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Been fishing west end Vermilion since 1969. Mainly Norwegian Bay area. Have noticed this year a big decline in amount of weeds in most areas we fish. Anyone else?

On the south end... Some great fall walleye fishing this past week on Lake of the Woods. September is a transition time, both for walleyes, bait, and what techniques they prefer. Walleyes are being caught at many locations around the lake. The north end continues to be producing a good number of eater walleyes with the mixed in trophy. This part of the lake has been consistent all summer and now into the fall. The south end of the lake is kicking out some nice limits as well, just have to find the fish. Electronics help of course, but so does covering water. The two techniques to cover water are spinners / crawlers and crankbaits. Both are still producing fish. The third common technique that is starting to kick in more and more every week as the water cools is jigging with a frozen emerald shiner. Once you find the fish, this can be super effective. Most fish are being caught in 18 - 32 feet, depending upon where you are fishing. There can be a morning / evening bite along the shoreline areas which is worth exploring. The shallower water can also light up during the day if bait is present. Areas throughout the lake with rock hold nice numbers of smallmouth bass. The south shore between Long Point and Morris Point has many scattered areas with rock as does the areas around Knight, Bridges and Garden Islands. Saugers, big pike, jumbo perch and a few crappies in the mix of walleyes throughout a day of fishing. On the Rainy River... Some good fishing in the Rainy River right now. Walleyes, saugers, pike, smallmouth bass, crappies, sturgeon, suckers and bullheads are all in the mix, depending upon what technique(s) you are using. Walleyes continue to be caught in Four Mile Bay, along various shoreline breaks, bars and other pieces of structure up and down the river. Trolling spinners and trolling crankbaits continues to be effective. Many anglers are jigging key areas and success. It will get even better as the waters continue to cool. Pike and smallmouth bass are being caught casting shorelines, bays and areas with rock or structure. Sturgeon activity is also getting better. Fall sturgeon fishing is normally excellent. The sturgeon season is open through the winter into the spring. Up at the NW Angle... The NW Angle is putting out some nice fish. Most anglers are targeting walleyes, but crappies and muskies are favorite species as well during the fall months. Walleyes are hanging out on points, reefs, flats and neck down areas with current. Good reports are coming from anglers using jigs, spinners and crankbaits. Some anglers swear by a jig and plastic or minnow. Others believe moving around with a spinner or crankbait is most productive. All three methods are catching fish. Crappies are being found in 20 - 30 feet off of points and around brush piles. Electronics helps to find the schools. Casting shorelines this time of year will put a plethora of species in the boat and is very enjoyable. Crankbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, inline spinners and bladed jigs are all good lures to work shorelines. Muskies have been active. Great reports as most muskie anglers fish just over the border from the Angle. With 14,552 islands, lots of spots, lots of fish. .

Current Brainerd Fishing Reports- Click Here. Show us your pics. Here's how things are looking on the chain...

Hit the ice for the first time today about 6 inches of ice and lots of slush 3-5 inches deep. The snitch handled the work load with amazing results. The busy end was the smallest pug bug with a maki mino the crappies were racing up am crushing it. The gills would come up slowly but would eat it. Had a 3 to 4 pound walleye break me off in the top of the hole.

On the south end... As we roll into September, nice coolers of walleyes are common with guides and charters with some big trophies being caught as well. Catching these predators isn't always a slam dunk as first you have to find them and then get them to eat. The two techniques with the continued warm weather catching the majority of the walleyes are drifting spinners with crawlers and trolling crankbaits. Many of the charters continue to run to the north end of the lake for good numbers of eaters. Drifting spinners (or slowly trolling if no wind) with a gold and red or a pink blade along with a two hook harness with a crawler continues to catch numbers of fish. Tip with crawler harnesses, hook for front hook in the dark part of the crawler, straighten the crawler out and hook the second hook. Leave about 2-3 inches of crawler off of the back hook and pinch off the rest. If you are looking at a mix of eaters with the chance of larger walleyes, the basin is holding larger fish. Both the mud and rock reefs have fish. Electronics are a big help in knowing where to fish. There is a lot of water. Trolling crankbaits is producing good numbers of fish, including big fish. This technique is effective on all parts of the lake and will continue into the fall months. Jigging will pick up and be a desired bait for walleyes as the waters cool. On the Rainy River... As fall temps start to appear and the days continue to get shorter, Mother Nature will drive some transition activity on the river. This means shiners running and more fish entering the river. As past reports have noted, there are some fish in the river already and it should only get better. Typically, mid September is when we start hearing about increased activity. Walleyes are being caught in Four Mile Bay, along various shoreline breaks, bars and other pieces of structure up and down the river. Trolling spinners and trolling crankbaits has been effective covering water and triggering fish. Pike and smallmouth bass are being caught casting shorelines and back bays. Crappies are showing up along docks and just off of shoreline breaks. Sturgeon season is open and the "dinosaur" activity will pick up as waters cool. For those targeting these huge fish, there are fish being caught. A sturgeon rig loaded with crawlers or a combo of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners is the ticket. Up at the NW Angle... Fishing on both sides of the border continues strong. Walleyes are the most sought after, but if you have fished the islands area, you know muskies, smallies, pike, sauger, crappies and perch are in the mix. Walleye anglers, some nice fish being caught on flats adjacent to structure. There are also walleyes on various areas of structure. Not every walleye is focusing on the same forage in the lake. Flats often have walleyes spread out, thus covering water with cranks or spinners is effective. Jigging areas of structure is catching fish. Many guides jig all year. When fishing Ontario waters, live and dead bait cannot be transported across the border from the U.S., hence plastics are being used. Another option is to purchase live bait in Canada, your favorite resort can help you with how and where. Muskie anglers are catching fish with some nice fish over 50 inches this week.

On the south end... Nice walleyes being caught this week on Lake of the Woods. A nice mix of eaters (under 19.5 inches), slot fish (19.5 - 28 inches which must be released) and trophy walleyes (over 28 inches). Although cooler temps and fall is upon us, the best bite so far is still pulling spinners and trolling crankbaits. Jigging will kick in very soon! There are walleyes being caught at many locations around the lake. One area that continues to put out good numbers of eaters is Little Traverse Bay which is located on the north end of the lake. Various spots along the south shore from Pine Island, Zippel Bay to Long Point in 15 - 30 feet of water are starting to heat up as some walleyes are gravitating to their traditional fall areas. The key is to locate fish using electronics. Reefs in the SW corner of the lake typically hold fish throughout the year and are also putting out some walleyes. Drift or troll spinners at 1.0 - 1.25 mph with a gold and red, a glow red or a pink blade with a two hook harness with a crawler. This technique continues to produce. Trolling crankbaits continues to produce good numbers of fish, including big fish. This technique will continue to produce nice walleyes into the fall months. Jigging will pick up any time with the shorter days and cooler temps. Saugers, big pike, jumbo perch and a few crappies in the mix of walleyes throughout a day of fishing. On the Rainy River... A great week of fishing on the Rainy River. There continues to be good reports for walleyes, saugers, pike, smallmouth bass, crappies, sturgeon, suckers and bullheads. A variety of fish is common on the Rainy River. Walleyes are being caught in Four Mile Bay, along various shoreline breaks, bars and other pieces of structure up and down the river. Trolling spinners and trolling crankbaits has been effective covering water and triggering fish. Jigging will start to pick up soon. Emerald shiners run in the fall up the river. Not a lot of reports yet but typically that will change in the very near future. Pike and smallmouth bass are being caught casting shorelines, bays and areas with rock or structure. For those targeting sturgeon, some decent activity this week. The sturgeon bite tends to be very active during the fall months. The keep or catch and release season is open throughout the fall if you like huge fish or simply want to mix up the walleye fishing a bit. Up at the NW Angle... Nice fish are being caught on both sides of the border. Most anglers are targeting walleyes, but there is a plethora of species to be had amongst the islands. Fall is an incredible time to fish the Angle. Walleye anglers are finding fish in typical walleye haunts. Points, reefs, flats and neck down areas with current. Good reports are coming from anglers using jigs, spinners and crankbaits. September and October are months anglers like to catch the huge crappies that live amongst the islands. Deeper areas off of points are good bets. Electronics are helpful in locating these fish. Crappies can reach up to 17 inches in these parts, with most in that 12 - 15 inch range. Muskie activity is definitely picking up. Many reports of fish over 50 inches this week caught and released. Many other fish in that 40 - 50 inch range caught as well.

Spent Thursday through Sunday at my brothers cabin near Becida with him my dad and nephew. We usually go a week later but brother had a wedding to attend. Fishing was beautiful as the weather was very cooperative but the catching needs much improvement. We hit 5 different lakes and only cleaned 19 fish. 3 walleye 4 jumbo perch and a few sunnies. At least we ate a god meal. Water temps were 69-72. Crawlers did much better than minnows and depths were 8 to 15 ft. Lots of boats on Cass and Plantagenet but fairly quiet on Kitchi, Everqreen and Big LaSalle. Definitely a good time with family just wish we were better at catching. Already looking forward to next year. Had a great burger at the Becida bar. Thanks Pete and staff there. Good luck all.

going to be heading up that way the 20th of aug and its been pretty quiet here in the deer river forum. my intent is to fish bowstring, maybe sand and some other lakes in the area. can anyone give me a little heads up on how fishing is?? thinkin even of dragging my 2 teenage granddaughters along can anyone tell me about dora lake. been there once, would like to maybe try it again. bugs still bad????

Following a long tradition here's the place to exchange Lake Vermilion open water fishing information for the 2023 season.

Have been out shore fishing a few times catching all that the river has to offer. I decided to buy a little jon boat to use in the area. It is a 12' jon boat with a 4hp 4stroke engine. I know when the river is high this rig will most likely not go up river, but when the river is at it's normal current, do you think this will be enough HP to push me up the river? Just hope to get to different shorelines and holes to see what they offer and explore the wonderful river!

Spent the afternoon on Sauk lake yesterday. Water temp was 49-50. Dock was pulled so I was glad I had put on guides on the trailer earlier this year. Never marked a fish and no bites. Frustrating but enjoyable day out on the water. Took back roads to enjoy the view through Richmond, Spring Hill and Greenwald areas. Brought back lots of old memories. Good old 6 corners and Richmond colosseum to name a couple. Got the next few days off to winterize around the house and hopefully get out once more before putting the boat away. Looking forward to deer season and ice fishing. Good luck all(except the trolls) and stay safe.

Guys/Gals, Going to stay at King Pin camping at Sand Point lake late this Sept. into Oct for a few days. Me and a few buddies stayed there Sept-Oct in 2021 and none of us had ever fished the area - we had limited success but caught some crappies that we could mark in some of the bays, the occasional small walleye in shallower areas (15-20') and a couple eaters we found in 30-35 feet when I could barely keep us over the reefs on west side of main body of Sand Point due to wind out on the big lake - was able to mark some fish drifting over the bumps there. Since then I have added a Terrova with spot lock which I think will help fish the area. I talked to a guy at the ramp heading out who said he uses down riggers to even fish this area for suspended fish, but I don't have any gear for that. I'd prefer to stick to jig/minnow as that's what I know from fishing Canadian walleye lakes. The usual game plan... would be nice to try to figure out where walleye hang out this time of year in this big, deep lake - find a 15" eater fish per person for a shore lunch... although we are more so bass fisherman and might try to find the smallmouth too for some action, although I'm not sure if they'll be near shore this time of year or not either. Basically, we have very little experience in the area and would appreciate any advice from anyone that knows this are in this fall time period. I have a 1989 Alumacraft Trophy 170 with the original Mariner 100 so I can get around Sand Point but she burns too much gas to get much further than the Namakan narrows. Bringing extra fuel of course. So mostly will stock to that area down through body of Sand Point and to the west bays. What tactics should I try this time to find more action? Couple pics from the first trip... Thanks for any tips guys!

On the south end... There is a chill in the air. Flocks of geese are starting to fly. Leaves are just hinting of a change and fall is on its way. As Mother Nature transitions, fishing continues to be good. Two techniques continue catching the majority of the walleyes, drifting spinners with crawlers and trolling crankbaits. Many of the charters continue to run to the north end of the lake as there have been good numbers of eaters. Drifting spinners with a gold blade with some red on it along with a two hook harness and a crawler continues to catch good. Pink, gold, gold/red, and gold/orange continue to be good blade colors. Try to maintain a 45 degree angle with your weight when pulling spinners. Keep your weight just off of the bottom, touching once in a while just to make sure you are near the bottom. 1.25 mph is a desired speed for snelled spinners. Trolling crankbaits over deep mud or around the mud / rock transition on the deep edges of rock piles continues to produce larger fish along with some eaters. Trophy walleyes are being caught using both methods. On the Rainy River... Another very nice week of walleye fishing on the river and it should only get better. Four Mile Bay has some fish as do shoreline breaks, bars and other pieces of structure throughout the river. Trolling spinners and trolling crankbaits has been effective. Some big pike are being caught casting shorelines and back bays. The river is all about a mixed bag. Walleyes, saugers, smallmouth bass, pike, big crappies and lake sturgeon are all being caught. Up at the NW Angle... An incredible week of fishing up at the Angle. Walleye anglers are reporting phenomenal fishing with good numbers of fish. Walleye anglers, check out areas of structure until you find fish. Jigging is very popular amongst the island structure and when fishing the "spot on a spot". When you are on a flat area, fishing a shoreline or up and down sunken islands, pulling spinners and trolling crankbaits are effective. Nice multi species action for those casting shorelines. Muskie anglers are catching nicely. With colder weather around the corner, many muskie anglers look forward to trolling shorelines and areas of structure around islands.

On the south end... Good numbers of walleyes and saugers caught this week on Lake of the Woods. It's late summer and the two techniques catching the majority of the fish are spinners with crawlers and trolling crankbaits. Eater walleyes, those fish under 19.5 inches, have been in good numbers in the north end of the lake. Drifting spinners with a two hook harness and a crawler continues to catch many of the walleyes right now. Gold, gold/red, gold/orange and pink spinner blades continue to be good colors. Quick tip, pinch off the long tail of the crawler, you only need two to three inches off of the back hook and will catch more fish. Trolling crankbaits over deep mud in Big Traverse Bay or around the mud / rock transition on the deep edges of rock piles continues to produce nice fish. During the warm summer months, walleyes often react better to some faster trolling speeds. 2.5 - 3.5 mph have been working well. Rotate crankbaits until you figure out the walleye's preference. Different shapes, sizes, wobbles, rattles and colors all can make a difference. Some colors to consider... shiny gold, pink UV firetiger, chrome / blue, chartreuse body with a red head. A bug hatch here and there can make fishing more challenging, but anglers are still catching walleyes. Spinners and crankbaits are the ticket. Some anglers try to work areas of the lake not so affected by the hatch. On the Rainy River... For being the middle of August, a nice week of walleye fishing on the river. Four Mile Bay continues to hold some fish along with various shoreline breaks, bars and other pieces of structure throughout the river. Trolling spinners and trolling crankbaits have been effective. A few big pike with good numbers of smaller eater sized pike are being caught casting shorelines and back bays. Spinnerbaits, inline spinners and bladed jigs with a plastic producing fish. Trolling crankbaits and covering water will also put a mix of fish in the boat. The river continues to produce a mixed bag of walleyes, saugers, smallmouth bass, pike, big crappies and lake sturgeon. Up at the NW Angle... Another great week of fishing up at the Angle. Walleyes, saugers, muskies, pike, smallmouth bass, jumbo perch and crappies are all showing up nicely in August. For walleyes, work various areas of structure until you find fish. Pull spinners on top of a sunken island or underwater point and eventually slide off the edge, watching both your electronics for fish and noticing what depth or where on the structure you caught. Sometimes fish will be on top, other times on the sides or off the structure in the adjacent mud. Go spot to spot until you find fish. Jigging when you are on fish on tight structure is effective. Spinners / crawlers when fish are spread out or you are looking for fish. Muskie anglers continue to report action with both follows and fish boated. Lodging, fishing charters / guides and upcoming fish house rentals at www.fishingminnesota.com/Lodging.

Many of the charter boats are running to the north end of the lake looking for "eater" walleyes, those fish under 19.5 inches. The protected slot limit on LOW is 19.5" - 28.0", which have to be released. Anglers are allowed a combined limit of walleyes and saugers of 6, with up to 4 of the 6 being walleyes. Anglers can also keep on walleye over 28 inches if they so desire. Otherwise, some anglers choose a few pics and a graphite mount then releasing the fish. Drifting spinners with a two hook harness and a crawler continues to be very good. Gold, gold/red, gold/pink continue to be good colors. Trolling crankbaits around rock piles or over the deep mud is producing nice fish. Trolling speeds of 2.5 - 3.5 have been working well. Various crankbaits work, rotate until you dial in what the walleyes want. Different shapes, sizes, wobbles, rattles and colors all can make a difference. The Warrior Boats David A. Andersen Memorial walleye tournament was this past Saturday. The winning team had 5 walleyes for over 43 lbs., over an 8 lb average per walleye. Lots of nice fish caught both pre-fishing and during the Saturday tournament. Another bug hatch popped up, which is common throughout the summer. Despite the overabundance of food in the lake, good numbers of fish are still being caught. Bug hatches can make fishing more challenging however. On the Rainy River... Good reports of walleyes this week. Four Mile Bay was holding fish along with various spots throughout the river. Fish caught jigging, trolling spinners and trolling crankbaits. When walleyes are spread out, trolling is effective to go through small schools of fish. Some big pike along with numbers of smaller eater sized pike caught both on the main river and back in some bays. Spinnerbaits, inline spinners and bladed jigs with a plastic producing fish. Reports of pulling spinners catching a variety of species including walleyes, saugers, smallmouth bass, pike and some big crappies! Once again, some nice sturgeon caught this week. Lots of these big fish jumping throughout the day. Up at the NW Angle... Another week of multispecies action up at the Angle. Walleyes, muskies, pike, smallmouth bass, jumbo perch and crappies. For walleyes, work up and down structure until you find fish. On the Minnesota side, various areas north of Garden Island around Oak, Little Oak and Hay Islands producing walleyes. Spinners / crawlers or trolling crankbaits effective. If on tight structure with fish, jigging with a minnow or plastic working well. Muskie anglers are reporting some great activity this month. Most anglers have reported good action. Numbers of big pike caught again this week. There is a strong population of pike over 40 inches in LOW. Many of these fish are caught by unsuspecting walleye anglers or by muskie anglers.

Hit rice lake by Paynesville Monday. Just a couple 3-4 lb northerns. Water temps started at 58 early and jumped to 64 by time I finished. Did not find any crappie as I usually do around opener other years.

2020 St Cloud Area Fishing Reports - Click Here. Please post only fishing reports for the St. Cloud area here. evryone jump in!!!

Recommendations for good Bass fishing in the local SW Metro….Lake Susan, Lake Auburn, Lake Wasserman, Parley Lake, Steiger Lake, Lotus Lake, Lake Ann, Riley Lake…..Any of these lakes producing much?

On the south end... The dog days of August are upon us and there was some great walleye fishing this past week. As one guide commented, "we have to work for them, but we normally find them. They aren't in the typical spots, but fishing overall has been good." Even on Lake of the Woods, you gotta find them. When you do, two summer patterns are catching good numbers of fish. Spinners and crankbaits. Drifting spinners with a fathead, frozen emerald shiner or crawler has been working well. If there is no wind, troll slowly, about 1.25 mph to keep the blade spinning and cover water. Use a one hook harness with the minnows, a two hook harness with a crawler. Gold, gold/red, gold/pink have all been good colors. Mix up colors until you find what is working the best. Trolling crankbaits has also been catching good numbers of walleyes. Downriggers, leadcore line, snap weights, 4 oz. bottom bouncers with a 6' leader or a deep diving crankbait with braided line are all great ways to get your crankbait down deep. Depths of 30 - 36 feet are depths in the basin is holding a lot of walleyes. Various reefs are still producing. Some days, fish are on top, other days, they are on the sides or base where the rock transitions to mud. Some days, they might be over mud just off of the reef. Electronics will help you find the fish. Good numbers of big walleyes caught this week. Big pike, jumbo perch and occasional crappies in the mix. On the Rainy River... The morning and evening bite continues to be the best for walleyes. Some nice pike and sturgeon caught this week on the river as well. For walleyes, deeper holes, flats with current sweeping over them, and current breaks are good bets. Some big pike caught both on the main river and back in some bays casting spinners and spoons. Sturgeon activity increased this week and some nice fish were caught. The sturgeon keep season is on. One sturgeon 45-50 inches or over 75 inches allowed per calendar year per angler with a sturgeon tag. Many anglers simply catch and release. Up at the NW Angle... The fish are biting up at the Angle. Walleyes, muskies, pike, smallmouth bass, jumbo perch and crappies this week. For walleyes, work up and down structure until you find fish. This week, 22 feet of water off of reefs and points was good. Jig with a minnow or pull spinners with a minnow or crawler to cover water. Muskie anglers are reporting a good number of follows and catches. Not a lot of details provided, other than active fish and good success. Some big pike caught again this week. Some pike were caught by unsuspecting walleye anglers, others by anglers targeting them casting or trolling. With over 14,000 islands, the spots are limitless.

Went out for a few hours this morning. Only tried for walleye. Caught 1 bass. Guess I should have went for panfish. At least it was nice out. Water temps around 73. Access was full when I left.

On the south end... Good numbers of walleyes and saugers were caught this week on Lake of the Woods. Summer patterns are greeting anglers with some good fishing. Summer patterns in these parts are drifting with spinners and crawlers and trolling crankbaits. Yes, some are still jigging, some casting lures, but as a rule, harnesses and crankbaits are catching most of the fish. The open basin of Big Traverse Bay is the home this time of year to thousands of walleyes and saugers. This huge expanse of mud with an occasional reef is holding a lot of fish. Find bait, find the walleyes. The basin bite is in typically 28 - 34 feet of water. Schools of walleyes are looking for their next meal. Emerald shiners, tullibees, perch, perch minnows and other small fish are on the menu. Another popular menu item in the mud are blood worms and other insect larvae hatching from below. Reefs that pop out of the mud flats are magnets for walleyes and other fish. Walleyes can be on top at times, on the edges or adjacent to the reefs in the mud. Good electronics will help you crack the walleye code. Always remember there are some walleyes roaming the shallows for an easy meal mornings and evenings or when there is easy forage available. Along with the walleyes and saugers, some big pike, jumbo perch and occasional crappie in the mix. On the Rainy River... The morning and evening bite continues to be the best for walleyes. The goto spots on the river are deeper holes, flats with current sweeping over them, and current breaks. Covering water by trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses is a good way to find fish. Sturgeon season is open and those targeting dinosaurs are catching some nice fish. They are also reporting a mixed bag eating their offering of crawlers soaking in the river. Up at the NW Angle... Another week of good fishing up amongst the islands. This time of year, covering water by trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses puts anglers offerings in front of a lot of walleyes and will also catch a mixed bag of fish. A mixed bag consists of walleyes, saugers, smallmouth bass, pike, jumbo perch, crappies and muskies. Jig fishing amongst structure never gets old in these parts and some use this technique all year long with good results. With 14,552 islands in this part of the lake, casting shorelines, bays, and points is effective. Do a milk run going from spot to spot. Eventually, you will connect with good fish.

If you're looking for Current Rush Lake by Rush City Fishing Reports - Click Here. Let's see your pics and fishing reports here. Post em up. Well, I'm all but defeated. I'm on vacation on rush lake and have been out everyday trying to catch the elusive eyes with absolutely no luck and am at my wits end. I don't know very much about walleye fishing as I'm from Iowa and just got into it a few years back. I've tried trolling shallow shad raps size 5 and 7 on the north side of the lake in front of the church but the weeds are so thick I can't keep them off the hooks no matter what amount of line I have out. I tried trolling them on the south side of the lake and had no luck. Also had some trigger x 3" grubs on 1/8 oz jigs that I tried to troll. That's all I know how to do guys. Oh, and I was trolling at about 2.5 mph in all different times of day. Tried going out at night once but don't know enough as to what to do to make any trip productive. I would really appreciate any help. I've been coming to Minnesota for over 5 years now and have still to catch a walleye. What am I doing wrong or not doing at all? I'm here until Saturday and need some pointers. Hopefully you guys aren't as tight lipped as the walleyes have been. I don't want giants just a few decent eaters.

On the south end... Summer fishing is in full swing on Lake of the Woods and traditional summer patterns are holding true for anglers. It is helpful to cover water to find fish and keep presentations in front of fish, many of which are out on the deep mud. Some anglers are still sticking to deep reefs which can always be a magnet. Both are putting out walleyes. Drifting spinners and trolling crankbaits are the go to presentations. Finding where the fish are and changing up color, speed and presentations is key. If the walleyes don't cooperate, try something different move on to another school of fish that might be more active. Crawler harnesses, use a two hook harness with a hammered gold blade, a bright color or combo of both. Drift or troll at 1 - 1.25 mph. Crankbaits are catching a lot of fish. Rotate colors and speed to find what the fish want. Chrome and blue, shiny gold and pink uv firetiger are some good choices. Alternate speeds, trolling from 2.5 - 3.5 mph. Try turning the boat periodically can trigger strikes. Most walleyes are being targeted in 26 - 34 feet, with a shallow bite mornings and evenings and when forage is shallow. On the Rainy River... The morning and evening bite are still the best for walleyes. Deep holes, current breaks and flats with bait are good spots. Trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses is effective and catching a variety of species. Cast docks, river mouths, rocks and bridges for smallmouthbass. Pike on weed edges into the river and the edges of current breaks. Up at the NW Angle... Great multispecies fishing action up at the Angle. With so many rocks and areas with structure, some anglers jigging with a jig and minnow / plastic with great success. Covering water trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses is still effective in locating and catching walleyes that aren't schooled or are spread out. Casting crankbaits, spinnerbaits and swim jigs in high probability spots is effective for a variety of fish. In addition to the most sought after walleyes and saugers, smallmouth bass, pike, jumbo perch, crappies and the predator of predators, muskies, are showing up regularly. Summer fishing has been very good.

Hello everyone! We have a huge family gathering / reunion (35 people, adults and kids) coming up, arriving and staying at Grand View Lodge, July 30, till August 4th. Families from Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, and my wife and my 2 grown up married kids are from southern MN. We’re the closest. I’ll be bringing my boat and was wondering where to go for panfish and walleyes on Gull Lake? I’ll be bringing kids and many adults have never fished before. Any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated!

On the south end... A great week of fishing on Lake of the Woods. Some anglers are targeting the deep mud on the big basin, while other anglers are targeting rock reefs. The two most common presentations to catch walleyes right now are drifting spinners and trolling crankbaits. Both do a nice job of covering water and are producing nice fish. With Big Traverse Bay being a big expanse of water, it is really helpful to use your electronics to search out schools of bait and walleyes. Once you find some signs of life, start fishing. Try a two hook harness with a hammered gold blade and a nightcrawler. It is helpful to pinch off long crawlers and have just a few inches of crawler off of the back hook. The fish will still hit the crawler and your hooking percentages go up. If you are trolling crankbaits, part of the fun is figuring out the walleyes that day. What color? Do they want a shad style or minnow style? How fast do they want the lure? Most anglers are trolling from 2.5 - 3.5 mph. Try turning the boat occasionally when trolling to speed up or slow down baits causing reaction strikes. Jigging with a frozen emerald shiner is still effective, particularly when on a good school of fish or fishing on structure. Most walleyes are being targeted in 26 - 34 feet. There can always be a shallow bite when forage is present or very early or late in the day. Trolling crankbaits in the evening along Pine Island and areas along the south shore can produce nice fish at times all summer. On the Rainy River... Walleyes and saugers are being caught with the morning and evening bite the best. Target high probability spots such as deep holes, current breaks and flats with bait. Trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses is effective and catching a variety of species. Target smallmouth bass around docks, river mouths, rocks and bridges. Pike on weed edges into the river and the edges of current breaks. Up at the NW Angle... Great fishing reports this week up at the Angle. A variety of techniques are being used to catch walleyes. With so many rocks and areas with structure, some anglers stick with a jig and minnow or jig and plastic all year long with great success. Covering water trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses is very effective in locating and catching walleyes during the summer months. Working shoreline structure casting crankbaits, spinnerbaits and swim jigs has been good for a variety of fish. In addition to the most sought after walleyes and saugers, smallmouth bass, pike, jumbo perch, crappies and the predator of predators, muskies, are showing up regularly. The summer bite is on!