2020 Detroit Lakes-Pelican Rapids Fishing Reports - Lake Conditions

[northyman3]

looking to go out after christmas sometime but looking for information on big cormorant ice conditions and is anything biting not looking for anybodies hot spot

[Jim Panfish Uran]

They never came in last night but I had fun hanging out. We must have caught 30 some nice gils and ended up with 6 crappies.

I went out with my gf this morning, got out there at 630 and fished til 830 and we caught a half a dozen nice gils. Good times!

[Jim Panfish Uran]

Another trip out this evening, I moved out a little off the bar to deeper water but didn't do too well, I caught 3 small crappies and 7 gills. The biggest gil was as big as the biggest crappie, just over 9". Going to move in a little and try it out in the morning.

[Jim Panfish Uran]

Moved in this morning, fished 12 fow and did ok. The numbers weren't there but the size was. I caught 7 gills and they were all bigger than 8" and the biggest was just a hair under 10". Its so windy out now, hopefully I can get out again and try a little bit of a move. Maybe hit the basin for some crappies in numbers.

[SM1]

Has anyone seen any perms that went through the ice yesterday? Sounds like others further south of here went down with the higher temps and wind. I have a perm out now that ill be pulling off tomorrow, so hopefully its ok. Time to head back to school.

[Jim Panfish Uran]

The ice is so iffy this year, I hate seeing people driving on the lakes. I haven't seen any perms going through except on the news down in ottertail. Crazy stuff I tell ya.

[Guest]

Monday-fished lake N of DL and got into some monster gills and we caught over 200, one that went almost 11" and weighed 1.3 lbs; we kept 65 over 9.5". As a bonus we went out to the middle of the lake and iced 10 walleyes too.

Tuesday-went back out there for half day and just trophy fished the big gills and everything went back down the hole; then loaded up and went to lake S of DL and got into some nice crappies and I caught my personal best 15" 2.3 lbs (it is the one in the lower left corner of the crapppie pic), we also kept a 14" and several 11-12". 15" and a couple big gills going into a nice wall mount.

[SDS]

UGH

[FatFishie]

Wow..

The outdoor channel just called, I think they want to set up a TV show with you!

Nice slabs!

[Jim Panfish Uran]

Keeping 65 sunnies that huge is probably not the best thing to talk about, or even do IMO. But to each his own, besides that fact,wowwwwwwww, heck of a day on the ice. Congrats on the new pb crappie

[Guest]

5 guys Leech; way under our limit and threw back over 150 including some 10" gills. Tuesday we did almost as well and never kept a gill, just trophy fishing.

[Fish Addictt]

nice fish how thick is the ice in the area. going to lida this weekend.

[Guest]

I drove out in my small SUV but actually could not get east of clay point where we wanted to because of an ice ridge with some open water in it, there was 13" of ice where I parked and where we set up. We took out our GPS units and searched till we found what we thought would be another good spot and lo and behold we were right. The crappie bite was only about 45 mn to an hour right before dark but we caught plenty and just kept those seven.

[Fish Addictt]

I will be up there friday. hope to drive out. I got a couple of spots I fish.With no snow im think weeds are a key spot.most likely fish deep overnight.CANT WAIT!ive got 4 days to fish

[TylerS]

I will be up there friday. hope to drive out. I got a couple of spots I fish.With no snow im think weeds are a key spot.most likely fish deep overnight.CANT WAIT!ive got 4 days to fish

Depends what you're after. I've been finding the crappies in 20 FOW suspended along the water column. No weeds in sight. Also have done well with gills in 15+ FOW right near the bottom. Again, no weeds. Of course, this may just have been the lake I was on, but it's still something to consider.

[Jim Panfish Uran]

Shallow weeds have been popping out fish, and I've been pulling some fish off the bottom in 16-18 fow, soft bottom. I think it's just a lake to lake deal, I've found different patterns on the few lakes I've fish.

[eyedawg]

Well brought the perm house out yesterday, set it up in about 17 ft rite off the weeds. Got setup around 3 and marked fish rite away. Had my first fish at 302 just a little pike, caught 6 more 1.5 lbers til 4 then slowed down. Was nothin for about a half hr and then the crappies showed up. I managed to catch ten but really had to work them. I was jiggn with a flyer and the other was a neon glow moon orange and keeping them really glowed up seemed to really help. I could work a lot of the fish up 3-4 ft and they would just sniff 1 outa 10 would bite. Otherwise it was a great evening and glad I made it out. Oh and shoulda had a eye but fell off up the hole.

[Guest]

Went out to a walleye spot I know, usually catch them right off the bottom at 21'. No fish down there, not at all could not believe it but every once in a while would see a small flash at 10-12' but thought it was air bubbles because of small lines on the flasher. Finally got real curious and jigged at 10-12' and the bite was on! Most aggressive eyes I have seen, they were just smacking my red flyin rattler tipped with a minnow head, 4 nice eaters in less than 90 minutes, let 2 bigger ones go. Never had this happen before where eyes will move that far up in the water column at such a shallow depth to begin with.

[icefishingdude]

Anybody know how the ice is fairing on Lida lately. Last time I was out it was before the 50 degreee temps around xmas and had 11-12" near the village...was wondering if it was still the same?

[Cicada]

Finally got out yesterday afternoon. First lake I wanted to hit looked too spooky. Looked like mid-April ice. Continued on to plan B. Got there and it looked like no one had driven on it either. Chickened out and proceeded to plan C. On my way there, went by Lida. Parking lot was full of vehicles, eight or ten on the ice by the access, and quite a vehicles out in the village. Got to "C" and an ice heave plugged the access. Another idea popped into my head and got holes popped an hour and a half after leaving home. Only caught a northern, bluegill (first time I can remember catching a bluegill on a jigging rap and minnow head), and one walleye. Missed two others before the walleye that I thought might have been crappies, but after the walleye came up, they might have been walleyes, too. I think I'll try that lake again this afternoon and work a little bit to see if I can find more of the walleyes.

[Musky_45]

just want to remind everyone the ice is still not perfect sat spent an hour pulling my dads sinking house off of little detroit holes under the house were now over 2ft across and the house was going down luckly got it off before it got any worse then tryed lida in the afternoon people every where fishing was slow for me anyways did see a house out there that didnt look to good had the lean going didnt walk over and see how bad it was. you wont see this guy driving out until we get a good week of cold weather. just under 12inches where i was had a full size chevy drive right by me and the ice didnt make a noise that tells me its soft. good luck see you out there

[Bass Whacker]

I got out of school at noon today so i figured I better get out and enjoy the weather. I found the gills in 18-20 feet of water suspended up about 6-10 feet with the larger fish being the highest in the water. I lost the biggest gill I think I've ever seen. It came off as I was trying to get it up the hole, after standing there for a second I dove for the hole but I was too late. Needless to say there were a few choice words muttered as I was shoulder deep in my hole. Here's a couple of the nicer fish.

[Bass Whacker]

Went to Big Cormorant today, I caught 9 eyes and 5 or 6 pike. all the fish came on a hump in 20-23 feet of water. Most of the fish came on a chubby darter, the fish really weren't interested in the deadstick. All the eyes were like these two. I would guess they were anywere from 12-16", and all were released to swim another day.

[GetUsome8585]

Area Lakes are kicking out nice numbers of panfish. Tmrw and monday sounds like it will be it before the cold front moves in. I got into a few today!!! I'd show ya pics, but cant figure it out right now.

[Bass Whacker]

I had a day I'll never forget today on a lake north of DL. I caught 13 gills 10-11", and a 11 1/4" and a 11 1/2" that I'm going to get replicas for. Caught alot more smaller sunnies and the crappies were willing to eat if you could get the jig down past the sunnies. The crappies were anywere from 10-14". Heres a couple pics of the two beasts and one of the 14 inch crappies.

11 1/4"

11 1/2"

14"

[Bass Whacker]

sorry wrong pic for the 11 1/2" here it is.

[eyedawg]

That looks like a fun day!!I struck out this morning

[Bigtom]

Went on lake Jewett yesterday and the three of us got our limits on half an hour. What a blast. Hear are some pics. 11"ers and lots of 9.5"ers.

[Bass Whacker]

I got back out yesterday to the same lake, but the bite had slowed alot since sunday. I still managed to get a 3 nice ones. all fish are comeing suspended over 16 feet water which is the max depth of the lake.

[Jim Panfish Uran]

Excellent reports and pics Basswhacker! You definitely have those fish dialed in!