Northerns/Muskie in July?

[blackdog1101]

My brother & sister in law are coming to visit for a week a around the 4th of July. He wants to go fishing for northerns or muskie. I know Minnetonka is a good lake, but are there others I should consider within a reasonable drive of the metro? Maybe Mille Lacs? It's got to be a one day trip, so that sort of rules out places like Vermillion or Leech. I plan to hire a guide too if anyone has any recommendations. Thanks!

[Tim_Anderson]

Blackdog,

Hi. The Brainerd area has some great lakes to offer for musky and pike. Mille Lacs. Lake Alexander. Cedar Lake. The river. Pretty easy to make a day trip up here from the cities. For some info, check out the pictures and text on my site on the fishing reports section, and let me know if I can help.

[goblueM]

Whatever you do just remember the 4th of July is a zoo on those bigger lakes...

[b1gf1sh1]

Hey BD,

i agree with Blue. but not just big but really anywhere. you are hiring a guide so that broadens choices. next is a place not over run by boats on that holliday week, big and small, but still be waters that can produce nice fish and have good numbers of them. there's only one place i know and it's in the metro area. that would be the St. Croix River above the high bridge (railroad) near the arcola sand bar. about where the apple river flows in. boats can't go up because of zebras and if they go down they can't go back, unless they are residents. as far as guides i don't know names for above but the guys at blue ribbon might be able to help or at least steer you to someone. the mississippi has some areas too but that would be iffy. besides it's beautiful on the Croix up that way. hope this helps.

[hhguide]

I would look to the Alexandria Area with Brad Hoppe of musky Mayhem Tackle. Its alittle less than 2 hours from the cities and it has some great muskie waters to fish. Brad is a great guide and knows what he is doing!

[carpmanjake]

i like to concentrate on deeper weedlines (10-15 feet) in the summer for bigger pike. so once you find a lake with good pike, that is where i would concentrate my efforts. i like very slowly trooling a shiner underneath a float for the deepweedline fish. you cover more area and catch more fish.

it is a european technique that most fish around minnesota have never seen, so it catches more, and many times bigger fish.

there is an english guy on youtube who has some ok videos on youtube showing you how to do it. i highly recommend that you use that technique this summer! good luck!

[Random guy]

I would say hit up one of the guides mentioned. The Brainerd/Alex area has some great combo lakes.

[hydro]

Try lake Harriet in Minneapolis (permit needed) or lake Rebecca near Rockford. Both are trolling motor only lakes and should not be too crowded that week.

[goblueM]

i thought they did away with the permits for the minneapolis lakes? or am I mistaken?

[blackdog1101]

Carpman Jake, I only own a canoe, but that method sounds good for paddling. I'll give it a try.

I'll contact some of the guides mentioned here. I like the idea of the St. Croix. Gonna have to research that. Thanks for everyone's input, I appreciate it!

[carpmanjake]

Carpman Jake, I only own a canoe, but that method sounds good for paddling. I'll give it a try.

I'll contact some of the guides mentioned here. I like the idea of the St. Croix. Gonna have to research that. Thanks for everyone's input, I appreciate it!

that will work. as long as you keep that shiner moving at a slow pace it should work

[Aaron Carrell]

I am also pretty positive you don't need a permit to put in at the Minneapolis lakes. I've fished Nokomis several times and have stopped by Calhoun as well, and have never seen that requirement. I even checked the city HSOforum and couldn't find anything regarding that.

[50inchpig]

You don't need a permit to launch, only to park in the lot at Harriet. There is usually ample on-street parking even with a trailer around most of central metro lakes.

As far as Mille Lacs, July 4th might be a little early. If we get a warm spring go for it, but if not, it's going to be a dead sea. Tonka would be a great lake to hire a guide on and would give you a pretty good chance for action during that time