Brainerd lakes ice

Anyone know of ice reports of the brainerd lakes area? Thinking of heading there this weekend for the first outing if safe ice?

What I’ve been hearing isn’t good from a buddy in Baxter. He hasn’t been out yet.

For example, Grandview resort has a lakecam for Hole in the Day bay on Gull. Just yesterday was some shore ice forming. Looks like a while longer for that. Brainerd paper had multiple people advising no fishing as of Friday.

What I don’t know is what the small lakes will look like in a few days. The last three days were good but that’s only three days. Forecast for the next five days won’t hurt but not exactly ideal for putting the inches on.

Just starting making decent ice today, I am sitting in my cabin north of north long lake tonight, maybe this weekend?

Anonymous wrote:

Gotta come alittle past brainerd to Pine River to walker. Was just out today on a great walleye lake. Actually a good fish lake all the way around.

My Dad just gave me report that the lake he used to have the cabin on had ice fisherman on it this weekend in Pine River as well.

I’ll be up in the area on Christmas. Really hoping I can ditch the family and head out on the lake…

You’ll be able to walk on a few lakes this next weekend but no ATV’s out as of yesterday. Heck, if there was decent ice I’d be fishing instead of typing.

That’s all I need. Decent spot close to where the family is, ATV isn’t needed at all. So would you say good shot on an 880 acre lake? Obviously no way to guarantee with how different lakes freeze up, but I figure your guess is better than mine since you’re in the area.

Just need to scratch this itch somehow… but it still ain’t worth drowning.

I would really like to hear how the lakes are in Brainerd by this weekend. We are renting a cabin on North Long Lake for New Years and am really hoping to be able to fish. I will go anywhere in Brainerd if necessary but I would really like some information on the Marrifield Bay of North Long Lake if anyone has any.

Nate, That was wide open just a few days ago. Tommy, what lake are you talking about and I’ll see what I can find out?

I’ll be on Clearwater over by Deerwood.

I’ll see what I can find out for you tomorrow but Nokay, right by it, was wide open a couple days ago.

Foot of ice at my cabin near Brainard… Some trucks already on it

Yup, North Long

Boss Hawg wrote:

I’ll see what I can find out for you tomorrow but Nokay, right by it, was wide open a couple days ago.

Ugh… This winter sucks. I appreciate anything you can find out.

Tommy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Boss Hawg wrote:</div>
I’ll see what I can find out for you tomorrow but Nokay, right by it, was wide open a couple days ago.

Ugh… This winter sucks. I appreciate anything you can find out.

North long, just west of gull a few miles, there’s trucks on it already, always seems to be a walleye bite there!

That may have to be the backup. Harder to sell since “technically” I’m supposed to be around the family that day. Easy to just say I’m walking out for a few hours. Harder to pull off driving somewhere.

North long lake was open last week and already has a foot of ice and trucks driving on it? Sweet! I know where I will be next week!

I have a very hard time believing that North Long has a foot of ice with trucks. See the FB post from posted below, which was posted 2 hours ago (about 8 am 12/22). There have been a bunch of people out on 371 Bay, but Merrifield Bay just froze up the end of last week, and I didn’t see a soul out there on Sunday when I checked it out. Most of the medium to big lakes in the area just recently froze up, and with the small ones which have had ice before we got the snow, they should also be treated with care due to the insulation and weight of the snow, which did cause a little bit of flooding/slush when drilling holes last weekend. For those of you coming from out of town, please do not assume all ice reports online are true and venture out haphazardly.

Sportland Bait and Tackle
2 hrs ·
Starting to venture out on our lakes. A few anglers have been out on North Long and have about 6 inches of ice. The other lakes in the area have varied amounts of ice from 1-5 inches. Be safe and please be checking as you go.

Since I’m new, sorry if posting business names is against the rules, but I just wanted to let others know that from all the reports I’ve heard and from what I’ve witnessed, there is NOT 12″ of ice on any area lakes.

Yes I spoke with a resort owner after reading that report and he said there was a truck on the 371 bay, but it went through yesterday. Sound like the lake has fishable ice, but not ready for atv or vehicles yet.

Clearwater just went over a couple nights ago, might be walk able as ice goes fast. My guess is at least the shore breaks should be ok by friday or saturday but be super careful. If there’s trucks on North Long, I haven’t seen any yet but if there is they are right by shore and still crazy. Nobody’s driving out.

Boss Hawg wrote:

Clearwater just went over a couple nights ago, might be walk able as ice goes fast. My guess is at least the shore breaks should be ok by friday or saturday but be super careful. If there’s trucks on North Long, I haven’t seen any yet but if there is they are right by shore and still crazy. Nobody’s driving out.

Awesome. Thank you for the info! I really appreciate it.

Morning Tommy, it’s warm and drizzling here again today.

Yeah it is down here too. Looking at the forecast, at least it gets back below freezing in a couple hours, and only a high of 23 tomorrow. I’m hoping walking will be fine Friday afternoon/evening when I plan on going out, but I’ll be sure to test everything with the spud bar and drill a few holes before I haul everything out.

At least next week looks to be colder state wide and we can finally start making progress.

I had just under 4″ of ice out there on Friday if anybody is looking at lakes in the area. Looks like with the cold they should all be good now, or relatively quickly.

Measured 5″ of solid black ice on Merrifield Bay last night. Unfortunately not much biting other than small perch. Just an inch or two of light snow on top of the ice.

blank wrote:

Measured 5″ of solid black ice on Merrifield Bay last night. Unfortunately not much biting other than small perch. Just an inch or two of light snow on top of the ice.

We have 6″ in the main Bay of North long, had wheelers on it Saturday and Sunday

This is a couple days old but still worth reading.

http://www.brainerddispatch.com/outdoors/3911662-late-lake-ice-hits-record-dont-risk-life-chasing-panfish

The family cabin on horseshoe lake has anywhere from 4+ inches. More In the back bay on the east basin. Friend of mine had good luck back there last weekend. I had a couple good crappie/ pike spots last season. I hope this still work this year

was out on a 350 acre lake Sunday – Tuesday. 5″ of decent ice where we were fishing but there was a good crack we didn’t risk crossing to explore the whole lake. there was no new snow this morning so things should keep getting better as long as they don’t get any more. good pike action and spotty gill action.

Fished merrifield bay of north long lake all day today. Checked all my summer crappie spots and found nothing but perch. Does anyone know where the crappies go in the winter? I would prefer to stay in merrifield bay. I checked shallow, deep and in between, but obviously could not check every spot.