Here is your Leech Lake, Brainerd, Cass Lake and Mille Lacs Fishing Guide Report for the week of June 26th. Our Fishing Guide team has been busy chasing walleyes all over Central Minnesota and with great success.
A happy trio with a nice day's catch
With this time of year comes changing weather patterns, bug hatches, and a transition period for walleyes throughout the region. Lets see what was happening this week.
Leech Lake
With the big winds this week we were not able to venture out as far, so not a whole lot to report from the Main Lake. When it isn’t blowing too hard, the main lake rock reefs were kicking out nice Leech Lake walleyes in 14-18 feet of water. Pulling lindy rigs with
crawlers or leeches as well as slow death at .5-.8 mph was the best. Speed is the key when dialing in these fish. Our Leech Lake fishing guides found a nice mix of eaters and bigger fish. Still many of the same places as last week were producing in North Bar, Fletchers, Ivans, Submarine, etc, but don’t forget to look for secondary reefs and humps that are nearby or if the fish are not on the edges of those reefs look to the mud basins where the bug hatches are taking place and drive until you graph fish.
Another great fish in the boat
On the west end of the lake in Walker Bay and Agency Bays, shoreline breaks that had wind blowing in were the best. 14-20ft of water is where we keyed in on. Pulling lindy rigs with chubs, leeches, or crawlers all worked to put a nice mix of walleyes and even some nice pike in the boat. Other areas to key in on would be under water points and bars that run out into the bays and have deep water right next to them the bigger fish like to suspend and then come in and feed during these times.
Mille Lacs
Well all you can say about Mille Lacs Walleye Fishing right now is WOW. This lake seems incredibly healthy and the fish are on the chow! We spent a few days last week fishing and guiding with awesome results.
Having fun catching smallmouth bass
Our best luck was on the mud flats. We focused on the North end of the lake and found great success on the top edges in 25-27 feet of water and at the base of the mud flats in 30-33 feet of water pulling spinners with crawler and lindy rigging with crawlers or leeches.
Also have heard reports of guys pulling leadcore for those suspended fish. Honestly if you use your electronics, play the wind, and drive until you mark fish you will catch walleyes out there and many that are big ones! .8-1.1 MPH was the best speed when trolling spinners and often times covering ground until you found pods of fish. If they didn’t go on the spinners then slowing it down and working over top of them was able to produce bites. Don’t forget other tactics such as power corking or looking to the rock reefs such as Myr Mar or Garrison to target these fish.
Smallmouth fishing was alright. The best reports came off of the rock reefs in 6-12 feet of water depending on the day and conditions. Brown and Blue tubes, jerk baits, and top waters on calm days were all good tactics. Best thing to do is avoid the crowds and try to find those isolated boulder piles or areas and the action can be fast and furious.
Lowrance technology is put to good use
Cass Lake
Under water points have been holding fish on Cass Lake of late. 12-15 feet in the early morning hours or cloudy days and 17-22 feet during the day. One key has been to find schools of baitfish and the Walleyes have been close by. Spinners or slow death rigs with a crawler have been dynamite. Clear days, the need to slow down and let the bait coax the Walleyes into biting means means Lindy rigs with leeches, crawlers or redtails. The key on Cass is to fish, fish; drive structure using your Lowrance sonar until you mark fish. Don't simply fish a spot, trust your electronics and fish fish!
Brainerd Lakes
The Lund ProV, boat of choice at Leisure Outdoor Adventures
Fishing has been pretty darn good around the Brainerd Lakes Area! Walleyes have been biting on Gull, North Long, and Whitefish. Keeping an open mind on what technique to use has been important because some days the walleyes will be in the weeds, and other days they are off the weed edge.
When the walleyes are in the weeds, pitching a jig/minnow or a jig/plastic into the cabbage weeds is best. If that does not produce walleyes, then switch to a slip bobber and leech. Cast the bobber into the weed pockets and let it sit for a few minutes, and if it does not get bit, re-cast the bobber and tr a new spot. If you can graph fish out on the weed edge, use a Lindy Rig with a redtail minnow, creek chub, leech, or night crawler. The best depths for the weed walleyes is 5-12 feet and the deeper fish normally will be located from 10-30 feet of water. Be sure to fish the windy weed beds first as this will drive the bait fish into those areas.
Until next week. Tight lines!
Leisure Outdoor Adventures Guide Team
