Area Fishing Reports

[Lee Borgersen]

      :fishing2: Area Fishing Reports



BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA

The channels and some bays have opened and a few anglers have started working them for crappies with limited success. Most small lakes are expected to be ice-free by this weekend and the bigger lakes should be open by the first week of May.

LAKE MILLE LACS

The shorelines have started to pull away and even though there’s still a lot of ice on the main lake, it’s black and deteriorating fast. Most flowage areas also have opened, allowing the moving water to open the lake even more in those areas. The feel as the lake looks this week is the ice should be gone by opening day.

LEECH LAKE

The shorelines have started to bust loose, but main-lake ice is not deteriorating as fast as expected. If the area receives rain this week as forecasted, the ice-out process would speed up. Depending on the weather, ice-out could happen within the next week to 10 days, or it could take a bit longer if it cools down or doesn’t rain.

LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH

There’s a lot of open water along the shorelines and the ice left on the main lake looks rotten, so with some rain or additional warm weather, the ice should go fast. The way it looked early this week, there should be no issues with ice by opening day.

LAKE OF THE WOODS

There was open water from Wheeler’s Point into Four Mile Bay on the Rainy River early this week and sturgeon reports have been favorable. Work the deep holes and current seams with frozen shiners or nightcrawlers on circle hooks. The last of the ice fishing for this season was taking place for northern pike at Morris Point, Swift Ditch, or Graceton Beach in four to 10 feet.

RAINY LAKE

There’s still a lot of ice on the main lake, although the shorelines have started to open. Sturgeon action on the Rainy River has been best with crawlers in areas with deeper pockets of water or current breaks.

BEMIDJI AREA

The shorelines have started to give away, but ice continues to cover the main portion of all lakes. It is starting to turn black and with some rain, the feeling is that it will go out fast, likely within the next 10 days to two weeks on most lakes.

BLACKDUCK AREA

A handful of people were walking on select lakes early this week, but that will likely come to an end by the weekend with rain and wind in the forecast for mid-week.

EAST CENTRAL MN

Most lakes are expected to be open by this weekend so start looking to those traditional shallow areas for crappies. Turkey registrations are up from the first two seasons last year and most hunters have reported seeing a lot of birds.

GRAND RAPIDS AREA

Anglers continued to ice fish many lakes early this week, but the weather could change those options by the weekend. Some shorelines have started to open, but if you can get on the ice, there’s still plenty of it so it’s probably best to call ahead going into this weekend.


ST. CLOUD/EDEN VALLEY AREA

The ice is just about off most lakes and a few crappies and sunfish have starting showing up around the shallow bridges and culvert areas. Turkey hunting has gone very well during the first two seasons with several heavy toms registered and plenty of turkey activity reported throughout the area.