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In most areas of the state, live bait rigs and spinners with leeches or crawlers have been the most productive for walleye anglers, especially during early morning and late evening feeding windows. Anglers report lots of bass and northern pike action throughout the day.
Minnesota fishing opener dates for the 2018/2019 fishing season for most inland waters are as follows: walleye, sauger, northern pike, bass and lake trout, May 12; muskie, June 2. The fishing season for crappies, sunnies, perch and catfish is continuous. For rules, regulations and other helpful information on fishing in Minnesota, consult the DNR's Fish Minnesota web page.
Northeast Minnesota
Kabetogama
Summer patterns are taking hold on Lake Kabetogama. The best walleye fishing is happening on windy days around the island and shoreline points in 12 to 25 feet of water. The wind and soft bottom areas will remain key until the current mayfly hatch subsides. Live bait rigs tipped with a leech or crawler are best on Lake Kabetogama. On Lake Namakan, a jig and minnow still turns fish. Picnic, Ram and Etling have been good producers -- when the wind blowing, check the bays such as Nebraska and Daly. If you find a bug hatch, you should find fish. The larger northern pike remain active, and lots of smallmouth bass continue to come from most shorelines. 800-524-9085; www.kabetogama.com
Ely Area Lakes & Streams
Smallmouth bass action has been dominating the fishing scene for the past couple of weeks. Anglers are battling these hard-fighting and acrobatic fish on most lakes in the Ely area. Sub-surface baits such as soft plastic tubes, crayfish and crank baits, as well as surface baits such as poppers, buzz baits and plugs are all working well. Some of the bass recently taken have measured over 21 inches, and weighing over 6 pounds. Walleye have been fairly cooperative, with many anglers filling their stringers with nice, keeper-sized fish. Northern pike measuring in the 40 inch range are being caught on a regular basis by anglers using large crank baits, spinner baits, and sucker minnows under a bobber. Crappies are responding to jigs tipped with minnows or soft plastics. Most of these fish are coming from 10 to 20 feet of water around the rock piles and other structure. Rainbow trout are hitting trolled spinners and small crank baits fished just below the surface down to 20 feet. Some are being taken on crawlers under a bobber fished near shore. A number of these fish have exceeded 20 inches. 800-777-7281; www.ely.org
Duluth - Lake Superior and inland waters
Big fish season has begun! Muskie anglers are having success over and around the vegetation, as well as at the wind driven points and rocky breaklines. Bucktails, large crank baits, spinners, and a variety of topwater baits are all working well. Soon, there will be a good trolling bite. Muskie, northern pike and bass fishing has been good at the shallow to mid-depth weeds. For the largest fish, hit the cooler, deeper waters. Largemouth bass have been active, particularly around structure that offers shade from the sun. Productive baits include crank baits, topwater baits and soft plastics. The panfish are biting in deeper water. Pieces of night crawler or a smaller leech under a slip bobber has been best, but plastics and small beetle spinners are also producing fish. Lake Superior anglers are taking lake trout and a few coho salmon when trolling lead core, downriggers and dipsey divers. Flasher fly combinations, and bright stick baits and spoons are turning a few fish. Salmon have moved up the North Shore. Fishing has been decent on the St. Louis River. Walleye anglers are taking some fish during early morning, late evening and nighttime hours. The most active fish have been near the river channel edges with current. In the late afternoon to evening, the shallower areas with vegetation have been good. Trolling spinner rigs and casting crankbaits or large brightly colored stick baits have produced the most fish. Anglers continue to enjoy a good catfish and drum bite when soaking a worm with a sinker on the bottom. Please note that the river remains very swift. Don't forget the bug spray as biting flies and mosquitos have been out in force. 800-438-5884; www.visitduluth.com
Grand Rapids
Walleye are biting at various depths on several area lakes. On the smaller bog-stained lakes, anglers are doing well using gold spinners tipped with a chub, shiner or half of a nightcrawler in depths of 5 to 8 feet of water in and around the weed beds. Trolling at speeds of 1.25 to 1.50 mph is best. The deep, clear lakes are giving up walleye at the deeper structure where slip sinker rigs with leeches, red tail chubs or crawlers are working well. Lake Winnibigoshish is producing walleye on the same presentations at the humps and bars. Anglers should vary their leader lengths from 5 to 8 feet depending on whether the walleye are tight to the bottom or slightly higher. Bottom bouncers and spinners rigged with a crawler is a great way to cover water and locate active fish. A 2 to 3 ounce bouncer is usually adequate. Gold, #3 or #5 spinner blades have been best. Some of the dark water lakes, such as Round, Bowstring and Little Winnibigoshish, are giving up fish in the shallows. In addition to Lake Winnibigoshish, check the deeper structure of Trout and Pokegama lakes for deeper walleye. The heat of summer also ignites muskie action in and around the deeper cabbage and rock points. Casting and trolling are best, especially on Moose, Deer, North Star, Big Cutfoot and Big Winnibigoshish lakes. www.visitgrandrapids.com
Northwest Minnesota
Baudette - Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River
Walleye fishing is very good throughout Lake of the Woods. Drifting and trolling spinners and crawlers has been the preferred method, but trolling crank baits in the basin areas in 26 to 30 feet of water is also producing limits. On the Rainy River, sturgeon fishing has been good. Smallmouth bass anglers are finding large smallies at the rocks, bridges and current breaks. Up at the Northwest Angle and Islands area, the water temperatures are hovering in the mid-70s. Walleye action has been very good for anglers using bottom bouncers, nightcrawlers and hammered gold spinners with hints of chartreuse or orange. Some walleye and an occasional large northern pike are responding to deep-diving crank baits trolled around the shoreline breaks and reefs. 800-382-FISH; www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com
Bena - Lake Winnibigoshish
Lake Winnibigoshish is giving up walleye to anglers using live bait rigs. A spinner and crawler is also producing walleye on the north end weeds in 14 to 16 feet of water. Northern pike remain active in depths of 12 to 15 feet at the shoreline breaks. Perch are schooling, with some nice fish coming from depths of 15 to 20 feet along the north end. www.lakewinnie.net
Walker - Leech Lake
The walleye bite has been sporadic on Leech Lake recently, probably due to storms, spring/summer transitions and abundant mayflies, crayfish and young of the year perch. Anglers are having the most success fishing during early morning and evening feeding windows. One productive presentation has been a slip bobber and leech worked in 10 to 15 feet of water along the weed edges, rocky/windblown points, and edges of the main lake reefs. Lindy rigs with a minnow or half of a crawler is sometimes effective during the day in 20 to 28 feet of water along the shoreline breaks, humps and underwater points. Covering water using spinners or crank baits along the flats, windblown shorelines and breaklines, and the edges of reefs is also a good tactic this time of year. Encourage a reaction bite using a #5 or #7 shad rap or flicker shad. A great smallmouth and largemouth bass bite is being reported at the weed edges and transition areas in 15 to 18 feet of water on other area lakes. For the most action, drop shot a plastic or lively leech on a ned rig, or try casting a crankbait. Some area lakes are kicking out walleye at the weedlines and major bars and reefs, but as with Leech Lake, the mornings and evenings are key times to fish. 800-833-1118; www.leech-lake.com
Detroit Lakes
Water temperatures in the Detroit Lakes area are in the high 70s, with some lakes reaching 80 degrees in the afternoon. Summer patterns are in full swing, and there are lots of newly hatched baitfish and bugs in the system. Walleye continue to bite despite the hot weather. Anglers having the most success are rigging leeches and crawlers, jigging raps and pulling spinners through 18 to 26 foot depths at the bars, points and mid-lake humps. Night trolling has also been good. Northern pike are active at the weed beds, hitting rigs with big sucker minnows and casted baits. Smallmouth bass are most active on the hard, sand bottom areas off the sharp breaks and at the rock to sand transitions in depths of 16 to 22 feet of water. Crappies are holding in 9 to 15 feet of water, and the sunfish are everywhere! 800-542-3992; www.visitdetroitlakes.com
Central Region
Isle/Onamia - Lake Mille Lacs
As of late last week, the walleye bite on Lake Mille Lacs remained excellent! The mud flats and deep gravel continued to offer the best opportunities, with fish coming from 22 to 32 feet of water. Anglers having the most success used either nightcrawlers and spinners or leeches and live bait rigs. During late evening hours, however, leeches under slip-bobbers out-produced all other presentations. Some of the better locations included Seguchie Flat, 7 Mile, the Boot and the 4 Mile gravel. Smallmouth bass action was hit-or-miss, but anglers did take fish when using wackys, ned rigs and dropshot rigs at the 8-15 foot rocks. 888-350-2692; www.millelacs.com
Minneapolis-St. Paul Area
White Bear Area Lakes
As of late last week, bass anglers were having a blast flipping jigs and wacky worms from the multitude of docks that hold fish throughout the summer. It was important to always work the shaded part of the dock. While many bass were on the deeper weedlines chasing bluegills, there was a consistent number of fish that remained shallow, seeking out the shelter and shade of the docks. Larger pike were seeking the coldest water and tended to suspend deep. Smaller pike were aggressively chasing spinner baits throughout the lake. The muskie action was expected to heat up once water temperatures reached seasonal highs. Crappies and walleye remained difficult to catch during daylight hours, but some anglers had success fishing at dusk or later in depths of 15 to 25 feet. 651/653-5122; www.explorewhitebear.org
Southern Minnesota
Lanesboro/Preston - Southeast Bluff Country trout streams
After a week without rain, area streams are in the best condition of the summer. As of July 12, Mill Creek at the County Road 2 Bridge was at 50 centimeters of visibility. This is by far the best visibility that this stream has had all summer. As of July 12, Trout Run at the Bucksnort Dam had over a meter of visibility. This stream has been very fishable most of the summer and it looks like it will remain that way this week. The South Branch of the Root River at the County Road 17 Bridge was at 85 centimeters of visibility. This stream has improved a lot over the past week now that the water level has returned to normal and the visibility has increased. Each of these bodies of water are fishable in all manners of trout fishing. As of July 10, fisheries staff notes that the streams were clearing, and small grasshoppers had been noted on several area streams. Anglers are encouraged to check the Minnesota Stream Flow Report before heading out. Consider attending Fly Tying Fridays at the National Trout Center in Preston. And Twin Cities Trout Unlimited will host a two-night Whitewater State Park fishing and camping trip, July 15 and 16. This event is open to anglers of all ages and abilities. 800-944-2670; www.lanesboro.com
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