Lake Zumbro Report 3-13

With the warm weather today, I just couldn’t resist the urge to get out on Lake Zumbro for some ice fishing. The warmth has already melted most of the snow and there is lots of standing water on the ice. The ice is still hanging in there at 2 ft. of thickness. The days of driving large vehicles out on the ice are numbered as the shoreline by the Fisherman’s Inn access is starting to show signs of opening up.

The fish are responding to the fresh influx of water by starting to move off the deep flats they were on much of the winter. I spent my time fishing no deeper than 12 FOW today, even as little as 7 FOW. Every area had fish showing on the Marcum LX-5. There was quite the mix of fish in the same areas today – gills, crappies, cats, and roughies.

I started out fishing a diamond jig tipped with spikes, but had many more lookers than biters. Decided to upsize to a mini-mite and was immediately rewarded with bigger fish. Most of the active fish were 2-4 off the bottom and willing to take a good look at the bait. Tipping the mini-mite with a spike produced more hits than without any meat.

My conclusion is that we have now moved into late season ice fishing, which can be some of the best fishing of the year! The fish on Zumbro will be on the move now and will likely settle in areas that are just off the current edges in shallower water. It was a great day to be out and really nice to have some cooperative fish. Hope you get a change to get out and enjoy some fishing soon!

Mike…..

Nice article featuring you at the Zinger! Job well done!

Thanks for the report and pics. There was a nice article featuring you at the Zumbro Zinger in the Post Bulletin tonight.
Thanks, Bill

I see that the water level has risen 1.5 ft. in the last few days. With all the melted snow, that will probably continue and will be another reason to be very careful near the shorelines. The ice will pull away from the shoreline in conditions like this.

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I see that the water level has risen 1.5 ft. in the last few days. With all the melted snow, that will probably continue and will be another reason to be very careful near the shorelines. The ice will pull away from the shoreline in conditions like this.

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AND with some wind the ice will rock-n-roll like ice cubes in water and melt. Bring it on! Come on spring and open water!!
Thanks, Bill

The main-lake ice is still well over 20+ inches. There is substantial water atop the ice in most places now and access points are open water.

The water color yesterday was dirty in many locations and getting dirtier hour by hour. When I left the lake a 11AM there was maybe 4 inches of visibility in the holes. Current had increased to the point that I had to have the locator in a hole five feet downstream to mark a diamond jig…..in only thirteen feet of water no less.

I’d not trust the ice for anything but foot travel, but as we all know there are those with challenges who will pass up a heads up.

Rain and thunder Billy-Bob…..rain and thunder. Four or five hours of the latter. Then a day with steady, gentle 30 mph breezes from the SE.

The water is mostly open from Sandy Point down pass Fishermans Inn alittle bit but the DNR or Sheriff has the gate closed to the launch area. Anyone know why the gate is locked shut? Dan Theim was laying out on his chair getting a suntan at Fishermans Inn on the ice today when I drove by. Wish I would of had my boots with me so I could of walked out and shot the bull with him. I did have a couple ice rods in the car for emergancies. I have to admit I am getting excited for open water on the Zumbro. All of the boat batteries are charged so I’m getting ready.

Thanks, Bill

The gate is shut so that no one will attempt to get a vehicle to the ice. The shoreline has water around it now and would not support a vehicle. I think we will still have ice to fish on for a while. You just need to access the ice from the green dock in front of Fisherman’s. Minnows have been doing very well for crappies out in front of Fisherman’s.

There is no longer any ice at the Sandy Point boat ramp area. Its now open water down to Fishermans Inn so hopefully they will open the gate now.
Thanks, Bill

Oh yeah, read right past Sandy Point….
The gates are shut because of the “no wake” status in effect right now.

The fishing was something else Sunday. The only thing that I wish I had taken was the long rod. Much of that open water was accessible and would have provided a whole lot better fishing than the ice.

The lake is deteriating fast.

This is copied from the Zumbro Status website.

Weather conditions have created thin ice and open water on bodies of water in Olmsted County.
The water level on Lake Zumbro has reached a “ slow no wake” status. Currently the lake has thin ice and open water. The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office has issued an advisory and recommends staying off all bodies of water in Olmsted County due to unpredictable and unsafe conditions.

There is still about 20 inches of ice on the area of the lake being fished – Fisherman’s Inn. You need to walk out the green dock and then step onto the ice. Best part is that some real nice crappies are being caught! Minnows have been producing as well as some plastics.

There is open water down pass Fishermans Inn but the gates at Sandy Point are still locked. People were still ice fishing in the bay at Fishermans Inn. They were entering the ice from the green dock.
Thanks, Bill

Step out on to a dock to get to ice? Now that must be a Rochester thing right there!! We have been known up here to have one foot in a Jon boat and one on the ice so we can fish but never have walked off a dock to get on the ice before!

We drove out last night on a local lake here that still has about 26-28″ of crystal clear ice on it. Shore lines on most lakes are still in pretty good shape. Unless it either gets really warm or we get a bunch of rain we will be driving out for at least another week or two on many of our lakes.

PS…..Crappies are acting suicidal these days once that sun hits the tree tops in the evenings.

Where we fished the ice a few weeks ago Jeff, I have been shore casting with some success. The crappies have been on a tear on the ice across the bay too….towards where we parked.

This weather is going to change things big time. I fished this morning for about a half hour and got tired of the water on the ice. Lots of slush today, holes did not re-freeze over night and with the heavy snow….we are seeing some serious leakage now. The ice was real grainy a week ago already, so 10 inches of this wet snow could spell the end.