Explore Minnesota Fishing Report July 3, 2013

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Explore Minnesota Fishing Report  July 3, 2013 
 
 
 [Northeast] [Northwest] [Central] [Twin Cities] [Southern]
Summer patterns are being established, and most walleyes are moving to deeper waters. Anglers recommend fishing for walleyes when conditions are most favorable, such as during low light hours and on cloudy and windy days. Also consider a faster presentation to get walleyes to react and make a snap decision. The forecast for the 4th of July weekend calls for mostly sunny skies and mild winds; fish during morning and evening hours then play on the water during the middle of the day!

Minnesota fishing opener dates for the 2013/2014 fishing season for most inland waters are as follows: walleye, sauger, northern pike and lake trout, May 11; largemouth and smallmouth bass, May 25; muskie, June 1. The fishing season for crappies, sunnies, perch and catfish is continuous. Please note that seasons and regulations vary for certain boundary waters and some individual lakes and rivers--consult the Minnesota DNR Fishing Seasons and Minnesota DNR Fishing Regulations websites for the most current information.

This report is brought to you by Explore Minnesota Tourism, with information provided by statewide tourism organizations and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Northeast Minnesota
International Falls - Rainy Lake & the Rainy River

It's that time of the summer when walleyes move from the rocky shorelines to deeper waters, hanging on the edges of the submerged structure. Look for walleyes along the rocky shorelines and on the underwater reefs in roughly 25 feet of water; head deeper as water temperatures rise. For now, jigging or trolling a spinner rig with a minnow is working great, but soon the walleye will respond better to leeches. Smallmouth bass have been active along Rainy Lake's south shoreline from Rainy Lake City to Cranberry Bay. Rainy Lake City has also be great for large northern pike. Rainy River walleye are most easily located by looking for areas with current, such as above and below the various rapids and the dam at International Falls. In the river, the best bet for bait is a shiner minnow. Smallmouth bass are also quite active in the river, with topwater lures working best. 800-325-5766; www.rainylake.org

Kabetogama

The mayflies have emerged and have become airborne. While it has slowed action a bit, find a way to get your presentation in front of the fish and you'll catch them. Bait choices vary, but leeches and crawlers have been the best offering. Keep your bait offering very close to the bottom for the walleyes, whereas the northern pike and bass will respond best to surface or shallow running lures. The forecast for this upcoming week and weekend is for mostly sunny skies and mild winds, a great time for trolling lures along the shorelines. Angling is best during morning and evening hours; midday is great for family fun and water sports, tubing, skiing or laying around on air mattresses. 800-524-9085; www.kabetogama.com

Tower/Soudan -Lake Vermilion

Lake Vermilion walleye are being pulled from the mid lake structure on lindy rigs with crawlers. Some fish are also being pulled from the breaks in off the shallow flats by anglers using lindy rigs and crawlers in 14-16 feet of water; during late evening hours, try trolling crankbaits on the shallow flats. Panfish action is constant throughout Vermilion, especially when using a piece of crawler on the edge of the weed beds. Smallmouth bass fishing is still going strong. For lots of action and some huge bronze backs, use spinner baits in the shallows. Muskie and northern pike fishing has been really good, with several reports of muskies measuring over 50-inches being caught and released. Ciscos and whitefish at the deeper structure near bait fish have been key to catching large pike and muskie this week. These fish are recouping from the spawn and feeding heavily. 800-648-5897; www.lakevermilionresorts.com

Ely

The weather and the fishing have heated up, with good numbers of walleyes being taken, some measuring up to 30-inches! Summer patterns have been established. Bottom bouncers and crankbaits lead the pack; try a fire tiger, perch or old reliable silver and black rapala for the most fish. Spinner rigs in silver or gold are working as well. Anglers are having success attaching crawlers, leeches and minnows, with all producing fish. Large pike are striking large spinners and spoons when cast or trolled along the weed edges or points in depths of 3-10 feet. Lake trout are still making a splash for anglers either deep jigging or trolling silver, green, or white spoons. Sunnies are still on their beds, hammering jigs tipped with small soft baits in water as shallow as 2 feet. Some of these fish have weighed up to a pound! 800-777-7281; www.ely.org

Cook County: Lutsen-Tofte, Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, and Grand Portage

Fish are finally starting to move out of the shallows and into deeper waters. Anglers trolling near creek channels and rocky flats are starting to reel in quite a few fish. Walleye are hitting crankbaits and jigs, and one angler landed a 7-pound fish on Poplar Lake, half way up the Gunflint Trail. His trolling speed was 1.7 mph. Northern pike are active in all area lakes, attacking red and white spoons, and gobbling up minnows. Action on Devil Track Lake, located near Grand Marais, has been exceptional. Check depths of 8-15 feet at the weedy areas, with fish swimming through the weed growth in search of food. Lake Superior has many charter boats working the shorelines. Plenty have landed lake trout and salmon when fishing east of Grand Marais, near the Five Mile Rock area. And just west of town, off the shore near Cut Face Creek, one angler brought in a 13-pounder! www.VisitCookCounty.com

Grand Rapids

This has been a great week to be on the lake, and the sunshine, blue skies and slight wind should continue through the weekend. Anglers will want to concentrate on the deeper bodies of water as fish are moving out onto the secondary shoreline breaks, and some are even showing up on mid-lake structures. Once fish are located, try trolling with a single hook roach rig tipped with a crawler at .7 mph. You will probably have to move after hooking 1 or 2 fish since fish are on the move. And just last week, good numbers of bluegills were coming from the shallows. The majority of fish were coming from the heavier vegetation in 6 feet of water or less on 1/32-ounce standard jigs tipped with a piece of crawler. Casting these out under a float and twitching it every so often worked wonders. Walleye were responding best to roach rigs and crawlers. www.visitgrandrapids.com

Northwest Minnesota
Baudette - Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River

The fishing has been fantastic on Lake of the Woods. Summer patterns are being established. While walleyes are still being taken by anglers jigging frozen shiners, techniques such as pulling spinners and crankbaits have really heated up. Some of the better locations for walleyes have been 12-30 foot depths in front of Pine Island, 27-32 foot depths out from the fields (west of Zippel), and at Archies, Lems, Arnesens reefs, the West Bar (west side of Garden Island), Starren Shoal (south side of Garden Island), and Little Oak, Knight and Bridges islands. The basin bite (Big Traverse) has been good for those using leadcore and downriggers. For spinners, use gold, pink or purple colors. For crankbaits, use gold, orange or crawfish. Lots of nice fish measuring over 28 inches are being reported. At the Northwest Angle, fishing remains great for all species. Walleye anglers continue to find fish on the reefs and points when using jig and minnow combinations in depths of 10-30 feet. The mayfly hatch has begun so try to avoid the areas with recent hatches. Muskie anglers are seeing and catching some nice fish in the sandy bays and around the boulder areas. Smallmouth bass remain active on the shorelines. The largest pike are showing up on the reefs and point areas, with walleye anglers catching lots of pike. 800-382-FISH; www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com, www.warroad.org

Bemidji

Fishing for walleyes has slowed in most Bemidji area lakes. Many of the deep walleyes are suspending further off the bottom, gorging themselves on a mixture of insects and minnows. The deep walleyes have been in strange locations and have not been relating to hard bottomed structure as they normally do most of the year. Anglers are still fishing for walleyes in shallow waters on both the rocks and weeds, but the shallow fish need some wind to turn active. A good indicator of how the bite will be in the shallows is if anglers wearing polarized sunglasses are able to see the bottom. If the bottom is visible to the eye, then it is probably too bright for most walleyes to be comfortable feeding in the shallows. The larger lakes are still the best bet for walleyes, mostly due to there being more water and more walleyes for anglers to work through. If anglers want to maximize their time on the water, they should fish for walleyes when conditions are favorable and fish for other species when the sun is too bright for a good walleye bite. Species like sunfish, bass, northern pike and perch are more likely to bite during the day, especially when it is bright and sunny. Walleye anglers should try a spinner rig and cover more water to get reflex bites from the walleyes. A faster presentation can force walleyes to make a snap decision and may help anglers get more bites. 800-458-2223; www.visitbemidji.com

Bena -Lake Winnibigoshish

Lake Winnibigoshish walleyes are biting very well in numerous places throughout the lake. When fishing the lake's deeper structure, rig plain hooks with leeches or crawlers. The main lake bars and some of the north humps have also been good for hungry walleyes. Check depths of 23 feet and up for active fish. The weeds are up now and the weed fish are definitely there. Jigs with two inch crawlers or minnows have been best; move along the weed edges till you contact a fish. While the best windows of time are shorter in duration, there are several windows throughout the day. Perch have been an easy to catch, and can found throughout the lake using jigs and minnows. Northern pike anglers are having success when trolling along the weed edges using husky jerks or other 5- to 8-inch minnow lures. For the most action, use a shallow-running bait designed to run at 5 foot depths. Panfish are taking on a summer pattern, with the best bite occurring early and late in the day. www.lakewinnie.net

Walker - Leech Lake

Fishing remains very good on Leech Lake. The water temps have settled in at a summer level and the fish are taking on summer patterns. Leeches and crawlers seem to be best when pulling or drifting lindy rigs. A jig with a fathead or rainbow minnow is still effective, but crawlers and leeches are also working well on a jig. Most fish are in 10-14 foot depths. On days with a good walleye chop, hit the Hardwoods, Duck Point and Two Points areas. When the wind is mild, try covering a lot of water using a bottom bouncer crawler rig or pulling a leech rig, especially at the Goose Island Flats or the Meadows. Walker Bay has started to kick out fish, with good reports coming out of Templar Point, Breezy Point; for the most fish, try jigging with sucker minnows at the deeper breaks in 12-25 feet of water. Evening fishing is productive when pulling crankbaits in Walker Bay and around Pine Point. So far, the mayfly hatch has been minimal and has not affected the bite. The weather forecast for the Fourth of July week and weekend calls for wonderfully warm and sunny days, with average temperatures. It should be an awesome Fourth! 800-833-1118; www.leech-lake.com

Hackensack

Crawlers have been the best bait for walleyes on most area lakes. Long snells with bottom bouncers on planer boards have been producing well on the big flats. Minnows are becoming much harder to keep alive, and many anglers are switching to large leeches and crawlers. The bass bite remains good on all area lakes, especially the largemouth bass bite. Spinnerbaits pitched through the sparse weed beds have produced good numbers of fish, with scum frogs worked in the established weed beds also turning fish. Smallmouth bass action has slowed somewhat, but the big bronzebacks are hanging off the first break adjacent to the shallow rock piles in 6-12 feet of water. Larger panfish have moved into deeper waters. Good numbers of crappies and sunnies continue to be taken during evening hours. Muskie fishing is really picking up; for the most action, use bucktails, or slowly twitch crankbaits and jerkbaits. 800-279-6932; www.hackensackchamber.com

Detroit Lakes

The walleye bite has been very good throughout the Detroit Lakes area. Most fish have been holding along the shoreline breaks. Early morning and late evening hours have been best, especially when using minnows, leeches or crawlers in 13-19 feet of water at the deep weed edges. At the end of last week, panfish were most active in and around the weed cover, with a jig tipped with a small minnow, leech, piece of crawler or wax worm producing good numbers. Northern pike have been attacking large sucker minnows, spoons and crankbaits fished at the deep weed edges. Bass anglers have been very shallow, with anglers taking lots of nice fish when casting jigs & plastics. Musky action has been good on Detroit, Sallie, Pelican and Beers lakes. The best approach has been to pitch an action bait over the weeds on the flats with deep water access. 800-542-3992; www.visitdetroitlakes.com

Central Region
Whitefish - Whitefish Chain of Lakes Region

Local anglers and guests are enjoying perfect summer weather and great fishing! Lots of nice walleyes are coming from the points on a jig and minnow combinations, and lindy rigs tipped with either a leech or crawler. Fish House Bar has been one of the better producers. Fish are deeper during midday hours. Walleyes are starting to move to their summer haunts; check 15-25 foot depths for the most fish. Smaller northern pike remain shallow, hitting spinnerbaits, rapalas and live bait. The larger fish are deeper, with light pike minnows on a jig working best. Crappies have turned more active, but the "hot spots" remain a mystery. Sunnies are still shallow around the docks, weedlines and weed beds. Bass have been extremely active, attacking plastics, spinnerbaits tipped with a plastic minnow, and live bait on a jig or rig. Lots are fish are still shallow around the docks and weedlines. This week's tip: put a bead between the eye of the hook and the bullet sinker to add some noise to a Texas Rig. www.whitefish.org

Pine River

Anglers are reporting good to excellent success on Pine River area lakes! Lots of walleyes are coming in on jig and minnow combinations, as well as nightcrawler and leech presentations this week. Most walleye can be found in 14-25 feet of water off the sand bottoms with small rock piles nearby. Northern pike have been very active at the base of weedlines in 12-25 of water, with spinnerbaits, crankbaits and most anything with "flash" producing fish! Bass are described as crazy as they attack plastics of all kinds along the weedlines and back in the muck. The mayfly hatch on some lakes may slow the bite for a while, but this is usually short-lived. The Fourth of July weekend should continue to offer great fishing as a result of this year's delayed summer. 800-728-6926; www.pinerivermn.com

Brainerd Lakes Area

As of late last week, anglers were taking lots of walleyes, northern pike, and bass from area lakes! North Long and Round lakes gave up the most walleyes, especially during early morning and evening hours. On windy days, a jig and shiner cast towards the weedlines in 5-15 feet of water was the most effective. A live bait rig tipped with a redtail or a nightcrawler was also a good option. The best advice is to look for fish on the edge of the weeds, and keep the boat moving. Bass and pike have been snapping up spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and jig worms. The most active fish remained in the shallows late last week; a slow retrieve through 3-12 feet of water was working best. 800-450-2838; www.explorebrainerdlakes.com

Isle/Onamia - Lake Mille Lacs

Lake Mille Lacs guides continue to reporting great fishing, with 30-50 fish on good days and 10-20 fish on bad days --very impressive! The best action seems to be occurring at the 26-32 foot gravel edges and mud flats. For the most fish, try spinners; if fish are not responding, return to the same spots and rig with 5-8 foot snells and leeches. Slot fish are showing up regularly. Northern pike are active, especially in the smaller bays. For lots of action, use a large minnow under a bobber in 3-6 feet of water. 888-350-2692; www.millelacs.com

Willmar Lakes Area

The panfish are biting on most area lakes, with even more crappies being reported this week. Northern pike and bass are also active on area lakes. Walleye anglers are taking the most fish from Green Lake, with Diamond, Eagle, Florida, Andrew and Norway lakes also producing fish. 800-845-8747; www.willmarlakesarea.com

Twin Cities Greater Metropolitan area
Northeast Metro/Chisago Lakes Area

Sunnies are biting on all area lakes. For the larger fish, hit the weedlines in 8-10 feet of water using slip bobbers with panfish leeches or worms. Crappies can be found suspended on lakes. The best northern pike action is taking place during early morning and evening hours. For the most fish, hit North Center and Sunrise lakes using sucker minnows in 10 feet of water. Walleye anglers are taking fish from along the weedlines in 12 feet of water, and from depths of 18-20 feet. For the most fish, hit Lindbergh Point on Green Lake. Bass fishing has been good on all area lakes in the shallows. 651/257-1177; www.chisagolakeschamber.com

Waconia/Lake Waconia

Fishing continues to be good on Lake Waconia. The crappie bite has been impressive, especially on the north side of the island in 8-14 feet of water. Worms and crappie minnows have been best. The sunfish continue to spawn so expect plenty of action in the shallows. The bass bite remains strong. Action has been good in the shallows in the early morning hours. The larger fish can be found off the weed edges and in the weeds on reefs such as Cemetery, North and Pillsbury. Jigs and leeches, and Texas-rigged worms are working well. Water temperatures are rising and the walleye action should be best off reefs such as Kegs, North and Red's in 14-20 feet of water; the west and east ends of the island are popular areas as well. Lots of 10- to 14-inch fish are being report, with some walleye measuring in the upper 20-inch range. Muskies also remain active, especially on the weed edges between the marinas, and beyond Lola's toward the beach. Other areas to check out include around the island, and at the weeds on reefs such as Center, North and Kegs. Summer is in full swing, with water temperatures now in the upper 70s on Lake Waconia, perfect for water-skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, swimming, boating and fishing! Be sure to be on the water on the 4th of July, and stick around for the Lake Waconia 4th of July Fireworks Festival! The fireworks are shot from Coney Island at 10 pm and last about 20 minutes. 952/442-5812; www.destinationwaconia.org

Southern Minnesota
Lanesboro - Southeast Bluff Country Trout Streams

As of Monday, July 1, streams are calming down. Numerous trout were caught last weekend. Streamer fishing has been very good. Late last week, streams were already receding and clearing, but most were not yet fishable. Normal water levels were reported for most waters earlier this week. Gribben Creek was considered normal in color, with water clarity described as off for Forestville Creek, Duschee Creek, the South Branch Root River at Forestville State Park, Trout Run, and Camp Creek. The South Branch Root River at Lanesboro was still considered muddy and high. As further updates on stream conditions become available they will be posted on the Southeast Minnesota Stream Conditions web page. 800-944-2670; www.lanesboro.com

Albert Lea

Anglers are pulling some good-sized northern pike from Fountain Lake. Panfish have been active in lakes throughout the area. But the big news has been the number of large walleyes coming from the Edgewater Park, Island, and "The Mermaid" areas of Fountain Lake. 800-345-8414; www.albertleatourism.org

Fairmont Area Lakes

Hall and Budd lakes are giving up lots of crappies to anglers using minnows on the rock piles. Anglers are also taking fish when using flu flu jigs tipped with waxies and worms on Sisseton and George lakes, especially in the shallows by trees and docks. All three lakes are producing largemouth bass, along with some catfish, in the shallows. Walleye action has been best at night, with Hall, South Silver and Tuttle lakes all giving up fish. 800-657-3280; www.fairmontcvb.com