Here is your Leech Lake Fishing Guide Report along with reports on Mille Lacs and the Brainerd Lakes. It is crazy how much difference a week can make in the state of Minnesota. We went from 75 and sunny on Opener to 45 degrees, cold, wind, and rain this past weekend. The walleyes on Leech Lake, Mille Lacs, and the Brainerd Lakes area still were actively biting with a little work. Lets see what the LOA guides had to say in this week’s fishing guide report
Leech Lake
Heineken Group caught some dandy Leech Lake Walleyes with the LOA Fishing Guides
Walleyes on Leech Lake found themselves spread out but actively feeding on shiners. A Jig and shiner or a plastic and lindy rigs with shiners and leeches were the go to presentations during the course of the week. Somedays walleyes were wanting it dragged along which is where lindy rigs worked well and other days snapping or twitching a jig and minnow was the ticket. So being diverse in your presentations, changing up colors and cadences, and getting away from the crowds is the ticket.
West End - Fish were found on West Goose Flats, Star Point, Grand Vu Flats, Duck Point, Pine Point, Stoney, and on some of the breaklines in Traders Bay. Depending on the day depths changed, but it seemed the best bite was in 8-14 feet of water. Find the shiners and you found walleyes closeby!
East End/Main Lake - Main Lake Rocks are still producing a large quantity of fish in the 20-26” protected slot, with some keepers mixed in. Annex, Submarine, Five Mile, Pelican Island, and Rogers Point all had decent bites. Fish were typically found in that 8-12ft range on this part of the lake and finding areas with sand and boulders was the key. Portage Bay also reported a good bite up near Federal Dam. Look for emergent cabbage in Portage, especially on those bright and sunny days where those walleyes will look to find cover. Pitching a jig and minnow or jig and plastic for these Leech Lake Walleyes in the cabbage is fun way to catch them.
Jumbo Perch are also showing up with the walleyes, but often times will be shallower. Found some of our best perch bites in 6-10ft of water, with some really nice jumbos mixed in.
Mille Lacs LOA Fishing Guide Report
Gotta Love this smile with her Leech Lake Walleye
The weather sure felt like “normal” opener weather this week. However, that did not stop the fish from biting! The walleyes and smallmouth are still chomping at all times of the day. The water temps dipped a little over the weekend, I was reading 52-53 degrees due to the rain and strong winds.
Walleyes can be found in the sand, rocks, and weeds at various depths throughout the day. The most consistent depth seems to be 7-16 feet, and jig/minnow or a live bait rig/shiner will get the job done. When the bite seems to slow down, move the boat either shallower or deeper on the same structure. The fish seem to be moving around, so if you stop getting bites, they are still probably in the area. A great way to catch every species is a ?-¼ ounce jig with a Svartzonker McRubber 4 in. Tail. Cast this around as a search bait and don’t be afraid to try different retrieve. We will see what the water temperatures do this week, but normally I start heading to the mud over memorial weekend!
Jeff Andersen - LOA Fishing Guide with a nice Leech Lake Walleye
The smallmouth have been biting really well, however I did not catch as many this weekend, and I’m blaming the drop in water temperatures...or it was just me. Anyways, the bass are hanging out around the rocky shorelines and near shore rock piles. They can be caught using all sorts of techniques, but a tube or flippin jig has been a great way to catch them. Casting Rapala X-Raps and Berkley Flicker Shads has also been a great multi-species option, as there are many walleyes that are swimming in the same areas.
Brainerd Lakes LOA Fishing Guide Report
Panfish are still hanging in the shallow bays, harbors, and reed beds. They are on the move with the water temperatures changing, so be ready to adapt for that day. If you are looking for food and the panfish are hiding, you can easily go catch northern pike. They are in the weeds, on the rocks, on the breaklines, anywhere you can find walleyes or bass, there will be pike. If you want to target them specifically, use bigger pike suckers on a beefed (20+ lb leader) up lindy rig and move the boat along 1-1.5 mph.
Leisure Outdoor Adventures Premier Guide Team
