Explore Minnesota Fishing Report October 25, 2013 The water may be cold, but the bite is hot! Unfortunately, fewer anglers are venturing out now that they have turned their attention to the upcoming ice fishing season. Anyone that does head out must use caution; please dress accordingly, and now more than ever, wear your life jacket.
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
Walleye fishing on Rainy Lake and the Rainy River has been great for those willing to head out. On the lake, walleyes can be found on the windward shorelines in roughly 20 feet of water; in the river, the hot spots vary daily depending on water levels and current. In general, river fishing is best where another stream enters into the Rainy, with emerald shiners working best late in the fall. Crappie fishing has been good on Rainy Lake, particularly on the west side of Black Bay. Northern pike action has been good in 12-20 foot depths near the weed beds. 800-325-5766;
www.rainylake.orgLake Vermilion -Tower/Cook
Water temperatures have fallen to roughly 50 degrees. Walleyes are moving deeper, and you may find some good-size perch mixed in with the walleyes. Most anglers heading out this week are in pursuit of muskies. To see some of the larger fish recently taken, check out the 'Big Fish Report!' Please note that the marker buoys can be removed any time after October 24.
www.lakevermilionresorts.comCook County: Lutsen-Tofte, Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, and Grand Portage
Grab your cold weather fishing gear and hit the water as the walleye bite has heated up! On Trout Lake, located roughly 14 miles out of Grand Marais off the Gunflint Trail, anglers have been taking good numbers of fish on leeches. On Poplar Lake, in the mid Gunflint Trail area, both walleyes and northern pike action have been very strong. On Gunflint Lake, a leech or a piece of crawler should work well in the shallows, with good-size walleyes and perch being taken. Anglers should expect little competition for the hot spots.
www.visitCookCounty.comDuluth/Grand Marais -Lake Superior
The Lake Trout season is now closed and will reopen on December 1. During the Lake Trout closure, anglers may fish for salmon, rainbow trout and walleye in Lake Superior and in the tributaries below posted boundaries. Most salmon are caught while trolling near shore in the upper 80 feet of the water surface. All unclipped rainbow trout must be released immediately. This is the final weekly fishing update from the Lake Superior Fisheries Management until next spring (usually in early to mid-April) when the Spring Creel survey begins again. The Summer Creel survey will begin on May 24, 2014.
www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/lakesuperiorGrand Rapids
Despite cool temperatures, most anglers have been catching walleyes, northern pike and crappies on area lakes. Jig and minnow presentations have been working well for all species, but the best locations depend on the lake you intend on fishing. The clearer lakes, such as Deer and Pokegama, have exceptionally clear water and fish tend to move deeper during daylight hours; look to the deep weeds and rocks for the most walleyes and northern pike. While only for the most hardy souls, night trolling scatter raps and shad raps has been effective on the shallower bars and shoreline structures. Cutfoot Sioux lakes north of Grand Rapids are also an excellent choice for crappies. On nearby Bowstring Lake, reports indicate that the water has turned over, and anglers expect that the walleyes will begin to congregate in the deeper waters. Crappie anglers have found most fish suspended a few feet off the bottom over the humps.
www.visitgrandrapids.comNorthwest Minnesota
Baudette - Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River
The water may be cold, but the bite is hot! Good numbers of walleyes are coming from Lake of the Woods in front of the Lighthouse Gap, Morris Point Gap and Zippel Bay, and just out from Long Point. Anchor in 20-27 feet of water using a 1/2- or 3/8-ounce jig tipped with a minnow. Hot colors are currently gold, glow white, pink, and silver. Jig near the bottom on up to 2 feet off the bottom. Good sauger action and some jumbo perch are also being reported. On the Rainy River, fish are active and on the move. Lots of eating-size walleyes are being taken, along with some trophy-size walleyes measuring over 30-inches. Good spots seem to shift day by day. This week, the Chapel, the Airport, Timbermill Park, Hattie's Hole, Clementson Bay and areas around Frontier Landing have been best. The emerald shiners continue to move, and fishing remains excellent. Try a few spots until you connect, then anchor up or slowly drift. Up at the Northwest Angle, muskie fishing is still in full swing. Troll the shorelines and weed beds for the best bite. Crappies and walleyes are biting well, with limits being taken. Lots of walleyes are coming from the south end of Oak Island and around Falcon Island in 25-30 feet of water. 800-382-FISH;
www.lakeofthewoodsmn.comCass Lake
Late last week, the wind was cold and the snowflakes were flying, but the fishing remained good for the brave of heart! Jig and minnow combinations were producing the majority of fish. Walleyes were still shallow, with fish coming from 6-8 foot depths. Crappies were biting in roughly 15-20 feet of water. 800-356-8615;
www.casslake.comHackensack
Fishing remains fantastic across the area, and the fall bite is in full swing. Minnows, as usual, are the way to go. Trolled crankbaits along the shallow breaks are also working well. The nasty weather over the weekend seemed to push fish towards the shallows. Muskie anglers are picking up some large fish on Walker and Bemidji area lakes. This is prime time for trophy muskie, and anglers are out in full force. Various tactics are proving successful, but a common denominator has been working the main lake areas. While it can be cold, lots of 50-plus inch fish are waiting there.
www.hackensackchamber.comPark Rapids
Water temperatures have fallen at least 10-degrees this past week on most area lakes. Walleyes can be found suspended over the deeper waters. Large northern pike love cold water and have moved to the shallower reefs nearest the deep water areas. Eight to ten inch crankbaits are working well. The weed cover has rapidly receded and this means that fish will school together; cisco, tullibees, perch and other prey may be able to escape the jaws of 3 or 4 walleyes but escaping from a large group is much more difficult. Use your electronics to locate fish. Also, watch for the remaining loons since they are there to feed. 800-247-0054;
www.parkrapids.comDetroit Lakes
Water temperatures are now in the high 40's on up to 50 degrees. Some of the smaller, deeper lakes in the area have turned over or are in the process of turning over. Some of the larger, deeper bodies of water such as Cormorant, Lida, Big Pine, Rose and Ottertail lakes should turnover soon, especially if the wind turns strong. Walleyes have been coming from deeper water, with many coming from depths of 20-35 feet on jigs or rigs tipped with minnows. The fish are schooling more tightly so finding one should put you on numbers. Muskie anglers are finding fish on Big Detroit, Sallie, Pelican and Beers lakes when using large suckers under bobbers. Crappie anglers are catching nice-size fish along with some good numbers when using jigs with minnows or plastics. Fishing the edges of the sharp breaks that lead to deep water have been best. Look for them using electronics as they are suspended several feet off the bottom. Please note that many of the docks have been pulled in already so prepare to deal with late fall launching and loading challenges. The accesses are in better shape after the rain and snowfall last week, but some remain in poor shape. Temperatures are often at or below freezing at night so please use caution in the morning since the ramps may be slippery. 800-542-3992;
www.visitdetroitlakes.comCentral Region
Glenwood -Lake Minnewaska
Walleyes have been in their usual fall feeding frenzy, with jigs and minnows producing lots of fish on Lake Minnewaska. The best locations have been depths of 12-14 feet of water in areas with a hard bottom. Good reports have also come from lakes Reno, Mary, Andrew and Miltona. 320/634-3636
Otter Tail Lakes Area
There's some great fall fishing action going on in Ottertail County. Most species have left the shoreline areas and relocated to the deep weedlines. This is definitely the case for walleyes, sunfish, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Please remember, however, that the smallmouth bass season is now catch-and-release only. One aspect that makes fall fishing so great is that multiple species of fish can be found concentrated in groups, making fishing all the more exciting! Crappies can be found deep at the base of steep drops and over basin type areas. Crappies position themselves deeper and closer to lake basins in late fall, suspending about 5-10 feet off the bottom so they are easily seen using sonar. Walleye action has been great in Ottertail County's larger walleye producers, but if you don't get a strike in 10 minutes or less, move to the next spot. Nightcrawlers, suckers and redtails have been best, but jigs tipped with fatheads will catch fish too. 800-423-4571;
www.ottertailcountry.com Pine River Area Lakes
The walleyes remain on their annual feeding binge. Good reports are coming in from Whitefish, Woman, Pine Mountain, Leech and many other area lakes. Most of the walleyes are being taken on a jig and minnow combination, but nightcrawlers are still producing well. The best depths range from 20-35 feet generally. Northern pike and bass are active along the weedlines in 12-25 feet of water, with many of these fish also being taken on jig and minnow combinations; deep-running crankbaits are also working well. Good crappie reports are coming from anglers fishing along the sharp breaks with weeds nearby at dawn and at sunset. Please be aware that the water is becoming very cold; please take hypothermia seriously and wear your life jackets. 800-728-6926;
www.pinerivermn.comBrainerd Lakes Area
The cold fall air has arrived, and snow covered the ground earlier this week. Fishing, however, remains very good. Area guides report that the walleyes have been active in 30-40 feet of water. Most methods have been producing fish, with jig and rainbow combinations and lindy rigs with large minnows working well. Focus on Round, North Long and Whitefish lakes for the most fish. Crappies have been active in depths of 20-40 feet. Use your electronics to locate schools of fish, then troll over them with beetle spins or puddle jumpers. Speed is important, so try different speeds until they respond. 800-450-2838;
www.explorebrainerdlakes.comIsle/Onamia - Lake Mille Lacs
The October full moon came and went with mixed success for Mille Lacs Lake anglers. The action was split evenly between the trollers and the bobber folks, with most of the boats reporting at least a few fish. Much of the bite was in less than 10 feet of water, peaking around 10:30 p.m. Light angling pressure made it easy to move around the reefs and concentrate on the "hot spots." Unfortunately, the abundance of bait fish made for a pretty tough bite. St. Alban's Bay has had a little action this week. Anglers having the most success with the late season walleyes are staying within the first 1/2 mile from shore. The north end also kicked out a few fish. Leeches and rainbows worked well, but most live bait is producing fish right now. Anglers will soon shift over to hard baits for evening trolling. The surface temperature has dropped dramatically and it is now in the low 40s, nearly 10 degrees less than last weekend! 888 -350-2692;
www.millelacs.comWillmar Lakes Area
Anglers are catching good numbers of walleyes on Green Lake, with fish coming from depths of 20 feet all the way down to 60 feet. The best approach has been either a live bait rig, or a jig tipped with a minnow or crawler. Walleyes have also been pulled from 10-20 foot depths on Eagle and Diamond lakes. Foot Lake in Willmar is producing some crappies and walleyes off the shorelines. 800-845-8747;
www.willmarlakesarea.comTwin Cities Greater Metropolitan area
Northeast Metro/Chisago Lakes Area
Fishing has been excellent, with walleyes being pulled from Big Comfort, Chisago, South Lindstrom, and North and South Center lakes. For the most fish, hit depths of 10-20 feet at the drop offs, humps, rocks and sandbars. Anglers are having the most success using jig and minnow combinations. Crappies have been active in similar depths and similar structure, with anglers taking the majority of fish on crappie minnows and waxworms. Trollers are doing very well with the northern pike. 651/257-1177;
www.chisagolakeschamber.comSouthern Minnesota
Lanesboro -Southeast Bluff Country Trout Streams
The stream trout catch-and-release season ended Sept. 30. Stream and watershed conditions reports will resume in the spring of 2014. As updates on stream conditions become available, they are posted on the Southeast Minnesota Stream Conditions web page. 800-944-2670;
www.lanesboro.comOrtonville -Big Stone Lake
Historically, during the month of October, anglers have had success sitting on shore and pitching jigs tipped with minnows along the rocks. Anglers may want to try their hand at this approach. 800-568-5722;
www.bigstonelake.com
