Bayport skim ice

Right now the Bayport pool is skim iced over.
The Bayport area of the St. Croix River is the best and safest place on the river for crappie fishing.
The Crappie bite can be very good, but as a whole not the most consistent. Normally the morning bite is be the best though, from a half hour after sun up till 8:30, with an ok bite from 3:00 till sun down.
Techniques that catch crappies:
Crappie minnow and bobber on a #6 hook or small jig. Space out your lines in terms of depth above bottom as these crappies suspend up to 18 feet of the bottom, though four to ten feet above bottom is more common than 18’.
Smaller crappie minnows work better than the larger ones for numbers of caught crappies; minnow heads can be productive on jigs (for anglers actively jigging) instead of a whole minnow when the bite is slow.
Crappies always roam the basin; this soft fluffy bottom covers the majority of the Bayport pool, and the majority of the basin is 33 to 36 fow. Also the shallower basin (the north part of the pool) in 26 to 30 feet can also be productive. Without a doubt these crappie roam and a mobile angler does better.
Walleye and sauger catches remain inconsistent traditionally, and a few being taken constitutes a good day (15” minimum size for walleye), Jigging Rap’s are a best bet to tangle with river walleyes and saug dogs (glow green tiger, clown, and rainbow trout colors in sizes W3, W5, and W7) either tipped with a minnow head or plain.
White bass are a bonus and very good out of the ice-cold water the top loin is white meat and good eating. Avoid the meat.
Trucks will eventually drive on the ice, but it is a river folks!
Please be aware that there is open water on the river. Because of currents, I would not drive within a mile of the train bridge (swing bridge) near Hudson or the New Stillwater bridge. The NSP plant also has a warm water discharge. The Malileau Dam also flows into the Bayport pool. Learn the river in the day and stay on the beaten path until you are experienced enough.
Keep Catchin’ Turk

I’ve been fishing that area for the last 4 years and love it. I’ve always waited until I could drive my pickup out there and park on the ice. Say someone wanted to ice fish that area before being able to drive out…where would one park in such an area?

Lakeside park has a parking lot you can park in and walk down the hill. Be prepared for the walk back up the hill though if you’re pulling a house

Ill need to keep an eye on things and get out there soon before there is auto traffic. Lakeside park is where I always walk in from.

I was told this morning that folks were walking across the river yesterday.

Thanks Turk. Happy Thanksgiving!

There are also quite a few springs along the shores in the Bayport pool/basin. Best to know where those are at before wandering around aimlessly out there.

Agree that the Lakeside park is the best access on the WI side. Before trucks are out I drive down to the water and unload and then park up the hill. Cant wait to hit the river again!

That is a awesome place to fish. And many “river monsters” to be taken out of a ice hole

Prescott capped over Tuesday.
Which means anything North, with exception of higher current areas, is frozen also.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Prescott capped over Tuesday.
Which means anything North, with exception of higher current areas, is frozen also.

Is the river still open under the bridges at Prescott?

fish-them-all wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:</div>
Prescott capped over Tuesday.
Which means anything North, with exception of higher current areas, is frozen also.

Is the river still open under the bridges at Prescott?

Yes, and it will be void of fish until after the Croix melts. FYI

That section will only freeze with a couple day stretch below zero.

Thanks for the FYI FBRM. Did ok there the day before Thanksgiving and was thinking about giving it one more try before getting out the ice auger.

tangler wrote:

Anybody know what it looks like a little south down by the Afton area? Wondering if there is still open water to fish. Thx!

always open water there. I suspect the Marina’s won’t allow launching this time of year especially with this slippery snow we just got.
Can’t wait until we get some good cold weather to thicken the ice next to open water. Had a pretty good year last year. Lost 2 big walleye and landed a 26er one day.

Tangler,

Between Windmill Marina and Catfish bar the river freezes when it is -10, but the ice is NEVER safe there as it will immediately reopen shortly after. A local died there in the 2000’s and was found a few years later after the coast guard stirred up the water resetting the channel bouys. Some say he was disoriented when he drove his snowmobile into open water, sad day.

Setting that exact area aside, typically the river freezes on December 17 downriver and the week prior by St. Mary Point. The water is open in front of Brook Trout and Kinnie so be aware of those areas as well. We stay near shore as the river will reopen occasionally, I consider this entire part of the river unstable. We’ve been tracking this since the late 1970’s. A few years the fishing has been okay, but the fishing is much better in the Bayport area. I’ve had a permanent down here a few times, sold it, and plan to go back to Bayport.

I’m newer to fishing the St. Croix and have figured out some access points for open water fishing, but where are people accessing the river in the Bayport area in winter? I’m interested in both walk on and drive on (once ice is thick enough) locations. Thanks for any help!