Launch Water Levels

With everything being so dry how are the launches? I’m heading up next week and last year caught a rock at Sha Bush Kung because it was so low. Thinking about going to liberty this time.

It’s low. But not as low as last year. I’d say we have about 6-7 inches more than the lowest level last fall. Still using my harbor access that was un-usable last year.

Boats are using Liberty. I didn’t hear of any problems there.

Hope that helps.

-J.

No problems at the liberty access yesterday.
When I left there was a big glass lund deep V loading up and they didn’t have any issues either.

Fishing report?

grubson wrote:

No problems at the liberty access yesterday.
When I left there was a big glass lund deep V loading up and they didn’t have any issues either.

bigcrappie wrote:

Fishing report?

I targeted smallmouth yesterday. I fished from 6am until 230pm. Probably caught 20-25 bass ranging from 8″ to 20.5″ and 4 walleyes.
Best depth was 10-13ft of water. I caught 1 bass and 1 walleye in a spot that was 18ft otherwise I stayed shallower all day.
Best baits for me were a standard GP TRD 1/8oz ned rig and a 3.5 paddle tail on a 1/4 ounce jig head. With the paddle tail I found that a bright orange and pink bait got far more bites than a natural color.

Launched at liberty yesterday as well. No issues at all.

mahtofire14 wrote:

I’m heading up next week and last year caught a rock at Sha Bush Kung because it was so low.

The problem is going from the actual harbor area to the main lake. It really shallow there. I’ve had to use my bow mount lifted way up to get through in the past. I’ve also heard bad things about parking in that lot on the res. I would go elsewhere.

Did you do any rigging yesterday Ron? Curious if that bite is starting yet

Craig Sery wrote:

Did you do any rigging yesterday Ron? Curious if that bite is starting yet

.
You can always get 1 or 2 that way, but the water is still mid 70s. That bite really fires up when it gets down in to the upper 50s

Craig Sery wrote:

Did you do any rigging yesterday Ron? Curious if that bite is starting yet

Labor Day….

USGS site shows it’s about 6″ higher than last year at Cove Bay.

Walleye are not on structure/reefs right now. Not rock bars such as 3 mile, or mud flats either (just dinks on mud flats). I am headed back up Next week and will report back with updates. Wish I could show you guys screen shot, but I drove from 2 mile to flamingo to mud flats to Highway Bar never saw a school of Walleye, decent size anyway, over 2-3 and 3 was maybe once and again smaller. Too windy for me to try basin related patterns but I did see larger schools of 4-6 large marks on basin areas in very short amount of time.

Water level – no problems launching. However, that gunk on top of water, pollen maybe? Looks like pollen I see on like Rainy Lake but not sure. Anyway there was enough of it isolated in a shallow spot I was fishing to point where I got got engine warning beeps. It was like sludge going inside the water intake so watch for those areas.

Smallies are indeed active though. Got a 21″ in 27′, and multiple nice ones shallower around 10-13′

Water level has dropped but latest ML Messenger shows presentlevel is .73′ below OHW

I’m seeing lots of hooks and balls of bait on my sonar but not a lot of action. Suspended out away from the gravel bars. Too far to go to the mud from Wahkon. I’d guess one per hour in the evening. Decent size, 20″+.

Smallies everywhere.

Go fish the weeds in Wahkon..always eyes in the weeds. Plenty of eyes shallow.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Go fish the weeds in Wahkon..always eyes in the weeds. Plenty of eyes shallow.

No doubt on weeds and shallow. I’ve been only pulling plugs. Weeds & plugs = frustration.
I took a bunch of time off, like 7 years,from serious fishing. I’m learning about Lowrance HDS & ironing out settings etc.
I thought a LMS350A was the schitz compared to the green box flasher tied to a 12v battery in a 14′ F7 from when I was a kid. Still got that boat, the 10HP Evinrude, & flasher. I still remember when a buddy had a Sci Tech color unit in his Crestliner & what a step forward that was from his paper unit.

Figured with the name you would pull blades in those weeds. Smile blades…shhh

So is it still closed for walleye? I thought I read it was until Sept first but it seems like people are still fishing it for walleye? Did I read this wrong?

mahtofire14 wrote:

So is it still closed for walleye? I thought I read it was until Sept first but it seems like people are still fishing it for walleye? Did I read this wrong?

It’s open for walleye. No harvest until Sept 1.

Nevermind, read it wrong.

Went out last Wednesday. Liberty Beach launch was very nice. The fishing, not so much. Targeted rock piles as we mostly went out for smallies. Caught 6 smallies all in different areas. One here and one there. Nothing schooled up. pulled bottom bouncers and spinners in between spots and got skunked for walleye. Had some bites but no hookups. Pretty surprising to us. Hopefully will go back in a month or so.

Wahkon city park is very low.
I had to drop both my lifts today and will be pulling them after the full moon. RATS!

It’s extremely dry out there. MSP has recorded 0.25 inches of rain since Sept 1, which is the driest September on record. Minnehaha Falls is completely dry again. We need a monsoon of rain.

PSA for those still out this fall. I’d advise against using the Isle public access at Malone creek. I hit a rock when launching and again when loading (2 different rocks in 2 different spots) right off the dock. Surprised they even consider that a public access with all the land mines right at the dock. Took a chunk off my skeg. Planned on using Macs launch until I got there and saw posted sign that they switched launch to seasonal member use only starting May 2022. Where do most launch on the south end with low water levels?

Cove bay is still pretty good. Need to trim up, but not bad

Has anyone used Sha Bush King, I’m sure it’s shallow but curious if you can get a boat in

Ryan Haller wrote:

Surprised they even consider that a public access with all the land mines right at the dock.

I know exactly where that rock you speak of is by the access. Its hazardous when there’s low water.

Sounds like Cove Bay is the only option remaining if Wahkon and Isle are both too shallow down there. Can’t comment about Shah Bush Kung but I imagine that’s very low too, plus the location is sketchy. Eddy’s is still good I’m sure, but you’ll have to pay their launch fee.

Garrison myr mar liberty all still good. Plenty of boats at sha bush kung last weekend.

Father Hennepin SP was were a cousin tookout his big tritoon a couple of weeks back.
Last time I was at Shah Bush Kung was another low water year. Was out in Nov on the opening Sat of deer hunting. The channel in was very narrow, like 4 ft. & before we hung it up due to freezin rod guides another boat was blow in on the sandbar due to serious SE wind. I carried waders and pushed them off but there was no help in return. Citidiots.
I used Liberty Beach a coupleof weeks back to relaunch my ‘toon off a bunk trailer. Launch ramp was good but the channel out into the lake was sketchy for a big ‘tooner.