Area lakes fishing report

[Lee Borgersen]

                 Area lakes fishing reports  

 :fishing2:
■ LAKE MILLE LACS

East — Anglers are venturing to some main-lake structure areas and finding walleyes on the gravel and mud flat edges in 22 to 25 feet during the day. Don’t look past reefs closer to shore for walleyes early and late each day and during the overnight hours in less than 14 feet. A few crappies are coming from the bays as are some good-sized pike in eight to 10 feet.

West — Snowmobiles and ATVs continue to be best for travel to most main-lake structure. There have been a few reports of decent walleye action on the mud flats in 24 to 28 feet during the day or in 20 to 24 feet during low-light periods, but there hasn’t been a lot of people fishing the main lake. You’ll also pluck walleyes and northern pike from the 18- to 20-foot break in St. Alban’s Bay.

■ BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA 

The north and south ends of Gull Lake continue to provide the best opportunities to catch walleyes in 20 to 32 feet. Gull also has kicked out crappies in 20 to 25 feet, as has Lake Margaret in 12 to 18 feet, Cullen Lake in 16 to 23 feet, and the Highway 371 bay on North Long Lake in 12 to 15 feet. Look for sunfish in six to 10 feet on Cullen, North Long, and Roy Lake, while northern pike are hitting sucker minnows along the 10- to 14-foot weedlines of most lakes.

■ CROSBY AREA

Walleyes are biting best from sunset into the night on Rabbit Lake and Serpent Lake in 18 to 25 feet. Sunfish are hitting in 17 to 20 feet on Milford Lake and Black Hoof Lake. The north end of Bay Lake and Lake Mahnomen are producing crappies, most of which are suspended over 18 to 22 feet.

■ EMILY AREA

Tip ups and sucker minnows are producing northern pike on Kego Lake and Eagle Lake in 12 to 15 feet. On Lawrence Lake, crappies can be had during low-light periods in 22 to 30 feet. Look to Goodrich Lake and Molten Lake for crappies in 14 to 16 feet.

■ HACKENSACK AREA

Look for crappies and sunfish in 15 to 22 feet on Woman Lake, Birch Lake, and Pleasant Lake. A few walleyes can be had during the morning and evening on shiner minnows at Woman in 18 to 22 feet. Northern pike are hitting sucker minnows on most lakes in eight to 12 feet throughout the day.

■ LEECH LAKE

Low-light periods are best for walleyes along the 15- to 20-foot breaks in Walker Bay. The Cedar Point and Sand Point areas also are giving up walleyes during the morning and evening in 10 to 14 feet. Travel conditions have improved slightly on the main lake with reports of anglers now fishing the Stoney Point and Pine Point areas.

■ LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH

Perch are being caught along the west shoreline in eight to 10 feet or on the 12- to 15-foot breaks. Stay on the move with small jigging spoons to pick off better numbers of good-sized perch. On the south end, walleyes and perch have bit best on the 16- to 20-foot structure. Angling and spearing for northern pike remains strong in less than 12 feet.

■ PARK RAPIDS AREA

Crappies are being found suspended over 25 to 35 feet throughout the Crow Wing Chain of Lakes, Eagle Lake, and Island Lake after sunset each day. A few walleyes continue to come off Fish Hook Lake during low-light periods in 16 to 22 feet. Pike action has been best at Fish Hook in eight to 12 feet or Big Mantrap Lake in 12 to 14 feet. Straight Lake and the Crow Wing Chain are worth noting for sunfish in 12 to 14 feet.

■ BEMIDJI AREA

Crappies are hitting on Walker Brook Lake and around the island on Big Lake in 12 to 18 feet. The Diamond Bar area of Lake Bemidji is giving up perch in 10 to 15 feet and a few walleyes at sunset over 18 to 24 feet. Angling and spearing for northern pike have been steady throughout the area in eight to 12 feet.

■ RED LAKE

Walleye action has been best during the early morning hours, at sunset, and during the night. The best option is to jig with a glow spoon and have another deadstick line with a glow jig and shiner minnow in eight to 14 feet along most shorelines. You’ll still catch walleyes during the day, but not as many numbers.

■ GRAND RAPIDS AREA

Walleyes are hitting in 20 to 32 feet on Lake Pokegama and Trout Lake or 18 to 25 feet on Lake Wabana. Bluegills and crappies are over 18 to 22 feet on Big Splithand and Little Splithand lakes and in Poole’s Bay and Tioga Bay on Pokegama in 14 to 30 feet. Crappies have been biting during low-light periods at Big Cutfoot Sioux Lake in 25 to 35 feet.

■ LAKE OF THE WOODS

Red glow or gold jigging spoons, as well as setlines with gold and glow jigs, are producing walleyes and sauger in 28 to 34 feet along the south shore during the day or slightly shallower in the morning and evenings. Bigger walleyes are suspended several feet off bottom. Walleye, perch, and crappie action has been excellent at the Northwest Angle in 22 to 25 feet, but most of the crappies are coming from the Canadian side. Work the Rainy River for walleyes during the morning and afternoon hours in 20 to 22 feet.

■ RAINY LAKE

Spoons or setlines and shiner minnows are turning walleyes during the morning and evening in Sand Bay over 30 feet or more. Rainy Lake City is giving up a few walleyes in 25 feet, but the northern pike have bit more consistently in this area on ciscoes or sucker minnows in 18 to 22 feet.

■ BLACKDUCK AREA

Walleyes and perch are mixed together on Island Lake and Blackduck Lake in 10 to 18 feet. Bluegill action has improved in 15 to 20 feet on Lake Pimushe and Gull Lake, while Gilstead Lake is kicking out crappies over 25 to 35 feet.

■ BRAHAM AREA

There’s an evening crappie bite at Lewis Lake over 16 to 20 feet. Tip ups and sucker minnows are turning northern pike at Pomroy Lake and Knife Lake is kicking out crappies with minnows or Eurolarvae in seven to nine feet.

■ EAST CENTRAL MN

Green Lake is giving up walleyes in 17 feet and crappies and sunfish in 15 to 20 feet. Crappies and sunfish also can be had at Blue Lake in 17 to 22 feet and Little Elk Lake is worth noting for pike and crappies in 11 feet. Look to Briggs Lake and Lake Julia for crappies and walleyes on the 14- to 18-foot breaks.

■ LAKE KABETOGAMA

National Park employees have started to establish an ice road, opening up more areas to fish. The road currently runs from the Kab Visitor Center to the Ash River Visitor Center, allowing access to Martin Islands, Nebraska Bay, Spunge Island and close to the Ash River Narrows. Walleye action has been steady from 25 to 35 feet in the aforementioned areas, with a few sauger and perch in the mix.

■ ORTONVILLE AREA

Waxworms or spikes are producing numbers of perch on Big Stone Lake starting in the Meadowbrook area along most of the south end in 10 feet. Walleye action continues to be best on the north end of Big Stone in eight to 12 feet near the Yankee Town area.

■ ST. CLOUD/EDEN VALLEY AREA

Crappies are suspended over 12 to 14 feet on Pearl Lake or 16 to 25 feet on Cedar Island Lake, Long Lake, and Horseshoe Lake. Lake Koronis is the area’s best option for walleyes, during the evenings, in 20 to 30 feet near the islands. Becker Lake is giving up sunfish in eight to 12 feet.

■ SAUK CENTRE AREA

Walleye action has been best during the evening on Sauk Lake in 20 to 25 feet or Lake Osakis in 18 to 24 feet. The north end of Osakis is giving up sunfish and crappies in 20 to 24 feet, while Big Birch Lake is worth hitting for crappies and a few walleyes after sunset in 30 to 40 feet.