Explore Minnesota Weekly Fishing Update - Oct. 24, 2019

Fall muskie pulled from Lake of the Woods by Travis Madrazo / LakeoftheWoodsMN.com

The DNR has announced that there is a new catch-and-release state record muskie. Corey Kitzmann of Davenport, Iowa, pulled a monster of a fish from Lake Vermilion. Read more.  

For tips on fall fishing, check out Lunker Season: Fall is the Best Time of the Year to Catch Trophy-Sized Fish.

Die-hard anglers that continue to venture out are being rewarded for their efforts.  The walleye are eager to bite, and the crappie action has heated up. A live bait rig or jig tipped with a large minnow remains best for the walleye, especially at the remaining weedlines. Crappie anglers are having the most success when using a jigging presentation. 

Water temperatures are in the upper 40s to low 50s on most bodies of water. Please remember that it is extremely important to dress in layers and wear a life jacket when out on the water due to the risk of hypothermia. Learn more.

For rules, regulations and other helpful information on fishing in Minnesota, consult the DNR's Fish Minnesota web page.

[Northeast] [Northwest] [Central] [Minneapolis-St. Paul Area] [Southern]

Northeast Minnesota

Duluth - Lake Superior, St. Louis River and inland waters

Fishing has been difficult due to high winds and erratic weather patterns. Prior to the recent storms, good-sized steelhead, salmon and brown trout continued to head upstream from Lake Superior, and anglers reported lots of nice catches.

Fishing in the St. Louis River Estuary was slow prior to the last big storm—anglers will now have to wait until the river clears and the fish recover.  

The inland waters continue to offer good fishing despite a rapid drop in water temperatures which are now in the 40s. Walleye and crappies are still being pulled from the mid-lake reefs and near steep drop-offs. While they’ve been easy to graph on the electronics, they haven’t been eager to bite. The most productive presentation remains live bait, but don't be afraid to pull out the rattling spoons and other vertical ice jigging lures. On that note, this is a great time of year to mark spots that may be productive early in the ice fishing season.

With the drop in water temperatures, it is especially important to wear warm clothes and PFDs. 800-438-5884; www.visitduluth.com

Northwest Minnesota

Baudette - Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River

Fall walleye fishing has been excellent on the south shore of Lake of the Woods. Anchoring and jigging a gold, pink, glow or orange jig with a frozen shiner has been best. The most popular depths have been 14 to 24 feet. Jumbo perch and northern pike are often in the mix. Walleye are also being caught around Knight and Bridges islands, and the structure off of Long and Rocky points.

On the Rainy River, good numbers of walleye, along with some very large fish, are being taken. The current breaks from the mouth of the Rainy River to Birchdale have been best, with lots of fish congregating close to shore, behind the points or holes in the river. Depths of 7 to 16' feet are a good starting point depending upon the spot. Jigs up to 1.5 ounces are best in the main channels; lighter jigs are more productive in calmer waters. 

Up at the Northwest Angle, the neck-down areas, points and mouths of bays continue to hold good numbers of walleye. Anglers using jigging presentations are having the most success. Large black crappies and jumbo perch are also eager to bite. Anglers are reporting great muskie action as well. 800-382-FISH; www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

Bemidji

Die hard anglers that continue to venture out are being rewarded for their efforts. Crappies are schooling up in the deepest basins. You’ll find them in big schools some days, and in several smaller schools on other days. The key is to use your electronics to locate these fish. Once located, try a small jigging rapala or puppet minnow to get down to the fish quickly and so you won’t have to rebait constantly which will keep your hands warm and dry.

Walleye can be found in the hard bottom areas near sharp break lines. Don’t be afraid to look deep since they often drop to 50 feet of water or deeper this time of year.

Northern pike fishing are feeding actively and at their heaviest weight all year. In fact, the largest pike of the season are often caught in late October. Large minnows and big muskie-style artificial baits are best for catching the largest pike. Muskies are also feeding heavily. This is a great time of year to troll a large, 12 to 16 inch sucker minnow under a bobber for giant muskie. 800-458-2223; www.visitbemidji.com

Park Rapids

The lakes have turned over and the big fish are eager to bite. Most fish can be found staging in first ice areas, similar to early summer locations. Anglers having the most success are slowly working a live bait rig or jig with a large rainbow chub worked along the remaining weedlines, or the deep mid-lake structures like underwater points and deep holes in 45 to 60 foot depths. Nice-size northern pike are being caught by anglers trolling large spinner baits or large crank baits over the tops of the shallow weed flats near shore in 6 to 12 feet of water. For bluegills, check the shallow, warmer weed beds. Crappies are active in the deep basins, cruising the mud flats in depths of 20 to 30 feet. Large schools of crappies can also be found off the steep shoreline breaks plunging into deep holes in 40 to 50 feet of water. Use your electronics to find suspended schools of fish. Any kind of jigging presentation should work well. 800-247-0054; www.parkrapids.com

Central Region

Brainerd Area Lakes

Water temperatures are holding in the low 50s, and the walleye are still eager to bite. A very good trolling bite is beginning to emerge. For lots of eating-size fish, use jigging raps and ripping raps in natural colors that imitate perch or cisco.  For the larger walleye, use a large sucker minnow.   

The crappies can be found schooled up in the deep basin holes. Try to set up on top of the schools and use a vertical jig presentation for lots of action. 218-825-0410; www.visitbrainerd.com

Willmar

As of late last week, the crappies were very active on most area lakes. Anglers were having success using jigs tipped with minnows near the deep basin holes.

The walleye were coming from the weed edges, as well as depths of 10 to 15 feet, especially during the last few hours of daylight. Again, a jig tipped with a minnow was best. The northern pike and bass remained aggressive in the shallows along the weedlines.

Please remember that water temperatures are very cold so it is extremely important to dress in layers and wear a life jacket when out on the water due to the risk of hypothermia. 800-845-8747; www.willmarlakesarea.com

Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Encourage kids to take an interest in fishing by bringing them to Fort Snelling State Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, for Go-n-Seine. The MN DNR uses special nets, seine nets, to study fish populations. This seining program will demonstrate how these nets are used and how habitat and water quality affect different fish species. Dress for the weather and meet at Shelter A on Picnic Island. Signs will be posted. No registration required.

Southern Minnesota

Lanesboro/Preston - Southeast Bluff Country Rivers and Streams

As of Friday, October 18, fisheries staff reported that the trout were heavy, very colorful and ready to spawn. The staff asked that anglers stay off of redds (cleared areas on gravel where the fish are spawning). 

The Stream Trout Catch and Release Season remains open in specific state parks and city boundaries. Learn more.   

Maps of these areas are available under the “Area Highlights” tab on the Lanesboro Fisheries web page.  

The National Trout Center in Preston offers the following fishing tips for fall trout.

1. Sleep in and fish midday: The nights temps are in the 40’s, and waters have cooled. Both the aquatic insect and the trout activity pick up after the sun hits the water. Best fishing times are 10AM-4PM.
2. Wear camo, conceal yourself and keep a low profile: Once the water clears, the trout are wary of unusual movement in and around the streams. Keep quiet, stay inconspicuous in camo outerwear and move slowly.
3. Fly anglers should use terrestrials and streamers and spin angers should use fast moving aggressive lures. The trout are still feeding on grasshoppers, winged ants, and all kinds of big bugs falling into the water.  The trout are getting territorial and aggressive as spawning begins.
4. Make your flies and lures move. With lots of leaves and debris in the water,  the trout are becoming aggressive toward rivals and egg predators.  Aggressive movement of bait sized things in the water attracts the trout’s attention.
5. Bring your camera. This is a catch and release season so plan to take pics. The trout are super-colorful with their breeding colors and the fall colors all make for memorable pictures in the Driftless.  

Before you go, check out the DNR’s Stream Flow Report for the most current conditions, as well as the "Area Highlights" section of the Lanesboro Area Fisheries web page for stream maps. 800-944-2670; www.lanesboro.com

Ortonville - Big Stone Lake

As of Oct. 22, the water level on Big Stone Lake was reported to have risen nearly a foot over the last couple of days, and the Minnesota River at Ortonville was roughly 4 feet higher than usual. At least one pontoon boat became dislodged and washed up at the south end of the lake overnight.  Water levels should be better by the weekend. Prior to the storms, perch action was amazing! 320-839-3284; www.bigstonelake.com

Be sure to visit the Explore Minnesota Fishing & Hunting page for information to help you plan your next Minnesota fishing trip!

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