The Rainy River accesses at International Falls, Pelland Junction and Birchdale are open; photo courtesy of www.RainyLake.org
Few reports are available as anglers turn their attention to the May 12 fishing opener. Still, many anglers continue to head out on the ice, and some are already fishing from boat on the rivers! While the ice remains thick on lakes throughout the state, anglers must use extreme caution when venturing out.
Take time to review the DNR's Ice Safety Guidelines and General Ice Thickness Guidelines. For rules, regulations and other helpful information on fishing in Minnesota, consult the DNR's Fish Minnesota web page.
Northeast Minnesota
International Falls - Rainy Lake & the Rainy River
The Rainy River accesses at International Falls, Pelland Junction and Birchdale are open! The Rainy River provides some of the earliest and best open water fishing in the Upper Midwest since walleye migrate upstream into the river from Lake of the Woods. The walleye season on these border waters remains open until April 14, and anglers also have the opportunity to pull in one of the huge sturgeon lurking in the river. The swifter waters below the dam at International Falls are almost always good for a few walleye and smallmouth bass. Kuttes Landing at Pelland Junction is just upstream from the confluence of the Little Fork River, and this is another hot spot. Nelson Park at Birchdale, just below the Long Sault Rapids, is the most popular spot for concentrations of walleye and sturgeon. Please note that Voyageurs National Park is no longer recommending travel on frozen lake surfaces within the park. Due to the warming weather and lack of snow, ice conditions are deteriorating, standing water is appearing on frozen lake surfaces, and bare ground is appearing at the safety portages. 800-325-5766; www.rainylake.org
Grand Rapids
A recent snow storm has left a lot of water on the ice. Foot travel is now the best mode of travel. Anglers that do venture out will still need to bring along an ice auger extension due to thick ice. Please contact area bait shops or resorts for the most current ice conditions before traveling. Some of the smaller lakes that are giving up nice numbers of panfish include Little Splithand, Little Moose, Sand, and Grave. The best tactic is a light tip rod, light line, and a 1/16 ounce tungsten jig with euro-larva and waxworms. Remain mobile until you locate active fish. Please pay careful attention to ice conditions in coming weeks. Additional moisture and direct sun can cause conditions to change rapidly. www.visitgrandrapids.com
Northwest Minnesota
Baudette - Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River
Some anglers continue to fish Lake of the Woods; others are fishing the Rainy River by boat! Some of the ice roads on the lake are in good shape but others are deteriorating. Anglers are encouraged to call resorts and bait shops ahead of time to learn the current condition of the access you plan to use. Walleye anglers are not having to go out very far to find fish, with most coming from 18 to 24 foot depths. Good numbers of large northern pike are being pulled from the shallows on live suckers, big smelt, and “hot dogs.” Please note that the bait must be purchased through an authorized bait dealer. Auger extensions are still a necessity. On the Rainy River, spring fishing has begun. The Birchdale Access is open to all boats. Open water advances west each day --track it here. At the Northwest Angle, fishing remains very good. Both walleye and sauger are being pulled from 17 to 19 feet of water during morning and evening hours. During the day, hit depths of 21 to 25 feet. Norther pike are active in the shallow bays. 800-382-FISH; www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com
Bena - Lake Winnibigoshish
Perch are being caught on the main lake structure in 16 to 18 feet on water on Lake Winnibigoshish. Fishing pressure has been low. Snowmobiles remain the best mode of travel. Anglers should check with their favorite resort or bait shop for the most current conditions for the ice roads and accesses. www.lakewinnie.net
Park Rapids Area Lakes
The snow is melting, triggering large schools of crappies and bluegills to head for shallower waters. Panfish are coming from a variety of depths this week, but most continue to be pulled from their winter haunts in 12 to 20 feet of water. There are, however, a population of fish that never leave the shallows, so consider checking the 5 to 10 foot as well. Use your electronics to locate fish, then pick two areas within walking distance and drill about 8 to 10 holes in each area. It only takes about 20 minutes for the fish to resume biting at full force so work one of the areas, then the other, and continue this until you have your limit. A small white or black jig tipped with a wax worm or spike will work best. Plastics will often work too. 800-247-0054; www.parkrapids.com
Detroit Lakes
The Detroit Lakes area still has a lot of ice, but not a lot to report since few ice anglers are heading out. While 2 to 5 inches of wet, heavy snow fell last week, most of it has melted and the remaining snow cover on the lakes has compacted. Cold mornings make for easier travel. Vehicle travel is not advised -- anglers should stick to walking, four-wheeling or snowmobiling when accessing the lakes. With below-freezing temperatures in the forecast, there will probably be fishable ice for the next two weeks or so. 800-542-3992; www.visitdetroitlakes.com
Central Region
Otter Tail Area Lakes
Ice fishing in late March and early April can be excellent. Unfortunately, this is also when the surface ice begins to soften and overall ice conditions deteriorate. This year, however, a lot of solid ice remains and the accesses are still in good shape. Fishing will continually improve until ice out so anglers will want to get out there while they can! 800-423-4571; www.ottertailcountry.com
Alexandria Area Lakes
The panfish bite is extremely good throughout the Alexandria area. In fact, it’s about as good as it gets for sunnies and crappies! There is roughly 30 inches of quality ice on most of the lakes and vehicle travel is easy. Very little melting has occurred aside from areas with moving water. While most of the accesses remain in good condition, some on the north end of the lakes are deteriorating. Anglers are even sleeping in their wheel houses since the main lake ice remains in great shape. The 10 day forecast calls for below-freezing temperatures at night and low 30s to 40s for highs so the ice should hold out for a while longer. Anglers are consistently catching eating-size crappies and sunnies, with quite a few 9 to 10 inch sunfish and 13 to 15 inch crappies being reported. It’s a great day when you can soak up the sun, have a bunch of medium-size fish to take home for dinner, and release the large fish so they can spawn and replenish the population. Most of the sunnies and crappie are holding tight to their mid-winter locations in 15 to 20 feet of water. During the day, use a small horizontal hanging jig tipped with Euro larva – at night, drop a small jig or plain hook tipped with a crappie minnow. It’s best to stay active, drill lots of holes and hole hop throughout the day, then slow it down at night and quietly bobber fish. The past couple of weeks have offered some of the best panfishing all season, and the fish should keep biting at a fast pace until ice out! 800-245-2539; www.explorealex.com
Southern Minnesota
No current information is available at this time.
Anglers may obtain fishing licenses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by dialing 1-888-665-4236, or accessing DNR License Sales.
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