DNR & FishAmerica Stock Walleyes in L. Byllesby

From the MN DNR Website at: DNR & Fish America Stock Walleyes in Lake Byllesby

DNR and FishAmerica stock walleye fingerlings into Lake Byllesby (2004-12-08)

DNR NEWS RELEASE

December 8, 2004

For more information, contact: Kevin Stauffer, DNR Fisheries, Lake City (651) 345-3365.

DNR and FishAmerica stock walleye fingerlings into Lake Byllesby.

The walleye population in Lake Byllesby got a boost thanks to 18,000 walleye fingerlings stocked this past October in the 1,400-acre reservoir on the Cannon River near Cannon Falls.

The fingerlings, which weighed 1,000 pounds and averaged about six inches long, were purchased in part with $5,000 donation from the FishAmerica Foundation, which receives funding from several fishing tournament sponsors including Forest L. Woods Outdoors and the Wal-Mart-Ranger-Crestliner-Lund tournament series. The DNR covered the remaining cost as part of the Accelerated Walleye Stocking program.

“We hope the addition of walleye stocking in Lake Byllesby will improve angler catch rates within the reservoir,” said Kevin Stauffer DNR area fisheries supervisor at Lake City. “But we also expect that these fish will move and utilize the entire river system to some degree.”

Walleye are a common species in the Cannon River system and in Lake Byllesby. In some locations, and at certain times of the year, walleye fishing can be excellent in the Cannon River system. Lake Byllesby was last stocked with walleye was in 1973. The DNR plans to continue stocking 1,000 pounds of fingerlings annually for the foreseeable future.

Tom Conroy Information Officer DNR Southern Region 261 Hwy 15 South New Ulm MN 56073 507/359-6014 [email protected]

It is about dang time!!!!!!!!!!

As long as they don’t drain the lake to fix dam again, the walleye population will do ok.

The walleye fishing WAS GREAT, till they drained the lake to do some dam repair the first time, I believe in the late 70s. Then they draind it again in the late 80s to do more repair. Those two drainings almost turned it into a dead sea for about 5 years. Now today, the walleye fishing can be ok. You have to work to find them, since there really isn’t alot of structure (most reserviors don’t). There are also alot of channel cats, bass (lg & sm) and some good pike in the system. At times you can even find some nice sized crappies.

This indeed is good news!!!

ALRIGHT!!!! This lake is just west of Cannon Falls and has a real nice campground and swimming beech too. Thanks, Bill

What conditions can you typically find the boat ramp(s) in (open water season……)?

They moved the ramp from the beach and put it over by the park, closer to the dam. The ramp is great!!!! It drops right into deep water. You could launch a barge off that ramp. Very nice pavement and very smooth. Nice docks too. Problem with Byllesby is 2 things. There is alot of recreational traffic on the weekends. I’m talking it is worse than the river or Pepin!!! Also, the lake gets very green with alge during the summer. From mid-June til the end of August, it is pea-soup.

If you can figure it out, you will do well.

Also, I don’t recommend eating anything out of that lake. There is a ton of “farm run-off” that consist of chemicals and natural bio-product that is very harmfull to the body. I know that the Cannon River and Byllesby has consumption restrictions, but I recommend that NOBODY eats anything out of there. I wouldn’t even eat a crappie out of that sewage pool

Thanks Gary! You ever want to make a run over there this summer, let me know. I see we are nearly neighbors! Same goes for Pool 4. Always looking for someone to fill the passenger seat.

jeff

Just give me a shout!!!!

The key to fishing Byllesby will be pulling cranks to find them. I have 4 “good” areas that they generally hang out at.

Same thing for P4.

Shoot me a PM!!!!

Gary,dr. hook,If you two would like one more in the boat give me a shout.I lived there for 10 years and know some very good spots for eyes.crappies & bass.prefer to go during the week.Stuart

Stu!

Where did you live???

I went to school in Randolph and with that and Cannon Falls, I did alot of “stomping around”…..

Gary…Live in Red wing now,work in Northfield..grew up in ia.Work 150 days a year so I have alot of time to fish!!Have had some outstanding days on Byllesby and been skunked many times also!Stuart

Count me in too! I live in Farmington, thus we are all nearly neighbors….let’s make it happen! Is ice fishing any good on there?

We have to go to the “Pines”, or over by the Boy Scout Camp. There are a few gravel bars over there.

In case you are not aware of the “Pines”, years back a few buddies dropped a bunch Christmas trees to make some structure. If you can get right on them, they make great crappie action. The walleye bit has always been a little shakey for me out there. The best I’ve ever done one night was 3 eye, but they were nice.

Gary…I read do live instead of did …lived just east of the truck stop,by Jim Hammer,John hobart…they were teachers…Did not ice fish the lake much..not my cup of tea! But would like to get together mid may or so and chase some eyes.Last year I pounded on the smallies by the B.S Camp with a few eyes in the mix.Stuart

If they keep stocking the lake like they said they will in the future this will turn into one of the best walleye fisherys in the metro area.With the inlets to allow natural reproduction it will get crazy.
As one of the post says it can be feast or famine,this is an old resiovor with no weed cover and most of the lake bottom wood is gone.
I bass fish this lake about 30 times a year about 1/3 of the time it is difficult to pattern fish,but this is one of the reasons I love the lake so much.
Last year I heard about a few ten pound walleyes being caught,but it is not uncommon for this lake to produce a couple of 13pounders thru the ice.
Last year we were randomly drilled holes on the dam side and caught some nice eyes,when we returned next time we had our flaher and camera,we drilled about 100 holes and check them with the camera the amount of fish we located was staggering.
This lake holds true trophys and in the summer it is one of the most underfished lakes in the metro area.

Does anyone fish below the dam in the summer?

Years back as a kid, we used to just slaugther nice pike down there. Then, once the word got out, a bunch of “meat hunters” cleaned it out. Those meat hunters would line up about 50 of them, from ages 5 to 85 and load up on the pike. That was back in the late 80s. I went down there once in the early 90s and didn’t do so well. Haven’t been back there since.

Also, is there any access from the 52 bridge by the golf corse to fish the river down there???? It looks like it is all closed up?????

Lastly, if anyone wants to shoot down there, either this winter or summer, give me a shout!!!! I will do the same!

Gary, below the dam,walleyes can be caucht year round,on Hwy 52 they do park and walk or somehow they drive,I don’t ether is legal,with waders you can walk from the dam to the 52 bridge easly,Hannnas bend in town can be good but be willing to give up tackle to the river gods,the best place I have found is the park wright in town {Colville Park?]where the little cannon and the cannon meet.After opener this is the best walleye/sauger I have found,consitant and good size.
I used to use only cranksbaits and the size is much better,but after the first year and about a hunred crankbait lost,I have gone to the simple pattern of crawler harness,it just doesn’t hurt to lose $1.00 of tackle compared to $5.99 crank bait.
And oh ya, the inlet of Cannon can be great smallie and walleye.
It would be great to hook up and figure out more about this great but hard to fish system.
In the past it has been rumered that the lake had lake sturgion [before the draw downs]does any body know if they still exsist.The D.N.R took the dam down in wealch and it is rumered that the sturgion have return below the dam.
This is a lake you can get the feeling that there are monsters in there and they are huge.
In the fall there where 20 to 40 fish days [bass]
With Large mouth,small mouth,white bass, huge walleye,huge northern,huge cats.
This is a fishery that desverse the attention of serius anglers,and will pay off for anglers willing to do the work.
Lets get together and start to crack the mystery of this lake.
In the summer when you talk to locals they say don’t fish the lake and just fish the river.I beleave this thought comes from the draw downs,it got tough to fish and alot of anglers don’t want to do the work.

This would be a nice alternative if the fishery develops. I haven’t had my boat on there, but that could change. If a couple of guys want maybe we should take a few boats out and disect this lake…easier to do with a couple boats than doing it yourself. Any in agreement with that thought?? Come to think of it I know a walleye club with an open tourney date TBA that might want to think about it.

This is great news for the walleye fishing on Byllesby. Smallie and largemouth fishing are already excellent. Eyes are a little tougher to find, but they’re there. Plenty of big ones, too. I’m a HUGE fan of the river, especially between CF and Welch. It used to be the smallies that would dominate our catch during a day’s trip, but the last few years the crown goes to the eyes, hands down. I’m always up for an outing on LB or the Cannon.

Mark