3-01-10
It was an enjoyable ice fishing season this year at JR's Corner Access. I really don't know where the winter went. It seems like it was just yesterday when we were pulling ice houses onto the lake, and now they're all back on shore again. The season passed like a blur. I  finally have a moment to take a deep breath,  reflect back, and reminisce about all the fun we had during this ice fishing season. It was definitely our best year yet.  I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who ventured "North" and shared their company with us. Redfest, Weekends, and Weekdays; it was all good. The access will only be only for limited hours from now until ice out.  The crappies are still biting north of Center Bar, but the action was a little slower this week. Most groups are still catching crappies, but the average was only 2-3 crappies per group. The best crappie baits continue to be smaller jigs tipped with crappie minnows. The best depth is 16 feet of water. For those still thinking of venturing "North" to Red Lake this year, give us a call. I'd be happy to give you any current reports & tips I can. The roads are currently open, but we've discontinued plowing for the remainder of the ice season. The bar & restaurant are also closed for the season. Thanks again!
Stay tuned this summer for more updates about the new things happening for the 2010/2011 ice fishing season!!!

JR & Family

2-23-10
The walleye action was a  little more on the hit and miss side of things this week. The best bite has been in the shallow water, 8 to 10 feet, after dark. Several houses  reported catching 12 to 15 walleyes each night this week. The pike action was fair during the day, but the walleyes decided to take some of the days off. The crappies are still biting north of Center Bar in 16 feet of water this week. There were several groups that caught 5 to 7 nice crappies on the evenings they decided to target the big "slabs". The best crappie baits have been smaller jigs tipped with crappie minnows. It's been a great year at the access. We want to take this opportunity to thank all the folks that stopped in and shared some fun throughout the 2009/2010 ice fishing season. It's been a fun year. We're already looking forward to the next season. Stay tuned, there'll be more updates in the next few days.
Thanks again,
JR

2-15-10
The walleye fishing has improved slightly this week. Most of the houses have been reporting catching 15 to 25 walleyes a day. The best locations have been in 15 feet of water. Plain red, or gold, hooks have been accounting for the majority of these walleyes. We currently have a road plowed from the south shore all the way to the north shore. The road has started producing crappies just north of Center Bar in 16 feet of water. The best location has been over the mud flats. The crappies have been finicky. They seem to prefer smaller jigs tipped with crappie minnows. Several groups have been catching 4 to 5 crappies each evening just around sunset. The night bite has been better than the day bite this last week. But don't be afraid to go shallow during the day for pike. We've seen some nice pike again this week. The best pike action has been coming out of 9 feet of water in the late mornings.

2-10-10
The walleye fishing was a little slower this week. The houses are still able to catch enough for a fish fry, but that's been about it. The good news has been the northern pike. We've seen some real nice pike this last week. Each day has produced several nice pike in the 39 to 42 inch range. Dead baits suspended 2 to 3 feet off the bottom have been producing the best results. We're hoping the stable weather will cause the walleyes to go on the feed. We'll keep you posted.

2-03-10
We want to thank all the "fishermen" that showed up to JR's Second Annual RedFest Tournament. Wow, what a crowd. We're going to have to have a tent next year if the crowds keep growing. We had over hundred anglers "fishing" during the course of our INDOOR fishing contest. I hope everyone had a good time. We're already making plans to expand the contest for next year. But now it's time to talk fishing. The roads look good at the present moment. We currently have over twelve miles plowed and the roads extend all the way out to Center Bar and then West to the Border. The walleye action has been consistent with the night bite slowly switching to the day. Buckshot jigs have been catching a few more fish this last week. The key is to jig until you see the fish on the depth finder and then just hold it still. The fish just don't want an active bait at the present time. The good news has been the big northern pike. The tip-ups have produced some nice "gators" this week. We've seen many fish in the high 30's to low 40's:   The best baits have been 4-6 inch baits suspended 2 to 3 feet off the bottom.

1-26-10
JR's Second Annual RedFest Tournament is coming this Saturday, January30th. The contest starts at 1:00 pm at JR Corner's Bar &Grill.  This Red Lake's only "indoor" ice fishing tournament on the lake. Come catch the action. The contest includes; prizes, drink, food, song, and fun. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser once again. Now here's the fishing report: The big pike are on the cruise. We've see many 36 to 42 inch pike coming out of the holes this last week. The best baits have been 4-6 inch chubs suspended 2 to 3 feet off the bottom on tip-ups. The walleye action was also good this week with the best action happening during the middle of the week. You can sure tell the difference when there's less traffic on the lake. There were several houses that did real nice double digit catches during the mid-week. The best walleye depth remains in 13 to 15 feet of water. The fish still prefer smaller minnows on plain hooks. The roads are plowed and extend all the way out to center bar.

1-19-10
It's almost time for JR's Annual INDOOR Ice Fishing Tournament. The second annual RedFest will be held this year on Saturday, January 30th . The "fishing" officially starts at 1:00 pm. sharp. Make sure you arrive early before all the best holes are taken. We sure had a great time last year. This year is sure to be a repeat. Now let's talk fishing.. There's been a few big pike starting to show up on the south end of the lake. We saw a 40" and 44" come out of the holes this week. The walleye action has been good to fair. The best action is still coming off the rattle reels in 13 to 15 feet of water. The recent warm up has made for great driving conditions. Trucks can get to just about anyplace they want to at the current time. The best walleye reports are coming from the anglers that have been getting away from the crowds and staying away from the high traffic areas.

1-12-10
The weekend was a busy place at the Access this last weekend. The bite was consistent. The majority of the walleyes are still coming out of 13 to 15 feet of water. We're seeing a good mixture of fish sizes. The majority are still in the 14 to 17 inch range, but we're also seeing a good number in the 10 to 12 inch range as well. Those smaller "throw back" fish help ensure good action for years to come. There have been a few nice pike showing up over the last few days. Most of these have been accidental fish caught while walleye fishing. The best method of fishing continues to be the set lines rigged with plain hooks, red or white, and tipped with a minnow. Most houses are catching walleyes in the good double digits for a 24 hour period at the present time. There have been very few crappies caught so far this year.

1-08-10
The daytime bite has improved over the last few days. The best water depth has been 13 to 15 feet. Plain hooks, red or white, tipped with a minnow continue to be the best method for catching walleyes at this time. The grill is now finished and it's been a great addition to the bar. Fish baskets, fries, and other appetizers are now available at JR's.

1-04-10
The bite has been strong over the last few days. The key was moving the ice houses out to deeper water. The best bite has been coming out of 13 to 15 feet of water. The best locations have been 4 to 4 1/2 miles straight north of our access, south of Center Bar. We have good plowed roads to the area with plenty of spurs to get away from the crowds. Plain hooks, red or white, tipped with a minnow have been out producing all other lures at the current time. The minnow's height off the bottom has been critical. The best height has been 1 to 4 inches. Use a depth sinker when setting your slip bobber. You want the bobber to be floating just under the surface when the weight pulls the rig to the bottom. There have been very few walleyes being seen of the Vexilars. Most fish are swimming in low to the bottom and then grabbing the first set line they see. Most houses are catching in the good double digits at the present time.

12-30-09
The recent snow fall, coupled with yesterday's cold front, slowed the walleye bite on Red Lake during the first part of the week. The good news is the outside temperatures have already warmed considerably since Monday's low of -15 F and there's warmer weather predicted for the rest of the week. Most houses reported 10 to15 walleyes per day during the cold front conditions. The most consistent action occurred from 3 to 6 in the evenings. The morning and night bites were sporadic and varied from house to house. The best baits were plain hooks (red or glow) tipped with smaller minnows. Typical for post frontal conditions, set lines outperformed other jigging methods. The best news is the forecasted weather. The walleyes should adjust to the darker water conditions caused by the Lake's new blanket of snow and, if the stable weather holds, quickly return to a good bite pattern just in time for the weekend.

12-25-09
We have a marked road established all the way out to Center Bar.(6 1/2 miles) and the fishing was good there this evening. Not only did we catch good numbers, but we also caught a wide selection of sizes. We had fish over the slot (The biggest was 21 inches), a bunch of eaters, and even a few under 12 inches. (Good seed for years to come) The ice was 13 to 14 inches in the middle and the driving conditions were great. With the exception of one small rough area near the south shore, the trucks fish houses can go anywhere they please at the current moment.

12-20-09
We have 12 to 13 inches of ice on the lake and we are currently driving trucks on the ice. There is also very little snow. This makes lake travel prefect at the present time. The vehicles can drive anywhere they want to on the lake. If that news wasn't good enough, the better news is the walleye bite is improving daily. The best bite has moved a little shallower with the best action coming out of 9 to 11 feet of water. My son was out the other evening and caught 19 walleyes in under three hours. That's good fishing by anyone's standards. The evening bite continues to be the best bite happening, but the morning bite hasn't been too bad either. The duration of the evening bite has growing longer over the last few days. We had several houses report a good bite that started around 1pm and lasted until 6:30/7 pm. It seems the bite just keeps getting better as the days past on.


12-16-09
The colder weather has improved the ice conditions on Red Lake. There was 9 inches of good ice as of today. The colder temps should add an additional 2 to 3 inches of ice by this weekend. Right now we're still using ATV's to travel, but that should change soon. The walleye bite has steadily improved over the last few days. I don't know what the reason is, but it always seems to take a few days for the water to settle down after first ice before the walleyes start biting. And when they do, it seems like they haven't eaten for days.

We're still moving houses daily to dial in the bite. We currently have houses in water depths from 11 to 13 feet. The bite seems to be just a little better in 11 feet, but not much. The best bite has been happening in the evenings from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm. This is typical for this time of year. But we expect the bite to extend later into the evening as the season wears on.

There's been a great deal of things happening at the access this year. One of the new things we've been working on this week has be a LP refilling station. You asked for it, we provided. This year we'll provide LP refills at the access. We should have everything up and running for the LP refilling station by this weekend. The other projects at the lodge have been coming along too. The burger grill is going to provide a ton of fun at the bar this year. Burger baskets, appetizers, set-ups; life's going to be good at the access this year.

Weekends are booking fast. (and so are many of the weekdays) Give us all call and you'll see why there's always a good time found at JR's.

Stay tuned! I'll update the report in the next few days .