new to rochester area-places to fish?

Hello, i’m new to the rochester area and am having a little trouble finding decent places to fish from shore…i’d like to target bass or pike, but am also open to bluegills, crappie, and trout. I would like to try the Zumbro River, but just not sure where to start. I’ve tried a few of the local reservoirs but haven’t had a whole lot of luck and those places are usually way over crowded. I’d rather get started somewhere that i can do some exploring and find spots that not as many people know about. Also, in the next few weeks i may be purchasing a fishing kayak which will open up my options a bit. Any advice on where to get started or any advice in general would be appreciated. Thanks!

Foster-Ahrends Lake offers some trout fishing. Shore or from a kayak, they can be taken. Spinners and/or count-down rapalas in #3 to #7. Rainbow trout or gold/orange are good starting colors for the raps.

When you get the kayak Cesterwoods will offer some nice bass casting during the week, weekends will be hectic.

The Zumbro River below the Power Dam on Lake Zumbro, north of town, has some outstanding smallie fishing for a kayaker. Beware of mega-muskies there as they they share the water with the smallies. Closer to home here the Zumbro River just south of the 37th Street Bridge, east of the north Hy-Vee will give up a variety of fish at times. Personally I like this stretch more for early spring and late fall….smallies and walleyes maybe keep you entertained.

Lake City on the shores of Lake Pepin has a lot of shoreline that is fishable and you never know what might grace your offering. Between Wabasha and Minnieska to the south on the Minnesota shoreline you’ll find a wide-spread system of backwaters adaptable to either shore or kayak fishing.

Personally I’d look to the Mississippi at this time of year. Either rip-rap shoreline or backwaters will offer up more fish than anything locally for a while now. The Zum below the power dam stretch will be ok now too but the ski’s maybe won’t be as easy to find until the water cools in the fall. I’d really be putting my time in around Lake City at the peir or the break water in front of the sailboat harbor.

Awesome thanks a bunch! 2 weekends ago I did fish on the backwaters in between Wabasha and WI and caught about 10 or so very nice bluegills in a relatively short amount of time. I plan on going back once i get a kayak, but first I’ll probably try either Chesterwoods or Lake Zumbro. In the mean time I’ll have to look into some of the spots you mentioned. Thanks again, really helped me out.

Cascade Lakes is yet another “in town” place to drop a line from shore. There are a couple lakes in the complex being developed that are fishable. Size might be just a wee bit better in the Cascade Lakes when it comes to crappies and sunfish but the best fishing, again, will come to you in a float of some sort.

Zumbro River Rats is a canoe, tube, and kayak rental in Millville. Their kayak rentals are very reasonable. Walleye smallie northern sauger and even a once in a while muskie that escaped Lake Zumbro. Even if you’re just floating, surrounded by the bluffs, it’s well worth your time. Most people put in at Hammond, but they will start you at Zumbro Falls. 507 798 2450.

for P4 there is also a very active trip swap board here on ido that you can put up your numbers looking for an open seat. works quite well. lots of guys don’t want to fish alone. the water can get dangerous. look into it.

http://www.idofishing.com/forum/postlist.php/Board/swap/trip-swap-forum

Fished on the Zumbro in town tonight at about 7 when I get done with work. Caught a 12″ walleye, a smallie, sucker, carp, and a couple catfish, the carp being the biggest. Caught them all on nightcrawlers sitting on the bottom in a deeper pool. Not a bad night. Also missed a few fish and had two knock my pole over I had set up on a stick. Thanks for the advice everyone. Plan on going back to that spot and will post some pics if I get anything of size.

The float trips below the power dam mentioned by Starvin Pilgrim are really pretty nice if you can do one during the early daytime on a week day. Late day and weekends are loaded with tubers and partiers. The water in the river coming from the dam right now is sort of dirty too, but once it cleans up its a great time.

Something to think about when doing a trip of this nature is that when the dam is generating electricity you’ll have more water and current and the fishing can improve. When the turbines are idle you may spend as much time pulling a canoe as riding in one.

Does anybody know if thoes lakes behind universal marine and rv if theres a public boat ramp? Trying to find a spot for the gf to jusmp out and layout on the tubes.

Not yet. At least not one that is legal.

Those are all part of the up-coming Cascade Lakes complex that is still in the future as far as an opening date. When the lakes become navigatable it will be by electric or oars only.

Every now and again there are rumblings about this project getting kicked into finish mode but nothing will happen as long as they are mining sand in the one lake yet.

cascade lake offers some quality bass fishing if you know where to look, hauled from 3-4 pounders out of there.

I’ve been down there a few times the last couple weeks. Pulled a few small ones out…haven’t hooked any big ones yet, but I’ve seem them in there.