set-the-hook-guide-service

Lake Minnetonka crappies.

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:26:59 GMT

I made it out to Lake Minnetonka this afternoon to chase down some crappies. The weather was in the 60's and there was a light breeze. There haven't been many days like this so far this spring.

I hit some spots that I didn't hit last time when I was out. The first spot I only caught 1 sunfish. So, I throw a chatter bait for a bit to see if the bass would eat. No luck at that spot so it was time to move to another crappie spot. The next spot the crappies were there and eating. What worked the best was to cast it aways away from the boat let the jig and plastic fall till the bobber stood up and then reel in a bit then stop and then reel and stop till you were back to the boat. Most of the time they would hit the plastic after the first or second stop.

The slight breeze was key today because when the wind stopped and the water got flat the fish would stop eating. Most of the crappies were caught in 4-6' of water with good thick weeds on the bottom. The water temp this afternoon bumped up to 54 degrees. A few more warm days like today and a lot more fish will move shallow. Get out and enjoy the weather this week because the weekend looks like the cold and windy weather will be back.

Crappie Fishing Time on Lake Minnetonka!

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:29:14 GMT

The crappies are starting to go on Lake Minnetonka!

I finally got back in the boat on Friday. Boy did that feel good. The weather was warmer and the wind wasn't blowing too bad. The water temp on Lake Minnetonka in the morning was only 40 degrees but by the afternoon it warmed up to 45 degrees.

The first location had plenty of crappies. But they were not chasing so you just had to let the bait sit to get them to bite. I caught them on gulp alive minnows and small plastics also worked. But the plastics caught the larger fish. I think live crappie minnows would work good to since the fish are not that active yet. Lots of times the crappies would just take the bait, and your bobber would just start moving sideways. Some would pull the bobber under but not a lot of them.

I hit a few back cuts (small bays) to see if they had any fish and most of them didn't have many up in them yet. But I did catch a few crappies in 3-6' of water. This week the forecast looks a lot warmer so I think these fish will start to move shallower and the crappie fishing really turn on.

I haven't tried bass fishing yet, but I will report back once I do.

If you'd like to go Crappie Fishing on Lake Minnetonka with me, just give me a shout! We'd love to get you and your group on the water.

Open water is here!

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:02:59 GMT

Lake Minnetonka is officially ice free. This week there has been some people fishing from shore. On the warmer days the fish will move into the shallow water and be ready to eat. But when it's cold out the fish will move back to deeper water.

Now is the time to get them rods rigged for them crappies. You want to be ready to hit the water on them warmer days. I use a lot of JB lures jigs. There tungsten Dubl'd and Weevil are rigged up on my rods. They have a variety of colors to choose from. I like the firetiger/glow, wonderbread and pink/glow. I will attach a Berkley gulp alive 1 inch minnow that come in a small jar. I will use this when bobber fishing. Or one of my favorite plastics. Like the 2-inch Berkley ripple shad Powerbait when casting and reeling in with a slow retrieve. Tube jigs also work well when casting.

Watch your fish locator for warmer water and you will find these schools of crappies that move into shallower water to feed.

Crappies soon!

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 18:24:37 GMT

Crappie Fishing Guide on Lake Minnetonka - Latest Report

The weather one day is 60 or 70 degrees and then the next we are at 40 degrees. This is spring weather in Minnesota. But soon we will get some steady warmer weather that will stick around.

The ice on Lake Minnetonka is pulling away from the shorelines, and the smaller bay are starting to open. I drove by St. Alban's Bay on Friday, and it was half ways open. The strong wind is helping to break up the ice.

Once Lake Minnetonka opens the crappies will start to move to the shallow warmer bays to feed. These fish school up and you can catch a lot of fish once you find them. Look to northern bays when the sun is out, they will warm more quickly. Also, shallow bays that have wood docks or brush are a good place to start. What I have found during my time on the water is the crappies and bass move in first and then once the water gets even warmer you will see more sunfish moving in.

I will have one or two poles rigged with plastics and will cast them out and slowly reel them back to the boat. If they are not chasing, then a will cast out a bobber set up with a gulp alive minnow on it. I also like using an adjustable float set up this works good to cast out and slowly retrieve back to the boat. These bobbers sit sideways and once you get a bite they stand up, then Set The Hook!

I will keep you updated as the lakes open up. If you're in need of a fishing guide for crappies on Lake Minnetonka, please give us a shout for a day on the water!

Bass Fishing on Lake Minnetonka

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:43:34 GMT

Latest on Lake Minnetonka Bass Fishing

The weather is warming up now with highs in the 50's today and possibly 70's by Saturday. This will melt the snow and ice and get the water running in and raise the water level of Lake Minnetonka. It's always nice to have higher water to bring them fish into the shallow back coves. It's like fishing in an aquarium at times. Last year one of the back coves had sunfish loaded tight to the bank and over 20 nice walleyes circling around the middle deepest part of it. A very cool sight to see.

This year, Minnesota fishermen get to fish bass all year long. Yes, the MN DNR finally changed the law so we can fish bass now like most of the other states. What does this mean? There are going to be some big bass caught this spring. We still can't keep any till Memorial weekend but not many people keep bass anyways.

This is exciting news to be able to catch and release these footballs. Not only will I be bass fishing on Lake Minnetonka, but I will be on some other area lakes that have some giants too.

In the spring these fish can get spooked in the shallow water so keep your distance and where your polarized glasses to spot them. Smaller plastics is all you need these fish are hungry they are coming into the warm shallow water to eat. I will also have a few poles in the boat for the slab crappies that are in some of the same areas as the bass. Good luck everyone!

Contact me if you would like to get on my schedule as your bass fishing guide on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota. We fish hard and love to share the passion.

Crappies!

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 23:06:10 GMT

The weather has been a roller coaster lately and the ice is starting to get soft. But we still have about 20" of ice in most spots on Lake Minnetonka. So walking is your best bet as the access points get bad first.

I have been going north the last 2 weeks, and the fishing has been good for panfish and some crappies up to 13". When the fish come in, they are hungry they swim fast up to the bait and inhale it. Plastics or waxworms on small jigs have been best for the sunfish. The crappies are hitting minnow heads or the full minnow and a red hook. They don't stay around to long because the Northern Pike are roaming the same area. The ice is still 25" where I have been fishing but it's getting wet now. So, my ice fishing is now done for the season.

It's time to put the ice fishing gear away and start going through the summer gear.

It's not too early to book your open water trip. We are starting to fill the Calendar in June already.

That's a Wrap on Ice Fishing Season on Lake Minnetonka as Landings Aren't Usable Anymore

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:06:28 GMT

Ice fishing season is officially over for us here at Set the Hook Guide Service. The landings we were using lately are both unsafe so that makes it a no-brainer.

We're going to start prepping for Spring here on Lake Minnetonka. Now is also a great time to book a fishing trip for the upcoming season. Whether you're looking for the spring panfish / crappie bite, walleyes, or big largemouth bass or more...we got you covered (depending on time of the year as well).

I'm passionate about fishing on Lake Minnetonka, and I'd love the ability to show you a day on the water.

We do have some great dates still available, so what are you waiting for???

Corporate Fun!

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 21:54:37 GMT

This last week we have seen some crazy warm weather for February. With multiple days hitting 50 and not any wind to speak of here on Lake Minnetonka. This has been fun for clients to be outside sucking up some rays. Corporate groups have been playing games and putting tip ups out for some Northern Pike action.

A client brought out some big sucker minnows, and we set them up on tip ups in 10-12' of water. And he pulled 2 nice Pike out to win first place in the corporate event.

The fishing seemed to have picked up with the warmer weather. Clients are catching a mixed bag on sunfish, perch, crappies and pike. The best bet is to put on a waxworm on a few lines and minnows on the others. But the best crappie bite has still been after dark. One group said they did good from 5:30pm to midnight on crappie minnows under a float.

The fishing should continue to be good till we have to pull the houses off on March 2nd. I do have a few opening if you want to get out before the season is over.

Big crappies Are Being Caught on Lake Minnetonka

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:25:04 GMT

The weather was very cold and windy at the end of last week and weekend. So now the ice has grown, and we have 21" of ice. And when the cold started moving in the crappies bit well. Now the bite has been sporadic for both sunfish and crappies this last week. There are plenty of fish there you just have to work harder some days to get them to bite. If minnows are not working downsize to smaller jigs and waxworms.

Clients have been catching some 12 and 13" crappies this last week on Lake Minnetonka. It's good to see them big girls biting. A few pike have also been caught or lost at the hole this week. It's always a fun battle on a small ice fishing pole.

The weather looks good this week. If you are chasing sunfish I would go shallow 10-15' in the weeds for them. If you after crappies 25-30' would be a good depth to target after dark being the best.

A Lot of Crappies Being Caught on Lake Minnetonka

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 21:14:00 GMT

A great crappie bite!

The weather at the beginning of last week was great for getting out on the ice. If you wanted to hole hop it was not a problem with warm temps and not much wind. But then Sunday afternoon the wind came in after some light snow and the temps dropped like a rock. Now today we are in the teens and with light wind it feels nice out again.

The ice has been growing we now have 17 inches of ice with some snow and some bare ice.

The Bite was good last week for both crappies and sunfish. I had some repeat clients that came up for their 6th year in a row and pounded them. They had over 500 fish in 3 days and 1 guy had 107 on one of the days. A new record for them. They shared a piece of the fresh fish they made, and it doesn't get much better than that.

Its sounds like gold has been the color of choice to get them crappies to commit and a nice small minnow. The sunfish are still hitting the smaller jigs and wax worms. Clients are seeing pike on the camera but haven't been able to hook into them. Or when they did, they got broke off.

The Panfish Bite is On!

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 23:31:31 GMT

The sunfish and crappie bite is strong!

The weather has been warm, so we have only made a couple inches since I last posted. We now have 14.5-15.5 inches of ice out on Lake Minnetonka. But it sounds like colder weather is on its way.

I moved my houses around this last week, and we are on a good sunfish and crappie bite. The sunfish have been loaded on the underwater camera. Some fish race up and eat while others you have to jig a bit to get them to eat. The smaller jigs with waxworms have been the best. After dark about 7:00pm the crappies move in and the fun begins. Some fish are suspended while others are near the bottom. I've had my best luck with glow jigs and waxworms. But some of my customers are catching them on crappie minnows too.

A few pike are hitting sucker minnows on tip-ups. But the walleyes are down there but customers are seeing them just swim by on the camera.

A busy holiday weekend coming up it should be fun to see what is caught.

Happy New Year Fishing Guide Action

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:33:35 GMT

The panfish bite is on!

Happy New Year everyone. The weather has been up and down, but we are finally driving vehicles to the ice houses. With the ice depth running 12-13" customers can now take the plowed ice road to the fish house they have rented.

This last week the sunfish bite has been the best, but clients are still catching crappies too. Most of the crappies are being caught after dark on minnows or waxworms.

A few pike, bass and walleye have also been caught. Small sucker minnows or fathead minnows have been best for them.

Most of the fish are coming out of 15-20' of water. The Aqua-Vu underwater camera that is hooked to the TV has helped catch them quick biting sunfish. And if them sunfish scatter fast watch because a pike is coming.

The Ice Fishing Season has Begun on Lake Minnetonka

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 01:04:40 GMT

Ice fishing houses for rent on Lake Minnetonka are officially all set! If you're interested, book an ice house at your convenience online.

I've been putting ice houses out on Lake Minnetonka the last few days. I have 7 out so far and they are sitting on 12.5" of ice. The snow is pretty much gone on the lake now. So, ice cleats are a good idea as it's a bit slippery out there.

We are running the Polaris Ranger and trailer to bring our anglers back and forth until we can start driving vehicle out on the lake.

Last night was my first group of clients for the season. It was the first time ice fishing for this group. With people from California, North Carolina and here near Minneapolis. They had 2 crappies caught before I let them go on their own. And by the end they caught 20 fish, not bad for some newbies. The bite should continue to be good as the season goes on.

The houses should be going out on Lake Minnetonka later this week.

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:30:31 GMT

It's almost go Time!

The last few days we have been out on Lake Minnetonka plowing about 6" of snow off the lake. Now with this colder weather it will help make more ice.

The ice depth on Lake Minnetonka was only 5-6" when we went out on Thursday to start plowing. We got about half of the road plowed and an area to ice fish. Then on Saturday we plowed the rest of the road and touched up the fishing area. Now this morning (Sunday) I checked the ice, and we now have 8-9" of ice.

I will keep an eye on the weather, but I think I will start pulling houses out later this week. Once the houses get out, we will shuttle people back and forth from the boat launch with my side by side and trailer.

Lake Minnetonka is locked up.

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 22:23:51 GMT

Ice Fishing Update on Lake Minnetonka

Lake Minnetonka is frozen over and making ice. The smaller bays now have 2-5" of ice and gaining.

If you venture out check the ice as you go. And bring a buddy with you. One of you can use a spud bar as you go and the other person can drill the holes. The whole lake never freezes over at the same time. And if there is a snow drift that area will insulate the ice and won't make ice as fast so use caution. A set of ice picks is never a bad idea to carry around your neck. And if you have a flotation suit wear it.

Early ice you will find fish in the shallow weeds. So, check the smaller weedy bays. I will bring a fish locator to check depths and an Aqua-Vu underwater camera to check for good green weeds. Once you find some good green weeds you will find sunfish, crappies, bass and pike in these areas right now.

If you are after walleye, they will move into the shallow weeds or rocks just before sunset. So, find the area you want to fish and get set up at least an hour before sunset. If you're with a buddy set up a couple tip-up to cover a bigger area. Then have a jigging pole and a pole with a set line. You never know how aggressive the fish will be.

If we don't get much snow this week, we could get the houses out within the next week and a half to two weeks.

Ice Fishing Season on Lake Minnetonka is About to Start

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:52:33 GMT

Early Ice Fishing Report on Lake Minnetonka

The cold weather has moved into MN. Now that it's cold we just need the wind to lay down, and the ice will start to form. Always bring a spud bar and check the ice as you go. I like to have 4" of ice to walk out on.

Ice cleats are a must have to get some traction to pull my Clam portable fish trap out. Once I get to the area where I want to fish, I will pull out my depth finder to check how deep I'm at. Then I will grab my Aqua-Vu underwater camera and try to get close to the weed edge. Then I will get set up for the evening of walleye fishing. One jigging rod with a spoon and a minnow head and one set line with a fathead minnow or shiner minnow. Then I will put down my Lowrance Active Target and watch for the fish to move in. Early ice is the best time to target these walleyes.

I will keep you posted when the lake gets locked up. Good luck everyone!

Ice fishing Is Near in the Lake Minnetonka, MN Area

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 23:24:40 GMT

It won't be long!

The temperature looks like it will be falling next week. With lows in the teens and highs in the 20's we will be on our way to making some ice. This last week the water temp was in the low to mid 40's. So, if we do get some cold weather and not a lot of wind the ice will start to form.

I have started getting the winter rods ready along with the houses and generators. I still have a few generators to get the oil and spark plugs changed. And maybe get one new generator for this year since one went down last year.

I added a new enclosed Polaris Ranger 1000 with heat in it for this season. I had enough of the snow blowing on me while plowing the lake last year. It's only a 2 door but if you need a ride, you will be toasty warm now.

Once the ice is formed and thick enough to walk on, I will be out checking the ice thickness. And then scouting to see where the most fish are located at. Early ice last season produced some good numbers and size of crappies. Some crappies up to 13" were caught. Early ice is always the best time for walleye fishing too. The lake is in great shape for crappies and walleye.

The Westonka walleye stocking program continues to improve the walleye fishing. Every fall they stock 10-13" walleyes. The survival rate is so much better then stocking fry and finger links. This fall there was some big ones caught so I think that will continue into the winter. The best way to fish the walleye is to jig a spoon with the head of a minnow with one pole and then have a shiner or fathead on a rattle reel. Low light periods are the best.

November full moon walleyes on Lake Minnetonka

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:25:48 GMT

The weather has really cooled off the last week. The water temps have now dropped into mid to upper 40's on Lake Minnetonka. The full moon we had last week did help put some walleye into the boat. The biggest one was this 27"er. But we are still catching fish that are good eater size 16-19" too. Trolling crankbaits in 4-8' of water is still working, but minnows under a float will work too. The best time for us has been just before it gets dark out or just after. Put those headlamps on. This might be the last week in the boat, but we will see what the weather brings us.

I have been booking quit a few fish house rentals this last week. So, if there is a date you are looking for do it sooner than later. The corporate groups are locking them down to make sure they can get most of my houses for their big groups. Or if you're just looking for 1 house on a weekend my Saturdays fill up pretty quickly.

The ponds are starting to get a little ice on the edges, so we know it's a start and won't be long before old man winter shows up.

A Mix Bag.

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 01:23:24 GMT

The fish are still hungry.

This last week we had a mix bag of Northern Pike and Bass. Most of the fish were caught on spinnerbaits casting into 6' to 10' of water. The fish are up in the weed beds. A steady retrieve over the tops of the weeds has worked best for us. But we did catch a few fish trolling crankbaits in 4-5' of water. And the fish have been hitting hard! So fun!

Remember this time of year, you need to wear layers. If the wind lays back and the sun is out, you may need to shed a layer. But the water temps are now in the low 50's. So, if it's cloudy and windy you will be glad you are wearing layers. The nice part of this time of year is very little boat traffic on Lake Minnetonka. All you will see is a few fishermen and a few barges taking docks and lifts out of the lake. Also use caution because all of the buoys have been pulled for the season. You don't want to hit a rock or sand bar and have to buy a new prop at the end of the season.

The ice fishing season is around the corner so if you are thinking about booking an ice house it's not too early.

Feels like fall

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 01:57:26 GMT

Still putting fish in the boat.

The wind made it feel a little chilly this last week on Lake Minnetonka. We even fished in a cold rain Saturday morning. This time of year, you need to dress in layers. If you're out of the wind and in the sun, you might need to take a layer off. If you're in the wind layers keep you warm.

This last week we caught bass, pike, musky and sunfish. Casting spinnerbaits have still been putting fish in the boat. Just pull them over the tops of the weeds and the fish come up and smack it. And also watch your spinnerbait all the way to the boat. The pike and musky tend to hit it close to the boat. If you see a follow keep the bait moving the worst thing you can do is stop. If you stop the fish stops. Do the figure 8 if you need to keep it moving. Most of the fish are still being caught in 6' to 12' of water. But on Wednesday we did catch a few fish in 2.5 to 3' of water.

Fall Fishing.

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 01:45:15 GMT

Great fall fishing continues.

The pike fishing continues to be good. We are catching them on spinnerbaits in 6'-12' of water. We are also still catching a few bass in the mix in the shallows. The walleye continues to bite in the evening on minnows and with crankbaits. The buoys have been pulled from Lake Minnetonka so be careful and watch your electronics.

Full moon means walleye time.

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 23:04:06 GMT

Walleye Time!

This week we found walleye trolling crankbaits in the evening hours. Along with some walleye from 13-26.5" we also caught pike, bass, crappies and sunfish. The fish are after all the minnows that are in Lake Minnetonka right now. Tomorrow we will be back to chasing some Northern Pike. Enjoy this beautiful fall weather we are having while you can.

Pike Fishing.

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:54:48 GMT

There are more and bigger pike starting to move shallow.

The pike we are catching are coming on spinnerbaits in 6' to 12' of water. We are also having a few musky following up to the boat. But unfortunately, didn't catch any of them this week. The bass are coming from 2.5' to 12' on plastics and spinnerbaits. The weather has been nice and warm, and the water temp has still been in the upper 60's to low 70's. It's time to get out before the snow flies.

The Pike are moving in.

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:33:58 GMT

Pike time.

Even if it does feel like summer is back, the fish are moving into shallow water. We are seeing minnows are hopping on top of the water. And the pike, bass and musky are not far away. This last week we have been mostly catching pike with spinnerbaits in anywhere from 8-19' of water. We are also catching a few bass and musky in the same area. Once the water temp starts to cool back down there will be even more fish moving in. It's a fun time to watch these fish come smack the baits.

Fall Patterns begin.

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 21:59:31 GMT

It feels like fall.

This last week the bass and pike are starting to slide up into shallower water on Lake Minnetonka. We are now catching fish in 8-15' of water. They have been up in the weeds. So, moving baits over the top of the weeds have trigger them to bite. They are finally chasing baits again. This is the start of some great fall fishing. You can still catch them on finesse bait as well.

Late Summer Patterns

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 22:31:44 GMT

Schooling Bass

This last week we have been seeing the bass schooling up. On one of my trips my clients caught 20 bass in one location. The grandpa caught 3 bass in 3 casts. They seem to be in or near the thick weed cover. The Ned rig has still been the best bait. We are still catching a few pike on the deeper drop offs.

Bass fishing

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 20:46:10 GMT

The bassin has been good!

The bass fishing has been the best bite lately. When you find a school spot lock the trolling motor and keep casting at them. On Sunday we caught close to 20 bass at one location. The Ned rig has still been the best bait for us. We are still catching a few pike but not as many of them at this time.

Summer Patterns

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 21:48:18 GMT

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This week most of the fish we have caught have been on the outside edge of the weed line. We have caught bass, pike, walleye and sunfish on the edge in 18-24' of water. Put the bait in front of them and wait for the bite. This bite should continue with the warm temps in the forecast.

Summer Fishing

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 02:06:31 GMT

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The bass we are catching this week have been in 8-12' of water. Most of them are coming on Ned rigs and jig worms up in the weeds. The pike are still on the weed edge in 15-22' of water. Crankbaits have been working the best to get these toothy fish to bite.

Bass are on fire.

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 20:15:59 GMT

This last week the bass we are catching are coming from 15-20' of water. Most of them have been caught on Ned rigs worked slow. On Friday we had 63 fish and 52 of them were bass. The bass are schooling up and chasing small minnows.

Lake Minnetonka Pike fishing report

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 21:15:30 GMT

The pike continue to bite on crankbaits in 15-20' throughout the Lake. Just find the weed line and start trolling.