Arvid's Fishing Report

Yesterday was the last day of the walleye season. Never thought a month ago that we’d still be on the ice when the season closed, but the past couple of weeks have been almost winter like and the ice is still tight to the shore. Jeff and I walked off Graceton Beach close to a mile out. We had to navigate a couple of cracks and pick a spot to get over a pressure ridge. I had a life jacket on, both for warmth and safety. There was plenty of ice, 18″, and it was good ice. There was 25′ of water where we stopped and over the next 2-3 hours we caught 15 walleyes and saugers. We kept 2 walleyes and 5 saugers; released six little ones and a 20″ slot fish. After the bite slowed, we packed up and went back towards shore and fished a crack that was about a foot wide and in 18′ of water. Jeff caught the only fish, a nice walleye that was added to our catch.

This past weekend there were a lot of boats on the river and the river accesses were busy. I heard a number of reports and none of them were good. We are now in a sturgeon catch and release season for about 10 days and then there will be a two week harvest season the last week of April and the first week of May. To harvest a sturgeon, they need to be between 45″ & 50″ and you need a tag. Four Mile Bay is a good spot to be as the sturgeon seem to congregate on their way up river to spawn. It’s a chance to catch a big fish and has gotten quite popular over the last several years.

Jeff with a nice walleye – last day on the ice