Duluth Area

[Bobby Bass]

Well with spring here and warm weather moving in reports will be coming. Ice on the big lake is all but gone on this end of the lake and when we say big lake we are talking Lake Superior. The coast guard cutter has been working the bay as shipping has started here. Ice that has not been broken outside of the shipping lanes is getting soft and there is some open water inside the harbor. Creeks are flowing in town here and yesterday the Saint Louis river near Carlton is also showing signs of open water and thinning ice. Ice is starting to pull back away from the shore. Forecast for this weekend is calling for rain turning to snow but it may stay as rain. This will really help the creeks and rivers open up and work on the ice. Smelting is still a way away but looks like we will not have to deal with any ice along Park Point. 4/5/08

[rchaze60]

Thanks for the update 

[HD]

I got my trout gear ready and my smelt net at hand!

I'm just "chomping at the bit" so, to say...................



Hunter

[Bobby Bass]

Duluth area is finally getting a taste of spring like weather. After our blizzard on the weekend of the 11th and 12th and the high winds (up to 62 mph) we are getting a stretch here of temps in the 50's and low 60's  Big lake is dirty from all the water coming down from the Saint Louis river and the bay. Lot of open water in the lower part of the bay and floating ice on the upper part. Creeks and rivers are flowing and fishing has been slow that I have heard about. No smelt, and we still are waiting for some rain to warm the river water up.

[Bobby Bass]

Duluth area fishing has been good for me. Bass are scattered and not yet on the docks. Spinerbaits in any color as long as it is white are working well and buzz baits are getting some hits. Water temps are pretty much in the mid 70's and everyday seems to be breezy. Northerns are few and far between. Sunfish are in the shallows and are aggressive as well as the rock bass are chasing down spinner baits. For being mid summer already the pad and weed growth is behind normal. The heavy rains of fall and early spring have brought up water levels which may have something to do with weed cover topping out. Already some of the pencil reeds are laying down. Rain in the forecast for most of this week which may cool water down a tad, perhaps bring the northerns back on the bite. Evening top water bite for bass is good, using the slow approach. Area where pads and reeds mix have been a good bet....  my fishing season kicks in gear here now so I will post updates.. Bobby

[Randy Kaar]

thanks for the report Bobby!

randy

[Bobby Bass]

This past week temps have been stable, water is right around 75 and the air temps has been in the lower 80's that means the Pike are starting to show back up again. Weeds have caught up and the back bays are starting to get choked up. Starting to bring out the slop baits looking for bass and buzz baits are starting to get some hits. What has been really working is the dock bite. Bass are tucked away from the sun and flipping under the docks and pontoons is starting to produce some fish. Running a spinner bait out front works to get them aggressive fish out of the way. Shallows have lots of minnows in them and frogs are on the move. Going to a bigger bait and looking for bigger fish is not all that bad of an idea. Have not seen a lot of boats out during the week but weekends still brings people out. Lot of guys are out working the deeper drop-offs for eyes and with the weeds up trolling can be work. St. Louis river upper end is down as is the Cloquet. We are getting rain from time to time but no real downpours that will make the rivers rise. Still you will catch more fish if you go fishing rather then staying home and wishing..

[Bobby Bass]

Fishing report, well we are back on the water again and it looks like the Northern have grown new teeth. The old fishermen's saying of why they stop biting in the middle of summer. The hammer handles are active and a few larger northern are chasing but not hooking up. As the water starts to cool I think the Northern fishing will get hot. Bass are biting and have moved off the docks into the first weed break on several of the lakes I have fished in the past two weeks. Shallows are still being ruled by the gills and they are chasing down spinner baits. Even though the fish are not on the docks still keep tossing to those docks near deeper water. Have had some luck buzzing the dock fronts with spinner baits. Already some weed are dying off and you can see that the water levels are going down. Bring out the buzz baits and search the pencil reeds. White always works good. Heavy rains the past few days will put a damper on things but then a stable weather pattern is moving in just in time for the holiday. For a lot of fishermen this will be there last weekend on the water before heading out bird hunting. For those of us who still fish this time of the year can be hot. and heavy..

[Bobby Bass]

Water is starting to cool some here at the head of the big lake. Water temps are running in the mid 60's right now and with some rain this week the water levels will be coming back up. Weeds are dying off and the Northerns have moved back into the shallow water. Pan fish are not cruising the shallows like they were just a few weeks ago. Bass are scattered and dock fishing can still be good. Buzz bait fishing has been slow as has top water fishing in general. Spinner baits slow rolled across the green weeds are bringing up fish and flipping docks with worms and a slow approach is still working. Docks are being pulled up and there are less people on the water to compete with.. Weather is going to warm up this next week so I will be heading for the bays in search of warming water and cruising northerns!

[Bobby Bass]

Some light snow falling here today March 20th here are some pictures of the big lake and the bay for you to enjoy.
Lift bridge up first up and you can see there is still some skim ice out in the lake and open water under the bridge.


Bong bridge shows there is still ice in the bay but pulling away from shore. Notice top left you can see the thicker ice out in the main lake.


Last picture shows more of the ice covered bay and Park Point. Top right of the picture shows the south shore and Superior Wisconsin, you can see lot more ice off the shore there.


Up the north shore the ice has pulled away 500 yards or so, but a change in the wind can bring that back closer. Needless to say no one is out fishing on this end of the big lake..

[Bobby Bass]

With freezing rain and more rain in the forecast for the rest of the week I think you can stick a fork in this years ice fishing season! Now we wait for the big lake to calm down and see how the river flows will be.

[trout whisperer]

steelhead fishin brother...........its gettin close.........handlining off two harbors........its gettin close.......

[Bobby Bass]

April 2nd, this week has seen an ice storm hit the area and yesterday five inches of heavy wet snow fell. Strong East winds (up to 40 mph) has brought the ice back to this end of the big lake. Enough that three Coast Guard cutters/icebreakers were called in to open the waters around the Duluth entry as ice had piled up trapping two out bound ships. As far as we are concern you can't call yourself the "big pond" unless you have ice breakers on your waters.

Picure of ice in bay and beyond.


A 1000 footer leaving the harbor.



Breaking ice and heading under the Lift Bridge to open water and the Big Pond.

[Bobby Bass]

"So far this month of October the Duluth Airport has seen a high temperature of 56 degrees, which was recorded on the 18th, and the last time October had a whole month go by with a highest temperature being 56 was 1917, so we are talking nearly 100 years ago", says Meteorologist Amanda Graning.

With these cooler temperatures it was also a wet month in Duluth. This October we had 16 days with rainfall. In Seattle, Washington, they only had 12."

Pretty much tells ya how fishing was this fall here..

[Bobby Bass]

Past few weeks have been doing a lot of buzzin for bass and northerns. Water has been warm in the mid 70's and fishing actually seems to be a little better in late afternoon then evening. Lots of them 18 to 24 inch northerns and of course a few of the bigger gals who come and swipe but don't hook up. Bigger bass have been biting the top water buzz baits with a 4# largemouth being fooled this week. White seems to be working best and a big trailer also white seems to be a good combo.

[Bobby Bass]

Update.. well there is a lot of ice, about 70 inches of snowfall this season and right now the Beargreese sleddog race is happening from here up the North Shore and of course it is snowing out..   

[Bobby Bass]

Geeze been awhile here... 4-6 inches of rain fell here and just south we have flooding. Docks are sitting low in the water and water has cooled some with all the runoff. Local rivers are running with some water in them at least for the next few days. As  expected fishing is a tad slow but there is no problem launching boats with all the extra water.

[Bobby Bass]

January 11th 2012 ten in the morning in the middle of winter and it is RAINING here.    not good for the ice.