Leech Lake Fishing Report
The Leisure Outdoor Adventures Guide team was out in full force over the weekend fishing Leech Lake. We woke up on Saturday morning to a great Leech Lake Walleye chop and hungry walleyes. Our seven boat guide group managed to put together a great outing with many keeper walleyes under 20” and a few bonus picture fish over the 20” mark, with the biggest being just shy of 27” for the day. Overall it wasn’t a fast and furious bite, but grinding it out in key areas that were close to well known spawning areas was the best in 7-10 feet of water. Look for sand/weeds or sand/rock or gravel areas were best. 1/8th oz jig tipped with a shiner, rainbow, or fathead caught 90% of our fish over the weekend.
Water temps ranged from 49-52 degrees on the West side of the Lake. While on the East Side of the Lake and on the Main Lake water temps varied more. Many parts of the Main Lake were in the mid 40s as well as Walker Bay. These areas produced a much slower bite, as water temp is the key this time of year. Many of the well known areas produced fish throughout the weekend in West Goose Flats, Star Point, Duck, Pine, and some on Grand View Flats. On the East side of the lake the areas around Bear Island and the Eastern Shoreline points such as Battle, Five Mile, Sugar, and Partridge all had solid reports as well.
Also were mixed reports on the crappies, but that bite should pick up as we go through May. Sucker, Boy, Miller, and Steamboat Bays would all be good starting points.
Mille Lacs Fishing Report
Mille Lacs kicked out a good number of walleyes for the Leisure Outdoor Adventures Fishing Guides for the Minnesota Walleye Opener 2019. This past weekend, many anglers in all regions of the lake had awesome days of fishing. Some people that intended to keep their one walleye between 21-23 inches went home with their catch, however, many anglers released all fish. The water temps varied throughout the days and area of the lake, but our guide team found 48-53 degrees on the north end of the lake.
The jig/shiner bite was the main producer of walleyes over opener weekend, but depth was anywhere from 5-23 feet of water. The large depth changed varied throughout the day, and the fish seemed to be moving deeper as the sun got higher, and then moving back shallow if wind or clouds came in. Also effective to put walleyes in the boat was casting a jig/plastic combo and fishing it very aggressively in 5-8 feet of water. This method was best on windblown rocks during the low-light hours. Slip bobbers also put a bunch of fish in the boat tipped with a leech or minnow. The rock reefs that had wind were the best producers.
Throughout this week, the walleye bite should remain strong, and they should be holding in the same rocky transition areas. If you are unable to locate fish, be sure to moving a little faster until a fish is caught, and generally, there will be others in that area.
Stay tuned for more next week!
Tight Lines
Leisure Outdoor Adventures Guide Team
