Blackduck area Fishing Reports

[Bluegill1510]

Wow thats pretty consistant amount of snow that fell from st. cloud to blackduck! I've found every lake is different this winter so far as far as ice thickness. My dad and I went fishing yesterday and lots of slush out thats all I can say, and the lake we did decide to venture on had a solid 10 1/2" of ice (measure with my tape measure) but with an inch of water on top of the ice, and guys were driving their pickups on that..one guy at the access even told us he "figured" there was 16" of ice when he looked down his holes. But same story from guys we talked to and what we experienced, they marked fish (crappies) but they would only come check the bait out for a second and then swim on by. One guy though he said he caught his 4 crappies right away betweeen 1-2 pm and then after 2 pm they shut off for him. Alot of guys are blaming this cold front/high pressure system and I can see that, but one thing I noticed is we are in a full moon phase and I have never really done well fishing for crappies at the primetimes (sunrise & sunset) in the winter during a full moon. But have done better actually during the day time. Maybe that has something to do with it as moon phases do effect fishing in other seasons..spring, fall, summer. Maybe I am just still stuck on moon phases from hunting the rut!

[Drake]

Hey Bluegill; I have actually talked to a lot of our guests that plan their fishing trips by the moon phases and swear it has a big effect on their fishing. I need to keep track of that and see what I come up with; did track the pressure system for a year and wrote it down every day and then added how the fishing was for us and our guests..now to do that with the moon phases. Roscoe, good luck and let us know how it went!

[mediocrates67]

what's the word on travel on blackduck? we're going up this weekend, but i have a pickup and 16' fish house. where are the plowed roads out of?

[Drake]

The guys that hit it yesterday said that they were measuring approx. 15-16" of ice. The access is opened up and there are some vehicles that are going out of there, although there is no real plowed roads; just a couple folks plowed to their fish houses. On the southside of the Duck, Beaver Creek has plowed again this year and our folks have liked his roads. On the north end of the lake, Dunrovin is plowing this year; both of these are a pay access.

Fishing over the weekend was slow on Blackduck; in part due to the cold temps and the fish just not cooperating (several anglers reported putting their cameras down and seeing several fish, but not being able to get more that a couple to bite~walleye better in the morning hours). Plus with the extreme cold we had (actual temps going to -35) where folks set up is exactly where they stayed..no moving around.

Yesterday I had a couple of groups out and the fishing was starting to improve (Blackduck, Upper Red and a couple of the smaller local lakes) and there were some fresh fish frys and our guys were taking fish home so they said they were pretty pleased. Good luck to you this weekend!

[Roscoe16]

We fished Blackduck last Saturday. -32 on my truck thermometer. We drove on at Dunrovin Resort, set up in 3 groups between Dunrovin's and the island. Each group moved once. One perch was caught. One group while in 22 feet saw tons of perch on the camera but none would bite. We hit a couple slushy spots but nothing crazy. We bagged it and went to Red late that afternoon and got a few walleyes, were told at Mort's that the fishing slowed way down with the cold snap. Went to Lake of the Woods the next day and did OK, threw back a lot of 10-11 inch saugers. We'll be back up to Blackduck & LOW in March. Thanks for all the reports and info.

Roscoe16

[Drake]

WInter is definitely back, temps this week are back down to the single digits, with the upcoming weekned starting to get back to the normal temps in the teens. The fishing in the area the last week has definitely improved quite a bit. On Blackduck a couple of weeks ago anglers were putting their cameras down and seeing plenty of perch with a few sunnies and crappies, but only able to get a very few to bite, but a week ago and through last week the bite improved tremendously and several jumbo perch were being reeled in and even got a picture of a couple nice walleye out of the Duck. On Blackduck the public access is popped open with a couple of short roads going to individual houses, but there are two pay access on Blackduck, one on the north and one on the south of the lake that folks are going out of and the travel is good going out of those. The smaller lakes in the area are also kicking back in, got a picture of some of our guys yesterday with some nice sunnies and crappies. For those going to Upper Red, the fishing there has also greatly improved and our anglers are coming back with limits of walleye.

[slicker]

Fished Gilstad today caught a few crappies some still had eggs

[Drake]

Fishing in the Blackduck area this past week has continued to be very good. On Blackduck Lake anglers are starting to spread out more, and having the best luck in the 10 to 14 foot depths. Some are having better results bobber fishing with a jig tipped with a leech or minnow, while others are doing the slow troll with a spinner and a leech, back and forth over the bars in the 10-18' areas. Still mostly an evening bite, just a few being picked up in the mid afternoon hours, for the morning, plan on being on the lake early as the bite is dying off around 9am.

Other lakes in the area are also producing walleye, again in the 10-15' depths, with many coming through the fish cleaning shack that were caught in the afternoon hours. Island Lake was a little slower this weekend with the "keeper" size walleye. Upper Red continued to give a lot of great walleye action this weekend, with the most action in the 5-6' depths, jigging with a minnow was much more productive than the still bobber.

The area lakes are continuing to produce good numbers of perch, sunnies and crappies, with more crappie action in the evening hours. Fishing along the shorelines and casting into the pencil reeds, jig tipped with a minnow for the crappies and waxies working the best for the gills.

FYI, road work continues on the Scenic from Highway 2 to the Pennington area, after that it's wide open, and you can still access it from 12 or 20.

[WalleyeChamp]

I was up on BlackDuck last week Thursday and Friday. Thursday was great all day long. Some storms rolling through but when we were out we were able to get on some pretty consistant fish. Walleyes in 10-16 feet were common. Trolling with a red hook and a couple green beads. Smaller leeches worked well for us. We marked fish all over just outside the access on the high sides of the hills.

We tried for crappies on Friday but the wind was just too strong to stay on top of anything.

[Drake]

The storms and winds last week really stirred things up, but finally all calmed back down and fishing kicked back in. On Blackduck Lake the walleye action has even picked up in the daytime hours, reeled in a limit of nice eyes the other day and have seen several walleyes coming back through the fish cleaning room. Do a slow troll in the 12-18' depths, spinner tipped with a leech (although some guests have just used a plain hook with a leech). Same depths and presentations on Island and Gull Lakes.

Fishing was slower on Upper Red after the strong winds, but sounds like that has settled back down also, with some nice eyes being reeled in especially by the rock humps.

Panfish bite is going well, crappies more in the later afternoon, as usual, look to the cabbage beds and weedlines. Bass has been providing action using plastics or spinnerbaits in the shallow weeds. Muskie is kickin in, one guest out on Cass said he had one up to the boat and several follows; Big Lake and Lake Bemidji is having muskie activity pulling bucktails in the 8 to 12' depths.

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th..hope to see you on the lakes!

[minnesotashooter]

We are heading up to White Birch resort next Saturday for a family reunion. Thankfully there will be three boats and I will be able to get away from the in laws for much of the time. Is there a good bait shop in Blackduck? How much are leeches costing in the area? Can we buy them buy the pound?

[Rick G]

Great bait shop right in town they will have everything you need. I havent made it up in a few weeks but the leeches were 24bucks a pound for the jumbos.

[WalleyeChamp]

yep, great place right there, cant miss it.

I wonder if they still have jumbos though??

[Myrt]

Heading up to LOW Sunday, my buddy and me always fish Upper Red for a few hours of catch and release and then stay in Baudette before heading up to the Angle. We thought of maybe trying Blackduck or Island for a change. Can anyone tell us if they are worth a try right now or suggest sticking to Upper Red? We'll probably stop at Timberline and ask the same question and get whatever we need there, or head on up to Westwind. Either way we are looking forward to it.

[fivebucks]

Island Lake has been slow for me since the start of July. In fact I have not caught a walleye in July in 2 long weekend trips.

[minnesotashooter]

We spent all week on Blackduck at White Birch Resort and fishing was nothing spectacular. Caught some nice perch and two really large sunfish but the walleyes were only small, 8-12 inch fish. Caught four drum, two on 4lb test, that was fun and I caught one eelpout. I would head to Red and skip Blackduck but it was the first time on the lake for me and I might not have been at the right spots.

[Get'n Jiggy]

Thinking of a fall trip to Blackduck, does the lake have a "bog stain" or tea color to the water? Also is there much cabbage weed in the lake?

[Crappiechopper]

On our way up next week for our annual trip. Is the ice thick enough for vehicles or do I still need the wheeler? How's the bite?

[Champs]

I think it is probably too early for vehicles. Solid 8 inches out there though.

[Crappiechopper]

Thanks.

[Drake]

Just talked to a few of our anglers and to Karl to get an update on the fishing and ice conditions in the Blackduck area since we have not had a chance to get out yet. Blackduck Lake is running 6-11" of ice, it is not real uniform due to the snowfall earlier in the season. The access is pretty void of snow and easy to get out, but for those getting out on their wheelers and sled and hitting further out the fishing has been doing fairly well, with perch and walleye being caught, as well as some sunnies and crappies. The pike are also very agressive on the Duck at this time, with more spearing than in past years. Beaver Creek, on the southside of the lake, has an access again this year, and has been working on that area and checking the depths over there and said that by this weekend they anticipate allowing vehicles out.

Extended weather forecast shows highs in the teens (a bit warmer than we have been experiencing) and lows in the zero to single digit range with only a chance of snow showers reflected for a couple of days in the next ten; so good for making ice.

REMEMBER: Please be sure to check with the access owners and see what they recommend for vehicle travel before heading out on the ice!

Island Lake's anglers yesterday reported a good 10" every where that they checked, and saying it was pretty void of snow (they didn't get as much as we did and more uniform ice conditions); northern pike were the catch of the day there, giving anglers quite a bit of activity. The smaller lakes in the area over the weekend were measuring 9 to 12" of ice, and we saw some really nice pike, walleye and panfish come through the cleaning shack over the weekend. Upper Red Lake areas are varying 8 to 14" of ice; and many of the accesses are talking about allowing lightweight vehicles on the ice this weekend.

[Crappiechopper]

Thanks for the report Drake. We'll be up at your place Monday thru Wedsnesday. Looking forward to it for sure.

[walleyeRyummy]

fished gull for a couple hours today as the snow was rollin in....only caught one fish (nice sunny) ....looking forward to hitting it again soon...is there another way onto the lake other than the public access? i saw quite a few houses out, but no tracks from the ramp...

[Drake]

For Gull Lake that varies each year. There is no pay access; there are some spots out there that are plowed, but many of those are done by some local landowners that are plowing out for their houses and their friends. One person said recently someone had plowed out of the public, but after last weeks storm not sure if it has been replowed. Also, last year, Pike Point plowed an access for folks out of there spot, but don't know for sure if they have done that this year (it wasn't earlier since we had not had a lot of snow).

On Blackduck Lake, there is a pay plowed access on the southshore. It is a well maintained road. On Blackduck Lake the perch fishing is continuing to go strong. There are walleye and pike that are being reeled in, along with a rare crappie and sunfish; but most anglers are hitting the Duck are targeting perch. The other lakes in the area are producing good numbers of sunfish and crappies (about to add a couple more pictures to our photo section of our site) with limits of fish coming through the cleaning shack. Our anglers that have hit Upper Red are saying the last couple of days jiggin is working much better than a dead stick (which is what was more productive earlier last week); and moving around (much easier with sleds) as one spot may be slow, but just moving 20 feet can make a big difference.

FYI-Just had a cancellation for a couple of rooms for the long MLK weekend, Jan. 14-17.

[Roscoe16]

Any particular depth been better for perch on Blackduck? Any time of the day better? Thanks.

Roscoe16

[Drake]

Our guys have pretty much been in the 20' depths. Folks hitting all different hours of the day, but our guys are usually back in the fish cleaning room before too late, haven't talked to anyone who's not headed out until the evening hours.

[fishingfool]

Wondering if anyone has any recent lake condition reports for blackduck or rapideau? Can you get around the lake with a pickup if not on a plowed road? Slush?

thanks in advance

[Matt Breuer]

fished gull for a couple hours today as the snow was rollin in....only caught one fish (nice sunny) ....looking forward to hitting it again soon...is there another way onto the lake other than the public access? i saw quite a few houses out, but no tracks from the ramp...

I heard last night that the public access is barely usable anymore now. There is a village out there, but it's all folks going out of private accesses, unless they're coming over from the campground/trailer park. Sled is the only way to go on Gull most years...

[Drake]

On Blackduck there is a paid, plowed access with roads heading to some pretty good fishing on the southshore of the lake. Our guys have been doing pretty good out there, hitting the 20' depths for the perch and seeing several limits, as well as a few of the 10" sunfish and a few of the 13" crappies. With the snow, to get off the roads snowmobiles are the mode of travel. Haven't had any of our anglers hitting Rabideau this past week, and again, the sled is the best mode of travel for that lake (and with some springs in the lake we don't take our truck out there). We have a great group of guys from the Air Force National Guard up for a long weekend (thank you guys for your service!!) and they have been hitting Upper Red Lake and doing Very good on walleye and having nightly fresh fish fry's.

[Drake]

Fortunately, the snow that is hitting a good portion of the state is missing us. There is still plenty of snow on the lakes, which makes snowmobile traffic the easiest way to get around the lakes if you are not heading out on a plowed road. Blackduck Lake this past week and weekend has been on one day, off the next and on the next. With the weather changing and the pressure fluxuating like it has been that's pretty typical. While a few of our folks hitting the Duck have been going out of the public access (it's popped open a short way out), most are going out of the pay access and hitting the plowed roads. One day one group got their limit of perch (still hitting the 20' depths) and the next it was slow go, then pretty decent the third day.

We have had a few anglers that brought their sleds and hit some of the smaller lakes in the area and found the bite to be really good, with one angler coming in on Friday night saying first he limited on his sunnies, then got his limit of crappies and went for the northern and reeled in a couple nice pike, one measuring almost 29 and another 31. Upper Red Lake has been doing pretty good with limits and near limits of walleyes, with the exception of Thursday (one group said they bounced around and only reeled in a perch); but the next day another group hit the same general area and did very well on walleye and even managed to reel in a few of those slab crappies. Best for them was some were using a plain hook and others were using a red glow jig.