fishing reports 2020 Ottertail-Battle Lake-Perham-Fergus Falls area Fishing Reports

[Joe]

2020 Ottertail-Battle Lake-Perham-Fergus Falls area Fishing Reports - Click Here.

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2009 - 2020  Ottertail-Battle Lake-Perham-Fergus Falls area Fishing Reports are below ↓↓↓↓ (Over 25 pages of 25 posts per page).

 

Go ahead and post fishing reports and conditions in this thread.

 

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Thanks.

[Gissert]

With the heavy snow from the last six weeks, it has curtailed a lot of the activity that is normally seen.

The lakes are beginning to heal up a bit, but there is still a lot of slush in spots. Use caution going off the beaten path.

[jerkin'm]

Ditto Gissert's reply...fished a couple days over the last few weeks..LOTS of water as soon as you drill holes and plenty of slush pockets..Can't imagine having a permanent shack out around the area...fishing was not very good either..

[windowmate]

We have been out on Rush every weekend and it has been slow. We get fish but not like we did early in the season. Crappies as of lately have even been picky. Have not done much morning or late night fishing any suggestions if I'm wasting my time on either.

[tacklebox7FF]

well.. I don't know how people are doing on panfish, but we did pretty good two weeks ago.. last weekend wasn't worth a darn.. i think it was the colder weather.. it should heat up this weekend again I would think!

[Ruegs23]

Lot's of light biters last week. I was running the line over my finger to detect any bites. Even then I would not feel all the bites. A few times I would just lift up because the fish on my vexilar was all over my bait and the fish would be on!

[jimmygrip]

Spent most of Saturday on Ottertail, Had trouble finding fish and only ended up with 5 decent perch in 14 foot depth. They were biting when I could locate them but they seemed to be few and far between. Lots of houses removed from the lake. Not bad getting around on a snowmobile.

JIMMYGRIP

[Catfish_Nuggets]

Same story for me on OT. I located some fish but they just were not biting and when they were they were so small that they were stealing the minnow head. I tried many different depths, etc. It was frustrating dealing with the wind too....overall, pretty disgusted with it.

[Trapper4]

Fished most of Sunday on Rush Lake. My first Hot spot, a good panfish spot in Dec., produced zilch for sunnies (a couple bits) and one pike. Next, fished among the crowd on the East side and hooked into several very small sunfish. Third spot, found some crappie and sunfish in 17 fow on a sharp break. They were really finicky with a lot of pop and stop bites. Only caught 3 of each between 4 & 6PM, but they were nice size. All on waxies. Minnows produced no bits. It pays to keep moving and it was a great day weather wise.

[Mr. Wizard]

We're coming up this weekend to Rush. What are the conditions on the lake after the last couple days weather? Snowmobile travel? Anyone been on the trails to NYM and OT, Maplewood, Smokey Hills, Itasca.

[tacklebox7FF]

haven't been to rush this year yet..sorry

[fishyslayer]

Anyone want to provide some info on what the best access to go out of on Otter? Any hints on where some good fishing is for some decent size perch on this lake? South, North, West, East side?

[firefish_12]

is Ottertail open yet--I'd like to bring the boat and try for some perchies??---does anyone have any info on this??

Thanks

FF

[firefish_12]

fishslayer--I heard the sand flats on the west side are a good starting point--but I may be wrong as I've never tried this just heard second hand. I'd like to give it a whirl --when are you headed up there??

[Gissert]

Not open yet. Shore ice is just beginning to melt.

[carpmanjake]

if anyone catches a BIG smallie, around the orwell dam with a lucky craft live pointer in its mouth. i would like it back. lol

[carpmanjake]

orwell 2nd trip

8 species

walleye (caught alot of them like this, lost a few in the 2-3lb range, lindy rigs and leeches were the trick)

small mouth

this runt bit more than he could chew. LOL

i also had a monster smallie break my line, she took a lucky craft live pointer. i would guess her to be at least 4 lbs from how she looked. it was starting to get dark. but she was huge

bluegill

gold eye

drum

shorthead

channel cat

silver

seen alot of carp up shallow, but once i got out my fly rod, i couldnt find any of em.

also found a nice pike up close to the dam. i tossed a 3" gulp shiner and her, and she would go crazy for it when it hit the water. very aggressive for sure. hooked her, but her teeth cut through my line with ease (only 6lb test, UL gear)

[Abudrag]

I'm heading up to Ottertail Lake next week. Anybody willing to share some tips as to what type of bait, presentation, location and depth? Any information would be much appreciated.

[GRAND DAD]

I think am going to be fishing it this weekend If I find any thing useful all pass it on.

[slammer]

I know some of the tourny boats last weekend did good with shiners yet. Myself, I had good luck with a crawler and lindy rig on Tues. eve. in 15-25 fow.

[fishcanoe]

The Gils and Bass were biting well in the shallows last weekend on Silver. We picked up a few "true" 17" bass. In another lake I had a musky grab a 17" walleye - that was exciting. I went back with an 8" soft bait, but never saw the ski' again. I tried trolling cranks for walleye's, drifting with a lindy rig and some vertical jigging on Silver but no walleye bites at all

[ottertailguy]

We were up this past week on O.T. and our best luck was on a deep hump that came up to 30 feet on leeches. It was very sunny with little wind but once we found them we worked that area very slow.

[carpmanjake]

anyone get my live pointer back yet? lol

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Holy moly, I just looked up the "live pointer" lures and at $20.00 a piece you might try offering some kind of reward.

[carpmanjake]

ya. they are expensive lol.

[Joe Z.]

Jake,

If it helps, the next time they lower the water level look for some of 15-20 #5 Crawfish Rattlin' Fat Raps and Rattlin' Raps I lost above and below the dam over the last 20 years. They are all yours. ;-) Joe Z.

[Dave S]

I've lost a few of those as well Joe. Excellent bait for the smallies and I even caught a 6 lb channel on one too.

[carpmanjake]

joe- wont be going back there anytime soon. my dad wants to catch cats, and we couldnt get any of any size. we got one about 3lbs in those 2 trips.

so he lost all faith in orwell. and i would really have to twist his arm to get him to go back

[Joe Z.]

Try below and downstream from Pisgah Dam in Fergus Falls for Cats. They won't be 20+ like north of Wahp/Breck but respectable. Chicken Livers. Joe Z

[MIke A]

Anybody been out for eyes recently?