2020 Leech Lake Fishing Reports - Hackensack, Longville, Walker MN Also

[rocstar]

That's what I like to see and I hope them youngins caught all them woppers! I'm basically a crawler man draggin a spinner or bare hook on a bottom bouncer. I call it no mind fishing with a "meat hook".

[rocstar]

What's Walker Bay like? I have fished Leech several years but have never been to Walker Bay. May make the trip from Stony Point next week just to see the scenery but would also like to fish along the way. Would I be best going through Roosevelt Chanal or up around through Walker Narrows?

[fishgutz77]

You can get there that way but then you have to go through Agency Bay and that will bring you out closer to town. Or go up to Grandview and through the narrows and into the north end of walker.

[Chuckster]

Had a quick four hour afternoon trip out of Anderson's Cove in Steamboat Bay yesterday. My clients wanted to fish areas close to the resort, so we started by pitching light jigs in 8-10 ft areas with submergent vegetation and were able to pick off a fish here and there, with a couple fish in the slot that were mixed in as well. I kept creeping shallower as the wind kept picking up, blowing hard out of the SW around 25-30mph. As we moved in, we started getting fish in 6, then 5, then 4 ft of water. A couple hours in, we had limits of fish, including two for dinner for myself. These were not huge fish, as most were in the 14" range, with one super fat 17 3/4", but nonetheless fun. This goes to show, even in the middle of summer you can find fish shallow, especially if you have something breaking up the light penetration in the water (in this case a stiff SW wind).

[rocstar]

I was wondering if the weeds were the trick. Fishing for me over the past three days has been tough with 90 degree weather and light south winds. Had a very tough time finding fish mid-lake on the reefs unless later in the day. Fished mostly in the 18' to 12' depths. I wonder with the warm water temperatures if the oxygen levels in the lake vary considerably. I would assume the weeds are producing desired oxygen at this time of year, which may explain things.

[Chuckster]

Weeds will be key over the next week or so with this warm water. It has been my experience that the warmer the lake gets, the more the fish relate to the cabbage and shallow weeds. The only problem with this is going to be we are about at the end of the cabbage season, it has started to turn the last few days... If you can find any kind of fresh vegetation, there will be some fish hanging around, you just may have to hunt for them a bit.

[Chuckster]

Fishing the last few days was pretty good. Limits each day but it took a little work fishing a variety of structure and locations. Fish were actually more cooperative in the afternoon than the typical morning window a couple of the days. Thurs was the best day by far, with it slowing a bit towards the end of the weekend. Fish can still be caught, you just have to keep moving and pick off the active fish within a small group, then move.

With the current heatwave, be safe and drink plenty of fluids. I know by yesterday I was about cooked.

[lifeisfishing247]

Chuckster, awesome reports. Will be up there this weekend with a day planned with LOA. Only fished leech a couple times. Trying to do my homework for poss sat night and Sunday when the guide is done. You guiding the napa trip. ( 4 boats on sat). Either way please keep the reports coming, plan on bringing up some southern mn crawlers. They loved them as a kid, About 25 yrs ago! Any help welcome! Not spots just a little help. Trying to learn eyes. Ryan Saxton.

[Walleye #1]

Was up on Leech Lake this weekend running some of our rentals. The fishing before the front was decent with keeper sized walleyes in Walker Bay on steeper shoreline breaks and points as well as humps in 23-30' of water. Once the front settled in the fishing really slowed down throughout the rest of the weekend. Before the front, jigging spoons such as the Clam's Blade Spoon, Buckshots, or Macho Minnows tipped with a minnow head or full minnow were doing the trick, but once the front settled in, dead sticks with a plain glow hook or a 1/16th oz jigging spoon with a crappie minnow head caught a few walleyes.

The ice conditions in Walker Bay are the best on the lake. 16-18" of ice everywhere I went and most people are starting to drive out on the lake with trucks. I would still caution if you are heading to new areas to walk, take a sled or atv and scout first the ice conditions. With things starting to stabilize fishing should pick back up this week.

Ice conditions as reported from the Main Lake are not good. Lots of slush with 8-11" of ice under it.

Was able to get out on some small lakes in the Hackensack area and found the crappies active as well. Slush was a factor on these lakes, so foot or sled travel was the only way to get around. 20-26' if where we found the fish and they were aggressive!

Now that things have settled down after the holidays and a long high school football season I will have my Leech reports more regular this winter.

Be safe and set the hook!

Jason Freed

Leisure Outdoor Adventures

[Walleye #1]

Who is ready for Opener?

In regards to fishing, the water temps are going to be cold, but the fishing should be good. The classic jig and minnow bite should be the ticket. You may need to slow down the presentation a little bit because fish may still be a little sluggish because of the cold water temps. Try using a longer shank jig to help with those short biters or a stinger hook attached to your other shorter shank jig. Experiment with jig profile, cadence, and maybe even color to find what is working best. Another option is to drag a lindy rig or a split shot and #4 or #6 hook with a shiner or rainbow minnow. The sand flats around Goose Island and any of the windblown points such as Pine, Ottertail, Stoney, Duck, and so forth would all be great starting places.

This should be a great start to a great summer on Leech Lake. Myself and the other Leisure Outdoor Adventures Guides will be down in Brainerd helping with the Governor's Opener on Gull Lake. Our very own Toby Kvalevog will be guiding the Lt. Governor and Nisswa Guide Ray Gildow will be guiding Gov. Dayton. It should be a great event and I can't wait to hit the water on Saturday morning!

Look forward to hearing other people's reports from the weekend. I will be up for four days next weekend.

Be safe and the SET THE HOOK!

[Kettle]

It was slooowwww today up in Sucker bay, saw about 6 boated in 5 hours, we ended up picking up a few later on this evening all in the slot. Water temp anywhere from 43-49 degrees, tried everywhere, Duck1, Duck2, Hardwood, sharp breaks, jigs with shiners, lindys. Marked very few fish with the new DI/SI. Maiden voyage for the new boat (new to me) very frustrating for me today in regards to fishing boat was great, fishing was very frustrating for others as well. I hope someone had some better luck than my father and I.

Kettle

[leechlake]

my buddys caught 19 in the Little Hardwood area on opener, fireballs and fatheads 8-11 feet.

[depopn44]

We had the best opener yet. buddy and I caught around 40 fish Saturday. Found most in the morning before the other boats showed up. Casted jigs into schools of surfacing shiners, fish every time. about 15 this morning. Worked areas away from the groups

[Walleye #1]

Well it was a great Walleye Opener on Leech Lake. The lake was full of boats and many happy fisherman. Results were mixed over the course of the weekend, but the anglers who stuck with it and changed up things were rewarded with eaters as well as big fish. Great reports came from areas around Star Point, the Hardwoods, Duck Point, Pine Point, Cedar Point, and Stoney Point. Wind, like always played a huge factor in success. When the wind blew the fish became more active. When it didn't fisherman struggled somewhat because of boat traffic and high sunny skies. When this happens don't be afraid to get away from the crowd as well as get your bait out away from the boat by casting or snap jigging. A majority of the good fishing took place in 4-9' of water pitching a 1/8th or 1/4zoz jig with a shiner or rainbow depending on the wind. My favorite jigs are the KenKatch Long Shank jigs or the Banana Hair jigs. A slow methodical presentation worked best. Try slow rolling your jigs across the bottom, that was a great tactic last weekend. Also there have been good reports of a night bite trolling shad raps and husky jerks in and around the flats around Goose Island.

The great news, is the the best is yet to come!

Be safe and SET THE HOOK!

[jay88]

Heading up this weekend never fished leech before hoping we have succes

[Walleye #1]

Well it was a great week and weekend to be on Leech Lake, the weather was great for the most part and the fishing is still going good. What we found this weekend is there is beginning to be some transitioning of Post Spawn taking place, but not completely with the walleyes. Wind still plays a big factor in finding the fish, but we found over the week that even areas where the wind hasn't been pounding in that fish are still there and willing to bite. The best fishing was in 8-12ft of water throughout the week unless you had a strong wind pounding in, then fish were caught in 4-6 ft of water. A Jig and a Shiner or a jig and a rainbow was the ticket for putting the most fish into the boat. Our favorite over the weekend was a long shank Ken Katch 1/8th oz jig. Colors varied throughout the weekend depending on sunlight and cloud conditions, gold and green always seem to shine on Leech though. The biggest variable to the weekend when jig fishing was not color, but rather cadence and speed so pay close attention to that. Don't over look lindy rigging with a crawler or leech right now either. Some times that slower and more methodical presentation gets those weary walleyes into biting. Either way with the weekends especially having alot more boat traffic, getting away from the crowd is the key. Some of the better producing areas have been Traders Bay, Pine Point, Stony Point, Ottertail, and Grandview Flats for many fisherman, with also good reports of bigger fish coming from Bear Island and the south end of lake in and around Trappers Landing and Miller Bay.

Until next week Tight Lines and SET THE HOOK

[duckhunter]

What are the current water temps up there?

[Walleye #1]

Well summer seems to finally be setting in in the Walker Area and that means the fish are starting to adjust as well. Fishing was good this past week with a variety of presentations working which makes it fun for anglers as they hit the water. Whether you like to use a jig and a shiner or a lindy rig and crawler or leech you can catch fish throughout Leech Lake with a variety of methods. Pitching jigs towards windblown shorelines and points is still working, or using it as a search method as you fan cast on expansive flats. Shiners are still producing the best on a long shank Ken Katch jig with green or gold being great colors. As the week went on pulling crawlers on a lindy rig or with slow death or a lindy rig and leech began to produce alot of fish. Depending on the day the walleyes seemed to like crawlers or leeches better. Speed was the key with both presentations and it seemed typically .6-.8 mph produced the best results. Wind blown shorelines, points, and rocks are producing good amounts of fish along with expansive flats, which can be intimidating to many folk. When working these areas the key is to move around, even at times making circles and marking fish as you see them. Eventually you are able to hone in on the way points and eliminate alot of dead space. West Goose Flats, Duck Point, Ottertail, Hardwoods, throughout Sucker Bay, and up into Portage Bay have all been solid producers throughout the week with the best depths being 9-14 feet. Keep moving until you find active fish. As the weather warms the fishing is going to get better and better this month!

[Deet]

What is the range of water temps seen lately?

[Walleye #1]

Deet

Water temps are ranging from 63-70 depending on the day and weather. After the cold front the other day it was down to 63 in Walker Bay but it seems that 66-68 is the most consistent throughout the lake.

My report from the week

Had a decent week last week dip and dodging rain and thunderstorms. It wasn't my best week but fish are still there be to had. I spent most of my time fishing parts of the main lake and Walker Bay. On the Main Lake fish are being found in 11-15' of water with a variety of presentations working. A Jig and Shiner is still producing, the KenKatch 3D Jig was my favorite last week. Although a simple lindy rig and leech or a slow death and crawler outproduced the jig and minnow for me. It seems on the main lake finding that depth I highlighted with deeper water nearby has been the key. I fished the main lake rocks one day with no luck. With some warmer temps and the bug hatches that bite will turn on fast!

Walker Bay the fishing has been great for both big fish and keepers. The areas around Sand Point and Cedar have been good producers. A jig and a minnow or lindy and crawler have put the most keepers in the boat with a lindy rig and redtail putting the bigger fish in the boat. 8-11 feet has been the best depth range, but when the cold front moved in on Thursday and into Friday the fish moved deeper out into 15-20'. Friday was tough for me, but heck that is fishing somedays. Did manage to catch a beautiful 27.5" walleye that afternoon.

Otherwise sitting in my porch watching it rain AGAIN! Summer is here and the fishing the next two or three weeks should be great.

Get out and SET the HOOK!

[mn_al]

Is anybody getting any walleyes off the city pier by The Chase? Used to go down there when I was younger and cast off the rocks and did fairly well. Looking for a place to take my father in law to catch a couple.

[Walleye #1]

Now is the time to be on Leech Lake! The peak summer bite is starting and there are fish of all sizes to be had. This last week fishing was sporadic at times due to the weather patterns of late, but with some hard work and some searching there were plenty of active biters.

On the Main Lake the bugs are starting to hatch and the walleyes are starting to show up on the main lake rocks such as Mokey Reef, Annex, Sub, and areas around Pelican Island. Fish this areas with a lindy rig or bottom bouncer and crawler or leech in 11-16ft. You may also want to try pulling spinners to cover ground. Also pay close attention to where bug hatches are taking place and look for transition areas where it may turn from gravel to mud or sand to mud. Windblown shoreline breaks on the south end along with the major points such as Rogers and Diamond are also producing fish on the right days with the right wind direction. Lindy rigs, slip bobbers, and trolling crankbaits such as a #5 Shad Rap are all catching fish. As the water temps get into the low 70s expect the fish on the south end to start migrating to off-shore humps and structure.

The walleye bite in Walker Bay has also had a good bite of late. Shoreline breaks or hump near shoreline breaks are producing fish in anywhere from 12-20 feet of water. Lindy rig and a leech or crawler has produced a majority of the fish this past week but also pitching a jig and shiner up onto the windblown shoreline can produce when other things aren't.

SET THE HOOK and Enjoy the week!

[KickNBass]

We ran a local club tournament out of Federal Dam Saturday. Two boats prefished Friday with ONE walleye caught. Not many hours there. The 6 boats fished from 8AM to 3PM Saturday and FOUR fish were caught, two in the slot. All of us stayed in Portage Bay but many presentations were made, many types of structure fished. You basically had to catch your fish in the early morning fog or you were doomed. I didn't see a single other boat catch more than one walleye. Probably saw 4-5 other walleyes caught all day. I saw a ton of fry up on top and some schools of minnows. A good amount of hatch evidence, saw a lot of fish on the graph, by the end of the day, most were riding high, feeding on the fry I would guess. Did we just need to get out of Portage Bay or are the 12 anglers that fished (and all the other boats I saw) just crappy fishermen?

[Walleye #1]

It was an up and down week on Leech Lake last week. Tons of bugs have been hatching from the West to the East end of the lake and that has caused things to change drastically. Water temps are on the rise and getting into the low 70s and the fish are spread out.

On the main lake the bite has been tough and reports and have been mixed. The best bite has been early in the AM and in the evenings. Nice fish are being caught by Pelican and Pipe Islands trolling spinners with crawlers or crankbaits. Also slip bobber fishing on the major points and reefs such as Rogers, Huddles, Olson, and Diamond has produced decent results for smaller fish.

In Walker Bay, the fishing has slowed down some but fish are still being caught in 15-25ft of water pulling lindy rigs with leeches or crawlers. Windblown shoreline breaks or humps located near shoreline breaks are all producing fish.

Also if you are looking to give Leech a break, get out and try some of the smaller lakes in the Hackensack, Walker, and Longville areas. I spent a couple days last week poking around and one of those days did a guide trip for bass. We had awesome action with a great size average for the smallies. Easy fishing, caught fish in 15-20ftof water pitching plastics or lindy rigging with a leech.

The best piece of advice is to cover water and fish a lot of spots. It seems you catch a few on one spot and it goes dead, so reel up and move on.

[son_of_fishlein]

Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend. Will be interested to see the results of the tourney's on the 12th & 13th:

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3264983/aim-weekend-walleye-series-lee HSO Outdoors

I am part of a crew of guys heading up next weekend (7/17-7/20) looking to get on a few 'eyes, maybe some jumbos or smallies, really whatever is biting I guess.

I have fished Sand Pt area in winter mostly, a little in summer and caught mostly perch, with a few wally's mixed in. We'll be staying on Pine Point near Brindley's - anything producing in that area?

Hope we are in store for some good weather and looking forward to you your replies.- Fish ON!

[son_of_fishlein]

Wow, I am surprised - no one has been out lately? Or is it that bad out there?

[bigbucks]

I was up there last weekend on the West side of the lake & it was terrible for me. Marked plenty of fish, couldn't make them bite or when they did most wouldn't keep it. I don't know the lake well, hadn't been up for 2 years, but have fished it 7-8 times for 2-3 days at a time in the past half a dozen years or so.

Primarily fished leeches & rigs, crawlers a bit, some spinners, & some plugs. Total boated, mostly fishing solo, 3 perch & 2 walleyes. Lost another fish half way in, eater sized eye felt like.

[Walleye #1]

Well fishing has been up and down much like Mother Nature of late. I think the bug hatches are finally coming to a close so in a few days hopefully the walleyes will have less food in the water because of that. We had the AIM tournament last week, and there were many big fish caught, recorded and released. The bite was not fast and furious for the tournament anglers but many fish were caught between 26-29" over the course of the two days.

The fishing report has been mixed with some days being good and others not so much. We have found Walker and Agency Bays to have the most consistent bite. Humps, points, and shoreline breaks have been the best in 18-28ft of water pulling a lindy rig and leech or lindy rig and chub. Also have had some success pulling spinners with leeches or crawlers to cover ground. A go to presentation this time of year is slip bobber fishing weeds, rock humps, points, and saddles throughout the day. Pretty simple, but yet very effective, either have a hook and a couple split shots or a 1/16th oz jig and put a lively leech on and you are ready to go. Great way to get the kids involved as well.

Pike are being caught off the weedlines in 14-18ft of water and many anglers are out chasing largemouth bass pitching a jig/pig, throwing topwater, or a variety of other methods. Best places to start are Steamboat, Shingobee, Headquarters, or Boy Bay.

Tight Lines!

[Moses2531]

Just wondering if there has been any action in Horseshoe Bay? A friend is in the bass tournament up there this weekend and I am going to watch the weigh in but while he's chasing some bass I was hoping to try some walleye fishing in that area. I just have a small 15' boat with a 25HP motor so I will be pretty limited I feel like when I launch in Horseshoe so just curious if there were some points I should try! Thanks

[Walleye #1]

It is that time of year to start thinking outside the box to put fish in the boat. Walleyes, especially are in their late summer modes and patterns and that means some days the traditional ways of catching them works with the right conditions, but other days the traditional ways just don't produce the results anglers are looking for.

Walker Bay has had a decent bite in the last week. Fish are starting to show up in 20-30ft of water off of Cedar Shoreline, Templar, Breezy Bar, and some of the numerous humps within the bay. A Lindy Rig with a sucker minnow or chub. leech, or crawler have all be good presentations. Also vertical jigging with a bigger minnow can work well on some of the humps this time of year. Trolling leadcore has also been effective looking for suspended fish. Try using your depth finder to pin point large schools of suspended baitfish. Also some of the larger pike are moving out deep and have been active of late.

The Main Lake is starting to pick back up again and has its good and bad days. Some fish are being caught in the Meadows and West Goose Flats within the early mornings and evenings trolling spinners or long lining a crawler. The main lake rocks are good when the wind is blowing. Try throwing slip bobbers, trolling spinners, or casting crankbaits to target these fish around Pelican Island, Annex, and Submarine. The south end of the lake near Whipholt and Huddles is also producing fish on the reefs and humps such as Olson's, Pipe Island, Huddles, and Hogers. Slip Bobbers, trolling crank baits, and at times live bait rigging have all produced. Play the wind and key on 15-25ft of water.

This time of year have different kinds of bait with you in the boat, have the trolling rods ready, and be ready to throw your arsenal at them.

Good luck this week!