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I spent a few minutes on the phone with Dick at Frankie’s Live Bait and Marine this morning, and he reported that the panfish bite has been absolutely fantastic lately. Following the bitterly cold weather we endured a couple of weeks ago, the mild temperatures this past weekend drew high numbers of anglers onto our area lakes.

The south end of Chisago Lake was the “go to” spot on Saturday. The ice was full of anglers (on foot) and by the sounds of it, everyone stayed busy all day long catching sunfish and crappies. When the sky is overcast, it isn’t uncommon to catch crappies during the middle of the day in 7 – 10 feet of water. Concentrate your efforts nearer to Co. 83, south of the narrows. Other productive areas for panfish include Sunset Point and Pancake Island on South Center Lake, the Dinnerbel area and the west side of North Center Lake.

Please keep in mind that our lakes are still in no shape to support vehicles. The stretch of mild weather that we are currently experiencing isn’t producing cold overnight temperatures, so ice has been slow to form and thicken. The DNR recommends at least 12” of solid ice to support cars and trucks. I called the Chisago County Sheriff’s Department to confirm a report that three vehicles broke through the ice on West Rush Lake (approximately 100-yards from the shoreline) last Sunday. Also, a few vehicles broke through shore ice over shallow water off Sunset Point last week, so be safe out there and stick to walking when venturing out to fishing spots.

Dan Brown’s weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie’s Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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