Open Water

The Croix is open under the Stillwater bridge pretty much shore to shore! You could boat from Jimmy’s up to around the boomsite launch without much of a problem from the looks of it. There is still ice outside of the main channel. It was all thawing nice until the Monday/Wednesday storms and it froze back up! It won’t be long now
Ferny

Thanks for the update, Ferny. Did you see if the Boomsite Public Access bay was open? I would like to be able to put my boat in and go upstream. I want to get some photos of my upstream catfishing spots before the water goes up.

I caught my first channel cats of the 06 season yesterday in Downtown Mpls. Here is a pic – if they are active there I am hoping I can find some early season channel cats on the St Croix. It was nice to have a rod in my hands and fishing open water again. I’m hoping the ice opens up on the St Croix at least down to the Bayport Excel Plant. I want to try for some channels in the warm water coming out of the plant – I’ve tried from shore down at the plant without any luck. I’d like to get out deeper and fish the normal open water area there. It should open up in the next couple of weeks at least.

I’ll answer my own question about upstream, Ferny. I drove up to the Boomsite Public Access and she is wide open. Boomsite Access bay was clear all the way out to the main channel. I’ll do another post with some pictures.

Sorry about that Comanchero I didn’t check this post again until today. I was downtown yesterday and it’s open down to Sunnyside Marina and up river as far as you can see. Cold breeze coming off the water though!

Ferny.

Hey Ferny – You are right, it was a bit cool on the water. I had the boat out last Friday and again on Sunday afternoon. The Boomsite Boat launch needs a little work – one of the porta-potties is dumped over and there are a few tree branches down across the ramp road. I launched OK and ran upstream and did some scouting of my catfish spots while the water is down. I fished a couple of the deeper holes for a couple of hours with some cut bait with no luck. On Friday the water temp was 35 and on Sunday it was 37. I’m anxious to get down to the Excel Energy Plant outlet and try for some channels. The warmer temps this week with some rain may start breaking that up.

The water temp below the Hastings Dam is 39 and creeping up. I may give that a try for some cats when it gets about 45.