2020 Detroit Lakes-Pelican Rapids Fishing Reports - Lake Conditions

[pan man]

was out yesterday did well kept 4 northerns one big gill 13" crappie and a 2lbs eye. 14.5" of ice

[dairyman]

I heard a fellow dropped his ranger atv through the ice on Rose lake down by Vergas. Hit a pressure ridge and now its on the bottom in about 100 ft plus of water

[pan man]

wow that lake always worries me when im on it. even with 2' of ice hope he is ok it's a long way to the bottom out there

[Guest]

Went out early this morning with a buddy to an area lake before the wind picked up and temps started to drop and the conditions were perfect early, warmer temps, light snow coming straight down. We had 12 nice slabs 11-14" before 8:30am then they shut down.

[TomHuynh]

nice catch!

[pan man]

nice fish

[Guest]

A buddy and his cousin wanted to get on some crappies so I took them out to one of my spots and they are very predictable right now holding in the deeper basin areas and suspended. We ended up with 24 nice crappies, pic of my buddy with a couple and pic of some of the larger 11.5-13.5" crappies.

[TomHuynh]

A buddy and his cousin wanted to get on some crappies so I took them out to one of my spots and they are very predictable right now holding in the deeper basin areas and suspended. We ended up with 24 nice crappies, pic of my buddy with a couple and pic of some of the larger 11.5-13.5" crappies.

You are always on them! Nice work and nice pics as always!

[Chill62]

Fished a local lake on Saturday from 6 am till 6 pm. My hub style fish house had the heater running full blast all day and we had to fire up a second one to keep it warm in there a few times. Graphed a lot in the morning no luck. Got a bass and a walleye mid morning. Over the noon hour I got a really nice bass on a bobber. Right before dark we ended up getting about 5 more walleyes. Bite was very touchy and light. Northerns were even hit and miss throughout the day. Sunday fished a different lake and it was nice to have some snow on the lake for traction and being able to bank the house. Got some nice gills from 2:30/3-5 caught about 25/30 gills total kept maybe 12-18, 2 crappies and a small bass. Should have had minnows but will try it again this weekend with both.

Anyone else having any luck? Saturday I had two broken fishing rods setting the hook on fish, I've never broken a rod before and I broke two in one day and I didn't hit anything in the hook set process. Broke right at the base where the cork is at. Weird part was I've had them for a while and they've been a good medium rod this whole time.

[Guest]

Snuck out late yesterday and with little snow cover we ventured to a different lake known to hold crappies, did not take long to find them. Here's my buddy holding a couple of the slabs we caught....mostly on waxies, a few on fatheads with a plain hook under a bobber.

[Teebones1977]

NICE SLABS BB!

[Chill62]

Saturday went to a popular lake not a fish house within a mile and set up on the break for walleye/northern. Ice conditions were 36 inches of ice, realized extension was in the other vehicle so was getting nervous, snow was hit and miss and most drifts were solid bricks. Haven't fished the lake in years and we always set up 18-22 fow so put tip ups from 15, 17, 20, 22 and the house in about 19/20. Had some HUGE shiners so put them up in 15 in the weeds and we kept busy chasing flags hit and miss most of the day. At 4 pm I was out checking minnows and the flag went off really slowly swimming away right next to me and I set the hook and an 18" walleye. Rebaited and in the next hour it went off probably 6 times running 8-12 feet at a time and each time no bait left on it. I had 2-3 inch shiners on it so I know it wasn't false flags from the minnow. We lost one in the house at dark, girlfriend's first year ice fishing and she went from reeling in at 100 mph to not reeling in when I told her to slow down a little bit and we lost that fish. Was pulling nice and that was on a bobber and a fat head. Didn't catch a fish after that walleye and we quit graphing stuff in the house at 6 so we packed up at 7. Left tip ups out and when I went to pull them we got two walleyes (7:30) in five minutes. Decided to rebait and sit in the truck watching them and we packed up at 8 without another flag.

Sunday I went with friends of mine and we went for some panfish. Tried a small lake set up some tip ups out from 14-22 fow with shiners. Had three huge shiners and caught three snakes. Not a hit on any of the "Normal" shiners I had down there. Set house up in about 18 fow on live weeds. We only had about 30/32 inches of ice since I was near a spring, I did see that the river flowing into the lake was kicking some water ontop of the ice over in that direction. Set house up about 2:30 and since I was walleye fishing the night before I had to redo all my rods and we had schools coming through almost instantly. Ended up keeping about a dozen blue gills, caught 20-24 gills total and three crappies, 10, 11, 11.5". Would have gotten a few more but other parties didn't have graph and didn't always know where bottom was at for them.

Blue gills and crappies for the first time all winter for me were aggressive. I would drop the jig down and about 4 feet off of bottom the fish would fly up to bite it. Was pretty cool watching it on the graph.

[Fred_Bear]

Ice conditions were 36 inches of ice, realized extension was in the other vehicle so was getting nervous, snow was hit and miss and most drifts were solid bricks.

We only had about 30/32 inches of ice since I was near a spring, I did see that the river flowing into the lake was kicking some water ontop of the ice over in that direction.

Where are you finding such thick ice?? Has anyone else found ice this thick? I don't think I've drilled through more than 24" in the DL area this winter, but I guess I haven't measured so I could be way off here.

[Chill62]

Where have you been fishing? I've been on multiple lakes around DL and we had almost 24" prior to Christmas.

[Fred_Bear]

Where have you been fishing? I've been on multiple lakes around DL and we had almost 24" prior to Christmas.

DL area... Melissa, Lida, and Pelican last Saturday just to name a few. I've been on a dozen area lakes in the month of January. Like I said I haven't actually measured any of the ice so I could be way off base here. I wasn't trying to discredit you, the 36" just really caught me off guard... that's almost extension time!

[Chill62]

I've fished a few of those lakes that you mentioned. Unless my ice auger isn't 42" like manufactuerer states, my hands were touching the ice shavings this weekend. I'll grab tape measure this weekend

[Uncle Rico]

FWIW, everything I've been on has been around 24" as well.

[buck_eye_man]

FWIW, everything I've been on has been around 24" as well.

+1

Found some around 28-30", but most lakes are around the 24" range.

[Danny Kava]

I am planning to go out on Big Cormorant for the first time ever this weekend. I was curious about the ice conditions out of both the north and west access. Will I be able to drive my truck or should I bring my 4-wheeler? I know there is a pressure ridge along the north side and I believe I read somewhere there is a pressure ridge out from the west access as well. Any areas to avoid altogether? Any information is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Guest]

We found some crappies over in OTC suspended in deeper water...most were hitting waxies but a few hit a minnow under a bobber.

[bak2MN]

Nice!! I am still trying to figure this crappie thing out! Very nice looking fish!!

[Chill62]

Fished Saturday afternoon/evening. Wanted to fish for walleyes and couldn't get shinners from County 6 (They are done for the season, so I got small suckers and fatheads. Last time I fished the lake I was fishing in 22 fow with the house and all my fish came in right next to the weeds. Found the weed line and set tip ups up on those along with the house. setting lines in the house we got our first fish on a bobber with a small sucker ended up being a 1 pound northern. Dad showed up and decided he wanted to put his tip up out deep and up shallow. Almost instantly his flag went off when I was out there checking ice and I got about an 18" walleye up shallow. Moments later the deep one went off and nothing was there including my minnow but only ran 5 feet. Right at dark flag went off on edge came out to it and set the hook smaller and only ran about 2 feet pulled it up and it was a half pound northern about dark, I had my light on it. We didn't have a flag the rest of the night and we fished for another 2+ hours. In the house the girlfriend was graphing fish 3-4 feet off of bottom and since the spoons weren't working I gave her a blue gill jig tipped with a wax worm. She was down maybe five minutes and I hear her drag going out. She got 3 crappies 9" 10" 11.5" in maybe five minutes. She was having fun and then another line came in on the graph and she started jigging and when she hooked it she's like this seems bigger than the last one. Pulled up her first walleye 10" got a pic of it and released. The walleye came in 3' off of bottom and bit a wax worm! Was this walleye schooling with the crappies? All my bobber rods were a foot off of bottom and not a hit. Was a frustrating day since we maybe got 4 1-1.5 pound northerns, 1 keeper eye, 3 crappies.

[Guest]

Tough bite yesterday, did not start till late and they were very finicky but we waited them out and picked up some dandies. Pic of a few of the keepers.

[bak2MN]

Nice job. sweet looking fish. Still haven't got any myself. Not enough time to find them.

[Guest]

Nice job. sweet looking fish. Still haven't got any myself. Not enough time to find them.

Thx Bak2MN...it has been an awesome year chasing crappies for me. I have done it for years and have always had my old standby spots I know I can catch crappies in but I have only used one of those spots this year; with little snow cover I have been able to get to basins I could normally never get to with so much deep snow. Now I have found crappies on many diff lakes in the DL area...I knew they held crappies but now being able to drive anywhere I have found them...and for the most part they have been big crappies....untouched in the winter for years. Talked to an "old timer" at one spot and he lives on the lake but he even said this is the first time this area has ever been fished in the winter ever cuz no one can get here in a normal winter unless you chase them with a snowmobile and few people do that, they tend to take their snowmobiles out to their normal spots and rarely search new water. They are out there...believe me..and the best is yet to come when the melt starts and they go on the feed bag right before ice out.

[dairyman]

nice job BB----what times of the day are you finding are best?

[Guest]

Hey John...hope you are doing well. I am only fishing the prime times early morning or dusk. Come mid to late March time of day won't matter as much. Basically going to secondary basins of large lakes and finding crappies...most spots have been in that 30-35'depth and in every one the crappies are suspended half way up the water column. Tons of perch on the bottom of course that I don't bother with....but the crappies have been coming in high...even had some the other night in 35' that were only 10' under the ice. Good Luck!

[paceman]

I was on a local pond this past Saturday. Fished a 25' basin and the crappies were all in the 15' area of the column. Simple jig waxie was lights out from about 3:30 til dark and then they were gone. Nothing huge, just really nice eaters in the 10" range. Also had a minnow down but they really preferred the jig.

[busse3775]

Anyone know where Severson lake is located in the area?

[Chill62]

MN DNR Lake Finder is a great feature within their HSOforum you can search by name or county and look up lakes. This one shows two in MN the one you are probably looking for is west of Leaf on Hwy 5.