Explore Minnesota Fishing Report April 19, 2012Open-water fishing is in full swing, however inconsistent weather patterns have led to inconsistent fishing action--this weekend's stable whether should improve fishing immensely. On warm, sunny days, expect some excellent panfish and perch action. And with the fishing opener right around the corner, now is the time to start planning your next fishing trip.
Minnesota fishing opener dates for the 2012/2013 fishing season for most inland waters are as follows: walleye, sauger, northern pike and lake trout, May 12; largemouth and smallmouth bass, May 26; muskie, June 2. 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.
Don't miss the 2012 Governor's Fishing Opener held May 12 in the city of Waconia on Lake Waconia, the second largest lake in the Twin Cities area!
Northeast Minnesota
International Falls - Rainy Lake & the Rainy River
Rainy River anglers report lots of sturgeon action in the stretch below the dam at International Falls. 1-800-325-5766;
www.rainylake.orgKabetogama
1-800-524-9085;
www.kabetogama.comEly
1-800-777-7281;
www.ely.orgCook/Tower - Lake Vermilion
1-800-648-5897;
www.lakevermilionresorts.comCook County: Lutsen-Tofte, Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, and Grand Portage
Smelt have been spotted off the beaches at Park Point and Wisconsin Point, and a few have been seen near the mouth of the Temperance River. In the next two weeks, the smelt run should be in full swing. Anyone can "smelt"--all you need is a seine net and bucket (along with your fishing license) to nab some of these tasty fish! Rivers to check out include Cascade, Cross, and Caribou, as well as the Brule, Flutereed, and Durfee Creek which lie further to the north. Anglers venturing out onto Lake Superior will find that the trout bite has been fairly consistent. Anglers have been reeling in steelhead trout and coho salmon, with these fish now schooling in the shallower waters where smelt are starting to gather. Anglers are reporting success using firetigers, stick baits, and rapalas. Experiment with brightly colored spoons and divers.
www.visitcookcounty.comDuluth -Lake Superior
It's been a tough time for smelters out on Lake Superior. Mother Nature has not been cooperative, and smelting has been limited to just one night in the past week. Those that have gotten out are reporting 5- to 40-gallons of fish! The weather is expected to be more cooperative this weekend, allowing boats to get back out onto the water to continue their search for smelt. 1-800-438-5884;
www.visitduluth.comGrand Rapids
www.visitgrandrapids.comNorthwest Minnesota
Baudette - Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River
Lake of the Woods anglers have turned their attention to northern pike and sturgeon fishing. Good sturgeon reports are coming in, especially from anglers fishing Wheeler's Point, Birchdale, Frontier and Clementson, as well as in front of Sportsman's Lodge. Places in the river where the current is slightly stronger, such as the bend around Wheeler's Point and Clementson, have been ideal. Anchoring near a hole in the river bottom, not on top of it, so the current pulls your line toward the hole has worked very well. Size #5 & #6 circle hooks and a 2-ounce no-roll weight works best when tipped with nightcrawlers. Sturgeon anglers are reporting lots of good times and sore arms! The catch and release sturgeon season continues until April 23, then from April 24 through May 7, anglers can harvest one sturgeon within specific size limits if a sturgeon tag has been purchased. Walleye anglers had another great season of fishing due to a growing population of trophy- and eating-size fish, indicating that the fishery continues to grow and is very healthy. Everyone is looking forward to the walleye opener May 12. 1-800-382-FISH;
www.lakeofthewoodsmn.comBemidji
The record-breaking early spring is turning out to be not as early as it first appeared. Water temperatures are key to when fish spawn, and temperatures have stayed cold since the ice went off the lakes. With water temperatures holding in the mid-40s on most lakes, temperatures actually dipped this past week, with several inches of snow and overnight temperatures well below freezing. Walleye showing up at the DNR egg stripping stations for the harvest of eggs continue to come into the nets "green" and not ready to spawn. Anglers wanting to fish for crappies and sunnies are also noticing the slow progress this spring. Most of the panfish are still holding in deeper water, waiting for water temperatures to warm-up before moving into the shallows to feed. Anglers that still need to purchase their 2012/2013 fishing license are encouraged to consider also buying a walleye stamp since these funds are strictly earmarked for stocking more walleye in Minnesota lakes. 1-800-458-2223;
www.visitbemidji.comCass Lake
1-800-356-8615;
www.casslake.comBena -Lake Winnibigoshish
www.lakewinnie.netWalker - Leech Lake
1-800-833-1118;
www.leech-lake.comPark Rapids
Open water fishing is in full swing, however inconsistent weather patterns have led to inconsistent fishing action. Some anglers, hwoever, have done well, catching limits of large crappies and bluegills. The best bet for panfish is to look in depths of 6-10 feet of water where fish are staging just outside of their spawning bays. These spawning areas are typically very shallow and range from tiny backwater bays to protected pockets in reeds and cattails. The slightly deeper areas with submerged weeds just outside have been best. Productive techniques have been a tiny jig and crappie minnow suspended below a float or a float with an ice jig tipped with a couple of maggots. Some anglers have also done well using 1/32-ounce jigs tipped with a plastic bait, such as northland tackle's impulse line of creatures. Cast the jig as far as you can and keep your rod tip high upon retrieval--a light line and a long rod will help with distance. No need to jig the bait, just let it swing toward the boat in a pendulum fashion, taking up line when needed and repeating the process. The stream trout season is now open and anglers reported decent action on opening weekend. One area stream, the Straight River, is considered one of the best trout streams in the Upper Midwest, with a trout population estimated at 8,000 trout per mile of stream. 1-800-247-0054;
www.parkrapids.comDetroit Lakes
The panfish bite remains very good in waters throughout the Detroit Lakes area. While the many fronts have made it difficult to pinpoint hot spots, when the temperatures are warm and the sun is shining, the shallow water bite has been great. The smaller lakes and darker, shallow bays remain the most productive areas, especially when using jigs and small minnows under a slip bobber. Some of the clearer, deeper lakes will start begin producing good numbers once water temperatures rise, extending the crappie bite well past the fishing opener. 1-800-542-3992;
www.visitdetroitlakes.comCentral Region
Otter Tail Lakes Area
Area lake levels are on average 2.6 feet below last year's levels at this time. On Deer Lake, the recent 3.3 inch rainfall caused the water levels to rise 4 inches. Anglers are finding bass and panfish in the shallow, warm bays with good vegetation close to shore, especially on the northern side of the lakes. 1-800-423-4571;
www.ottertailcountry.comPine River
Anglers report good panfish action in the shallow bays and backwater areas of lakes and streams. Once temperatures warm, these fish will head to feeding and spawning areas in depths of 2-4 feet in the dark-bottomed bays and inlets. At this time, a small 1/32- or 1/16-ounce jig tipped with a small crappie minnow on light line set below a small bobber will be the most productive technique. Popular colors will include bright yellows, whites and pinks. Generally, the best locations are the Whitefish Chain, Pine Mountain, Ada, Portage, Horseshoe, Hand and Norway lakes, however most area lakes hold strong populations of panfish. Please remember to pull your drain plug before and after entering a lake, and bring a cooler with ice to store your fish since you will also need to drain your livewell before leaving the lake access. 1-800-728-6926;
http://www.pinerivermn.comWhitefish Chain of Lakes Area
www.whitefish.orgBrainerd Lakes Area
1-800-450-2838;
www.explorebrainerdlakes.comAitkin Area Lakes/Northern Lake Mille Lacs
1-800-526-8342;
www.aitkin.comIsle/Onamia - Lake Mille Lacs
Lake Mille Lacs has offered anglers some great fishing action since early April, with lots of crappies coming from the channels and harbors--more recently, however, cooler temperatures have slowed the bite a bit. Flu flus in a pink or white, tipped with a panfish leech or crappie minnow seem to be working best. Some anglers also recommend a purple or blue lindy toad. Expect the shallows to give up the majority of fish, especially during lowlight hours. Once the 2012/2013 fishing season opens on May 12, there will be a new 17- to 28-inch protected slot for Lake Mille Lacs walleye, and one walleye 28-inches or longer may be included in the four-fish limit. DNR fisheries staff expect the good winter bite to carry over into this summer. 1-888-350-2692;
www.millelacs.comWillmar
1-800-845-8747;
www.willmarlakesarea.comTwin Cities Greater Metropolitan vicinity
Northeast Metro/Chisago Lakes Area
651/257-1177;
www.chisagolakeschamber.comWhite Bear Area Lakes
On White Bear Lake, the crappies and sunnies are biting in roughly 6-8 feet of water. On Bald Eagle Lake, the crappie bite has been best on the north end, also in depths of 6-8 feet. Anglers fishing White Bear Lake are reporting greater success with the sunfish. 651/653-5122;
www.explorewhitebear.orgWaconia
At the beginning of April, crappie anglers were taking good numbers of fish from Lake Waconia. Most of the action was coming from 7-9 feet of water in Waconia Bay. A good perch bite was also being reported, with quite a few keepers mixed in. Area businesses are gearing up for the upcoming Governor's Fishing Opener held in Waconia on Saturday, May 12, with a community picnic offered Friday afternoon, May 11. 952/442-5812;
www.destinationwaconia.orgSouthern Minnesota
Lake City - Lake Pepin/Pool #4 Mississippi River
1-877-525-3248;
www.lakecitymn.orgLanesboro - Southeast Bluff Country Trout Streams
1-800-944-2670;
www.lanesboro.comRochester -Southeast Minnesota Lakes and Rivers
Anglers report that southeastern Minnesota is more stunning than usual. Trees are budding everywhere: the grasses are flowing, and the forest bluebells appear to be glowing on the forest floor--one of the earliest and loveliest springs ever. Currently, the rivers, streams and creeks are perfect for anglers, with fish abundant in the deep runs and riffles where they are competing for the forage and oxygen these areas provide. Water levels are lower than usual this spring, causing fish to be much more concentrated and an easier catch. Anglers are reporting large trout coming from various bodies of water, whether fly fishing or spin fishing. Anglers can now keep their legal limits where regulations allow. White bass are being pulled from the Zumbro River. Smallmouth bass will begin to spawn once water temperatures rise to roughly 62-degrees, generally the middle of May. Come experience the abundant beauty of the area, along with the many amazing fishing opportunities. 1-800-634-8277;
www.rochestercvb.orgFaribault Area Lakes
1-800-658-2354;
www.visitfaribault.comAlbert Lea
1-800-345-8414;
www.albertleatourism.orgFairmont Area Lakes
George, Fox and Tuttle lakes have been giving up lots of crappies and perch to anglers using minnows; on George and Fox, hit depths of 8-12 feet. Budd Lake anglers are taking crappies, catfish and perch, with minnows working best in 8-12 feet of water. For good numbers of perch, check out North Silver and Iowa lakes. And anglers fishing Sisseton Lake have reported lots of crappies, bluegills and perch when using waxworms and minnows in 8-12 foot depths. 1-800-657-3280;
www.fairmontcvb.comOrtonville - Big Stone Lake
Anglers are excited about the upcoming walleye season opener on Big Stone Lake this Saturday, April 21! This is an early opening date since this is a SD/MN border water. Recent high winds should turn the lake crystal clear, and the spawn should be well underway or complete by the time of the opener, setting the stage for a great season opener. A few shore anglers have already been fishing for perch, however success has only been fair those fishing from shore. Boat anglers seem to be holding off until they can hit the water in search of walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike. 1-800-568-5722;
www.bigstonelake.com
