Balsam Reports

[Big Jeff]

Heading up for the first time this weekend not sure what the lake is like. Is it drivable? Any slush and fish biting? feel free to PM if you would rather but looking for general info on conditions and fishing.

Thanks!

[B-man715]

The ice on the lake is in great shape.

As with any lake, stay away from any kind of "narrow", or you will get wet.......

[Nick Kuhn]

I have to emphasize what B-man said about the narrows. The narrows on Balsam are notorious vehicle eaters.

[Big Jeff]

Thanks for the heads up.

[Woodnicholas]

Any reports on the lake, looking to come from prescott for the first time and try the lake out. Good areas to try and get into panfish and crappies.

[B-man715]

The lake has been fished hard for a few years in a row, and the panfish size has payed the price......

Not saying there aren't any nice fish, but you aren't going to fill a bucket up with 11" crappies like everyone and their brother did a couple years ago.

For sunnies, the "stumps" is kinda the community go-to area, crappies are had near, but in deeper water overnight. But a 10 incher is a "big one" in much of the lake this year

[Woodnicholas]

Thanks for the info, would you recommend any other lake in the area, possibly bone or deer or wapogset.

[B-man715]

Thanks for the info, would you recommend any other lake in the area, possibly bone or deer or wapogset.

Don't count Balsam out, but on Bone there are a lot of guys going after primarily perch. Like every year, the lake is plum full of them, but they are just barely worth cleaning (in my opinion) (7-9" fish). It's a terffic action lake, you can drill a hole just about anywhere in the deep mud and catch fish. It's a good crappie lake too, but most of them are only 8-9" fish.

I've never seen the lake fished so hard in my 25 years of fishing there. It's never been a secret lake, but apparently the "secret is out" LOL !!!!

I believe it is a good thing and should help out the lake by thinning the number of fish down, and hopefully improve the size in the future.

Deer is a good lake too, but you will generally have to move a bunch to find active schools of perch and crappies. When you do find them though, they are usually decent. Be careful at the access (springs), and follow the little road that juts off to the east of the parking area to get on the ice. Even there the ice was only 7.5" before the cold snap, but I would imagine it would be good by now for a truck.

I have very little experience on Wapo, and my time out there has never been anything to write home about.

Good luck!

[Woodnicholas]

Thank you for all the info, have to see what dads plan was but we keep talking about hitting these lakes and trying something different. Let you know the report if we make it that way this weekend

[water rat]

A friend and I are hitting deer (quick) and then balsam and then who knows what lake we end up on tomorrow. I didn't ice fish wi last year but have the previous 15,Polk and Barron counties are full of lakes, seems you can always find a good bite somewhere..

B- man hit it on the head! 3-7 years back the crappie's and gills =oh my !!!

Good luck!

[water rat]

Hit balsam yesterday. Pulled into stumps unload gear and no flasher! Forgot it at home, argh. Decide to try and sight fish. Drilled some holes, nothing! Cloudy water loaded with tiny little bugs ..