Lake Winnibigoshish
A jig and minnow continue to provide excellent walleye action along the shorelines and points in 6 to 10 feet. Minnows also are producing perch along the shorelines in 6 to 8 feet, while trolling spoons in 10 to 15 feet has triggered pike throughout the lake. www.lakewinnie.net
Leech Lake
The walleyes are transitioning to their fall pattern. They have started to move back to their spring spots. They are also responding to a jig and minnow presentation as well as rigging. Although we are marking a lot of fish getting them to bite has been a challenge. Wind sweep points as well an 9-11 foot shorelines have produced really nice fish with most in the 16-22 inch range. So even though the numbers are not in full fall swing the size is. Try deep shoreline edges in Walker Bay with a rig and minnow (Chub) or crawler for a trophy type fish. I have had better success with rainbows vs fatheads. Jigs with blue or orange/yellow are a good place to start. The perch are just showing up in the narrows and should be in their other usual spots later this week as we are looking at some cooler nights. Water temps have now dropped into the upper 50’s and we will soon be in full fall mode. www.leech-lake.com
Lake of the Woods
On the south end… Anglers are pulling in nice catches of walleyes with some big trophy walleyes mixed in as well. The MN Tournament Trail Walleye Tournament just finished their championship with the winning team putting up 80.99 lbs for 10 walleyes! Water temps have dropped to the upper 50’s, shiners are running and there is a lot of bait adjacent to shorelines, fall is here. The jig bite has picked up tremendously, but pulling a spinner with a crawler or shiner along with trolling crankbaits is still effective. Along shore try 10-16′ and out on the mud 22-28′. Gold, glow and orange are strong this week.
On the Rainy River… More and more emerald shiners are entering the river this week. Current on the river is slow. Reports of some nice walleyes but still not the big run yet. Most anglers are jigging with frozen shiners. Trolling crankbaits or crawler harnesses still working and a good way to cover water. Sturgeon anglers focusing on deeper holes with a 3 ounce no roll sinker with an 18″ snell of heavy line (60 lb) with a 4/0 circle hook loaded with crawlers and shiners. Pike showing up on weed edges.
Up at the NW Angle… Until the US / Canada border opens, guests can travel across the lake staying and fishing in MN waters. There are boat shuttle / passenger services available to the Angle. Check with your favorite NW Angle resort for options.
As fall kicks in, many anglers jigging with good results. Gold spinners with crawler or minnow also producing nicely. Some really nice walleyes caught this week targeting structure and shorelines in 10 – 15′ and 21 – 27′. Muskies and big pike hitting topwater in weedy bays. Some big crappies on small jigs in 15-30′. http://www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com
