sturgeon bay area

[Laker22]

I am new to Wi and I am looking into fishing door county for whitefish and walleye. From what I have found it seems like little sturgeon bay and sand bay are the best choices for whitefish??? Do these two areas also produce walleye. Also wondering what places are the best to access the ice? Sorry for all the questions but I just want to know the safest areas to be in and possibly areas to avoid. Thanks . Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[littlesturgeonguy]

Right now there is now ice on the bay.
Little Sturgeon, Rileys bay and Sand Bay are the popular spots for whitey's.
The best access for little sturgeon is either Carmody park or off of WoodLane Rd.
Riley's bay there is an access off of Rileys bay rd
Sand bay access is off of Sand bay Ln. (Sand bay resort) or Eliason Rd.
These areas also produce walleyes.

[eyesntightlines]

Happy New Year!

[Laker22]

Thanks for the reply. Im assuming deep water for the whitefish and a bit shallower for the walleye?

[littlesturgeonguy]

I have caught whitefish anywhere from 6'-50'+.  The 20's are a good place to start. Most typically fish the 20-40' range. They are pretty much everywhere. The eyes are out there. They can be caught shallow at times and deeper at other times. The walleye are harder to figure out on the bay.

[Laker22]

Thanks for the help. I think I am going to pick up a map of the bay somewhere. Can I get to the 20-40 ft range on foot or will I need to bring the sled?

[littlesturgeonguy]

You could, there are more accesses i did not mention that are a little harder to find if you are not familiar with the area. Walking you could access from Boni's Ln. Claflin Rd (this one someone would probably have to show you) and also Claflin Park. These 3 would be a pretty short walk to get to the whitefish.

[Laker22]

Ok it looks like I will have to make a scouting trip up there just to get familar with the access points

[littlesturgeonguy]

If you need any help let me know. If we get some ice i will be fishing little sturgeon anyways.

[Cranked]

Hey all you seasoned vets...... How long do you think it'll be before there is ice thick enough to hold a snowmobile with the current forecast?
Gotta trip planned there the 19th and we're worried it'll be a bust.

[Laker22]

Again thanks for the help. Ill probably be full of questions again after my scouting trip

[littlesturgeonguy]

Hey all you seasoned vets...... How long do you think it'll be before there is ice thick enough to hold a snowmobile with the current forecast?
Gotta trip planned there the 19th and we're worried it'll be a bust.

Where and what are you planning to fish for? As of right now even the little bays are open water. According to the forecast i seen it is supposed to warm up again. Right now i am thinking its going to be a bust for you. I hope not, i can't wait to get out there myself!

[Cranked]

We were planning on walleye morning and evening and playing with the whitefish and pannies during the day.
Trying to determine if we can salvage anything outta this. Change in venue may be in order.

[littlesturgeonguy]

We were planning on walleye morning and evening and playing with the whitefish and pannies during the day.
Trying to determine if we can salvage anything outta this. Change in venue may be in order.

Its a craps shoot! If the little bay is fishable i doubt the big bay will be. Can't rely on the forecast they are hardly ever right. It is possible but doubtful.

[Cranked]

Thanks LSG.

[oldfisher68]

I took a drive around yesterday. Little Sturg, Rileys bay and Sand bay are froze over. I did not see anyone fishing "yet". I did not bring a spud, to check thickness. I checked Limekiln also. It's froze over quite aways, but I'm not sure if it is all the way across. The ice appears rough, but no big shoves like last year. Just some small humps near shore. I hope it holds as is, but warm weather is coming again. I'll check again on Monday.

[littlesturgeonguy]

Oldfisher, that just froze in the last two days. My buddy just called and said there is a 3 wheeler and a shack inside little sturg. I was out there on sunday way inside, it was open water quite a ways inside of squaw island. I could feel the waves under the ice. MY buddy said the big bay is mostly open water yet.

[oldfisher68]

Oldfisher, that just froze in the last two days. My buddy just called and said there is a 3 wheeler and a shack inside little sturg. I was out there on sunday way inside, it was open water quite a ways inside of squaw island. I could feel the waves under the ice. MY buddy said the big bay is mostly open water yet.

Thanks for the info. I didn't venture out, just a drive by. No way would I fish if I felt waves under me. We got spoiled with early ice last year. I'm chawing at the bit, but mother nature is not cooperating.

[littlesturgeonguy]

I will probably be checking it out again on saturday later in the morning. I will give an update this weekend.

[littlesturgeonguy]

Went out saturday morn. Ice was a good 3 inches where i was. I walked out a little bit past the tip of squaw island and the ice got thinner in a hurry. I did not check personally but a friend said over by carmody park there was not much more than an inch. Still some open water by wave point and out by hendersons point.

[oldfisher68]

Went out saturday morn. Ice was a good 3 inches where i was. I walked out a little bit past the tip of squaw island and the ice got thinner in a hurry. I did not check personally but a friend said over by carmody park there was not much more than an inch. Still some open water by wave point and out by hendersons point.

Thanks for the report. The ice is way too thin for me. I will make an ice check AFTER this coming weekend.

[littlesturgeonguy]

Not lookin forward to the 5-8" of snow that is on its way.

[oldfisher68]

Two fisher's rescued near Henderson Point. A lot of fisher's out from Limekiln road, but ice was iffy. Checked Limekiln ice yesterday and it is now open water. Some Perch caught in shallow water in Little Sturgeon. Weird winter weather is producing weird ice. Be VERY CAREFUL out there. I won't be out there.

[littlesturgeonguy]

Here is a link to satellite images. Cloud cover does get in the way they take two photos a day.
http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/modis.cgi/modis?region=m&page=1

[oldfisher68]

I use that modis link also. I still like to take a drive and check the ice personally. Hopefully this cold blast will tighten up the bay, all the way across. Floating out on an ice island is not my idea of a good time.

[oldfisher68]

I just took another drive around. Little Sturgeon looks good. Permanent shacks and a couple ATV's out. A couple portable's out deep.
Limekiln had a couple fisher's in shallow. I saw open water about a hundred yards out. Need some more cold, quiet nights, to seal that area up.

[gillgetter11]

http://s1166.photobucket.com/albums/q609/gillgetter11/


few recent trips to sturgeon bay area 1/10/12 and 1/14/12
 

[boder]

hows the ice guys. hoping to get out there on monday for my first time ever. suppose to be a lil windy. is the ice gonna blow out again like it did last week?