Regional fishing reports

[Lee Borgersen]

    Area fishing, skiing, and snowmobile trail report

Houses continue to be spread out in 14 to 16 feet of water or 26 to 32 feet along the south shore. There’s been a lot of moving around taking place, with walleyes biting best in the afternoon and evening hours, while saugers continue to bite throughout the day.

Lake of the Woods


Houses continue to be spread out in 14 to 16 feet of water or 26 to 32 feet along the south shore. There’s been a lot of moving around taking place, with walleyes biting best in the afternoon and evening hours, while saugers continue to bite throughout the day. A dead stick with a plain hook or glow jigs and a minnow have been more productive than spoons. At the Northwest Angle, 22 to 30 feet of water has been best in the morning and evening hours south of Oak Island or north and west of Little Oak Island.


Devils Lake


The East Bay and Six-Mile Bay landing access points were cleared Monday, and the Pelican Lake landing and the access point behind Pop’s and the Stromme Addition were scheduled to be cleared next, according to Devils Lake Tourism.


As for the fishing, the past week has served up some very good days and a few tough days mixed in, according to the Perch Patrol Guide Service. The weekend blizzard produced about 6 inches of snow, so vehicle access wasn’t restricted too severely. Perch fishing is either boom or bust, the Perch Patrol said, with best action in 20 feet to 44 feet of water. Buckshot Rattle Spoons and Northland Forage Minnows tipped with minnow heads or maggots have worked best. Walleye fishing has been very good, the report said. Walleye anglers should concentrate on humps, flooded points or any type of structure. Best action is at sunrise and right before dark, but midday fishing has been decent some days, as well.


Upper Red Lake


Walleyes continue to hit jigging spoons or plain hooks and minnows in 12 to 14 feet of water throughout the lake. During low-light periods, anglers will find spurts of walleye activity in 8 to 10 feet of water. The occasional good-sized northern pike remains in the mix, as well.


Leech Lake


Perch action has improved off Sand Point in 9 to 13 feet of water or north of Goose Island in 10 to 14 feet. The humps in Walker Bay are giving up walleyes in 25 to 33 feet, as are the Sand Point and Goose Island areas in 10 to 15 feet. A few walleyes are coming off Cedar Point in 12 to 18 feet, while Portage Bay is giving up perch and walleyes in 9 to 14 feet of water.


Lake Winnibigoshish


Perch are hitting in 6 to 9 feet of water on the west shore, but the bars such as Horseshoe, Moses and River are giving up perch, walleyes, and northern pike in 18 to 22 feet of water throughout the day. Small jigging spoons tipped with minnow heads or setlines and fatheads are producing bigger fish.


Bemidji area


The key to catching walleyes on Lake Bemidji is moving up and down the bars in 6 to 12 feet of water or 23 to 32 feet with jigging spoons. On Lake Plantagenet, walleyes are coming from 18 to 23 feet during the evening hours. At Walker Brook Lake, anglers are finding crappies suspended over 28 feet and sunfish in 10 to 15 feet. Portage Lake is producing panfish across from the public access, and Sucker Lake is kicking out crappies over 32 to 36 feet of water.


Blackduck area


Minnows and small spoons are producing perch in 8 to 14 feet of water on Blackduck Lake and Island Lake. Look for walleyes in 10 to 15 feet on Blackduck, Island and Gull lakes during low-light periods. Gilstead Lake is kicking out crappies in 18 to 22 feet, and bluegills can be had in shallower water on Gull Lake.


Cass Lake area


On Pike Bay, perch are biting during the day, and walleyes are hitting shiner minnows during low-light periods in 12 feet. Stony Point, Allen’s Bay and the main-lake bars of Cass Lake are giving up a few walleyes in 16 feet. Look for crappies to be suspended over 35 feet on Kitchi and Big Wolf lakes.


Detroit Lakes


Jigging has worked best for walleyes in 24 to 30 feet of water on lakes Melissa, Big Detroit, Sallie, Big Cormorant, Pelican and Upper Cormorant. Sunfish are hitting along the 12- to 14-foot weedlines on Little Detroit Lake, Deadshot Bay, Severson Lake, Long Lake and Melissa. The same lakes also will give up crappies, but anglers should focus on the 20- to 24-foot depths.


Park Rapids area


Shiners or rainbow minnows are producing walleyes in 18 to 24 feet of water on Long Lake and Potato Lake. Hit the Crow Wing Chain for bluegills in 9 to 13 feet, while sucker minnows are producing pike on Long and Big Mantrap lakes in 12 to 14 feet. There’s also some evening crappie action on Big Mantrap over 30 feet of water with glow hooks and minnows.


Downhill skiing report


• Buena Vista Ski Area near Bemidji: 26- to 40-inch base, groomed, making snow, 3 inches of new snow. Skiing and terrain park hours 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Snowtubing hours 4 to 8 p.m. today and 12 to 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Info: bvskiarea.com.


• Frostfire Ski Area near Walhalla, N.D.: 20-inch base, trace of new snow, all 10 runs open, making snow as needed and when temperatures allow. Hours 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today through Monday. Info: frostfireskiarea.com.


Cross-country skiing report


• Lake Bemidji State Park: Some trails have been groomed and tracked for classical skiing. Trail conditions are fair, with a 1-inch base. Local snow depth 4½ inches.


• Lake Bronson State Park: Trails are groomed and in good condition, with a 2-inch base. Local snow depth 6 inches.


• Old Mill State Park: Trails were groomed Tuesday and are in good condition; 4-inch base; local snow depth 6 inches.


• Zippel Bay State Park near Williams, Minn.: The area received 6 to 8 inches of snow over the weekend, and trails have been groomed and are in good condition with a 3-inch base; local snow depth 7 inches.


• Grand Forks: The Grand Forks Park District and city of Grand Forks have groomed a few miles of cross-country ski trails in the Greenway. The snow cover is thin and the going bumpy in some areas.


• Grahams Island State Park near Devils Lake: Trails are open and in good condition, with about 7 inches of new snow in the past week. Grooming was scheduled for Thursday; local snow depth 10 to 12 inches.


• Turtle River State Park: Trails are listed as open but in poor condition.


Snowmobile trails report


• Beltrami Island State Forest east near Baudette, Minn.: River and lake trails are open, but snowmobilers should stay on the trail because of broken ice in places. The River Trail from Wheelers Point to Warroad, Minn., is groomed, and the trail from Warroad to Oak Island is open, but a crack has prevented grooming. The plan is to work on the stakes from the River Trail to Oak Island and then groom depending on the weather. Last weekend’s snow has allowed grooming of the trail from Williams, Minn., to Lake of the Woods, the Floyd Olson Trail and trails near Carp and Pitt, Minn. Trails are fair, with a 6-inch base; local snow depth 6 inches.


• Zippel Bay State Park near Williams, Minn.: The area received 6 to 8 inches of snow over the weekend, and trails have been groomed and are in fair condition with a 3-inch base; local snow depth 7 inches.


• Lake Bemidji State Park: Poor conditions, and the trail isn’t groomed. Local snow depth 4½ inches.


• Lake Bronson State Park: Poor conditions, and trails aren’t groomed. Local snow depth 6 inches.


• Old Mill State Park: Trails are in poor condition and not groomed; local snow depth 6 inches.