Went out by the small beach a mile west of picnic point for 2 hours. Stayed at the beginning edge of the weed line about 30-40 yards out about 10 feet deep with about 8-10 feet of visibility. Got 7 sheepheads and a crappie didn't see any carp or bluegills.
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Spearing/clarity report 2012
- Thread starterJon
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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I took the kids up to Devil's Lake yesterday to go snorkeling with 100,000 of my closest friends. 
Water was 68F degrees, which was fine for diving, beta bit chilly for kids in shorties. Vis started out around 15' or so, but the who.e place was pretty stirred up by the end of the day. I saw lots of bass, but that was about it. Since we can no longer spear up there I don't know if it matters to anyone or not, but it's still a nice lake to jump in.
Jon
Water was 68F degrees, which was fine for diving, beta bit chilly for kids in shorties. Vis started out around 15' or so, but the who.e place was pretty stirred up by the end of the day. I saw lots of bass, but that was about it. Since we can no longer spear up there I don't know if it matters to anyone or not, but it's still a nice lake to jump in.
Jon
I went from 3-5 p.m. west of picnic point in Lake Mendota. I shot a couple carp and bluegills one of which was 10.5 inches long! Saw a big pair of Gar swim by me when i was loading my gun, they got away... Also saw a nice walleye, big smallmouth bass and a couple crappies.
Visibility is still about 10 feet.
Visibility is still about 10 feet.
Took a ride around the lakes yesterday to check them out and see what looks good. Monona is crap and probably will stay that way for the rest of the summer. Mendota looked fantastic, except for all of the fishing boats standing guard over my favortie dive site. :head I watched as they trolled back and forth and waited until today so I could jump in.
Long story short, today I had the best dive I've had in over a year!:friday Water was 66f and vis was around 15'. There's plenty of crap in the water (daphnea??) but its the kind of crap that fish like to eat so I was OK with that. There were also fish everwhere! I saw some huge schools of perch, bass, catfish, and gar! I've seen plenty of solitary gar hiding out in the weeds in the past, but I've never seen schools of a half a dozen, or more, swimming around and bumping into eachother. Of course, my camera was back on my float and I couldn't get any video of it, but it was still pretty cool to watch. lots of walleye, carp, and drum where ever you went.
The further out I went the roguher it got- there were plenty of white caps out there. In closer to shore it calmed down, but the vis wasn't as nice as it was out deeper.
I ended up doing pretty well and my kids will be pretty exctied when they see what's on the menu for dinner tonight. I'm not sure when I'll get in again, but today sure was fun.
Jon
Mendota looked fantastic, except for all of the fishing boats standing guard over my favortie dive site. :head I watched as they trolled back and forth and waited until today so I could jump in.Long story short, today I had the best dive I've had in over a year!:friday Water was 66f and vis was around 15'. There's plenty of crap in the water (daphnea??) but its the kind of crap that fish like to eat so I was OK with that. There were also fish everwhere! I saw some huge schools of perch, bass, catfish, and gar! I've seen plenty of solitary gar hiding out in the weeds in the past, but I've never seen schools of a half a dozen, or more, swimming around and bumping into eachother. Of course, my camera was back on my float and I couldn't get any video of it, but it was still pretty cool to watch. lots of walleye, carp, and drum where ever you went.
The further out I went the roguher it got- there were plenty of white caps out there. In closer to shore it calmed down, but the vis wasn't as nice as it was out deeper.
I ended up doing pretty well and my kids will be pretty exctied when they see what's on the menu for dinner tonight. I'm not sure when I'll get in again, but today sure was fun.
Jon
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I go at frautschi point there is a parking area there you just have to walk a couple hundred yards to get to the water. There were 3-4 foot waves there today so you might want to try somewhere else until the water clears up.
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I dove Blackhawk lake, tues 29. visability was pretty bad (3 ft) still managed to get a couple good panfish out, despite miserable conditions. hopefully water was just murky because of the storm the night before. im gonna have to try Lake mendota next week, wed 6/6; given jons recent success. plus i've hardly dove any of Madison's lakes this year.
I went to Lake Mendota today (University bay)..Strong wind and big waves but the worst is , as Jon mention me last night, there is a parking permit..Ended up in Golden Lake. Viz there is very good. Most of the time 20 feet(6 M) and water temp 68F (20 C). Full of fish but not shootable ones. Except good sized blue gill. Did not see any carp and saw just one crappie. But it's packed with other fish. I even saw 2 turtles and a couple of dogfish .
Went out just east of Second (Frautschi) Point today. Water temp 64 F. Saw some nice bass, nothing I'm allowed to shoot. Visibility about 15 feet I'd say. Anyone going out tomorrow?
I'll be headed to Mendota tomorrow but don't know where yet. Went out by second point at 7:00 this morning, but water looked pretty ruff so I decided to go out by marshal park shot a nice perch and some sheepshead, but I don't think it is worth diving again.
It was to you waterman503 but I guess they are not working
I'm going out by 2nd point but about a half mile west of it at a small little beach with a gravel parking lot its right a bit past the big building and before 2nd point on Lake Mendota Drive
I'm going out by 2nd point but about a half mile west of it at a small little beach with a gravel parking lot its right a bit past the big building and before 2nd point on Lake Mendota Drive
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I was talking to some scuba divers I know who were cleaning up Monona as part of the Stake in the Lake yesterday. It seems that the winds have shifted and the lake has cleared along the north shore. It looked to be a good 10'-15'
of vis off the terrace so that might be an option.
Mendota will still be your best bet, but at least there's other options again.
Jon
of vis off the terrace so that might be an option.
Mendota will still be your best bet, but at least there's other options again.
Jon
I will be doing some Diving/Camping/Kayaking in the Apostle Islands. I'll be sure to give you a Lake Report
Went out and scouted most of Monona today from the sailboat. Pretty bad and smelly all over maybe hitting gov island later tomorrow.
maybe hitting gov island later tomorrow.on Wed 06/06 I went out and dove mendota from marshal park. didnt go out that far, just beond the ring of weeds. anywhere between 3-8 ft visability so not too bad. I saw plenty of fish there and i lost my pole spear lol. I took a look at blackhawk lake earlier that day and it was a silty green, so BH might be out of the question for the rest of the year :..(