MN DNR
While solid ice can be found on lakes throughout the state, ice growth has stalled due to recent mild temperatures. The forecast calls for more seasonable temperatures later this week which will help build ice and freeze areas of slush. 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.
The DNR reports that a number of vehicles have broken through the ice recently. It is imperative that ice anglers and others check ice thickness often since conditions can vary widely, even on the same body of water. Anyone heading onto the ice should have easily accessible ice picks and wear a life jacket. Learn more about ice safety.
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
Ely
Walleye fishing remains inconsistent; fish found one day, but elusive the next. Most fish have been found 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 have been key to calling them in.
Lake trout fishing has been a little slow overall, but there have been reports of some excellent trout action as well. Anglers catching trout are working the weedlines down to 40 feet of water, with the deeper depths near shallow flats being the most productive. Tube jigs have been best, but laying dead baits on the bottom has also been productive.
Northern pike remain fairly active, with a few measuring well over 40 inches. Large suckers or smelt fished under a tip up, along the weedlines or rocky points, has worked very well for anglers. The best depths range from 10-25 feet of water.
Crappies and sunnies are being pulled from 20-30 feet of water. Small jigs tipped with wax worms have been very effective for the sunfish, while small jigs tipped with a crappie minnow have turned lots of crappies hanging in the basin areas. 800-777-7281; www.ely.org
Duluth – Lake Superior, St. Louis River and inland waters
The inland lakes are giving up good numbers of perch along the shallow sandy weed areas. Perch are less affected by noise than other panfish, so drilling a number of holes and “ice trolling” is a good technique. Smaller walleye spoons tipped with live bait have been ideal. While other panfish bites have been hit or miss, working new areas of a lake can be very productive, especially in shallow bays with heavy ground vegetation to mud transitions. Remember that bug hatches will soon start in the soft substrate. Walleye and norther pike continue to be pulled from depths of 12-25 feet around the mid-lake humps.
St. Louis River walleye have become finicky. Anglers are targeting the shallow flats, but more fish are migrating up and down the channels so these areas should soon turn on. In the near future, concentrate on the deeper waters and channel edges. Downsizing and using dead-sticks will be key to catching fish. Anglers need to remember that extreme caution is always necessary on river ice.
Lake Superior anglers continue to fish the open waters up the north shore in search of schools of salmon, with boats launching from the Two Harbors access. A few shore anglers are also trying their luck. By February, the shore bite should improve. 800-438-5884; www.visitduluth.com
Grand Rapids
Anglers are enjoying the diverse fisheries found in the Grand Rapids area. The stream trout season recently opened and anglers are walking out onto area trout lakes which are known for their stocked rainbows, browns and brook trout. There are also opportunities to catch lake trout in a few designated lakes, with trout weighing more than 10-pounds are reported each season. Ice fishing options are vast throughout the area.
For the smaller stream trout species, check out Kramer, Moonshine and Taylor lakes. Only one line is allowed and a Trout Stamp is required to fish all designated trout lakes. For rainbows, browns and brookies, small jigs baited with waxworms or euro larvae are key — live minnows are not allowed on designated trout lakes. Small flashy spoons and #3 jigging raps are also good choices, and light line is a must. Electronics are very important for finding and staying on top of trout in the winter.
Lake trout can be found in several areas of the water column, and are generally deeper than stream trout. Anglers will want to use their electronics to locate lake trout in depths of 30-90 feet. Most lake anglers prefer larger jigs and plastics that resemble bait fish such as smelt, shiners and tullibee. Some of the best places to fish for lakers are Trout Lake (connected to Wabana), Bluewater Lake, and Sherry’s Arm on Pokegama Lake. www.visitgrandrapids.com
Northwest Region
Baudette – Lake of the Woods & the Rainy River
Walleye and sauger are sliding into depths of 26-30 feet on the south end of Lake of the Woods. Good numbers of fish are coming in on jigging lines with lures that rattle or vibrate. Use the second line as a dead-stick with a jig or plain hook tipped with a live minnow under a bobber set at 6 inches to a foot off the bottom. Electronics are helpful to locate fish and see how they are reacting to your presentation. Popular lure colors are gold, glow red, glow white, pink and green. Nice numbers of walleyes over 28 inches are being reported. For walleye, sauger, jumbo perch, large northern pike, tullibee, eelpout and even an occasional crappie or sturgeon, check out Big Traverse Bay.
Walleye anglers are pulling fish from the Rainy River during morning and evening hours. The river snowmobile trail from Baudette to Wheeler’s Point and on to the Northwest Angle is now open. Ice conditions vary greatly so anyone unfamiliar with the river should work through a resort.
Up at the Northwest Angle, walleye, sauger, jumbo perch and an occasional northern pike, eelpout and tullibee are being pulled from 22-27 feet of water. Due to stained waters, pink and gold colored tackle have been best.
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
Slush is starting to form on Bemidji area lakes, especially in areas of the plowed roads. The perch bite on Lake Bemidji has been best in 15-30 feet of water, with the most fish being taken away from the crowds. The walleye bite remains best during short windows of time early and late in the day, with Bemidji, Plantagenet and Turtle giving up nice numbers. A late day crappie and bluegill bite is taking place on Gull and Midge lakes. 800-458-2223; www.visitbemidji.com
Walker – Leech Lake
Anglers are enjoying a good bite on Leech Lake. Multiple plowed ice roads are providing access to many more areas recently. Ice conditions have improved, with measurements of 13-16 inches off the plowed roads in many areas. The ice roads have 18-plus inches of ice.
In Walker Bay, however, ice ranges from 8-13 inches thick so anglers must use extreme caution when venturing into untraveled areas. It is imperative to check ice thickness as you go. Cedar Point and Sand Point continue to offer the best walleye and perch action, especially at the transition areas of sand to sand grass in 10-12 or 16-20 feet of water. Recommended bait include rainbows, golden shiners and fatheads.
On the main lake, the Pine Point/Goose Island area is giving up nice numbers of jumbo perch and a few walleye in 11-13 foot depths close to deeper water. Morning and evening hours have been best. At night, walleye are being taken from 14-18 feet of water at Big Rock Reef, and from 22-26 feet of water in the Paris Trench area out of Horseshoe Bay. 800-833-1118; www.leech-lake.com
Detroit Lakes
The recent cold front caused ice to build on most lakes in the Detroit Lakes area, with measurements generally revealing 12-16 inches of ice. The late week cold snap will solidify the snowpack, making travel much easier. Anglers will still need to watch for pressure ridges, cracks and hard packed drifts.
Walleye anglers taking the most fish during short windows of time in the morning and at dusk. Walleye are being taken during the day when conditions are cloudy. Active jigging has out-produced dead-sticks recently, but anglers will want to continue using both techniques. Some bluegills and crappies are being pulled from the weeds and out over soft bottom areas. Electronics have been key to locating these fish in the water column. Jigging and bobber fishing have both worked well. 800-542-3992; www.visitdetroitlakes.com
Central Region
McGregor Area Lakes
As of late last week, the ice remained roughly 10-16 inches thick on Lake Minnewawa, with quite a bit of slush in some areas. A few walleye, northern pike and crappies were being reported. On Big Sandy Lake, anglers were taking a few crappies and walleye. Areas of slush were noted here as well. 218-768-3692 www.mcgregormn.com
Otter Tail Area Lakes
While the ice is in pretty good shape on most Otter Tail County lakes, anglers will still need to use caution. Ice can vary in thickness from one area of a lake to another, so anglers are encouraged to measure the ice often as they venture out. 800-423-4571; www.ottertailcountry.com
Alexandria Area Lakes
Crappies continue to offer the most consistent bite in the Alexandria lakes area. These fish can be found roaming the basin areas away from structure so the key is to stay on the move until fish are located. Once fish are found and a few are caught, they often scatter — anglers will want to remain mobile and follow the fish when this occurs. A good sonar unit is very helpful to locate fish and determine where in the water column they are holding. A small jigging spoon will pick off the aggressive fish, but tungsten jigs tipped with waxworms or spikes will often yield the best numbers. 320-763-0102; www.explorealex.com
Brainerd Area Lakes
Anglers enjoyed a great panfish bite late last week, with most fish pulled from the weeds or found suspended over basin holes. Aggressive jigging with artificials, both spoons and plastics, out-produced live bait.
The walleye bite has been very hit or miss. Dead-sticking with a plain hook below a split shot has been the best approach. Some walleye have been active in the shallow weeds on Gull Lake during the day. Northern pike have responded well to sucker minnows at the weedlines. 218-825-0410; www.visitbrainerd.com
Isle/Onamia – Lake Mille Lacs
Anglers are eager to head out on Lake Mille Lacs but ice conditions are variable and no one should head out before checking with area bait shops and resorts. Ice conditions will be questionable this weekend due to recent warm temperatures, several inches of snow and high winds which created drifts, slush and cracks. Anglers need to remember that ice conditions vary greatly and can change in an instance. By next weekend, the slush should be frozen solid and the ice cracks should be sealed up tight. If you plan to stay the night, make reservations early since many resorts and overnight fish houses are now booked through the end of the season.
Anglers that have been catching fish have remained mobile, concentrating on depths of 16-24 feet. Many of the flats and bays have been productive.
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 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. Further 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.”
Waconia – Lake Waconia
Many anglers have been fishing Wagener’s Bay on Lake Waconia, and some have been concentrating on Waconia Bay since the ice is now 13-17 inches thick in these locations. Measurements taken in other areas of the lake show 7-9 inches from Harm’s Point to Pillsbury Reef, 7.5-10 inches in the Center Reef area, and 8.5-10 inches from “the hump” by the marina on to Cemetery Reef. There is a pressure ridge that starts on the east side of Center Reef, runs over the north side of Keg’s Reef and on towards Red’s Reef. The pressure ridge is crossable by wheeler in some areas. 952-442-5812; www.destinationwaconia.org
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