Cabin Fever

  • JasonP
    Twin Cities
    Posts: 1368
    January 30, 2011 at 8:20 pm #1315835

    The sun was out and the latest predicted snowstorm hasn’t rolled in yet so I took a drive down to Hidden Falls. This pic is looking down at the Hidden Falls ramp on the right. I was surprised to see that the river is open quite a ways down past the dam. There’s no open water near the confluence yet though. Also, the park is closed and they haven’t plowed in a while. It was just good to see liquid water flowing down there.

    Last year there was a window where the river was fishable before the melt started…then it was game over for a while. I hope we get a little window this year too…

    JP

    Steve Root
    South St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 5623
    January 30, 2011 at 8:58 pm #931767

    I just came over he 35E bridge on the “Practice Feeway” and got a pretty good luck towrds the confluence. Lots of snow and ice, with a little open water in the middle. The 494 access looks similar….ice way out from shore with some open water out ove the channel.

    Tied a couple of dozen hair jigs today, I’m getting spring fever pretty bad.

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    January 30, 2011 at 10:21 pm #931800

    Hidden falls is usually the first ramp to open in the spring. If they are not plowing the park this winter I bet it wont matter when the ramps opens. We wont be getting there until the snow melts.

    Pete Bauer
    Stillwater, MN
    Posts: 2599
    January 30, 2011 at 11:16 pm #931811

    Mike’s got a good point. Were they plowing the parking lot at this time last winter?

    Cabin Fever? Yup

    Brian Morris
    Isanti, MN
    Posts: 43
    January 30, 2011 at 11:46 pm #931814

    I called St Paul Parks and Rec Operations at 651-632-5111 last year and asked them about opening the gates and plowing out the ramp. Dont know if it worked but I bet if they get enough of us calling it might help. I think our window is going to be short this year.

    Thanks for the picture Jason.

    thebigd25
    st. paul
    Posts: 124
    January 31, 2011 at 3:08 am #931874

    I think they normally keep the park open, Ive shore fished(unsuccessfully) up to the dam this time of year.

    Jaya
    Zimmerman, MN
    Posts: 174
    January 31, 2011 at 3:19 am #931883

    Last year the park opened 1st week of march, i was gonna fish there on feb 28th but it was closed so we went to 494 and some guy said the road was closed but i didnt drive down there myself, so we went to hastings where we were able to launch but had to bust through some ice chunks to get to the dam. came to find out later that they never closed the road to 494 wish i would have looked.

    Brian Morris
    Isanti, MN
    Posts: 43
    February 2, 2011 at 2:38 pm #932708

    Talked to Karen at St Paul Parks, 651-632-2413. Apparently she is a walleye fisherwoman, and may be a great friend to have there. She said she was going to try and get it opened up a few weeks earlier than last year. I said our time down there is going to be shortened this year due to flooding and it would be nice to have it opened up mid February or earlier.

    When it does open, please let your trailer drain at the bottom of the ramp, dont be dragging that water all the way up. I know it takes a little longer but a rig stuck in the drink takes much longer.

    I will keep calling them and post when I hear new info.

    JasonP
    Twin Cities
    Posts: 1368
    February 2, 2011 at 10:59 pm #932979

    Nice! Now we just need to break up that river.

    Jaya
    Zimmerman, MN
    Posts: 174
    February 2, 2011 at 11:53 pm #933006

    Open the park and I’ll volunteer to chip and scrape!

    Brian Morris
    Isanti, MN
    Posts: 43
    February 7, 2011 at 10:50 pm #934812

    Karen at St. Paul Parks said they might have it opened up by the start of next week. Whether or not she said that to shut me up or meant it, we’ll see.

    Ice chipping party?

    Jaya
    Zimmerman, MN
    Posts: 174
    February 7, 2011 at 11:13 pm #934821

    There is still alot of ice down stream of the ramp didnt look up stream.

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    February 8, 2011 at 1:58 pm #935000

    Sweat. The warm weather coming in this weekend should do a good job on the river ice. Last weekends thaw sure had the creeks and streams running in the north metro. This kind of weather is just what we need to prevent some major flooding this spring.

    Brian Morris
    Isanti, MN
    Posts: 43
    February 8, 2011 at 2:46 pm #935018

    Mike, thats exactly what I was thinking. It wont take much to run that shore ice off the river and then its a matter of prepping the ramp.

    wes_bergemann
    Crystal, MN
    Posts: 458
    February 8, 2011 at 3:03 pm #935025

    Quote:

    Last year the park opened 1st week of march, i was gonna fish there on feb 28th but it was closed so we went to 494 and some guy said the road was closed but i didnt drive down there myself, so we went to hastings where we were able to launch but had to bust through some ice chunks to get to the dam. came to find out later that they never closed the road to 494 wish i would have looked.

    Jason – does this mean you fished below the dam on pool 3 in hastings? I thought prescott to the dam was closed season as it is considered inland waters

    Jaya
    Zimmerman, MN
    Posts: 174
    February 8, 2011 at 4:37 pm #935080

    feb 28th

    wes_bergemann
    Crystal, MN
    Posts: 458
    February 9, 2011 at 3:13 am #935348

    DOOH!! Sorry, Missed that.

    Jaya
    Zimmerman, MN
    Posts: 174
    February 9, 2011 at 5:36 pm #935649

    I could have worded it a little better

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