Duluth Area Fisishing Report Update

[Northlander]

Well the conditions are improving a lot and the fishing is getting better because of it.

The St. Louis River is starting to turn on and walleyes are being caught from the powerhouse all the way down to the entrys. The eyes are pretty spread out and using many water depths. Early morning has had them up on flats and once the sun comes up they are tucking into weeds or hitting the channel edges and deeper wash outs usually found in channel bends. The late afternoons has been bringing the eyes back up into the flats once again.

The best producer for us lately has been small spinners or spin n glows trolled fairly slowly. Both crawlers and leeches are working about the same. Stick baits and cranks are also starting to hook into a few as well.

The crappies are moving from shallow spawning grounds to the 1st drops in their usual back bay areas and a few have been found just outside the bays in the 1st deeper water areas.

The bass seem to be up shallow still and some real nice ones are coming out of the Perch Lake area as well as upper Spirit Lake timber.

Local lakes are seeing the eyes moving from shallow spawning grounds to 1st breaks and some are even on some mid lake structure.

Some of the more popular area crappie lakes are seeing some dandy crappies being taken with some nice gills in the mix.

Its that time of year when many different presentations and depths are working so dont be afraid to cahnge up if your usual presentation isnt getting bit. Pay close attention to your water temp too. If you find some fish in a certain temp try other spots with the same temp.

Lake Superior is cleaning up nicely and most of the junk floating around we saw a while back is gone. Still be careful going in and out of the entrys where some deadheads are still washing in and out.

Find the clean water and it seems you will contact fish. Lakers, walleye and a few kings are still being caught on the surface but more and more are showing up on the riggers.

Very early and late seems to be the best bite lately with all the sun and little wind.

With the better weather lately we will surely see a increase in boat traffic so be patient at the landings and watch out for eachother on the water.

Please feel free to add your reports and experiences to this. Im not asking anyone to give up and specific spots so feel free to just give a report on the area body of water you have been fishing. Heck you dont even really have to mention a water just let us know how your doing and whats working for you. Now that we finally have some nicer fishing weather that is.

[Big Walleye 58]

Steve, thank you for the valuable information and your always welcome insight to the local conditions.

[Northlander]

Your welcome BigW.

I was hoping a few of the 200 plus people that read this could contribute something to it.

Come on guys/gals whats going on with your fishing so far this summer? Whats working and whats not? How deep ya getting them and what temps? If you want to share that much detail. If not thats fine too.

Im not going to "Honey Hole" anyone Im just looking to stir up some conversation and compare notes with others.

Ill be down by barkers tonight so if your down that way Ill be the tall guy in the black Lund with a Yammy on back. Say hi and we can compare our mental notes or whatever.

[Wade Joseph]

I'll add my .02 which ain't much. Went out on Minnesueing Sat, fished from 8 am to 3 pm. Threw 1/32 oz jigs as well as slip bobbers with crappie minnows. It was slim pickins. 1 small crappie, 5 bull gills, and 1 hammer handle. I tell yah, if it wasn't for work, I could get alot more fishing done and contribute alot more posts.

[musky hunter]

I've still been concentrating above Boy Scout and all the way up to the power house, not because there's large number of walleyes but because it's a fun place to take wife and friends, they like the scenery and we can catch fish. Rock bass seem to be the dominant biters followed by smallmouth and walleye. The walleye have definatly dispersed. Water levels are returning to a normal level. Remember that if you venture up there because there are lots of places to quickly bark up a prop that were safe just a few days ago, the level is down a good two plus feet (yes, two feet, it was up nearly into the woods) from last weekends high levels. Smallmouth haven't moved into all their traditional areas in large numbers yet, I think they have migrated downstream where they don't have so much current to fight. Still a few are around, average size about 13", the wife landed one 17". But the best fish of the weekend was a 37" sturgeon the wife caught. Took her about ten minutes and when she saw the fish roll she freaked out and wanted me to take the pole. No way, I insisted she play out the fish, but once I netted it she became very afraid of it and wouldn't touch it at all. She strangely omits that small point when showing off the prize catch photo to her friends.

[Roosterslayer05]

Slow fishing during the early part of the week on the big pond, caught 1 small chinook and a coho on boards with #13 husky taking both fish. Also got a laker on the rigger down 15 on a spoon. water temp was 49-50 where we caught all three. Marked tons of fish but would not bite, missed a few at the back of the boat. The word of the trip was SLOW. Water was still muddy, even found a temp break that went from 58 to 43 right on a mudline about 7-9 miles out of duluth, and there was a scum line on the mudline also. Perfect conditions you would think, fished that for two hours without a single hit.

[Surface Tension]

Sunnies and Crappies are in full swing and very good opportunity for the youngsters to hone their skills with a bonus LM Bass here and there.

The typical shoreline weeds with gravel is a place to start looking. Add a break with weeds and you'll have an even better spot. Stay mobile and keep it simple. Slip bobbers and the a few ice jigs or even plain hook tipped with a piece of crawler is all you need.

[Jack Stasney]

Was out on the St. Louis River last night. Was slow, caught one nice crappie and of course rock bass. Found some walleye later on but couldn't get one to commit to a decent bite. Fished from Boy Scout down to just past Smithville. From the guys I talked to it was more of the same.

[Down Deep]

After my usual early trips to Canada I’ve been concentrating on the local lakes. Island Lake has a good walleye bite going. I’ve been finding them on the spring spots around Hay and the Boulder River, however, yesterday I caught a few on the summer reefs. Last Wednesday, I tried some fishing for pan fish on Fish Lake found a good bite. The small pike were very active as well. I’ve been up to Vermillion twice and it is well worth the trip. I can’t remember a walleye bite as strong as it has been this year. Jigs or cranks everything seems to be working. There must be a strong class of 16 to 17 inch fish available this year. If you’re looking for a change of scenery, a day trip to Vermilion is a good choice. I’ve been fishing the Frazier and Daisy Bay areas.

[Northlander]

Nice reports guys.

I headed out for a few hours after dinner and hit the Bay. Lots of action but not many bigger fish. I caught 2 real nice crappies right away wich was a surprise. They both went back. I continued trolling spinners and crawlers and got a bunch of 14-14 7/8" walleyes but could only manage 1 that was over the legal 15" mark. Hot color seemed to be orange with gold coming in a distant second.

Seems like if you found some weed patches you found fish.

Im going to hit the big lake later today, after I mow the lawn for the hundreth time, and Ill give a report. Too nice a day to sit at home.

[vermilionwally]

Was out on Vermilion this weekend, Still getting fish shallow, never fished in more than 8 feet of water and caught 9 walleyes 7 smallies and a perch. Caught smallies and the perch casting with an x rap and got most of the walleyes using a slip bobber and a leech with a couple also coming while trolling rapalas. Lost quite a few bites too.

[shedhunter]

Fished Island Lake north of Duluth yesterday. Found walleyes on the edges of a midlake hump at 24-32 feet during the day, but couldn't get 'em to go. Came back just before dark and they had moved up to the top of the hump, but along the edges and were willing biters on a jig and crawler. Between times I worked a steep-dropping shoreline and was getting them at the main break at around 20 feet on both jigs with a half crawler and a Lindy rig with a crawler. One tagged walleye in there. Not much for size, but I caught decent fish in these spots last year as it progressed into summer. I think it can only get better.