Explore Minnesota
While solid ice can be found on lakes throughout the state, ice growth has stalled due to recent mild temperatures. The forecast calls for heavy snowfall today and tomorrow, which will conceal areas of thin ice. At this time, vehicle travel is discouraged. Anglers are asked to please consult with area resorts and bait shops to learn the most current conditions before heading out. Learn more about ice safety.
This weekend is Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend! From Saturday, Jan. 16 through Monday, Jan. 18, Minnesota residents age 16 or older can fish or dark-house spear without an angling or spearing license if they take a child younger than 16 fishing or spearing.Anglers that prefer to fish open water should consider trout fishing this weekend when a trout stamp is not required if a resident is fishing with a child younger than 16.
Other fun activities to consider include the St. Paul Winter Carnival Virtual Ice Fishing Tournament running now through Feb. 7, and the Winterfest Fishing Tournament in Worthington which runs Jan. 15 & 16.
For rules, regulations and other helpful information on fishing in Minnesota, consult the DNR’s Fish Minnesota web page.
Visit the Explore Minnesota Fishing & Hunting page for information to help you plan your next Minnesota fishing trip!
Anglers are asked to fish lakes and rivers close to home, and practice social distancing. Learn more about safer ways to travel at Explore Minnesota’s COVID-19 Information page.
Northeast Region
Kabetogama
Fishing has improved on Lake Kabetogama and travel has been great by snowmobile. Vehicle travel is now an option at this time. Anglers will find lots of fish in depths of 25-28 feet, with action throughout the day in some areas. Aggressively jigging with loud, flashy lures calling fish into the area, but a 2nd rod rigged with a more subtle lure will often trigger a strike. It seems the walleye are feeding on small, young of the year perch which measure roughly 1-inch size so smaller lures and smaller minnows have proven to be more effective than larger lures and minnows. Anglers will want to use a crappie-size jig tipped with a small fathead or a couple of waxworms. Another good option is a glow spoon tipped with minnow head. Tip-ups with lively minnows set over 15 feet of water may also produce walleye. 800-524-9085; www.kabetogama.com
Ely
Anglers continue to find walleye in 18-25 feet of water off the points, sunken islands and transition areas. Dead-sticking a lively minnow has been the top producer, but loud buckshot spoons and rippin’ raps are calling fish in.
Lake trout fishing has been excellent with most trout being pulled from depths of roughly 40 feet. Some trout are also being taken at the weedlines. Tube jigs and laying dead baits on the bottom have been very productive. The most active lakes can be found in deep water near the shallow flats.
Northern pike have been fairly active, with a few fish measuring over 40-inches reported. Large suckers or smelt fished under a tip-up set along the weedlines or rocky points have been productive. The most action has been in depths range from 10-25 feet.
Panfish action has been consistent, with active fish coming from 20-30 feet of water. Small jigs tipped with wax worms are very effective for the sunfish, and small jigs tipped with a crappie minnow are turning nice numbers of crappies in the basin areas. 800-777-7281; www.ely.org
Grand Rapids
Many anglers are concentrating on panfish due to the hundreds of quality panfish lakes in the Itasca County/ Grand Rapids area. Lite line and tackle have been the most productive for bluegills and crappies. For the most action, try a tungsten jig with a waxworm, euro larvae or a soft plastic imitation. A few lakes to try are Little Moose, Big and Little Bowstring, Pokegama, Little Cutfoot, Dunbar and Burrows lakes, as well as Bass Lake in Cohasset. All have good populations of panfish.
Walleye fishing remains good on several area lakes, especially during early morning and late afternoon hours. Big Cutfoot, Winnibigoshish, Pokegama, Moose, Jessie and Round lakes have been giving good numbers of walleye, as well as some nice jumbo perch. Glow orange and glow chartreuse buckshot spoons tipped with a minnow head have been effective, as have jigging raps and blade baits. A dead-stick in another hole with a live shiner or chub nearby will often entice fish to bite when the jig line isn’t appealing. www.visitgrandrapids.com
Northwest Region
Baudette – Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River
Good numbers of walleye and sauger continue to come from the south end of Lake of the Woods. Jigging one line and using a bobber and live minnow on another line have been effective, especially in depths of 23-31 feet of water. Gold, pink, orange, glow red and glow white tackle have worked well, as have lures with a red light stick and rattle baits. Electronics are helpful to pinpoint suspended walleye and tullibee. Anglers fishing Big Traverse Bay are taking walleye, sauger, jumbo perch, northern pike, tullibee, eelpout and an occasional crappie. Walleye measuring over 28-inches have been reported this week.
Certain areas of the Rainy River continue to produce walleye during morning and evening hours, but anglers need to remember that ice conditions vary greatly due to current under the ice. It is very important to work through a resort since they are most knowledgeable of river ice conditions.
Up at the Northwest Angle, anglers are taking good numbers of walleye, sauger and jumbo perch, with an occasional northern pike, eelpout or tullibee in the mix. Ideal depths have been 20-26 feet of water.
Please note that a Northwest Angle Guest Ice Road is being constructed to offer guests access to the Angle and Island from the south. To view current conditions on Lake of the Woods, check out the many Lake of the Woods web cams. 800-382-FISH; www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com
Bemidji
Mild temperatures have drawn lots of anglers out onto area lakes. Walleye have been most active during early morning and late afternoon/evening hours. Jigging spoons and minnow heads, as well as dead sticks with a fathead or shiner are turning nice numbers of fish. Look for fish in depths of 12-30 feet. The key has been to fish away from the crowds, especially on the weekends. Perch are biting on and off throughout the day, especially on Bemidji, Irving, Wolf, Plantagenet and Grace lakes. Northern pike action has been good off the deep weed edges on many area lakes. For crappies and bluegill, work the deep basins and deeper weed edges on Gull, Beltrami and Midge lakes. 800-458-2223; www.visitbemidji.com
Detroit Lakes
Ice thickness for most Detroit Lakes area lakes remains roughly 12 inches. Anglers should stick to ATV, UTV, sled and track vehicle travel until the ice grows thicker. Slushing and flooding remain an issue on some lakes. Anglers are asked to avoid crowded areas.
Walleye activity is best at first light and at sunset, and the shoreline edges of the outside weedlines and the shallow humps are the most productive. Both active jigging and dead-sticks with live bait are producing well. Some panfish continue to relate to the weeds, but others have transitioned to the basin areas where they can be found suspended. Jigging with plastic tails, wax worms or minnow heads has been the most effective. 800-542-3992; www.visitdetroitlakes.com
Central Region
McGregor Area Lakes
Mild temperatures have halted ice development over the last week or so. The ice remains roughly 10-16 inches thick on Lake Minnewawa, with quite a bit of slush in some areas. A few walleye, northern pike and crappies are being reported. On Big Sandy Lake, anglers are taking a few crappies and walleye. Again, watch for areas of slush. 218-768-3692 www.mcgregormn.com
Alexandria Area Lakes
A hot crappie bite is reported in the Alexandria due to the many lakes with strong crappie populations. Anglers are finding fish roaming the basin areas away from structure, so the key is to stay on the move until fish are located. These fish are often suspended so a good sonar unit is important to find schools of fish, as well as where they are in the water column. Late afternoon to evening is often the ideal time to target crappies, particularly in lakes with clear water. Small 1 tungsten jigs tipped with wax worms or spikes will produce crappies, but a small jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head will often yield bigger fish. 320-763-0102; www.explorealex.com
Isle/Onamia – Lake Mille Lacs
Anglers are out and enjoying the mild temperatures and pleasant conditions on Lake Mille Lacs. For the most walleye, set up at the edges of the structure such as the mud flats and gravel bars. During the day, work roughly 30 feet of water near the edges, moving back on top during low light hours. On cloudy days and during low light hours, use glow spoons pink or green; on bright, sunny days and during afternoon hours, switch to natural colors.
Most anglers are getting around by ATV and snowmobile since vehicles are discouraged. While measurements show 13-16 inches of ice in many areas, some areas have only 8-10 inches of ice. More seasonable temperatures this weekend should help ice to build. Please consult with area resorts and bait shops before heading out to learn the most current conditions.
Lake Mille Lacs anglers may keep one walleye measuring between 21-23 inches, or one fish longer than 28 inches this winter. The DNR offers further information about fishing regulations specific to Lake Mille Lacs. Check out current conditions at the Mille Lacs Lake Webcams web page. 888-350-2692; www.millelacs.com
Minneapolis-St. Paul Area
The 2021 Winter Carnival’s Ice Fishing Tournament is underway! Compete by taking photos of yourself with your catch, then upload them via the FishDonkey app. The tournament runs through Feb. 7, the final day of the Winter Carnival. Cost is $10 per participant, and participants can enter images for as many categories as they want. Leaders will be awarded prizes in a variety of categories. To encourage the next generation of anglers (youth ages 12 and under), two random winners will be selected from the Kid’s Catch category each week. Details can be found at the Winter Carnival’s Ice Fishing Tournament web page.
Twin Cities Trout Unlimited (TCTU) created a fun YouTube video featuring many of the entries submitted for a photo contest in May 2020. The video is offered courtesy of TCTU and the many anglers who participated in the TCTU Spring Photo Contest. Check it out at “The Four Seasons of the Driftless.”
Southern Region
Lanesboro/Preston – Southeast Bluff Country trout streams
As of Wednesday, Jan. 6, Lanesboro Area Fisheries staff reported that all designated trout streams in eight counties of southeast Minnesota are now open for catch-and-release angling. Anglers are asked to refer to the Minnesota fishing regulations booklet for specifics. Midges were recently seen running around on the snow, with trout sipping them in areas with slower current. Continued mild weather is in the forecast so angling should be very pleasant for the next week or so!
Check the Weekly Minnesota Stream Flow Maps for updates before you head out. Anyone with questions is asked to call or email their office at 507-765-7060 or lanesboro.fisheries@state.mn.us. 800-944-2670; www.lanesboro.com
Ortonville – Big Stone Lake
Anglers report good numbers of perch coming from 13-14 feet of water on Big Stone Lake. The best times to fish are during morning hours until 11 a.m., and then 3 p.m. until dark. A few nice bluegills are also being taken.
Anglers are asked to extreme caution due ice heaves and varying ice thickness. While ice some areas measures 10-12 inches thick, other areas have only 5-7 inches of ice. 320-839-3284; www.bigstonelake.com
Comments