The Chain Ice Reports

Lots of cars out on horseshoe this past weekend. You’ll be fine driving a small car. The bite was hot! Good luck!

Just DO NOT go out to the chain on the river access.

canoebasser wrote:

Lots of cars out on horseshoe this past weekend. You’ll be fine driving a small car. The bite was hot! Good luck!

Thanks for the info!

glenn57 wrote:

Just DO NOT go out to the chain on the river access.

Thanks for the heads up. I hear the access point is a mile n half or so from the river access, is that correct? I’ve only be to the chain during the summers using the river access. Are there other access points during the winter?

TimH wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
Just DO NOT go out to the chain on the river access.

Thanks for the heads up. I hear the access point is a mile n half or so from the river access, is that correct? I’ve only be to the chain during the summers using the river access. Are there other access <nobr style=”font-size: inherit”>points</nobr> during the winter?

you are correct. you need to go past where the river crosses hwy 22. the winter access, well you can take your pick which lake you want to go to!!!!!!!

I am TimH and I did not say that about the river access but I wish I had. Now how is the bite?

Hey guys, planning on fishing the chain this Sunday. Any of you guys been out this past week? Also, do they have roads plowed on the chain? Sorry for all the questions, haven’t been there during the winter so I’m not sure how things work on the chain. FYI if you fish Mille Lacs, they finally plowed roads to the mud flats. I was just there last Saturday and they plowed it that morning.

no one per say plows roads, but at this point its not an issue, not that much snow. stay away from snowbanks/drifts and you will be good. and stay away from the meth hole and river!!!!

took a drive around the lakes. lotz of vehicles out on grand and horseshoe. no one was out by the meth hole but looked like 2 wheel houses were headed there!!!

didn’t go out by long lake south of horseshoe. vehicles were crossing the river to get to becker. I buddy of mine said he put his house on Mitchell by big lake, said 18 inches of ice.

pretty quiet out on the chain today. most activity or houses is around the island out by cozy corners. south end is almost a ghost town. few out on btowns lake. but horeshoe and cedar island people scattered all over!!!!

How was travel on the ice?

I didn’t drive out on the ice but looks like there wasn’t issues getting to where you wanted to go.

Any cat reports lately? Fished them last year and found them tough to find. Hoping this year they’re in more predictable spots.

sorry, cant help ya. havent been out. just drove by.

That’s it?! You are our guy out there! get out there……wait did i post this already? Hey I’ll go with you, nice cats out there, great system-You live nearby, I would rather live by the HC that ML (ok maybe a tie) I’ll bring beer and beef jerky!

tim hurley wrote:

That’s it?! You are our guy out there! get out there……wait did i post this already? Hey I’ll go with you, nice cats out there, great system-You live nearby, I would rather live by the HC that ML (ok maybe a tie) I’ll bring beer and beef jerky!

I know.them stars just arent lining up for me this year. i’ve had i weekend of 3 1/2 days of ice time……….in dec up in itasca county!!!!

and this supposed snowmaggaden aint helping thats coming!!!!

2 big storms and we already have too much! Like to have a few inches to coat things-this is too dang much!

How is the snow/ice on Horseshoe? Any plowed roads? Is it like everywhere else where water is coming out of opened holes? TIA!

well there was supposed to be a catfish G-T-G tomorrow but got cancelled. the guy that organized it went out scouting last weekend and got his 1 ton truck stuck, turned around and left if that tells you anything.

unless individuals plow there are no certain plowed roads on the chain, however with housed supposedly needing to be off on monday there might be. i drove by the chain last saturday and can tell you there werent alot of people out, most using snowmobiles.

Thanks for the report Glenn
Hoping to finally drive out next weekend-hope that it is getting better right now with people pulling stuff off and plowing-would love to hear from someone who has seen the Chain today or tomorrow-Thanks

drove past the chain. lakes look super rough. seen 2 houses out yet, one on horseshoe and one on cedar island. there was one vehicle out on horseshoe. that road did not look very passible at all. seen one truck come off becker lake. cedar island from as far as I could see had a pretty good road plowed.

I did make it out on Cedar and Horeshoe on Saturday. Plowed road on cedar was good but only in one direction/spot. The plow road that was on Horseshoe was covered up but truck tracks paved another way to get to the point. Snow was anywhere from 8″-16″. Ice is 24″-30″ thick. Fishing was very slow.

seen 3 vehicles out on schnieder lake and 3 out on cedar island this morning, the rest is deserted.

horseshoe lake was empty of fishermen. cedar island had 6 vehicles parked on the shoreline. long lake had 3 people walking off and 2 people where out on Schneider. the creek running into Schneider was wide open and starting to open going into the lake. there where no vehicles on there either. and the river in spots look like its ready to open any day!!!!

Glen-what would you guess (just a guess, I know) would they be fishing on each lake? Thanks

Either crappies or catfish. To early for sunfish yet. Especially where they were fishing.

there wasn’t anyone out on the chain today about 3. accesses looked awefully crappy. did see 2 out on Schneider.

man oh man did things change in 24 hours. the hwy 22 access is completely under water. looks like lake access is all but over. river really rose and opened up. there was a stearns county sherriff and cold spring officer on the old railroad bridge in town. the deputy looked like he had some kind of gadget in his hands??? the water was really pouring over that dam.

news last nite had a fancy resturaunt, Antons, evacuated in st cloud because of flooding, apparently an ice dam up the river cut loose and water poured downstream. that place is on really low ground anyway!

I can not get on the ice anywhere that i have found. The ice has risen 3 ft since friday. Decent chance that hwy 22 goes completely under

river is completely open on the chain. few shallow bays also. stopped by camp woody bridge and the creek on the west side of long and didn’t see any fish.