Lake Pepin Help!!!

My limited reports have been Mid to upper 20s for mid-day fish.Shallower as the light decreases.Good luck!

I’d start to trust the ice around Frontenac area and points south of there on the Minnesota side. A good rule of thumb is that if someone isn’t there, the fish aren’t either. Stay where others are or have been fishing and you’ll be ok. Out of Frontenac I’d look for water in the mid twenty foot range. Lake city’s trailer point is a common destination for ice anglers, but the bite has been off and on. From Lake City’s Roschen Park access south about seven or eight miles will have a bunch of areas for fishing….there if you don’t see people on the ice, I don’t advise breaking a trail.

Frontenac has been spitting up some nice fish for those who put the time in and this is where I’d start if I was going to chase sauger or walleyes. Jigging raps with a minnow head on the treble are a great start for baits. Go Devils up to 1/4 ounce , swedish pimples and kastmasters are also great jigging baits. The old minnow under a float or a tip-up will get some fish too.

I fished out of Maiden Rock last fri, sat, and sun. Iced 45 fish in those three days, with roughly half of those coming on sat. I started fishin in 17 with little success. I made my way out to 21 and thats where I stayed. Fri fish were biting on a silver and pink pimple tipped with a minow head and the perch rap took a few also. Sat red chubby darter took 90 percent of the fish. Sunday the darter and pink eye droppers were both doing well. All three days dead sticked a minnow on a slip bobber and that rig never had a hit. Hope this helps im on my way out there now to give er another shot.

How thick was the Ice coming on from Maidenrock…I see trucks driving out there….looks a little scary.
Whatsa

Sounds good Tanders, thanks for the report.

i heard ice is 16″ in maiden rock i will let you know tomorow if my truck falls through

I was on the MN side 1 1/2 weeks ago and it was 8-10 inches only….I know there is alot more current over there but….

Thanks for the quick response guys!!! A follow up question, Are you fishing a particular structure in the 20 -25′ range or is this just the river bottom?? We plan to head out of Maiden rock so should we fish to the north or south as the river flows? and the WI side or the MN side?? Also is the lake accessable by 4 wheeler or is the snow to deep. Again THANKS a TON Guys!!!!

No problems with wheelers…..they have been driving trucks out there……Not sure I’d advise that yet????

there was 16 inches of ice yesterday and up until yesterday there was very little snow cover. In most spots there is only an inch or so. When you go out there you will see where everyone is fishing. Heading out now to drag the permanent shack out. Good luck to ya!

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All three days dead sticked a minnow on a slip bobber and that rig never had a hit.

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My dead stick didn’t produce fri. or today as well. I think today there may have been more people on the ice than fish caught. Busiest I’ve ever seen it for this early in the season.

was out there yesterday and got skunked. Realy slow, had 3 or 4 follows on the flasher but no fish. There was about 16″ of ice out there drove across from maiden rock.

thanks again for the help guys. We were out all day sunday and I think I’ve got a pretty good grasp on the program out there. Its always nice to have a little help on a new lake. We fished hard in the common areas (frontinack and straight out from maiden rock) all morning and into the night with only a couple of bites to show for our efforts. We marked many fish but never caught one to tell what they were for sure. I think we just had a bunk day out there. Also noticed some pretty good current moving through, maybe that didnt help. Well I’ll try again and let you know how it goes.