Slush

The amount of snow and slush on some central and east central MN lakes is incredible.

We fished a small lake on Saturday. Arrived Friday, but chose to take Friday PM off after driving down from URL … Almost 2 ft of snow with about 4 -6 inches of slush. Small lake had maybe 8 inches of ice. The guys that cut holes on Friday afternoon went back Saturday and found the slush went over their ankles if not the entire boot. The holes the cut must have contributed to the slush level on that part of the lake. Slush so bad they chose to fish over it vs move it.

It was interesting to watch two other groups drive by, spot my friend’s house and head out onto the lake. One guy and is small kid made it halfway … the others dragged a house down to the lake … took about 10 steps out and turned around and hauled … Both groups seemed to be driving around looking for some place just to get out and fish.

A couple of large lakes we drove past had zero houses out there … one guy in a snowmobile on a lake over 5K acres.

In hindsight we should have brought our cold weather deer hunting rubber knee boots. Would have made everything more manageable. I said time for cribbage after the slush went over the top of my boots. Fishing was marginal for crappies at dusk and dusk 30. The two that stuck it out Saturday came in earlier Saturday night wet and ready for poker.

We have a place just northwest of Mille Lacs and it’s bad enough I let my neighbor tell me how bad it is while I watch him.

Ripjiggen wrote:

We have a place just northwest of Mille Lacs and it’s bad enough I let my neighbor tell me how bad it is while I watch him.

LOL well that is sure nice of you

Well he has the lake all to himself. Who am I to ruin his fun.

Did it look anything like this?! Konnor Kliest sent this to me from Ottertail Co. this weekend.

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I live on a medium lake in the Brainerd area. We’ve had slush problems since right after Christmas. I have a skid house and tracked Polaris Ranger. I have the lake to myself and am the only one moving. I go shovel a spot the day before, drill a hole and let it flood. Move my house the next day. Not ideal, but it’s the only way. No portables out either.

The good news is that there are quite a few fish with no pressure. The death marches are pretty brutal though. I’ve been spending most of my time fishing spots within 200 yds of the access. Many thanks to resorts and others who do plow out accesses

I’m up from Iowa visiting a friend in Aitkin. This has been one of the worst trips in terms of slush.

It’ll help keep the wheel houses away. Mother nature working at her finest

Bearcat89 wrote:

It’ll help keep the wheel houses away. Mother nature working at her finest

Agree only diehards at this time!

I plan to fish North Long Lake near Brainerd the next few days. Any reports of slush on the lake?

There’s nothing better than slush to limit crowds and make the fishing better. Some of my best days have been following those heavy heart-attack style snows in March where nobody is willing to put in the work to go much beyond an access.

James Holst wrote:

Did it look anything like this?! Konnor Kliest sent this to me from Ottertail Co. this weekend.

Uh oh, that looks like Chit and WAY to much work!

buckybadger wrote:

There’s nothing better than slush to limit crowds and make the fishing better. Some of my best days have been following those heavy heart-attack style snows in March where nobody is willing to put in the work to go much beyond an access.

Some of these lakes could use a break from the pressure too. Bring on the slush. As others have said it separates the men from the boys.

There’s nothing better than slush to limit crowds and make the fishing better. Some of my best days have been following those heavy heart-attack style snows in March where nobody is willing to put in the work to go much beyond an access.

Some of these lakes could use a break from the pressure too. Bring on the slush. As others have said it separates the men from the boys.
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As the slush is awful to deal with, the limited pressure is a blessing. I hate the slush, but some days you have to do what you have to do to get on fish. Many people just say screw that and go else where.
Thats what I call a blessing in disguise. It’s sad to see 300 ice castles sitting on a crappie hole for 2 months. When mother nature puts the stop on it, I enjoy it in a way.

my brother was up at the cabin from christmas day, just north of bowstring, he headed home right before the deep freeze, i went up just after, we both fished 2 lakes, there was some water on the ice but just in the area where we had drilled holes, otherwise it wasnt bad. from the time he was there till i got there they had close to 2 ft of snow, it was light snow so that may have helped that it wasnt the wet heavy stuff.

I finally took my ridgeline wheelhouse out in the metro because I found a solid 9+ inches. Made it about 15ft past the ramp before the wheeler was buried in slush. Had to shamefully unhook and go back for the chains (which I just happened to have, but hardly ever do). I ended up only risking venturing another 100ft or so to the first break, turned it back towards the ramp and fished there. Saw all the other guys fishing way off in the distance, but hey, I caught a few northerns.

DH wrote:

I plan to fish North Long Lake near Brainerd the next few days. Any reports of slush on the lake?

I’ve been accessing the Big Lake off the Birchdale Rd. I’ve seen much worse slush but it’s the depth of snow messing me up. Even with chains on my truck I’ve had to dig out several times.