St Croix Sturgeon and Flat-head

Hey guys,

Me and a buddy are planning a trip to the st croix this weekend to catch some sturgeon and hopefully a flat-head or 2, now I have never fished this river for these species so I am wondering whats the best spot to put in at I was thinking Stillwater and going north? Or would Hudson and south be better? Any spot I should look out for? Is the water levels good right now? I am renting a boat so this will be a one time trip and I want to make it a good one, we are planning on camping out on one of the islands… Thanks for any information you can also email me at [email protected]

Beanies Resort.
Try the new bridge construction zone for cats and sturg. (North of the islands) Worms and crushed fatheads work for sturgeon or cutbait. Catch or bring some livebait for the flats.

Flatheads are like muskies…Don’t expect one on your first cast.

If it’s nice out, the islands will be completely full of partiers. Can make for a good time.

If you are camping, I would say launch in Stillwater. There are a few nice islands upstream from there that aren’t summer time party spots.(easier to find firewood/no trash/turds left behind) There’s good Sturgeon and catfishing both a short distance downstream of Stillwater and upstream. The upstream section is much shallower but there are some nice holes that hold fish. Good luck!

North of what Islands? I’m just curious what you mean because I am not aware of the construction zone being just north of any islands except the tiny one by the power plant. You must mean Hudson?

Awesome thanks for the info! Does Beanies resort have over-night parking? Or if we put in at Stillwater and motor up can be park at the landing there overnight? Thanks

Also for the holes upstream, I should look for 25 ft+ for the sturgeon correct?

I fished the power plant years ago when I was a kid with my dad and did good for bass on Zara Spooks (topwater), How far of a drive south would it be to the power plant spot from Stillwater?

Also are the fish outta the st. croix (walleyes) edible? I live in St. Paul and wont eat anything from the Mississippi unless I am north of Monticello….

p.s. you guys are way more helpful than the guys at HSO

Quote:

---

I fished the power plant years ago when I was a kid with my dad and did good for bass on Zara Spooks (topwater), How far of a drive south would it be to the power plant spot from Stillwater?

Also are the fish outta the st. croix (walleyes) edible? I live in St. Paul and wont eat anything from the Mississippi unless I am north of Monticello….

p.s. you guys are way more helpful than the guys at HSO

---

HSO blows. Everyone I know eats fish out of the Croix. I just ate some gils out of it last week.

Quote:

---

North of what Islands? I’m just curious what you mean because I am not aware of the construction zone being just north of any islands except the tiny one by the power plant. You must mean Hudson?

---

Yes hudson islands.. Construction zone is north of power plant and power plant is north of hudson islands a few miles.

It’s no-wake so that’ll help in bite detection as well.

I do all my camping north of stillwater.

Use caution if you’ve never traveled that stretch. There’s a few deadheads as well as shallow sand bars. Not mapped on my chip but i’ll run it WOT in the dark since i know it quite well and have previous GPS tracks to follow.

Beanies does overnight. If you show up on Friday and leave saturday, it’ll be $30. Stay till sunday $45. Only other option is boomsite and i didn’t throw that out there because #1 i want an open stall and #2 you aren’t guaranteed a spot at boomsite but you are at beanies.

Quote:

---

p.s. you guys are way more helpful than the guys at HSO

---

I would have typed the same thing on HSO had i read that one first. But, you’re right

I’m also more prone to help those that also offer information as well and aren’t leechers who ask 1 question and continue leeching.

Excellent information, I appreciate it, I take it boomsite is a public landing?

Is there a public landing in stillwater, around the 36 bridge?

And I heard bluegill are live action legal to use in Wisconsin… instead of fatheads could I use a chunk of bluegill with nightcrawler for Stugeon? My buddy is from WI, I am from MN…

Whatever works. Some people use franks hot sauce

Quote:

---

Whatever works. Some people use franks hot sauce

---

I put that Sh** on everything!!

I put that sh*t on everything yo! haha

Is there a public landing at stillwater? Right by the 36 bridge or would boomsite or beanies be the only spot?

Beanies is way south across from Hudson. If you are fishing in Stillwater or north of there you want the Boomsite. Its a well marked DNR landing just upstream from Stillwater on the same (west) side of the river. Not to make everything sound difficult but you need to be careful coming and going from there so you don’t hit bottom. There’s island type sand bars straight out that you have to navigate around.

Thanks for the heads-up I am used to fishing the Mississippi up around Monticello and Clearwater so I am no newb when it comes to river fishing, hopefully I won’t mess up my buddy’s boat to bad!

I’ll be in a 16ft v-bottom with a 25hp on the back…

Quote:

---

Not to make everything sound difficult but you need to be careful coming and going from there so you don’t hit bottom. There’s island type sand bars straight out that you have to navigate around.

---

Or, you could just drive like all the yachts do and stick the prop in the sand and go

When I got that type of money I probably will!

But any idea on if bluegill cutbait will work with crawlers for Sturgeon?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK7-WLyuc28

Quote:

---

HSO blows.

---

I completely disagree. I say it sucks.

Alright guys thanks for all the tips, Im heading out tonight so I will update you on Sun or Mon with my results and pics of a 60″ Sturgeon (hopefully)… 12 lb test FTW!!!

Any other tips on spots, depths or camp sites is appreciated…

Handle them with care. Don’t gill hold them. Go get em.

I’ll be out on Monday morning, launching out of Beanie’s. Report in on Sunday as to what areas are working for you

Quote:

---

I’ll be out on Monday morning, launching out of Beanie’s. Report in on Sunday as to what areas are working for you

---

Will do, Im looking forward to the trip, hopefully the cold front doesnt mess with the cat bite, I dont think the Sturgeon will mind!

Is the Sturgeon bite that much better at night? Thats what I read….

Generally i find peak time to be somewhere within 5pm to midnight

Ok sorry guys I know I am little late on my update, but I have fished Stillwater on the 36 bridge the past 3 weekends about, first trip We got 1 large one (40″ inches) and 2 small ones (15″ appx) off the bridge (on worms/fatheads), second trip we got one big one on cut bait (44″ inches long 14″ girth cutbait was redhorse) off the rocks at the end of the bridge (upstream side), one big one fishing on the bridge and I lost a large one on the bridge (broke my 30lb braid at the last bridge abutment because I am a newb)

Also that second trip my friend from Wisconsin was fishing with live bluegills and had 2 bites that didn’t take, one was from a channel most likely (or maybe flat) as you could see the bruising… and the other was most likely a walleye as it ripped into its side pretty good… nothing on the cut bait this trip.

Third trip we got skunked, nothing but sheephead which we also got periodically on the other trips, its very annoying because the sheephead will steal your worms and I never knew if it was a sturgeon or sheephead shortbiting (I assume sheephead/drum)

Tuesday night 10/8/13 we hit the king power plant, there was plenty of shad jumping in the stream (warm water discharge) but no sturgeon just a bunch of sheephead, I dont think the water is deep enough there? Or the water isnt cold enough yet to draw them in?

All fishing was done from shore. But this weekend we will be taking out the boat to hit some deep holes…

Hey dj when did you catch the one off the rocks on the upstream side?! I caught one EXACTLY 44″ at that EXACT spot Thursday night! for me he hit a piece of cut sheephead but no fish after that and even the sheepies quit around 9pm.

I got him probably 2-3 weeks ago now, he had a 14″ inch girth, The other smaller one we got that day had a brass colored leader coming out of his mouth, we tried to get the hook out but it was no use…. I dont know who uses leaders fishing with something that a sturgeon might eat but who knows…. maybe it was a minnow that died or something.

Also went out in the boat saturday night 10/12 and got skunked on Sturgeon, got some other stuff but we couldnt really even fish the first half of the day due to the window so we hit Stillwater Harvest fest for a couple hours, then we fished the bridge, the power plant outlet and the 40ft hole right above the power plant outlet on the opposite side of the river (near the sand point) with no luck, had 2 bits at the power plant right when we got there but I was impatient and set the hook too early… headed out at 11pm there were about 4 other boats on the spot…

Also we put in downstream from the power plant at the beach house I think its called… and there were quite a few guys anchored up right down from there (down from the island point) is that a walleye spot or were they most likely fishing for Sturgeon?