything of concern, help mark it, so others can stay safe.

It's important to note that there is a lot of very good ice in the areas we've checked.

Visit us this weekend, as we've extended our hours to accommodate your needs!  Ice fishing season has begun!