Lake Minnetonka - Opener

[NickMcD63]

I am heading out to Tonka to fish for my first time. I am use to smaller lakes so this is a little intimidating...What stage will they be in and where would you recommend starting?

Thanks in advance,

Nick

[Cecil]

Rule #1 for tonka newbie. Treat each bay as its own lake and will not be as overwhelming.

Most fish should be spawn or post spawn. I would start shallow to get an idea of what stage they are in, then go from there

[Deitz Dittrich]

great advice by Cecil.. each bay is its own body of water.. Find the water color and weed growth that you prefer and go from there. Any and all bays of Tonka can be fantastic..

and I agree.. full on end of spawn...

[NickMcD63]

So assuming in the warmer water areas I will have a tough time with postspawn fish, should I start in the southern bays of the lake where they could still be spawning?

[Cecil]

Keep in mind if each bay is like its own lake, then the nort part of that bay will be warmer. Not so much the northern part of the lake. Wayzata bay has very clear water and halsteads, west arm has dirty. Clear water should be a little cooler.

[cruiseforever]

Make sure you have a paper map with you. It is not a very friendly lake if your GPS unit should crash. It is freindly to a map user with names of bays on the bridges.

[CHEX1982]

[sorry, hijack] What about for shore guys? I've never tried tonka and I've heard great things about it. Unfortunately, unless someone can actually point on a map and say "here, here, here, is where u have shore access", I ain't about to drive 45 minutes to get lost on lake shore roads circling the bays for 2 hours. Especially when I could be playing Diablo 3

[Craigums]

[sorry, hijack] What about for shore guys? I've never tried tonka and I've heard great things about it. Unfortunately, unless someone can actually point on a map and say "here, here, here, is where u have shore access", I ain't about to drive 45 minutes to get lost on lake shore roads circling the bays for 2 hours. Especially when I could be playing Diablo 3

H38

Minnetonka

concrete

shore

Hennepin Co

763-348-4378

(Spring Park Bay)-I494/Hwy 12, W to Co 15, W to site.

H39

Minnetonka

concrete

shore

Minnetonka

952-939-8200

(Gray's Bay Dam)-I494/Co 5, W to Fairchild, N to Gray's Bay Blvd, E to access.

H40

Minnetonka

earth

shore

Minnetrista

952-446-1660

(Halsted Bay)-Hwy 7/Co 92, N to Co 110, E to Halsted Dr, 1/2 mi S to site.

H41

Minnetonka

carry in

shore

Minnetrista

952-446-1660

(Halsted Bay)-Hwy 7/King's Point, N to site.

H42

Minnetonka

concrete

platform

Hennepin Co

763-348-4378

(North Arm)-Hwy 12/Old Crystal Bay Rd (Co 84), S to Co 51, W to site.

H43

Minnetonka

concrete

shore

Deephaven

952-474-4755

(Carson's Bay)-I494/Minnetonka Blvd, W & S to site.

H44

Minnetonka

earth

shore

Minnetrista

952-446-1660

(Phelp's Bay)-Hwy 7/Co 15, W to Wilshire Blvd, S & W to Tuxedo Blvd, site on L.

H45

Minnetonka

concrete

shore

Mound

952-472-0600

(Cook's Bay)-I394 to Co Rd 15, W to Commerce Blvd.

H46

Minnetonka

concrete

shore

Minnetonka

952-939-8200

(Gray's Bay)-Hwy 101, Gray's Bay Blvd E to site entrance.

H47

Minnetonka

shore

Excelsior

952-474-5233

(Commons Pk)-Hwy 7/Lake St, N on Lake St to site.

H48

Minnetonka

platform

Hennepin Co

763-438-4378

(Coffee Channel)-I494/Hwy 12, W to Co 15, W to Co 19, R to site.

H49

Minnetonka

pier

Mound

952-472-0600

(Harrison Bay)-Co 15/Belmont, N to Lynwood, E to Centerview Ln, N to site.

H50

Minnetonka

platform

Tonka Bay

952-474-7994

(Tonka Bay)-Co 19 at city docks.

H51

Minnetonka

platform

Hennepin Co

763-438-4378

(Narrows Channel)-Hwy 7 (Excelsior Blvd)/Co 19, N to Narrows.

H52

Minnetonka

concrete

pier

DNR

952-826-6750

(Maxwell Bay)-at intersection of Co 51 & Co 135.

H53

Minnetonka

concrete

pier

Three Rivers Pk Dist

763-559-9000

Hwy 7/Co 44, 1/2 mi N to site.

H54

Minnetonka

platform

Three Rivers Pk Dist

763-559-9000

(St. Albans Bay)1 blk North of intersection of Minnetonka Blvd and Excelsior Blvd.

H55

Minnetonka

concrete

Wayzata

507-404-5300

Hwy 394/12 to Hwy 101, S. approx 1 mi. to Co. Rd. 16, W. approx 1/2 mile to site.

[CHEX1982]

Sweet! Thanks! Will be putting together a map this week with those points.

[Craigums]

What bays are your guys' favorites for smallies? Ive gotten a few decent ones out there but I was fishing as a nonboater and wasn't really paying attention to where we were (maybe wayzata?)

[GooBack]

Rule #1a for tonka newbie...dont go on opening weekend

Fishing aint good right now and it will be a cf this weekend

[EBass]

Every weekend is a cf out there from now until Labor Day.

[TonkaBass]

Craigums. It seems most the smallies are on the east side of the lake, but I have got them as far west as spring park and North Arm. Diamond reef, horseshoe reef, and browns bay seem to have the largest concentrations of them. They can be very tricky out there and are rarely targeted during the summer months for size and numbers.

[Craigums]

Craigums. It seems most the smallies are on the east side of the lake, but I have got them as far west as spring park and North Arm. Diamond reef, horseshoe reef, and browns bay seem to have the largest concentrations of them. They can be very tricky out there and are rarely targeted during the summer months for size and numbers.

I looked at the map and I think it was Brown's bay I was fishing when we got into some smallies. Coicidentally it was caught under a dock looking for largies.

[vikingmeatwad]

Craigums nice pair of Bass there!

What are those pumps in that map?