Lake Onalaska

[tealitup]

has anyone hunted Lake Onalaska along the mississippi - boarder water of MN and WI? Read in MN Outdoor that it was a good hunting lake

[TrashDux*]

YEP!!!

It's the best place to hunt in MN!!!

Go There!!!

[fishface5]

TrashDux, What's the crowd levels, particularly in Nov.. Also do you have to be worried about the State line? Is it easy to tell where it is?

[Bogsucker]

Lake onalaska is entirely in Wisconsin. The Lake itself holds a lot of ducks though most of the area that holds the birds is closed to hunting. Wisconsin hunters get a lot more shooting as the north end of the lake is open to them. There is an island (Dresbach Island) on the MN side of the boundary though it gets very heavy hunting pressure and success is mediocre on the best day. I've hunted it a few times in the last couple years and have had poor success. The only reason I hunt the area is because I grew up there(Dresbach) and enjoy going home once in a while.

[Bogsucker]

The boundary is very well defined, a very evident channel of water about 100-200 yards wide(actually was the main channel at one time), though the wisconsin hunters sometimes get confused and hunt the MN island.

[fishface5]

Thanks for the inf. Bog. I'd love to buy a Wisc. Lic. and give it a try, But time and $ won't alow it for a few years, at least. Doesn't Wisc have a split season that stays open into the first week of Dec.? Sounds like Golden Eyes, Mallards and geese, FUN!

[Bogsucker]

Yep, I shot a golden eye there last year though it was the only duck I shot there last year, and I think it was wounded when I puddle jumped it! There is some fair hunting on the MN side along the river from Wabasha to the Iowa border but it is a hunt of chance. The successful hunters on the river either hunt alot or they get lucky and hunt the days the ducks are flying. There are many days on the river that you'll not even see a bird in the open hunting areas. I have it figured out a bit after 25 years of hunting the river bottoms and can pick out the 3 best weekends to hunt and go fishing the rest of the time.