http://mnfishingreport.com/ Minnesota Fishing Reports en Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:56:59 +0000 http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/leech-lake-fishing-report#post-32 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:35:06 +0000 mnfishingreport 32@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>Leech Lake is a huge lake with many bays, some of them shallow and some of them deep. Anglers fish the tops of humps in the deep bays and along the weed edges or along the breakline in the shallow bays and main lake.</p> <p>Leech Lake has more rock than most lakes in the Bemidji area. Anglers have the option of fishing the chara-covered sand flats, the rocky humps, the shoreline breaks or the weed edges for walleyes and perch. There are also a few areas of mud in Leech Lake for the fish to search for insects.</p> <p>Perch fishing has been tough in most lakes this winter, especially for larger jumbo perch. Part of the problem is poor age classes of large fish in many lakes, but there also may be a food issue. The mayfly hatches were spread out and sporadic this past summer with the cold weather, which may have reduced the amount of insect larvae in the mud.</p> <p>Perch are voracious feeders and it takes a lot of food to feed a school of fish. If perch can find a good mound of insects in deep water, they may stay in the same areas for weeks. If there is a poor crop of insects in the mud, there isn’t much else out there for the perch to eat.</p> <p>Shallow perch tend to wander the flats in a constant search for schools of minnows, which can make them more difficult for anglers to pattern. Anglers may hammer the fish one day and then find the same area nearly void of fish the next day.</p> <p>Crappie fishing can also slow down in January. Anglers can get on the crappies early in the season, but the fishing pressure and too much noise on the ice eventually scatters the schools of crappies and makes them more spooky.</p> <p>Anglers may have to move away from the heavily pressured areas and find new schools of crappies in areas with less fishing pressure.</p> <p>Paul A. Nelson runs the Bemidji Area Lakes Guide Service. He can be e-mailed at <a href="mailto:panelson@paulbunyan.net.">panelson@paulbunyan.net.</a> </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/lake-of-the-woods-fishing-report#post-31 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:34:00 +0000 mnfishingreport 31@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>Lake of the Woods and Upper Red Lake still have the best walleye bite in the area, but there have also been good reports for walleyes on Winnibigoshish and Leech Lake.</p> <p>The walleye bite on Lake of the Woods has begun to move further from shore, with anglers starting to fish the reefs. The sauger bite has also moved into deeper water, with most of the action between 28 and 32 feet.</p> <p>Fishing pressure and noise on the ice can determine how long schools of fish will stay in one area.</p> <p>Lakes with little structure like Lake of the Woods and Upper Red have fish roaming the flats, following the schools of baitfish.</p> <p>When a group of fish houses gets established in one area, the most aggressive fish get caught pretty quickly and the fishing usually shows a gradual decline.</p> <p>When fish are roaming the basin, it is often more productive to stay away from the crowds and keep drilling holes in new areas until you make contact with the fish. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/bemidji-fishing-report#post-30 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:33:09 +0000 mnfishingreport 30@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>Ice conditions continue to improve on the larger walleye lakes in the Bemidji area, but there are still some slush problems on many of the smaller panfish lakes.</p> <p>Most lakes in the area now have at least 15 inches of ice.</p> <p>Anglers are able to drive four-wheel drive vehicles off the roads on many of the larger lakes. The buddy system is still the best plan for going off road, with one vehicle breaking the trail and the other vehicle following behind with a tow rope and a shovel, just in case the first vehicle gets stuck.</p> <p>Walleye fishing had slowed down considerably in many areas with the extended period of cold weather, but the mid-January thaw helped improve the bite in many areas this past week. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/otter-tail-lake-fishing-report#post-29 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:37:53 +0000 mnfishingreport 29@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>Ice reports in the area are very good - 9" to 15" if not more, on all lakes. There has been a little bit of flooding due to the holiday blizzard - but with this cold snap, you should be fine now. Most are driving on the lakes and accesses are holding out well.</p> <p>Fishing has been pretty good in the area. Look for walleyes and perch in 10' to 25 feet of water. Shiners on a set line or fatheads on a jig or spoon are working best.</p> <p>Panfish bite has been a little slow this year. Fish the weed lines in 10' to 20 feet of water with a small jig tipped with a wax worm. You have to be on the move with all fish.</p> <p>Spearing is regaining popularity - more young people are doing it now and you can also be angling when spearing. Spearing is not allowed on Deer and West Battle Lake.</p> <p>Have fun fishing and give us a call for the latest update - Ken's Tackle, located on the west side of Otter Tail Lake, in Battle Lake. Call 218-4950-2895. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/otter-tail-lake-fishing-report#post-28 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:36:49 +0000 mnfishingreport 28@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>Fishing in Otter Tail Lake area continues to be pretty good.</p> <p>Walleyes are caught in 15 to 30 feet of water. Perch are finally starting to show up in the shallows or on the first break of Otter Tail Lake. You will be sorting but some nice fish are being caught.</p> <p>Panfish are starting to pick up on the smaller lakes. Look to the weed lines in 10 to 18 feet of water.</p> <p>Ice conditions in the area are excellent and most people are driving their vehicles. Snow cover is 6 to 10 inches on the ice so getting around is pretty easy. All accesses are in great shape.</p> <p>Always be sure to check ice conditions if you don't see tracks in area. Give us a call for the latest conditions and we hope to put you on some fish! Ken's Tackle - 218-495-2895 </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/any-bass-fisherman-out-there#post-27 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:59:52 +0000 rbantau 27@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>I recently moved to Minnesota from the Dallas, TX area and I've been fishing almost every day. I've been catching a ton of smallmouth and largemouth bass in the morning before the sun comes up. It's been unbelievable bank fishing and I'm eating it up. I've been fishing at Ten Mile Lake and was wondering what other lakes produced good bass from the shore. I've been having fun where I'm fishing but want to check out some more areas. Any information would be greatly appreciated. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/grand-marais-area#post-26 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:02:43 +0000 mnfishingreport 26@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>GRAND MARAIS AREA There's still a lot of ice on all lakes and there's plenty of snow in the woods as well. Some of the shorelines have started pulling away, but it will be at least another week to 10 days before fishing open water is an option. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/duluth-area#post-25 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:02:02 +0000 mnfishingreport 25@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>DULUTH AREA The ice went out late last week and a few crappies have started hitting on Island Lake and Fish Lake in shallow water areas. Spawn sacs or yarn-tied hooks are producing Kamloops and steelhead in the Lester River, Kamloops in the French River, and steelhead in the Knife River. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/detroit-lakes-area#post-24 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:01:35 +0000 mnfishingreport 24@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>DETROIT LAKES There are crappies and sunfish biting in the shallow bays, but a few days of bright, warm weather would help improve the consistency and size of these fish. Look to lakes Melissa, Sallie, Floyd, and Big Detroit at the present time in four to six feet. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/cushing-area#post-23 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:01:06 +0000 mnfishingreport 23@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>CUSHING AREA Crappies have moved into the shallow, mud-covered bays on Fish Trap Lake and Lake Alexander. The bite just started and should continue to improve as the water warms. Small jigs and minnows are working best on these lakes in less than six feet of water. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/crosslake-area#post-22 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:00:29 +0000 mnfishingreport 22@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>CROSSLAKE AREA Anglers are starting to find crappies in the small, shallow bays and channels. Warmer water temperatures are needed before the bite improves. Try small jigs tipped with minnows or waxworms under a float in four to eight feet. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/crosby-area#post-21 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:59:27 +0000 mnfishingreport 21@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>CROSBY AREA The ice is gone and the panfish have just started showing up in the shallows. Work the small lakes first and concentrate on the sun exposed shorelines and bays. Lakes to look at over the next week include Little Rabbit, Mahnomen, Clinker, Black Hoof, and Perry. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/chisago#post-20 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:58:52 +0000 mnfishingreport 20@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>CHISAGO AREA Crappies and sunfish remain active in four to 10 feet on most lakes. Leading the way this week for size and numbers are South Center Lake, Chisago Lake, North Center Lake, South Lindstrom Lake, and North Lindstrom Lake. Small jigs tipped with waxworms and minnows are working best. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/brainerd-area#post-19 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:58:26 +0000 mnfishingreport 19@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA The panfish bite has been decent and consists of mainly crappies. The Bar Harbor Channel on Gull Lake, the Merrifield end of North Long Lake, and the bay on Pelican Lake have been most consistent in shallow water. Tube jigs or FluFlus tipped with minnows are working best. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/black-duck-area#post-18 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:57:57 +0000 mnfishingreport 18@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>BLACKDUCK AREA The lakes are open and most anglers have started trying the shallow bays. The bite was pretty limited early in the week, but work those shallow lakes such as Gull and Turtle River for crappies by this weekend. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/bemidji-area#post-17 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:57:13 +0000 mnfishingreport 17@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>BEMIDJI AREA The small lakes are open and the big lakes only had floating ice early in the week. By this weekend, the area should be ice-free.</p> <p>The crappies have yet to be found in shallow water, but look to the bays on Rabideau Lake, Midge Lake, and Hennepin Lake to be the first spots that produce panfish. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/battle-lake-area#post-16 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:56:48 +0000 mnfishingreport 16@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>BATTLE LAKE The ice went out last Friday, but the water remains cool. The panfish bite has been limited to mainly sunfish in the shallows of Stalker Lake, Hancock Lake, Rush Lake, and South Turtle Lake. Once the water warms the bays, Clitherall Lake, Bass Lake, and Blanche Lake should give up crappies. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/annandale-area#post-15 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:56:06 +0000 mnfishingreport 15@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>ANNANDALE AREA You'll find crappies and sunfish in the three- to six-foot bays and channels on Clearwater Lake, Sugar Lake, Lake Sylvia, Cedar Lake, Pelican Lake, and the Lake Marie Chain. FluFlus tipped with minnows and waxworms are working best during the afternoon hours. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/alexandria-area#post-14 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:55:17 +0000 mnfishingreport 14@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>ALEXANDRIA AREA The ice went out last week so most people have just started fishing for panfish in the shallow water. Look to the bays on Lake Miltona, Lobster Lake, and Lake Mary to be the first spots that give up crappies and sunfish in between four and six feet of water. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/lake-waconia#post-13 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:54:32 +0000 mnfishingreport 13@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>LAKE WACONIA Crappies and sunfish are biting in five to 12 feet. The best spot has been between the two marinas in about nine feet. The swimming beach area and Reinkie's Bay also are worth noting in slightly shallower water. Small jigs and waxies or minnows are best. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/twin-cities-metro#post-12 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:53:59 +0000 mnfishingreport 12@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>WEST METRO There are panfish being caught, but the bigger crappies and sunfish haven't shown up. Most reports are coming from less than six feet of water on lakes such as Auburn, Steiger, Bavaria, and Minnewashta. Nightcrawlers and minnows have started turning catfish in the Crow River. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/twin-cities-metro#post-11 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:53:41 +0000 mnfishingreport 11@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>TWIN CITIES METRO NORTHEAST METRO The crappie and sunfish bite continues to improve each day in shallow water. Look to lakes such as Big Carnelian and White Bear for crappies, while Cannon Lake and Demonterville Lake are giving up mixed bags of sunfish and crappies. There's also been a good crappie bite in the marinas throughout the St. Croix River. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/lake-winnibigoshish#post-10 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:53:18 +0000 mnfishingreport 10@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH The ice that remains is being pushed by the wind. As of Tuesday morning, the lake was about half open so with any amount of wind or rain it could be completely open by this weekend. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/rainy-lake#post-9 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:52:03 +0000 mnfishingreport 9@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>RAINY LAKE The ice is going out quickly. There's still a lot of ice on the main lake, but many of the bays have opened. The ice on the big part of the lake seems to dwindle every day and what's there is floating and moving with the wind. There shouldn't be any ice issues by opening day. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/lake-minnetonka#post-8 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:51:11 +0000 mnfishingreport 8@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>LAKE MINNETONKA The crappie bite has been sporadic, but look to the green milfoil in 12 feet for the bigger fish. Water temperatures have dropped so the crappies have moved deeper. Look for sunfish in six feet in the small bays with waxworms. Once it warms, these fish should move back in the shallow bays. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/leech-lake#post-7 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:50:20 +0000 mnfishingreport 7@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>LEECH LAKE AREA Most of the small area lakes and the bays and narrows of Leech Lake are ice-free. The main-lake ice is limited on Leech and should be completely out by this weekend. There hasn't been any panfish action reported, but most anglers have just started hitting the shallow bays. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/lake-of-the-woods#post-6 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:49:55 +0000 mnfishingreport 6@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>LAKE OF THE WOODS The sturgeon bite has been very good throughout the Rainy River.</p> <p>Even though the water has muddied a bit the fish are hitting crawlers and minnows. The northern pike and smallmouth bass action also has been strong in the river. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/mille-lacs-lake#post-5 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:49:13 +0000 mnfishingreport 5@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>LAKE MILLE LACS EAST The lake is ice-free and a few crappies have started showing up in the bays and boat harbors. The bite has been limited although Twin Bay and Izaty's Harbor are worth checking in three to six feet of water with small jigs and minnows.</p> <p>WEST The ice went out Sunday. That's the good news. But there isn't much fishing to report with the exception of a few crappies in the harbors. Most people are waiting for the walleye season to begin or fishing smaller lakes in the area for panfish. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/apple-lake#post-4 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:07:54 +0000 mnfishingreport 4@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>Please post your Apple Lake fishing reports. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/anderson-lake#post-3 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:06:43 +0000 mnfishingreport 3@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>Please post your Anderson Lake fishing reports. </p> http://mnfishingreport.com/topic/aitkin-lake#post-2 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:10:38 +0000 mnfishingreport 2@http://mnfishingreport.com/ <p>Please post your Aitkin Lake fishing reports. </p>