Anyone know of any open water for some bowfishing?

[Powerstroke]

A buddy of mine asked I wanted to go bowfishing on sunday and I've never gone so I said sure. Then he mentioned he's not sure where to go.....Nice plan.

Anyway, I can't think of anywhere that has open water that may be an option. I was up on the Sauk RIver/ Horseshoe chain a couple weeks ago and it was mostly solid and that was before the deep freeze. Even the MN river and some of the feeders are mostly froze up.

Are there any places within 2hrs of the cities to find some open fishy water to fling a few fiberglass arrows or is it all frozen over?

[Gordie]

With this light winter weather you may want to check out the water falls in Jordan on the Sand creek. It usually doesnt freese over until its really,really cold guess it worth a shot.

[Huey]

I saw open water on the St. Croix river near Prescott last week.

[Gordie]

duh the river that runs out of Little Elk lake that I live on is wide open but its part of the refuge I know you can hunt it but not sure if bow hunting for fish is allowed on it I guess you would have to ask the DNR on that

I just got a text from my buddy that has the falls in his back yard and he will check it out thrusday PS

[Spike76]

Gordie, is that Elk Lake with the dam and landing at the south end.

[Powerstroke]

Thanks for the thoughts. Both of those areas are good ideas. Might be able to combine with some coyote calling.

[Gordie]

Yeppers I live on it I love to spear it but it is really dirty this year I have speared one out of it thou and I know a couple of guys that did alright early in the season

[Gordie]

Thanks for the thoughts. Both of those areas are good ideas. Might be able to combine with some coyote calling.

I'm in on the yote calling iffin you you got the room

[Powerstroke]

That may happen. He says the Falls in Jordan are in town so no shooting allowed.

Little elk? I can find Elk lake on the map, but not little elk. Can you give me somewhere to look at so I know what to check into>?

[Spike76]

I used to fish that lake in the fifties and sixties. Many sunnies, crappies, and some pike. Many memories. Elk Lake was great.

[Gordie]

I dont remember that ever you couldnt shoot bows in town and I still belive they hunt carp at the falls but I may be wrong.

Look for Zimmerman on the map follow cty 4 west to cty 1 north that lake at the tee on 1 is little elk

[Powerstroke]

SO the refuge allows fishing "by state regs" and hunting according to thier map. If I

ve got the right spot, the line dividing hunting from no hunting is the road the dam is on. DOwnstream is no hunting. That being said, bowfishing is governed by fishing regs and not hunting and should be totally legal.

[Gordie]

Yes but you can hunt south of that raod for everything from smallgame to deer the only thing I know for sure is that NO special hunts like yotes or turkeys type hunting.

and I know that when bow season open in the spring they shoot carp off of the bridge on that road

[Gordie]

also most of that river is walkable with chest waders and there are a few othe rspots to access it by foot also

[Archerysniper]

Doesn't the refuge close to any entrance after bow season closes?

[Gordie]

I belive that is the property on the refuge that is north of cty 9 because you can still fish on the river.

south of the puplic access(little Elk) on ct1 about 3/4 mile is a parking lot and a path that goes to the river and some people still fish there. along with your typical shed hunters

[Archerysniper]

I know the guys I bowfished the tournaments with this summer hit the St.croix when they find open sections. How about the river by the nuke plant in montecello.

[Gordie]

Sorry guys just got word the Waterfalls in Jordan is froze solid.

[Powerstroke]

Well, If you're saying the dam by little elk is open that is our working plan for now. There should be three of us with a canoe and chest waders. I've honestly never bowfished, but he's bringing his spare bow for me.

It would be awesome to find some bigger water since he has a decked out bowfishing boat, but being winter and all makes it tough.

[Powerstroke]

A little update on this. We went to the outlet dam on Elk and found a couple of small northerns swimming below the dam.

As we headed downstream we saw a couple small bass maybe, but nothing else. No chances to even draw back.

Next place we went was the St. Francis River where it crosses Cty 9 in SNWR. While it looks like a dynamite spot there was nothing to be found there besides some incredible beaver activity.

After that we headed to the Blue Hill cemetary within the refuge. The next gate was shut but I know there is a dam further in where folks can put boats in for waterfowl hunting. Also fishing is allowed on the river below the dam. So, we loaded up the waders, bows etc into the canoe and started dragging the canoe in the fresh snow. Its 1 mile as the crow flies so I figure about one and a quarter miles hike. Everything looked great, but we still didn't see a single fish. We hiked downstream for another mile or so and saw a couple small fish, but nothing we could shoot at.

The highlight was pushing a flock of trumpeter swans off the river followed by a bald eagle. Lots of critter tracks in the area. Its too bad you can't trap or hunt furbearers in the refuge. I'd have a few ideas where to start.

It was a gorgeous day to be outdoors and to hiking through the refuge, but unfortunately we didn't find what we were looking for, at least not this time of year.

Gordie, thanks for the pointers. We may have to try this again in the spring.

[Gordie]

PS if you keep following the river from little elk you have a few other spots you could have checked as well like where it crosses cty 4 west of Zimmerman and then again where it crosses paths with cty 15 south and west of town.

Next spring if you guys come up and I'm free I can give you tour on the lake for some carp action

[tunrevir]

Powerstroke, you could check the dam area off Peltier in Centerville. Especially late winter if the o2 levels drop in the lakes along the Rice creek chain the carp and suckers move to the open water by the dam. Another area you may want to check is the sunrise river system running through Carlos Avery. Not sure on the regs with bows and such during closed hunting seasons but worth checking out.

Tunrevir~

[Archerysniper]

Next spring if you guys come up and I'm free I can give you tour on the lake for some carp action

I'm in for it,I even have a couple extra bows set up that you and the boy's can trade off with.

[Gordie]

sounds good may have to make it a GTG

[Powerstroke]

Well, my buddy got a tip about other places to find fish on the St. Francis so I'm sure there will be another trip or two during the winter. It was an amazing day to be out hiking in the woods with a bow. I just wish we would've found some fish.

My buddy has a "decked" out boat for bowfishing so there may be some night shooting opportunities too.