Rock Lake, Platte, GOMH (4/8/26)

 

Another 20' and I should be catching fish at Rock. 

North Platte Lake Drive looking South

My P/S Juice in 2025

 2025 was a bounce back after tougher fishing in 2024. Platte Lake is on the road to recovery after the winterkill in 2023. Here is where I caught my fish in 2025. Primarily bass and pike. The number in the circle is the number of fish caught there.

First up is for the trips I fished in both lakes during the trip.

My Platte map shows I caught a bunch of fish off the dock, which is on the East side of the lake. That the fishing on F Flat has gone to crap, and that Big West Bay was more than just a flash in the pan. Big West was alive with life. And that I caught a fair number of fish on docks, which hardly happened in 20204.

And lastly, there is Sullivan, which doesn't get many trips all by itself: 

The Dock Is In(4/17/25)

 Steve did dock work today.

4/9 Platte And Sullivan Ice Out

 

4/3 Bulldog, Rock, GOMH

 

Me with My New Glasses at Rock

Woodpecker at Rock Lake

Immature Eagle at Bulldog Lake

E of GOMH

3/29 Platte/Sullivan, GOMH, and Rock

Ice Jam at the GOMH Platte

Platte Lake Access

Rock Looking North

Rock Looking South, still plenty of ice

NW Access Sullivan

Sullivan Inlet

Sully Inlet Dirt Access

5:10-5:20pm Rock Access

5:50-6:25PM GOMH SW

33℉, Cloudy some sprinkles, 10-20mph NE

I checked out Bulldog first still 80% locked up. Then I went to Rock. Saw an Eagle. I fished for about 15 minutes. I'd say maybe 50% of Rock still has ice. I drove North Platte Lake Drive. Don's Bay is completely ice-free. Our bay was over 50% ice-free. The North Bay 80% still covered. Not much ice left in Big West, and I think that ice flow down by the GOMH is what is left on the southern end of the lake. I was not feeling it tonight, so I only fished until 6:30. I drove down the West side of Sullivan, which I would say was 50 to 60%  ice-free. 

Tomorrow or Monday at the latest for ice out.

3/28 Platte, Rock, and GOMH

 

Platte Lake Access

Looking East of GOMH

Rock Lake looking North

Rock looking South

I caught a gator in the morning

We got clouds, so it stayed cool today. It got to the mid-50s in St. Cloud and mid-60s in the cities.

3/26 Bulldog, GOMH, and the Lake Place

  

Picture Kim took

E of GOMH

Bulldog Access

12:30-1:00pm GOMH NE SW

43-44℉, MS turning cloudy, 4-6mph SW

I drove Kim up to Pine Center to get her car. I stopped at Bulldog, where open water was creeping North from the access next to shore. More open water E of GOMH and out from SPSI. I didn't get any hits in the half hour I fished both sides. Clouds moved in for the day as I was finishing up. We took mom into the cities after 3:30 pm, so we didn't get back until after 8 pm. Kim sent me a pick fro the lake place of where there is open water out front.

Skunked 

Cabin Fever Has Set In

 

Platte Lake Access

We are now a few days past the average temp coldest days of the year. I haven't been fishing in a couple of months. The first Bassmaster Open concluded today. The first Snatcher Meeting will be next Saturday. I am ready for Spring. Today, I got out for a drive. They are driving out on Bulldog, nobody parking along 8. Sunset at the GOMH. It was 17℉ and windy during my drive. This upcoming week is going to bring slightly above average temps, and the week after is supposed to be slightly below average, not the way below average temps like we recently experienced.

BP"s 2024 Bass Lure of The Year

 

With Platte Lake in its second year of recovery from the 22/23 Winter Kill and me struggling to stay on the bass in Sullivan, it made for the most challenging bass fishing I've experienced in years.  There was a period from the MN Fishing Opener to when the rice came up in early June when the Houdini-colored Z-Man Turbo FattyZ was 🔥. Then the bite just collapsed when the shiner minnows moved deep. I caught the vast majority of 153 bass on the FattyZ in that window. It was the only lure I caught a hundred bass on for the year. I did catch 258 bass on frogs and toads, but that was spread out over about 20 different lures. Here is to hoping that bass fishing in 2025 improves.

December 31st At The GOMH & More

 

Platte Lake Access

Eddy's Jetty

Zoomed Out

I went for a drive on the final day of the year. There were maybe 5 fish houses on Long. About a dozen people on Bulldog fishing. Rock Lake didn't have a house on it, and there were no vehicles in the lot or out on the ice, as far as I could see I didn't get out of the car. Platte had a smattering of houses out and a couple of small bunches. On Sullivan, they seemed to be spread out. Same thing on Shakopee with maybe a dozen or so vehicles. On Mille Lacs there were maybe 20 shacks out to the South out of Randy's and a small cluster of Eddy's Houses to the North.

Goodbye 2024.

My Juice In 2024

 I do not in any way attribute the disappointing fishing I experienced this year to me sharing my "Juice" last year. This year was just off. The Jumpin Bullhead bite was off at the Grumpy Old Man Hole. The frog and topwater bite were a struggle. 2024 was just off. 

Here is my Juice for 2024

2024 Platte/Sullivan Trips Fish Caught

Sullivan Only Trips

Platte Only Trips

Platte Lake was just brutal for me this year.

Here is the Juice for me in 2024. Where I did my ice fishing:

Sure the panfish and pike are small for the most part, but I got a lot of action.

Final Bass of 2024(10/23/24)

 Despite several nice days between October 23rd and when I took the Trophy out of the lake on November 17th, I only went on two trips in the boat in that span, and I came up empty on Jumpers at the Grumpy Old Man Hole. So this little guy I caught off of the dock at the lake place was my last bass of 2024.

2024 Opener Evening Short Trophy Trip In Platte(5/11/24)

  

4lber Dirty Jigs SC Buzzbait/ToadZ

8:15-9:15PM North Channel Inn Bay Platte Lake

66-70℉, PC, 0-3mph W

Water Temp: Low 60's

This trip would not have happened if Steve hadn't taken Mom home from the late hamburger feed. Thanks, Steve! I went to Channel Inn Bay with limited daylight. I got the 4lber at Dogfish Corner, as well as a pike in the hay. I got a quick pike throwing the Swim Jig and a small bass on the first cast with the SBKO. Conditions said I should have gotten plenty of bites. I didn't bring a headlamp or spotlight. I stuck the boat landing, and Todd helped me unload stuff, which was appreciated. I was tired, and it would have taken me quite a while longer without the help.

2Bass 

2Pike