Trout Opener – Cenaiko Lake

The trout opener tomorrow on Cenaiko lake has been postponed due to bad ice conditions and open water.

See the Anoka co press release.

I also heard that Quarry Lake in Shakopee is going to be closed tomorrow for the opener. Sounds like Courthouse in Chaska will be open, but guessing it will be even more of a zoo.

A guy at work once talked me into fishing Cenaiko Lake.

It was after opener and we had the “lake” almost to ourselves. The fish were biting and he was having a blast.

I myself literally felt like an adult trying to seriously fish in a plastic trout pond at a sports show But he was ecstatic when I gave him my fish.

I’m not at all against fishing for stocked fish, but that pond had a different vibe for me that I don’t care to experience ever again??

I pulled an 8# rainbow and a 6.5# laker out of there one year. I believe it was 2002. The laker cam from 3’ of water while sight fishing and the rainbow was a complete surprise and nearly spooled me. Also caught several 16”+ brookies. No doubt there is a different vibe but it is definitely still fun. Especially for the kids if you can get them sight fishing. If I get a chance to go it’ll likely be 100% c&r because the last time I kept them they were nearly inedible.

If I’m around 1 other fisherman about the size of cenaiko at any given time my anxiety level goes up significantly, let alone 50 others…..

Cool catches tho gill, those would perhaps keep me going back to

so stocked ponds are in many places in the state. why is there a Zoo at some of these spots like courthouse? Proximity?

I feel kind of spoiled with 2 ponds really close by and no mobs of people all year really.

eyeguy507 wrote:

so stocked ponds are in many places in the state. why is there a Zoo at some of these spots like courthouse? Proximity?

I feel kind of spoiled with 2 ponds really close by and no mobs of people all year really.

Not many trout ponds around in the metro. I think they stopped stocking Christmas and Little Long. Little Long didn’t get much pressure back in the late ’90s and early ’00’s; Cool small lake that is basically a lake in a tiny valley.

In Cenaiko, they’ve had a history of stocking up to 5000 fish per winter season. They typically range from 2000-4000 though. Far more than that lake could support long term so it is in fact a lot like fishing in the sports show pond. The term “put and take” is extremely accurate.

Looks like either this year or last year they stocked 3000 rainbows. They also typically put in broad stock bows, browns, bookies and the rare lake trout. The year I caught my lake trout they only put in 3.

Do you know the last time they put lakers in?

Bass Pundit wrote:

Little Long didn’t get much pressure back in the late ’90s and early ’00’s; Cool small lake that is basically a lake in a tiny valley.

That is a cool little lake. Haven’t been back there for a while. Rumor has it that there used to be some giant pike in there because they’d feast on all the stocked fatty trout.

Hawkon Fishermen wrote:

Do you know the last time they put lakers in?

I’m not 100% sure but 2002 was the year I know they put them in and was probably the only time. It was just a year where the DNR was unloading a ton of brood stock rainbows, brookies, browns and a few leftover lakers.

B-man wrote:

A guy at work once talked me into fishing Cenaiko Lake.

Same hear except I did it on opener. Got there and meet my coworker well before daylight and he set me up on a spot he had already drilled a hole. It was -20 degrees, I set up in my one man and started fishing. I could tell by the noise there was a lot of people around, but it wasn’t tell after daylight when I popped out of the shelter and realized there was at least 100 other people in shacks on that tiny lake. I caught a few smaller ones no clue what kind. It’s the only time in my life I ever trout fished. The dnr was out there checking everyone and lots of guys did not but a stamp. Weird experience for sure.

John Rasmussen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>B-man wrote:</div>
A guy at work once talked me into fishing Cenaiko Lake.

Same hear except I did it on opener. Got there and meet my coworker well before daylight and he set me up on a spot he had already drilled a hole. It was -20 degrees, I set up in my one man and started fishing. I could tell by the noise there was a lot of people around, but it wasn’t tell after daylight when I popped out of the shelter and realized there was at least 100 other people in shacks on that tiny lake. I caught a few smaller ones no clue what kind. It’s the only time in my life I ever trout fished. The dnr was out there checking everyone and lots of guys did not but a stamp. Weird experience for sure.

One trout opener on Cenaiko I got pinched for having two lines down, which I’m pretty sure was allowed at Christmas and Little Long. I went to court and the judge cut the fine down significantly.

Bass Pundit wrote:

One trout opener on Cenaiko I got pinched for having two lines down, which I’m pretty sure was allowed at Christmas and Little Long. I went to court and the judge cut the fine down significantly.

Is that a trout thing or that lake? I did not have two lines down but can’t recall if my buddy told me not to or I just didn’t, the one man I had at the time barely had the room to have two holes and a heater.

It’s a “designated trout lake” thing. Statewide.

One of those MN fishing laws that makes zero sense. There is a rationale I’m sure, but it is stupid. Every lake in the state allows 2 lines for ice fishing except for designated trout lakes. Not all lakes with trout in them are designated trout lakes. An easy rule to forget when you mainly fish non-designated ones like I did.

Could you imagine 1000 people using 2 lines on Cenaiko?

biggill wrote:

Could you imagine 1000 people using 2 lines on Cenaiko?

Could make a lake specific regulation for Cenaiko and other ponds if that were the case. I assume they just don’t want tip-ups and other passive lines on Trout Lakes.

The trout water regulation that drives me nuts is the fishing hours end at 11:00 PM. Why?!?!

biggill wrote:

Could you imagine 1000 people using 2 lines on Cenaiko?

Yeah people are packed in, but most of the fish are not very big. Two lines would lead to less congestion sooner on Opener. The only day or two that a crowd shows up. Everybody figures they all got caught and goes back to their normal ice-fishing routine. It’s an exception law for one day a year, ridiculous.

I used to fish Courthouse opener years ago and had many great days there. I was told they placed the large Trout from the State Fair pond there.

Bass Pundit wrote:

One of those MN fishing laws that makes zero sense. There is a rationale I’m sure, but it is stupid. Every lake in the state allows 2 lines for ice fishing except for designated trout lakes. Not all lakes with trout in them are designated trout lakes. An easy rule to forget when you mainly fish non-designated ones like I did.

I have always heard more people complain about the no live minnow rule.

I don’t think the one line rule has anything to do with cenaiko, any other trout pond or opening day.

I used to look forward to inland trout opener and went every opener for probably a decade. I probably haven’t gone in 5 years and completely forgot about opener this year. Ice fishing for salmon and trout on the Great Lakes kind of ruined inland trout fishing for me.