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Location: Fridley MN | I was recently thinking of hitting Island Lake in St. Louis County and after checking it out on google maps this looks like an awesome lake to fish. Just wondering if any of you guys have had any luck up there. With all the points, saddles, drop offs and bays this place, from the air at least, reminds me of Lake of the Woods. Just looks like fun to fish. Probably a zoo in the summer, but now seems like a good time to visit. Anybody that can let me know if they think it is worth it let me know. I am heading north out of the Twin Cities tomorrow thru Wed. or Thurs. just to get away and have a fun couple days on some new water. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Island just hasn't been a great fall lake. We tried unlocking that beast for a few years, and just decided to stick to the river when fishing there in the fall. The summer bite was as tough as it gets anywhere in its' prime 4-5 years ago, but the fall bite just never materialized. It really isn't a zoo in the summer, as with the water fluctuations the navigation can be tough at times, so there is never a ton of traffic. It is a sandy/gravelly resevoir with very little rock at all save for a couple points with a few boulders, and the mouth of the river. Otherwise flooded sand and gravel bars are what you'll find with tanic/pete bog stained water.
The forage base is sucker/perch/some panfish.
With Vermilion only a couple hours north, most of the dudes living nearby head up there if they have more than a day to fish. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | You'd better bring a few extra props if you go in the fall. The power company lowers it every year by 6-12'. That place is a rock garden in the summer time if you know where you're going. This summer it never came up so it was 3-6' low. I didn't even bother as there's a ton of stuff out there that isn't on the chip. |
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Posts: 897
| Sent you a PM.
Edited by whynot 11/14/2011 10:45 AM
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Location: Fridley MN | Thanks guys for the info. Maybe I will check it out next year. Just going to keep pounding Minnetonka! |
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Posts: 443
Location: Duluth, MN | Wow do you guys fish the same lake i do? I live on Island Lake. It was at normal pool all year long. Last year it was 4 feet down but as long as you have a lakemaster chip you will be fine. Yes there is alot of structure but most if not all of it is surrounded by deep water you can easily move through. Again just make sure you have a current Lakemaster chip.
Anyways yea once the lake turns over forget it. And even in summer there is not much traffic because there just isn't many muskies in the lake. Alot of traffic a few years ago but now that everyone has gone fishless and not seen anything they have moved down to the river. It's just not a lake for someone to show up for a weekend and catch one much less see one. And thats being honest...i'm not just syaing that because i don't want anyone fishing there. Ask Dustin Carlson and Pete Brezinski why they rarely fish there anymore.
Edited by Lundbob 11/21/2011 2:16 PM
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Posts: 443
Location: Duluth, MN | If your interested to bookmark for later reference here is the reservoir elevations that is updated daily. As you can see it is down 1.5 feet now from normal. It was at or near normal all summer. They don't do the big draw down till well into winter.
http://web15.mnpower.com/web/public/Hydro/ShorelandTraditions/Level... |
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Posts: 94
| I have fished island lake a few times. The first time I was on the lake we caught 4 fish a 45 44 39 37 32 all on cowgirls chart/black fishing the island clusters with wind pounding into them. Ever since that weekend been lost out there never seen another fish. fished everything I could find that looked good and always come up empty handed. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Adam, that used to be the norm for that lake. Fish 2 and a half days, then hook into a good one. Your partner better be casting while you unhook that fish, as your chances of landing another one within seconds or minutes out there was creepily good. That changed over the years, but your experience(save for catching a few smaller ones which used to be rare) wasn't unusual. at least you hit it once on a decent swing. Alot like deer hunting, that lake. |
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Island Lake - St. Louis County - West of Duluth