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

[ASMOLEY]

Had a good trip to Ten Mile over the weekend. Did fairly well with the sunnies on Friday and Saturday but they really turned on Sunday! Even had a few bonus crappies mixed in!

The walleye bite was abysmal, caught one little 8". Pike were very active the whole weekend but they seemed to prefer my panfish jig over my tipup with a sucker...

Ice was 18"-20"+ every place we went and no issues driving the pickup around.

Headed to the Otter late February, keep the reports flowing...

[nels824]

Any reports from OT? How is it getting on, getting around or the bite?

[tlbigstump]

Getting around out there is no problem, some drifting around houses, but otherwise 2" to 3" of snow on the lake. But don't drive to fast,because there are some little drifts out there that are hidden under new snow and they are hard as a rock and will rearrange the goodies in the back of your truck for you if you hit one. Bite has been pretty slow out there for awile now, but they are always biting somewhere.

[island guy]

Could all change depending on how things track but up to 12" of snow is forecast for Sunday into Monday.

[tlbigstump]

Ya could get ugly I noticed alot of houses being pulled off today in preperation of the snow, better safe than sorry, with a little wind it could get uuuuuugly.

[ASMOLEY]

Will be up there tomorrow!

Plan on hitting OT for eyes/perch and some smaller lakes for gills/crappies.

Hows the travel out there? Worthwhile to bring a 4 wheeler?

If anyone wants to share some recent fishing reports im all ears too

[hawgchaser]

I live on a lake 3 mi. east of Underwood. With 2ft. of snow in the past couple weeks, there's about 4" of water/slush under the snow. No way one could get around with a wheeler...sketchy in spots with a snowmobile. Don't specifically know about any other lake, but would anticipate similar conditions if there aren't plowed roads on the lake.

[jerkin'm]

Fished Sunday and Monday in the Battle Lake area and you will not be able to get anywhere off a plowed road with a wheeler unless it has tracks on it...snowmobile was the only way...We had 30 mph winds out of the South on Sunday and 30 mph out of the North on Monday, needless to say the catching sucked...and the wind was a test of our patience...Everywhere we drilled it eventually flooded the ice with an inch or two of water...

[ASMOLEY]

Thanks guys! Not news I was hoping for, I guess I'll be leaving the wheeler at home

Are there any roads on OT that a guy can pay to get access on? Or just some the average joe has plowed for everyone? (Special thanks to those that do this!)

I have good tires on the pickup but getting stuck with the truck can sure take the fun outa the weekend. I guess I'll be preparing myself for some walking...

[jerkin'm]

I know there are usually some roads plowed to the main areas on OT from the public ramps, haven't been out there personally this year but usually that's how it works...

[tlbigstump]

There were a few plowed roads out of riviera access that a local guy plowed you don't have to pay, but they aren't maintained the best like a pay for use road would be. Otherwise I was able to go off road ok with my pickup. Its deep and crusty but as long as you stay out of the slush you'll be ok, just drive smart and don't spin down to the ice.

[nels824]

Anybody been on OT? Wondering how it is to get around?

[ASMOLEY]

Just got back after spending a few days up there. Never made it on OT we stayed on some other lakes for panfish and kept us busy while we were up there. We did see some trucks out on OT when we were driving by on 78. If there isn't a plowed road you will need a snowmobile based on the lakes we traveled on.

And of course some pictures of the catch!

Below was the biggest gill I caught just over 10" (Still swimming )

Majority of the fish were still nice in the 7"-8" range.

Few bass, crappie, and pike mixed in as well. Didn't get a pic, but caught a 31" pike about an hr after dark crappie fishing. What a fight on the UL and 4lb test! Would have been nice to find some eyes but with limited travel I didn't feel like shoveling or walking... Next year I hope there isn't as much snow!

[jerkin'm]

Was up in Battle Lake/Otter Tail area for "opener"...apparently most people bagged it. Nobody in the bait shop or on most of the lakes all weekend. Strange to say the least. Managed to get the kids out a little and had OK success...

[bigbucks]

Looks like some nice fish, good job. Looks like you found a spot without a lot of wind, which was no small feat last weekend.

[Musky Buck]

The opener that was, saw a lot of walleyes going into livewells, ours also, there was a really hot hour on Saturday where we saw roughly 50 eyes hit the livewells, great opener. Maybe it was good to have the just getting out because in our heads because the walleyes were really active, many of us because it was so shallow just casted rapala's to stay out of the gunk on the bottom.

[ChuckN]

Nice. Did you fish yesterday too?

[jerkin'm]

Musky Buck you must have been on a river or near an outlet somewhere to be close enough to see 50 eyes go into the box eh? Not my kind of fishing but lots of people seem to like company..Pictures of all your success would be good to see too...I didn't see more than a half dozen boats on the water all weekend where I fished...I did see one fish get netted by another boat though.. I did fish briefly in the 30mph gale yesterday, should have slept in instead...

[Musky Buck]

I don't like company either but when grandpa owns 400 acres right next to the river it was hard to not go, it was nice to leave the boat at home, sit in the lawnchair and fish away, yes a river and a creek that flows into it, sorry I quit taking pictures years ago unless we get one 27" or bigger the camera stays put. A lot of anchors hit that river Saturday, all I could see really were suckers, but walleyes were packed in there apparently also. Saw about 25 eyes hit the well in the first hour I was there, I was kinda dumbfounded, then there was a short lull, then they started going again, my ? is why 0 spawn coming out of any of em ? I asked some of the boat guys and they were like nothing here either, I said check your livewells in an hour but nothing ? Now I wonder if grandpa's farm is where I should've been opening for years really, we never really shore fish so this was a bit weird, darn snags cost me 2 rapala's, that's what I did rapala's casting let them flow rattle it, let it sit, bang or you had weeds or rubbish otherwise, it was hard to minnow it as your jig was fouled too often with cross current.

[jerkin'm]

Yep, sounds strange to not have any spawn if they were still in the river...All the fish I cleaned were pretty skinny/freshly spawned too...I would have liked to have been sitting in a lawn chair too...

[JONOV]

The one's we caught in the river up there were also spawned out.

[Musky Buck]

It was a bit odd, I thought water temps dictated the spawn ? The water was very chilly, idk. Kinda worried about the upcoming weekend weather...hope the storms/wind work with me some this weekend meaning leave me be please until we're nearing times up for the night, I'm skipping the river and going to fire up the lund and hope for the best, 1 friend is going back to the river so he can keep me posted on that situation, I'd assume there'd be some in there yet etc. Lost enough May nights the past couple seasons because of weather just at dark ending the outing before it began. What is up with weekend weather, I leave EC Minnesota and by the time I hit OT county it's 20 degrees colder, windier, fronts, etc. Bad voodoo.

[bak2MN]

You must be bringing the bad weather with you!! Stay home and will let you know if its any better!

[Musky Buck]

bak2mn, lol, I'm cursed on OT county weather, each Friday night I get there it's like what happened, cursed. Like Barney and Andy fishing with the jinx on andy Griffith if you're a fan. Rub that rabbit foot Barney and say with me winkum blinkum notolus rex take me away from the man with the hex, give 2 winks and rub your nose ......lol I can't remember it.....and quit rubbin Opie's head ! 6 and 7/8's, he got the hat size Ange. You bet will be clear and good to go Friday AM then I'll hit the trail near 5 and be to OT county by 7 and wind/lightning/rain/hail/straight line winds, you bet ! And again Saturday and I will burn the OT county jinx tonight but we're in a red flag fire warning !

[bak2MN]

Musky we are on Big Pine most every weekend. And I feel your pain, during the week nice as heck weekends wind and rain and cold. I hope to put the boat in the water for the first time this year on the 24th! Hope the winds settle and the fish are cooperative!!!

[paceman]

What makes it even worse is that while the weekend weather will be tough conditions, mondays are usually perfect wetaher days. Light wind, party cloudy, moderate temps, Tough to go to work days.

[bak2MN]

I hear you there! And I work on the rd during the week and have to lave on Sundays most of the time!

[Musky Buck]

No doubt guys, I swear the last couple years it's been yucky, not sure how many times last year sat at the access, tarp on, boat at the ready, only to have a storm with just enough cracks of lightning to keep us grounded and then does the storm move on, no it sits nearly stationary long enough to make it not worth waiting out so there's always Saturday right, then post frontal winds or re-developing storms settle in and doom that 1 so maybe Sunday by then I can't find a fishing partner so I usually scrap it. It's rub your nose and give 2 winks and save us from this awful jinx. Henry Bennett. So I did a raindance/storm prevention salute last night for us... Like Goober and Floyd in with Count Dravecky and Barn in the sheriffs office...sure is lively tonight. Once I got done went in the house, put as a contact a half way house for myself, picked 4 woodticks, and now the stuck deer tick I would imagine was a Lyme's disease carrier. And you bet she'll storm like h e double hockey sticks, nearly guaranteed now. And if it's nice my outboard won't start or a flat or some voodoo.

[McGurk]

Well, MB, I'd say your storm prevention techniques worked! We were on Dead Lake Thurs night to Sun morn, and they were some of the nicest weekend days in May that I can remember! Storms at night, but the days were fine. Unfortunately the fishing was pathetic. We tried everything, but there wasn't a walleye to be found. We could even see crappies in 6 ft of water, and they wanted nothing to do with feeding on anything. Oh well. Got the spring yardwork done and still got plenty of boat time and card playing done.

[BisoNation]

ottertail lake sat/sun really slow after a dynamite friday bite.