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Areas Fishing Report ........
LAKE MILLE LACSLake travel has improved with the cold weather early this week, but angler numbers have been minimal. There is a road to the Tullibee Hole on the east side, although tullibee and perch action is limited. Anglers are seeing a few panfish in the bays, but they remain inactive. Look for them to start hitting in less than nine feet soon.
BRAINERD/NISSWA AREAThe number of fishermen has been minimal, but panfish continue to be caught. Crappies remain suspended over 12 to 24 feet on the south end of Gull Lake, North Long Lake, Cullen Lake, and Round Lake. Sunfish are hitting Eurolarvae in six to 10 feet at Roy Lake, Nisswa Lake, North Long, and Cullen during the morning and evening hours.
EMILY AREAWoods Bay on Roosevelt Lake is giving up crappies during low-light periods in 15 feet. A few crappies can be had on Lawrence Lake in 25 to 30 feet, while East Fox Lake started producing sunfish in 25 feet.
HACKENSACK AREAPanfish reports have been limited to a few anglers hitting the same lakes as last week. A few crappies continue to be caught during low-light periods in 18 to 20 feet on Pleasant Lake and Birch Lake, but the bite has not been consistent. Minnows continue to turn a few good-sized perch on the east side of Woman Lake in 10 to 15 feet.
LEECH LAKEPerch are an easy catch — you just have to sort through numbers of small fish – and bigger baits tend to produce bigger perch. Look to Sand Point, Goose Island, the Hardwoods, and Duck Points in five to nine feet. Tullibee reports were limited this week off Stoney Point and travel conditions in this area are difficult due to slush.
McGREGOR AREALook for sunfish in 12 to 16 feet and suspended crappies over slightly deeper water on Lake Minnewawa and Big Sandy Lake. Tullibee action has yet to kick in on Big Sandy, but look for them to start showing up suspended over deep water.
LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISHA jig and minnow combination is working best for perch and hole hopping is the ticket to a limit of bigger fish. The Bird Houses area, Sugar Point, Hunter’s Hump, and south of Raven’s Point have been best in 13 to 16 feet or 30 to 32 feet. The morning and evening hours have been most productive.
CASS LAKE AREACrappie and bluegill action remains slow, but perch are being caught. Look to the flats on the south side of Star Island or north side of Cedar Island on Cass Lake in six to eight feet. Pike Bay Lake continues to produce perch in six to eight feet out from the south-end access and northeast corner sand/grass area.
GRAND RAPIDS AREALittle Cutfoot Sioux Lake is producing perch, crappies, and a few bluegills over 20 feet. You’ll find crappies out from the northwest access on Bowstring Lake in 20 to 25 feet and perch in slightly shallower water. Bass Lake is giving up bluegills in six to 13 feet, while Tioga Bay on Lake Pokegama continues to produce crappies, bluegills, and perch in 15 to 30 feet. Big Splithand and Little Splithand lakes are worth noting for crappies over 18 to 24 feet.
LAKE OF THE WOODSWalleye and sauger are most active during the morning and evening from Arnesen’s, Long Point, Zippel Bay, and Graceton in 24 to 26 feet. Reports are decent at Lighthouse Gap and Pine Island in 17 to 19 feet or 22 to 28 feet, hug close to Pine or head north five to six miles. Northern pike action is picking up in Zippel Bay, Bostic Bay, and Four Mile Bay in nine to 12 feet with suckers. On the Rainy River, open water is visible 15 miles east of Birchdale, while ice fishing is good in 17 to 19 feet. At the Northwest Angle, walleyes, perch, pike, and tullibees are hitting in 22 to 26 feet and crappies are being caught across the border.
RAINY LAKEFishing activity has been very limited this week due to a lack of travel options. Most of the roads that did exist filled with water and are now closed for the season. Off-road travel also is very difficult on the lake.
BLACKDUCK AREAPerch continue to hit throughout the day on Blackduck Lake in six to 10 feet. On Gull Lake, crappies and bluegills are hitting in 14 to 18 feet, while Pimushe Lake is producing bluegills in 18 to 22 feet.
SAUK CENTRE AREASunfish continue to hit in eight to 10 feet on Smith Lake, Lilly Lake, and Fairy Lake. You’ll also find sunfish on the north end of Lake Osakis in 16 to 22 feet and crappies suspended over 35 to 45 feet during the evening hours from Holiday Resort to Battle Point. Crappies continue to hit at night in the Dutchmen’s Creek area of Sauk Lake in 20 to 22 feet as well.