MN/WI Lake recommendations for this week?

I usually avoid the crowds and try to take time off work immediately following the opener; last week was a total wash so I pushed my vacation time to this week. Weather’s much more tolerable, but of course now I’m dealing with the fallout from all of that rain. I’ve got Wednesday and Thursday left to fish. Willing to drive 45-60 minutes from St. Paul. Any recommendations for a multi-species lake that fishes well in high water?

I’m planning to avoid the Mississippi and St. Croix as it sounds like we’re at or near flood stage.

Yesterday I fished some of the western bays of Minnetonka and couldn’t get on any walleye. Jig & plastics; casting flickr shads in different sizes and colors; husky jerks; floating minnow; 3-way rig. I tried a bunch but couldn’t get into them. I had a great panfish bite over lunch and caught a few smallmouth working the islands as well.

You might want to try the Chisago area – not great walleye lakes but pretty good panfish, pike, bass. There are some walleyes in all of them but you’ll have to work hard. You could hit Center, Chisago, Green pretty easily. If fishing is tough on one you can move quickly. Close to Forest Lake, too.

Plus, Frankie’s or Mike’s Bait on 8 usually has some decent reports if you swing in for bait.

Matt Moen wrote:

You might want to try the Chisago area – not great walleye lakes but pretty good panfish, pike, bass. There are some walleyes in all of them but you’ll have to work hard. You could hit Center, Chisago, Green pretty easily. If fishing is tough on one you can move quickly. Close to Forest Lake, too.

Plus, Frankie’s or Mike’s Bait on 8 usually has some decent reports if you swing in for bait.

We hit Chisago fall before last, with my old man and my son — my kid landed a fat whopper smallie that made the trip. Haven’t been back so maybe it’s time. Have never fished Green, South Center, or North Center — do you recommend any over the others?

I’d drive a little extra and go to Mille Lacs, unless you have an empty freezer, but then again I’d rather buy dinner in exchange for catching a bunch of trophy class walleye and smallies. But that’s just me.

BigWerm wrote:

I’d drive a little extra and go to Mille Lacs, unless you have an empty freezer, but then again I’d rather buy dinner in exchange for catching a bunch of trophy class <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye and smallies. But that’s just me.

My freezer stays full of frozen pizza so I can fish wherever I want! But by the time I got my kids to school and then sat in traffic leaving the metro, I’d be lucky to be on the water by 10:30am. This would be my first time on ML with my boat (have been with other more experienced anglers) and I just don’t want to feel like I’m racing around fighting the clock. Cuz we both know my wife’s gonna be texting me by mid-afternoon with the “ETA?” texts.

Cedar lake, just northeast of Somerset has always been a fun one for Walleye if you can find em.

404 ERROR wrote:

Cedar lake, just northeast of Somerset has always been a fun one for <em class=”ido-tag-em”>Walleye if you can find em.

Thanks, I’ll check it out. My dad is in Hudson so we typically fish the Croix but it would be nice to get to know a lake or two in the area as well.

I second Cedar or possibly Balsam in polk county

If you are looking to catch walleye might want to re think the river. It will be a ghost town this weekend and conditions are looking about right for a fantastic numbers bite.

Thanks guys. @mikew22 — I was on pool 2 Monday and it was a disaster with debris throughout the water column and big logs floating on top. Trolling wasn’t really possible and the high water & current made it tough to control the boat. You think the croix is in better shape?