Winter Season Outlook

-Evan Griggs, Owner Fishing For All 

Thanksgiving leftovers have finally been tossed out, Christmas decorations are up, snow has blanketed most of the region, and Holiday music graces the airwaves- winter has officially come! That means I get to make my annual prediction of what winter will be like, and how that will affect fishing.

Coming out of a relatively warm and dry fall (which left river and lake levels quite low across a lot of the region), we finally got hit hard Thanksgiving week with snow and cold temps. Thankfully temps have remained steadily cold and dropping into December, and now most lakes have started freezing over. Far northern lakes, like Red Lake, have enough ice for atv anglers with 7-12” (as of Dec 15)! Most small metro lakes probably have 4-7” (as of Dec 15) which is enough for walk outs and atv’s. We’ll typically see small, shallow lakes and bays freeze first, then the large lakes or their main bays will freeze slower. The sustained cold temps saved us this early ice season, and even though the current snow coverage will slow down ice formation some, we were able to get a solid start!  

The two biggest detriments to early ice formation are wind and precipitation. Wind very early on in ice formation can stir the water and mash up the ice crystals making a form of slushy, needle-shaped ice called, “frazil.” Frazil doesn’t freeze uniformly or have the same structural integrity as clear, black ice. Snow and rain can also both slow down ice formation, as snow acts like an insulator on top of the ice. If you go out in the early ice season you’ll often see a large difference in ice depth between areas without snow coverage and areas with snow coverage. There was a report from Red Lake the first week of December that said as much, “In areas of no snow we’re seeing 6-7” of ice. In areas with snow, we’re seeing 3-4”, so be mindful when walking out or setting up your gear.” Too much snow on top of early ice can also cause the ice to “slump” causing slushy patches and flooding through your ice holes. Thankfully, even though we had a windy and snowy spell, our consistently cold temps will eventually mellow out any early ice problems, and so long as it stays cold without too much snow on top, we’ll have good ice in the southern half of the region in no time. 

NOAA has been tracking a weaker La Nina weather pattern forming out in the equatorial Pacific. Apparently it’s been building all fall and we’re supposed to see the peak effects this month. La Nina’s usually bring colder and snowier winters to the upper midwest, but this pattern is only actually true about 33% of the time according to their stats. Other localized conditions and factors often contribute to how our season actually goes. Even though we had a dry and warm fall, it is nice to see true cold temps and snow in December! But time will tell how much effect we’ll actually be seeing  of a La Nina effect this season.

If you know me, you know I’m a BIG fan of high water. And our “money in the bank” for high water in spring- and consistent flows throughout summer- is lots of snow. Snow melts slowly and seeps into groundwater aquifers, recharging them and keeping nature’s taps flowing all summer more consistently. As compared to rain which mostly runs off right away and provides just short term bumps in flows.

At this point of the early ice season, I think things are shaping up very nicely. With consistent cold temps (and even some below zero already) there’s hope that La Nina will grace us with a fine winter! Most small lakes and small bays on the bigger lakes from the metro north are frozen over enough for walking out with 5”+, and that’s not been the case for the last number of years. In recent years, we’ve seen a huge dump of wet snow or rain on top of early ice, causing slush to form and it really wrecks the ice and slows down its growth for a long time. There’s also been years where it’s been 50-60 degrees all the way through December, and we didn’t make any ice until mid-late January. 

This year, thus far, things are progressing very well with good cold temps and despite the snow accumulation. We typically don’t see such cold temps this early in the season in the southern half of the state. This may cause the fish to be more lethargic than we may be used to in the early ice season, or they move to deeper holes sooner than we are used to in the season. My bet is that there will be a good 5”+ of walkable ice in the metro area around Christmas on the bigger lakes, as long as night temps stay bitterly cold, and we don’t get much more snow on top of what we already have. Come January and February, I say “LET IT SNOW!” We need some money in the bank for the next open water season!   

As always- but especially for early ice season- my number one rule is, “Don’t end up on the news!” The DNR says we need 4” inches of black ice to walk out. If you’re going early ice fishing, invest in floating bibs, bring a spud bar to test ice thickness as you walk out, wear your ice picks, bring a spare change of clothes and warm layers, and tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to be home. Much of the same applies if you’re heading winter fly fishing, make sure your wader belt is cinched tight, bring a wading staff, bring extra layers, be cautious around shelf ice, and tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be home. Winter is a great time to go fishing, just be smart about it. (Just some free advice given from a guy who’s made all the mistakes for you already.) 

Let’s be thankful for a solid start to the ice season thus far, and I look forward to drilling holes out there soon! I also can’t wait for early catch-and-release season to open on the trout streams in January. Feel free to send me pictures, videos, and fishing reports of your fishing adventures this winter (tag us on instagram too: fishingforall.mn)! I love seeing our community get outside and face the elements in the pursuit of fish. You all are awesome, and inspire me to keep getting out there this time of year too. If you want to learn how to ice fish, check out the many 2hr intro to ice fishing programs we’re hosting across the metro this winter with various parks and rec departments!

Community Highlight – Sam Robertson, Local Artist & Angler

Sam Robertson is a local artist who has long explored themes of fish and fishing, though only in the past few years has he actually discovered the thrilling and meditative nature of fly fishing for himself. His paintings, often set in a surreal or psychedelic version of the great outdoors, use humor to explore the human condition and our complex coexistence with the natural world. Learn more about his art, fishing, and cool future projects here!

What came first for you—art or fishing—and how did the second one sneak
into your life?

I’d say art. As a youngster, I liked the idea of fishing but didn’t have anyone to show me the ropes, so I’d go to the same fishing dock in Eau Claire, Wisconsin over and over and never catch anything but little bluegills. Then I mostly gave up on fishing for the next 20 years while learning to make art. In high school my brother exposed me to the author Richard Brautigan. His collection of short stories called “Trout Fishing in America” was very influential to me. It most likely primed me to give a hoot about trout in
the first place, so then when I’d see pictures of friends fly fishing for trout on social media, it looked so idyllic and captivating. Sometime during the pandemic I bought a cheap rod and some waders and I loved it immediately, even in my initial ineptitude. I can’t get enough of it. I’m always so happy standing in a creek, even when (usually) I’m not catching anything.

Was there a particular moment when you realized fishing was influencing
your art (or vice versa)?

At some point (before I started fishing more in my 30’s) I noticed that fish were in quite a few of my paintings. I’m not exactly sure why I kept revisiting the fish theme besides liking how they look and thinking about them as a symbol of the subconscious. As long as I can remember I’ve had dreams about fishing. Weird ones, where I’m fishing indoors, or inside a cave, or there’s a tiiiiny little pond, yet huge fish live below the surface and I’m trying to catch them. My paintings started out perhaps a little critical of fishing and hunting, subversively reflecting on the consumer culture portrayed in
outdoor gear catalogues and hunting/fishing magazines. Back then hunting and fishing seemed to me more like a human quest to dominate animals and the natural world, but I’ve since come around completely and believe that there’s few things more transcendent than meeting nature in that way. You can fish alone or with friends and either way it’s amazing. I can’t get enough of it. And the few times I’ve eaten fish I’ve caught with friends while camping are among the most joyful experiences of my life.

How does time on the water shape your creative process? Do ideas strike
mid-cast, mid-sketch, or when you’re untangling your line for the tenth
time?

I don’t know if I get many painting ideas when I’m actually fishing. But it calms my mind and makes me feel connected to the world. I like thinking about the water and the bugs and animals in it and how bodies of water connect like a primordial highway system. I love how streams and rivers are incubators of life, and how the fish and animals have wandered around freely in them forever. Just eating each other endlessly like maniacs. I’ll get lost in these thoughts while casting around and I’m able to access a similar flow
state during painting sessions when I’m lucky. A day or a weekend of fly fishing goes by seemingly in the blink of an eye. Twelve hours on a creek feels so short. Same with painting when I’m feeling it.

I also like how fishing in itself is such a creative process. You’re working through problems all the time, making connections, trying to figure out what works. And it’s so collaborative. I learn faster when I’m fishing with friends. But then there’s also the sense of community if you’re out fishing solo. Everyone wants to know how it’s going. “Any luck?” “Catching anything?” “What’d you catch it on?” Strangers on the shore who are also fishing usually have helpful snippets to offer, or we exchange flies. Someone’s gifted me some split shot before to help get nymphs down to the bottom quicker. It feels like everyone has time for you, something that doesn’t happen quite the same way in the busy city.

What elements from fishing—textures, patterns, movement, quiet—show
up most in your work?

My paintings often take place in nature, so there’s overlap there. In my art I use humor to explore the human condition and how we coexist with the rest of the natural world – at times harmoniously, but often through destruction.
I think the headspace I’m in while fishing parallels where I am while making art. Huge bursts of excitement wash over me while fishing when I’m thinking of how to catch something that I can’t even see. I love that you have to wait till the fish jumps or you reel it in close before you even know what you have on the line. Once last summer I thought I had a 10 or 11 inch trout with how it was fighting but when I got it in my net was a humble bluegill. The mixup had me chuckling.

With fishing you get rewarded for patience and planning. There’s a direct parallel to creative processes for me, where I’m in a similar spot of blindness. I don’t know what’s below the surface of my mind. I usually don’t know what I’m going to paint or make next, but when I’m open to the process, I can land an idea in my proverbial net. Fishing and art are so thrilling.

Fish have such distinct personalities. Do you have a favorite species to
capture artistically, and why?

Carp, trout, salmon, and bass have all shown up in my paintings. As well as a bunch of hybrids I’ve invented. I think I’ve painted a lot of carp because when canoeing down the Mississippi 15 years ago, a big one jumped out of the water and I saw it hit my friend in the back. It was quite surprising. It landed in our boat and we killed it, and meant to eat it but we couldn’t figure out how to fillet it. It had so many bones and I’d never filleted
anything at that point so it was a bad place to start. We left it on the shore and ants found it right away and started going to town.

Are there fishing environments or moments that inspire you more than
others?

Nothing beats just standing in the water, looking around at all the glory. Or finding promising fishing holes when you’re bushwhacking around a stream you’ve never been to. Or coming up to a beaver dam and seeing just how much the water and entire environment changes around those.
One memorable event fishing last summer in Preston was in the morning on our last day there when hundreds of swallows came flying out of their rocky dwellings to get their fill of some bug that had just hatched, and I tried three types of dry flies before matching the hatch with a pale morning dun. Then they were striking like mad for 30 minutes. That had never happened to me in such a dramatic way. I have a really hard time reading the water still. But when there’s a big chunk of time to truly reflect on what’s going on internally and out there in the world simultaneously, I feel like things
start to click.

Which is harder: landing a trophy fish or finishing a piece of art you’re
completely satisfied with?

I’m lucky to be able to consistently finish paintings – to get them to a point that I’m happy with at least. I’m still an extreme novice at fishing so I haven’t caught too many large fish. I caught a decent-sized bass on the Namekagon river last summer, but that’s the exception, not the norm.

Has any fishing misadventure ever accidentally inspired a masterpiece?
That aforementioned jumping carp. Another time on the banks of the Mississippi down south, a friend and I struck up a conversation with an old fisherman and he handed me a fish, I think a decent walleye if my memory serves me right. I asked him “where do I hold it?” and he said matter of factly with no trace of humor, “It’s a fish you can hold it anywhere.” I drew a picture for that one but have since lost it.

More recently I painted one called “Babe I’m Gonna Be Late, Sorry.” It’s inspired by that difficulty I have calling it quits for the day, even when there’s something important going on after. This is the painting:

What do you hope anglers feel when they see their passion reflected in
your artwork?

Excitement to get back out on the water. And the humor that comes with the fishing life.

Is there a message you hope people pick up about conservation or the
beauty of aquatic life through your art?

I hope people have fun and meaningful experiences in nature – solo or with
friends/family. I’m not positive if that shows up in my paintings, but I put my soul into them, and respect nature so deeply, so maybe some of the wonder I experience when in the great outdoors gets funneled through the paintings to the viewer. I’ve got a project I’m going to reveal soon that will hopefully transmit those messages more clearly and directly. Stay tuned. You can follow along on my instagram @samrobertsonart if you’d like, or check out the next Fishing for All newsletter where I plan to divulge more. But
just as a little teaser, I want you to get thinkin’ about if there are any good fishing stories you have that might lend themselves to being illustrated…

Thanks for reading, and thanks to Evan for asking such good questions that got me to think deeper about fishing and art! I want to fish and make art as long as I live. This last painting here is called “Red Zebra Midge.” It was the first fly I learned to tie, and the first tie I flied that I caught a trout with. They look so small and insignificant in yer hand, but they’re mighty. I wanted to capture their nature in a painting to immortalize their wonder.

Upcoming Events and Classes

• 1/13 & 27
• 2/10 & 24
• 3/10 & 24
• 4/14 & 28

Don’t let your casting arm get rusty over winter, we can help you polish up your skills! Whether you’re a beginner or advanced caster, we can help fine tune your distance and accuracy, and/or start from square one.

Bring your own fly rod if you have one, otherwise we will have a small number of loaner rods available. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. $50/angler/session.

• Sessions: 7:30-9pm @ Two Rivers High School, Mendota Heights MN 
• December 5, 19
• January 9, 30
• February 20, 27
• March 6

2026 Intro to Ice Fishing Programs!

Fishing isn’t just a summer activity! Once our lakes freeze over, we can venture out and catch fish through the ice. Fishing For All has partnered with many parks and rec departments across the metro to offer 2hr intro to ice fishing classes. We will show you how to use the equipment, find where the fish live in winter, and try to catch some fish. All equipment will be provided, minors must be accompanied by an adult. Sign up through our partner’s websites below:

Bloomington Parks and Rec – 10-12:00 & 1-3:00 @ Bush Lake: 1/25, 2/05, 2/22

Dakota County Parks –  1/24 1:00-3:00 @ Holland Lake & 2/14 1:00-3:00 @ Lake Byllesby  

New Brighton Parks and Rec – 1/31 10:00-12:00 @ Long Lake

City of Eagan – 2/21 1:00-3:00 @ Moonshine Park

Mendota Heights Park and Rec – “Winter Whirl”, 2/7 12:00-2:00 @ Roger Lake Park (Free, no pre-registration required.)

Washington County Parks – “Blizzard Bash”, 2/14 11:00-1:00 @ Cottage Grove Ravine Park (Free, no pre-registration required.)

December Minnesota Fishing Report

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Lakes

• Most small lakes and small bays on large lakes have walkable ice with 5”+.
• Some larger lakes or main basins have walkable ice, but not consistently.
• A few bigger lakes way up north have over 6-12” of ice but it hasn’t been growing consistently either.
• Panfish and pike will be active with jigs tipped with wax worms or minnows. With the very cold temps, dead-sicking or tip ups have been effective techniques.
• Find fish still in shallower water 15’ and less, and over green weeds.

Minnesota/Wisconsin Driftless Trout Streams

• Catch and Release fishing is open right now only in select state parks and in-town sections of certain streams in SE Minnesota.
• Catch and Release season will open across all of SE MN streams on Jan 1st and for all inland trout streams in WI on Jan 3rd.
• Water is low and clear on all streams.
• Colder temps will have trout moving toward deeper runs and pools.
• Some shady sections of streams may develop shelf ice, use caution when walking and fishing from shelf ice as it may collapse under weight.
• Small nymphs, and long thin leaders are producing best right now.
• Streamer fishing will be super fun too! Best colors are white, olive, brown/yellow, or black.

Mississippi & St. Croix River

• Water is open, low, and clear in Monticello.
• Angling pressure will be lighter with the early ice season!
• Action has been best in low light hours with how low and clear the water is.
• Drifting live sucker minnows on drop shot or slip sinker rigs is the best technique.
• Slowly swung or stripped baitfish flies will work too.
• Crankbaits and soft plastics have been effective if fished slow.

Tie the Purple Nurple – Cody Kutil

Guide Tips From the FFA Team

Heading trout fishing in the driftless? Don’t leave home without tying some Purple Nurple’s!

Local fly tying wizard, Cody Kutil, put together a sweet little video on how to tie this easy and effective trout fly pattern.

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