cat lakes around the metro

[mrklean]

Anyone know where i can find info besides looking up every lake on the lake finder what lakes in the metro have channel cats in them? Figure it would be a little closer then driving up to the chain all the time during the hardwater season.

[bobbymalone]

i'm pretty sure that most if not all the lakes in the metro that are stocked with channels are part of the FiN (fishing in the neighborhood) program. That will help you narrow it down a lot.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/fin/catfish_lakes.html

I have tried a couple lakes that have been stocked with channels with a whopping success rate of zero. Methinks some of the problem is that the lakes I have tried haven't been stocked/sampled super recently and the other part is that I only have a half idea what I am doing when I try to ice cats.

[mrklean]

haha thanks ill take a peek at those lakes

[JimBuck]

Yeah, I've also been looking into lakes closer to home for some channels. It seems like the Fin program is a good place to start. Also, backwater and floodwater lakes off of rivers. I haven't done much hunting for Channels through the ice during the winter with the exception of the chain. Good luck!

[mainbutter]

I've tried three lakes that supposedly have been stocked with channels and should have some in 'em with multiple years of growth, but as with bobbymalone I've hit a grand total of zero.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

never tried to fish for them, but wirth lake off hwy 55 and 100 is to have some, there is a hole between the beach and the boat launch

[PartyWhine]

I've caught em in Silver Lake (New Brighton ?) when I wasn't trying for 'em.

Its stocked.

Might be very good if thats your game.

Size too.

[JBMasterAngler]

Catfish are stocked in peltier lake and como...although none have ever turnd up in test nettings. Island lake in shoreview is also stocked, and are now starting to show up, so that might be your best bet.

[blakeb]

tanners in st paul, out from the permenant dnr fishing pier, chicken livers on the bottom

[mrklean]

chicken livers in the winter?

[FishLocker]

with deer season (bow) in full swing, has anyone tried deer liver? I will be happy to save for fishing instead of dog food =)

[DTro]

Chicken livers work great in the winter. Best part is that they are more firm and stay on the hook better.

I still prefer a minnow for the bigger fish (seems to be a preference) but for action and numbers of fish, liver is tough to beat.

As far as metro cats, I've tried a couple of lakes and I really do think it comes down to a popluation density. The higher the density, the more success you will have (I know priceless info). What I mean is that when we fish for them up on the Sauk Chain they are literally stacked thick sometimes for 15ft in the water column. You can't help but to catch em when there are so many.

[MDNRMetroRivers]

Something to keep in mind about these stocked metro lakes vs the Sauk River Chain is that they are not the same at all. Sauk Chain has a higher density like Dtro says, and current that will make it easier to locate the fish. These metro lakes are stocked, but they are stocked lightly and isn't going to be any natural reproduction to increase the numbers. If you can find them you might be able to catch them, but finding them in any numbers is the hard part and no guarantee those fish will be in that spot again. No current.

I saw a few come cruising by my camera when fishing Como a few years ago for pike and panfish. Went back the next day to the same spot with some cat gear and ALL species of fish were gone from that area. Happened to be the day that the dissolved oxygen crashed in December and the aerator had to be turned on early that year. So I wasn't able to test my cat catching techniques out there.

If you are going to target cats in the metro stocked lakes, I would start with Golden in Anoka County. Seems to be a fair number of cats that show up in there plus the aerator in that lake runs constantly and probably creates a low current that may concentrate fish in an area.

Joel

[popriveter]

My favorite lake for ice fishing panfish is stocked with channels. I've only caught one in the winter, though I think I lost one last week (big fish, way too active to be a bass.) I've caught several spring fishing from shore. However, the DNR doesn't show it in any of their stocking reports. The Lake info page on the MNDNR site shows no stocking history.

Maybe you should try emailing someone at the DNR to get pointed in the right direction. I wonder how many of these catfish stocking projects are slipping beneath the radar.

I think the DNR is trying to use catfish stocking as a tool to cut into stunted sunfish populations more than they are trying to create a cat fishery. Sunfish overpopulation harms water quality/clarity.

Now, I'm rambling...

[popriveter]

I got one! With the tail pinched, it just barely touched 20". Sure is a surprising fight sandwiched between 8" crappies.

[aanderud]

Nice work! That's a dandy cat when you're using crappie gear, that's for sure!

[MN BassFisher]

I've caught one channel from Island lake in Shoreview, so I've been out there 3 times in the winter and have not caught one. Tried a bunch of different tactics but all I could catch was perch and sunfish.

[Jospeh]

Got one out of fish lake in Eagan the other night!