Explore Minnesota Fishing Report: February 4, 2009

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Explore Minnesota Fishing Report: February 4, 2009

Anglers report good fishing action throughout the state, and fishing is expected to improve even more with the upcoming warm temperatures. Please note that the gamefish season on Minnesota’s inland waters ends February 22.

Anglers choosing to venture out are encouraged to call ahead for the most current ice conditions. Please note that the Department of Natural Resources reports that 4 inches of new, clear ice is the minimum thickness recommended for travel by foot. Ice safety guidelines also recommend a minimum of 5 inches of new, clear ice for snowmobiles and ATV’s, and 8-12 inches of new, clear ice for cars and small trucks. Please note that ice is never considered totally safe. For more on ice thickness guidelines and ice safety tips, check out Ice Thickness Guidelines by the Department of Natural Resources website.

Anglers may obtain fishing licenses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by dialing 1-888-665-4236, or accessing DNR License Sales

Northeastern Minnesota

International Falls

At present, the best walleye bite is around the American Narrows. Anglers are having the most success jigging with a minnow in roughly 30 feet of water. Northern pike are hitting minnows on bare hooks near the mouth of Black Bay. The key is to get away from the ice roads, where anglers and noise tend to concentrate. People with portable gear are doing well in several areas further east on Rainy Lake. The snowmobile trails are staked and well-packed, and the land trails are reported to be in excellent condition. For more information, dial 1-800-325-5766, or check out www.rainylake.org

Ely

Lake access has been limited due to areas of slush and drifted snow, and more anglers are concentrating on catching nice-sized lake trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, splake and browns. Burntside Lake has been very busy, with a large number of anglers targeting lake trout. Most fish are being taken by jigging rainbow chubs near the drop-offs and humps in 45-55 feet of water. Anglers are also doing well using white tube jigs, chubby darters, bucktail jigs and airplane jigs. The presentation has been key–jig more aggressively when the fish finder lights up due to a passing of a school of smelt. This seems to imitate a wounded or crippled bait fish. On High, Dry, Miners and Tofte lakes, jigs tipped with minnow heads, and jigging spoons tipped with waxworms are accounting for more of the other trout species. The shallows seem to be harboring the majority of fish, with anglers doing well in 5-20 feet of water. The crappie bite is picking up on Bass, One Pine, Low and Johnson lakes. Crappie minnows on a dead stick, or small jigs tipped with waxworms or eurolarvae have been best. Northern pike anglers are having success using suckers and shiners in depths of 5-20 feet.

Duluth

The Lake Superior ice really took a beating due to recent high winds and warm temperatures, and hardly any fishable ice remains as of February 1. Some anglers are shore fishing where there is open water, sometimes having to cast around the floating ice chunks. Some coho and an occasional looper are being taken on looper bugs. Fish Lake remains good for crappies, and the bay near the Park Point Airport is giving up a nice variety of fish. Action on the St. Louis River has slowed. To learn more, dial 1-800-438-5884, or check out www.visitduluth.com
Northcentral/West Minnesota

Baudette/Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River

Some anglers are doing very well, while others are having a tougher time filling their limit. Most fish houses are currently 8- to 10-miles off shore, with a mix of walleyes and sauger being taken from 30-34 feet of water by anglers jigging a minnow or frozen shiner. The mud flats are producing the best results, but some anglers are starting to move towards the reefs. At the Northwest Angle and Islands area, fishing remains excellent! The bite around Oak Island has been exceptional in 25-29 feet of water when using a pink, gold, or white jig tipped with a minnow. For more information, dial 1-800-382-FISH, or visit www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

Bemidji

Anglers’ interest in ice fishing starts to increase towards the end of the season, which closes for walleyes and other gamefish in Minnesota’s inland waters on February 22, 2009. January’s bitterly cold temperatures caused some of the slush to freeze, therefore ice conditions have improved. And, the brief thaw at the end of January helped compact the snow on the lakes, giving anglers better access to some areas. Fishing has been good for walleyes as long as anglers are able to get away from the crowds. Panfish have also been active. The key to catching panfish has been to locate schools of fish, and avoid areas with too much noise, especially over shallow waters. Fish are more tolerant of noise in the deeper waters, but they still bite best when noise is at a minimum. Lake Bemidji has been producing a few walleyes and northern pike along the steep breaks in 16-24 feet of water. Most anglers are doing well using a combination of jigging spoons on one rod, and a bobber rig with a lively minnow on a second line. The best bite has been during morning and evening hours when the weather is stable. To the north, Upper Red Lake continues to give up more walleyes than most of the other area lakes. The walleyes have been spread out, with most anglers fishing further from shore, hoping to catch some slab crappies along with their walleyes. Please note that the weekends are always busy, with thousands of anglers coming from all over Minnesota. Trophy pike also roam Upper Red Lake, with good numbers of pike weighing more than 20 pounds being taken. Please check special regulations for walleyes and pike before fishing Upper Red. To learn more, dial 1-800-458-2223, or check out www.visitbemidji.com

Walker/Leech Lake

There is still time to take advantage of the great walleye and northern pike action that is taking place this season. Anglers are also enjoying the great sunfish and crappie bite on area lakes, with lots of sunfish coming in on a daily basis. The walleye action in Walker Bay on Leech Lake is reported to be excellent. Most fish are being taken just after dark, with several nice, 15- to 16-inch walleyes recently reported. The eelpout are starting to bite, and the jumbo perch are still biting strong. Always use caution and stay on the plowed roads when traveling out onto Leech Lake since there is a potential for getting stuck due to a large amount of snow covering the ice in some areas. For more information, dial 218/547-1313, or visit www.leech-lake.com

Park Rapids

Ice travel has become much easier over the past week. Vehicle travel is now possible in areas without plowed roads on a number of area lakes, however be advised that not all lakes or every area on a lake is accessible. The big news this week is the number of bluegills and crappies being taken, as well as the size of these fish. Anglers are having the most success fishing the mid-depth weeds, with some anglers also finding fish suspended in depths of 22-33 feet–it all depends on the lake, and the location of the forage on that particular body of water. For slab crappies, use crappie minnows. For bluegill, switch to spikes and waxworms and jig near the tips of weed-growth for the largest fish. Walleye anglers are having success on Long and Fish Hook lakes, with some nice-sized fish and many smaller walleyes being taken. Potato Lake has also given up walleyes. Fish are beginning to move into depths of 20-35 feet, with anglers taking the majority of fish on fatheads–the largest fish, however, seem to prefer shiners. Northern pike action remains steady, with anglers and spearers seeing and catching some huge pike in the deeper waters and in the shallows. Please be sure to check on special regulations on the lake you’re fishing. Large bass can be found in the shallows among the schools of bluegill and crappies, and roaming the deeper drop-offs when the forage moves deeper. For the most fish, use a medium-sized sucker minnow or shiner, with fish occasionally hitting a jig and waxworm or a jigging spoon. And, don’t miss the 11th Annual Park Rapids American Legion Community Fishing Contest on Fish Hook Lake this Saturday, February 7, with over $110,000 in prizes awarded. To find out more, dial 1-800-247-0054, or check out www.parkrapids.com

Isle/Onamia/Lake Mille Lacs

The perch season has really heated up and the population of jumbo perch on Mille Lacs is amazing! The best place to locate these fish is on the deeper mud–after 9 a.m., fish the basins just off the mud flats. For the most fish, use freshwater shrimp or mousies. Perch are a basin area fish, and prefer the mucky, silty areas where their food resides. Some anglers are staying mobile in order to locate an active group of fish. Few walleye reports came in over the weekend. For more information, dial 1-888-350-2692, or check out www.millelacs.com
Twin Cities vicinity

White Bear Lake

While fishing was somewhat slow during the extreme cold, the change to warmer temperatures led to an increase in action. Some northern pike and muskie were taken from 8-10 feet of water, and some nice-sized sunnies and crappies were pulled from these same depths on both White Bear and Bald Eagle lakes. Anglers had the most success when fishing between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Northern pike responded best to sucker minnows. Crappie anglers did best using minnows and eurolarvae, and the majority of sunfish were taken on waxworms and eurolarvae. To learn more, contact Explore White Bear at 651/429-5393, or www.explorewhitebear.org
Southern Minnesota

Willmar

Most anglers are holding out for warmer temperatures, with the upcoming warmer weather expected to bring with it some of the best fishing of the season. Prior to the cold spell, anglers reported taking lots of crappies and panfish from Eagle, Foot, Diamond, Green, Florida, Andrew, and Games lakes.

 “The information in this report is provided courtesy of community organizations throughout Minnesota. This report is brought to you by Explore Minnesota Tourism.”