Devils Lake Ice Conditions

[Jeff Dosch]

Devils Lake is improving slowly but surely.  Most of the smaller bays have between 5-7" and cold weather is forecasted for the weekend.  Percha reas are still a little hard to get to but the walleye and pike fishing has been excellent.  Tonight two of us caught 8 nice eaters ranging in size from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.  Buckshots tipped with minnow heads in 10 ft off the edge of the flooded timber.  Saturday we spent the day pike fishing and ended up with 17.  Average size was between 3-6 pds and one that tipped the scales at 20 lbs.  If the cold weather moves in like they say it is suppose to we should be out on 4 wheelers by early next week.
    Jeff

[Traxion]

Thanks for the update, look forward to seeing your reports this winter!!!!!

[bullheadbasher]

How are them jumbo perch that everybodys always braggin about doing?  Let this guy know.  Also I was reading in Dakota Country about a firemans fundraising deal on Devils lake and i about crap my pants when I read about all the prizes.  Is it a pretty fun time, and when I say fun time I really mean drunk time.  let this bullheadbasher know.  Thanks

[dldeadstick]

You're right, it's more of a drunk-type fun time.  It's a pre-drilled tournament and the large prizes are raffled (although the cash prizes for the fish are fairly high - $1000, $750, $500 and $250 for each of perch, walleye and pike I believe).  The link for the tournament is http://dlvfdicefishingtourney.com/, this should tell you everything you want to know.  Word of advice though - if you want to go next year, you need to get tickets EARLY (they sell out all over the country right away because the raffle prizes are so good - I think they've been sold out for this year's tournament for a while now).

Yes, the perch are big - here's a pic of a 15.5", 1.75 pounder I caught last winter, and we caught some dandies yesterday as well. 





Fishing has picked up for us, did good on walleyes on Thursday in 16' of water (7 between two of us ranging form 1lb to 2lb, and we were using buckshots as well for them) and perch yesterday in 24' of water (they were finicky and there wasn't one hot presentation that triggered them - we kept changing all day long and caught one or 2 on everything we tried - ended with about 25, but only 17 keepers).  Ice thickness was up to a foot in most places and I saw a lot of pickups on the ice yesterday.

[iowaboy]

We have a group coming up from Iowa 12-16 of Jan. Do you think the ice will be thick enough to drive on? We can pull up a couple 4-wheelers but would prefer not to unless it's nessacary. I see the extented forecast is calling for COLD weather up your way the next couple weeks.

Thanks in advance Todd

[dldeadstick]

There were lots of people driving this past weekend, and with the cold temps forecasted I would expect that everyone will be driving by this weekend so you'll be OK driving by that date.  Check the local bait shops before you leave (www.edsbaitshop.com, www.woodlandresort.com, www.eastbaycampground. com).

[iowaboy]

Thanks for the reply deadstick. I think will leave the wheelers home then. How's the perch bite picking up any? Could you suggest a good spot to look for a good perch bite? I hear the walleye and pike are pretty common catches right now around the tree's. Would like to bring home a few of those tasty perch if we can find them.

Thanks in advance Todd.

[dldeadstick]

We've been doing best for perch on haybale bay, but were fishing it mainly because it's easy to get out there on snowmobile and the ice was thick.  Now that we can drive, we'll do more searching.  I'm fishing the trap attack this weekend, which is on Creel Bay so if I do good out there I'll let you know.

In general, some of the better places to fish for perch that time of year are:
1) South Black Tiger Bay
2) Swanson's Point (in front of the Casino)
3) The "towers", in front of a dome-shaped house that you'll see on the shoreline

If you stop at Ed's bait shop (www.edsbaitshop.com), they are good about telling you where the fish have been biting.  Although, it's been my experience that I'll do just as well if I stay mobile and try to find the fish than if I try to battle 100 other guys for a spot where they were biting 'yesterday'.  If you've got a Vexilar you'll be OK.  Target depths of around 30 feet to start your searching.

[iowaboy]

Great info Deadstick thanks alot. Yea we will have vex's along. I bought a pro pointer map and found black tiger and swanson's point so we can try them spots. We are staying with Rush Valley guide service if you happen to be around stop in and say hi it would be nice to meet you. I just hope we have a good trip and catch a few fish.

Thanks again for the information it's greatly appreciated Todd!!

[iowaboy]

Just wondering how much snow is on the ice at Devil's? Is the perch bite geeting any better? Thanks Todd

[dldeadstick]

There's about 6" of fluffy, white, snow.  I was out all weekend and if you have 4x4 there's no problem.  I was off the trails and probably drilled near 100 holes over the weekend in different spots and never had a problem.  The perch fishing is slow from what I've heard.  I was in an Ice Team Trap Attack, which was on Creel Bay.  Since Creel Bay isn't known for its perch I can't really say how great the bite is elsewhere (if I'd just been looking for perch and not in the tournament I wouldn't have been onCreel) but it was horrendous on Creel.  When I say horrendous I'm talking one of the 3 worst weekends of perch fishing in my life.  Reports have been slow all year - it's got to turn around sometime.

[iowaboy]

Thanks for the info! I guess will just have to play it by ear when we get their. If you see 3-4 trucks with Iowa plates that will be us.

[dldeadstick]

Talked to another guy that did really good the same day we did horrible in about 40' of water.  He didn't say where, but it wasn't Creel Bay.  The walleye action, on the other hand, has been good all winter - stay near the flooded timber and try buckshot rattlin' spoons with minnow heads as bait for the walleyes.

[iowaboy]

Will do deadstick...we should hit Devil's around 7-8 am Weds. mourning. We are staying with Russ Valley guide service if you know where it is pop in and say hi!!

Might be a cocktail or two consumed will have an extra for you!

Thanks again Todd.

[iowaboy]

Well deadstick we made it back to Iowa without freezing to death.

The fishing was lousey 16 eyes and 5 perch between 13 of us!

The weather couldn't have been much worse either.

We got all our fish expect one on Weds. mourning out by the towers. We didn't fish thurs. because of the extreme cold and wind. Fri. mourning we went back out by the towers and never marked a fish! Fri. evening we went over to Black tiger nothing! We cut the trip short a day and headed home. It was a fun trip and now I can say I've been to Devils Lake.

Were thinking of the Waubay area next yr. for our trip.

Thanks for your help Todd.

[dldeadstick]

Sorry it couldn't have been better.  The fishing has been tough from what I've heard, so if it's any consolation it wasn't you guys, just the fishing in general.  I probably won't make it out on Devils until February as I'm going on a 3-day trip to Lake of the Woods in 10 days.