Lake Saint Croix
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Lake Saint Croix Fishing Reports
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Reports from all past years within a 60-day time frame
Species
CrappieSeason
Ice
Technique
Ice Fishing Spoons
Structure
Points
Forage
Minnows
Arthur G Okerlund
Bronze Ambassador
1/5/22
Species
WalleyeSeason
Winter
Technique
Spoons
Structure
Ledges
Forage
Minnows
Find a basin or saddle 25-32ft deep, these walleye are eating baitfish and bugs that collect at the bottom of the basin. Use a 1/4 oz spoon tipped with a minnow head or waxies, and wait for fish to cruise by. When the bite is on you can catch upwards to 5 walleye an hour
VMC Tingler Spoon 1/8 oz / Glow Pink Fire UV
Out of Stock
VMC Tingler Spoon 3/16 oz / Glow Red Shiner
Out of Stock
Species
White BassSeason
Ice
Technique
Ice Fishing Jigs
Structure
Brush Piles
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
33°
The Clam Pinhead Pro and Clam Bladed Tikka Minnow in the wonderbread color was key in attracting the whitebass. They came in hot and willing to bite. Make sure to set the hook quickly as they are fast. Lots of misses. The 28UL St. Croix Panfish Ice Series loaded up nicely. Ice was 5 inches in most places, and most I found was 7 inches. Make sure to use caution as there are not really safe Ice. Bring you picks, spud bars, floating devices, and always let someone who is not out fishing know where you are going and when you are expecting to come back.
Species
MuskieSeason
Summer
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Lg)
Structure
Humps
Throwing big swimbaits along contours and weed edges
Species
WalleyeSeason
Summer
Technique
Live Bait Rigs
Structure
River Channels
Species
WalleyeSeason
Winter
Technique
Vertical Jigging 10-19'
Structure
Ledges
Water Temperature
46°
The days of open water are numbered and these are the best times to be walleye fishing! Walleye are feeding like crazy and hitting big jigging raps (caught several on big Hyper Rattle too). Trolling Flicker Shads and Minnows bouncing off bottom on ledges was working too. The average size of the fish this time of year is modestly big and the average size fish we caught was 19in. You can catch white bass all day in 22-27 FOW using smaller jigging raps.
Species
WalleyeSeason
Fall
Technique
Vertical Jigging 0-9'
Structure
Submerged Vegetation
Water Temperature
45°
Mother nature is giving us an extended open water season. For that, I am thankful. Walleye fishing on the St. Croix is hot! Walleye are fattening up and feeding heavily. 2 3/4" or 3 1/2 jigging raps are really all you need. This time out, I found the Walleye staged in shallow water 7.5 to 9 ft on top of ledges dropping down to 30 FOW. Long casts were necessary and along with hard snapping retrieves. The fish would pin the jigging rap on the bottom and there would be no mistake you had a fish on! Bring an assortment of jigging raps and colors because you never know what's going to be hot. Actually, the hottest color was a Charteuse jigging rap that Omnia doesn't carry presently but I was fishing alone and didn't have a side by side comparison I kept my limit of 4 15-17" fish but I am always mindful of limits, keeping smaller sized fish, and the importance of conservation so our beloved fisheries can keep producing for other anglers and future generations!
Species
WalleyeSeason
Winter
Technique
Vertical Jigging 20'+
Structure
Ledges
Water Temperature
45°
The unseasonably warm weather this November has given anglers an extended open water season! Water temps are in the 40's meaning that its time for fish to put on some extra fat for winter! This time of year, I almost exclusively use jigging raps or glide baits. We had steady action in the AM catching some walleye but mostly nice-sized white bass in depths 22-24 ft on ledges. We searched for fish on the electronics and didn't waste time where we weren't marking fish. But marking a buttload of fish wasn't a guarantee either. You have no idea what those marks are half the time and I actually caught a rare Quillback that I thought was a school of walleye or white bass. After a slow afternoon, we switched up to trolling with lead core and flicker shad crank baits and picked up a few fish before switching back to jigging raps later in the afternoon. About 3pm, just about the time I had to get off the water, we started banging the fish (typical right?). We caught several 16-18in walleye one right after another making long casts with the jigging rap and a Hyper Rattle on a 15ft flat. Get out as often as you can before the party is over and we wait for ice!
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Fall
Technique
Wacky Rigs
Structure
Ledges
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
56°
We started out trolling for walleye. I got one with a Berkeley Citrus Flicker Shad. That was a tough bite, so we switched to smallmouth. I caught 3 smallies on a 5 inch wacky rigged pumpkin, black flake Senko. I caught a big pike on the Senko, too. The pike had a lamprey stuck to its back. I removed the lamprey and returned the pike to the water.
