st.croix or polk county ice fishing

[fish'n fool]

Just moved to the area not to long ago. Wondering if anyone could give me any info on some decent ice fishing lakes in these counties for pans,pike or walleye. A good spot or two would be much appreciated, not looking for your secret spot or anything just would like to take my 5yr old daughter out to catch a couple fish. thanks . The Fool

[deathmatch782]

I went out to Cedar Lake saturday, didn't catch anything worth keeping. But I was only out from 1:30-3:30.

You could try out Nugget Lake, its SE of you. Heard people fish there for pannies and pike.

There are lakes up near New Richmond. I plan on trying Cedar out again, its quite a large lake.

[matthothand]

There's a few smaller lakes that you could catch a bunch of panfish up by the luck area (15-20 minutes from st.croix). Little mirror, both the butternut lakes (big and little), trade lake. I grew up fishing those lakes and honed my ice skills there. I'm sure there's lots of places to go but I've been to those and recommend them for pannies. You could take 8 to 35 and stop by B&K in milltown for the latest reports too.

[Quickstrike]

Hey matt, where are you from? I grew up in the same neck of the woods.

[hunt fish repeat]

Cedar has been the best lately for crappies I have a permanent shack on the South cribs but the bite is only on from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. We have dropped cameras down and you can see the fish but they won't bite on anything at any other time. It is getting very crowded however with twelve shacks on the one set of cribs and 24 on the other and thats just the permanents you can double that with portables the walleyes seem to have finally moved to deeper water. - Squaw lake has been producing lots of good size sunnies all over the lake. - The Widespread on the Willow in New Richmond's Mary Park has been good for crappies and sunnies but mostly smaller in size this is a great pike fishery for tipups with sucker minnows I have seen many 10+ pounders come out of here lately.- For strictly pike and musky fish just off the landing of the Riverdale Flowage on the Apple I saw pics of a 47" musky from here last week.- Bass Lake in Somerset is good for bass and pike with a few eyes but they are hard to find panfish are present but not in great numbers. Check out the tournement talk under misc. forums to get info on the annual contest that I am involved with on Bass set for Feb. 24th

[matthothand]

Kent I'm from north branch, mn BUT my dad has lived between luck, cushing, and milltown for a long time and i lived there on weekends...so i say i grew up there too. What was the name of your village?

[Quickstrike]

Balsam Lake, right next to Milltown.

[matthothand]

small world, eh? I think i like the opportunities up here a little better than down there. It was fun but there's no slamon or steelies.

[GoggleEye]

How do you guys get pictures with your profiles???? I tried to put one up, but it didn't work.

[harvey lee]

Have any of you guys ever fished a small lake north of Cushing named Twin Lakes? My Grandfather use to rent boats out on the lake and have a camp ground many years ago and I always fished the lake for pannies and Bass when I was a youngster.

[Quickstrike]

I think I have, are you talking about clarey? Good pannies, pike, bass, and even a few rainbows.

[harvey lee]

I believe its still called twin lakes. Its two lakes joined together by a narrow channel. It is approx 4 miles north and two miles east of Cushing.

[long caster]

Harvey,

My family has had a cabin on twin (herby is what we call it, but the DNR has it listed by twin, herby and lonsdale i believe) lake the better part of 2 decades now. Still a panfish/bass lake. Alot of smaller fish but it is a fun lake for the kids. There was a partial freeze out in 95 or 96 which changed the dynamics a bit.

Quickstrike: shocked to hear clarey mentioned here. Havent had great luck out there, but you never know what you are going to catch which is fun, and is always a relaxing outing.

[matthothand]

I have been on the twin lakes before as well but only during the summer. Did well on the panfish but don't remember any trophies to speak of...fun fishing though since i was probably 9 or 10 at the time.

[harvey lee]

When my grandfather had the farm he owned most of the land around the west half of the lake. Its been years since I have been there but I do remember my grandfather selling off most of the land for cabins and to a developer. I had many good times fishing the lake 40+ years ago. That is probably the lake that got me going in fishing.

When I was 8 and my younger brother was six, he caught a 6.5# largemouth in the lake right by the channel and that was the taslk of Cushing.

[long caster]

we are right near the channel between the 2 lakes, on the larger one. There use to be a cement block walled outhouse behind our property, do you think that part of the campground?

[harvey lee]

That was built when I was approx 7 years old. From that outhouse, if you look to the southwest approx 1/4 mile you will see a farm place on the hill. That was my grandfathers farm many years ago. he sold out in about 1977 to a lady that raised sheep there. I have no idea who lives there now.

That whole point area use to be the camping grounds. Just to the west of the outhouse was the boat landing. They use to rent out approx 10 boats and in the summer had campers from approx 10 states come in the summer time. It was a busy little place.

[long caster]

thanks for the info harvey....The farm is still there and we call the owner 'the sheep lady' because sheep are still being raised there (and we know it because we are typically down wind of her!!)

Like most lakes, twin is being built up but still is very quiet. almost 100% pontoons cruzers which is better than jet ski's...