There aren’t many good ice fishing secrets kept near the Twin Cities Metro area when it boasts a population of 4+ million people. There are however a few lakes and a few spots you’ll want to keep on your radar if you’re looking for a quick close to home outing to fill the bucket with a few panfish.
1. Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota
With a lake this size, there are many awesome fishing spots but it’s often intimidating to many. If you’re in search for a quick bluegill and crappie bite, Seton Lake, Black Lake and Emerald Lake are about as easy as it gets. They are nothing more than small basins with panfish packed in there to the gills. The clarity is phenomenal so if you have an underwater camera, or like to sight fish, these are great areas. The three small bays are roughly 19-25 deep and the fish will suspend 10-15 down. A small tungsten jig tipped with plastics or euro larvae are easy lights out presentations. I’m not going to say there are always fish there…but there are always fish there. You’ll have to do a lot of sorting but should be able to bring home a nice pail of fish. Be careful regarding ice conditions on Minnetonka, due to bridges, moving water and pressure ridges the ice can be a little hard to navigate if you’ve never been out there. Check with local bait shop Cabin Fever in Victoria Minnesota 952.443.2022
2. Cedar Lake, New Prague Minnesota
Cedar is a smaller lake but is not a secret by any means. Many anglers hit this lake and for good reason, it can give up a phenomenal crappie bite. The lake is shallow with a max depth under 15 feet and relatively featureless, the crappies roam the deepest hole in the middle of the lake. Evening and dusk is the name of the game, set up a couple hours before sunset and hold on to your seat. Again a tungsten jig tipped with a VMC mustache worm is a staple, along with a deadstick presentation with a crappie minnow. Like many pressured bodies of water, sorting is going to be mandatory but the lake kicks out crappies up to 14 or 15 inches.