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


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Last year on opener there were 2 boats fishing for them. We asked the guy how many they had caught and I was quite surprised when he said "around 20". I was a little skeptical until we saw the pictures on his phone. Just as we were about to leave he set the hook on a good one. The fish are adapting quite well it seems.

Wow that is really surprising. Maybe next spring I should try tossing a gob of nightcrawlers out there just for fun.

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Why is this so quiet this winter? are all of you catching eyes & not talking?

last weekend the 7-8 I noticed a TON of people out fishing on the west side, alot of big groups.

this weekend it was a GHOST town out there, alot of houses taken off. is there something im missing?

we been catching 4-5 every night from 4-6pm been very consistent this year, but perch have been down.

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I hear ya Bison....have personally had one of my best winters on ottertail in a long time. Last night was darn good, and several other guys i know with houses out did well too. But you are right, alot of houses left the lake this weekend. Hoping this weekend is just as good!

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Sturgeon are not good for the lake in the huge numbers we now have ( walleye egg and crayfish depletion )nor are a million huge northerns natural or good. Hmmm, did it turn the town of Ottertail into a throphy northern pike tourist attraction? About as good as spearing, netting, and small mouth bass helped Mil Lacs lake.

There is a petition going around to drop the 30" minimum. Few have the balls to admit the truth but most fishermen I know in the last couple years didn't get good amounts of big perch or walleye trolling 5 to 8 feet with shad raps, and few have done good this winter. But being PC or afraid will silence people.

There may be some people that did alright last summer shallow on ottertail, but the flats were void of boats if anyone is honest. There's a reason. The dnr has changed this lake. No crayfish shallow, no perch shallow, no walleye shallow, no trollers shallow. Mission accomplished I guess.

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  • 1 month later...

Anyone have an update if most lakes are open in the area? Thinking about heading out and try and find some crappies over the weekend. West Battle and Clitherall all open?

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they are open in the ottertail lakes area. I would be shocked if they were not completely open as we have had wind and warm weather. Ottertail was basically open as i couldn't see ice from the west part of the lake.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Its been a week since I was last out but Iv'e been finding walleyes in 6'-10' with jigs and shiners and the crappies and in the shallows but were not yet spawing as of last friday. GLTA and stay safe this holiday weekend.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Are fish still hitting shiners or time for crawlers?

​Found surface temps still around 60 degrees. GF got one walleye off a crawler and we got six more off shiners along with a nice crappie, and perch. was a good day for being out in the middle of the afternoon for a couple hours. 

11232357_10106229607942680_4060784998440310904_n.jpg

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Fished a few of the local lakes this past weekend. Crappies up in the shallows along with bass, northerns and a few walleyes. Water temps were in the 68 degree range and warming. Sunday water was warming fast. Small jig with a beetle spin tail seem to be the ticket.

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Just got back from a 2 week vacation in OTC. Weather sucked this year, that wind just wouldn't stop! Water was 62 when I got there and was 57-58 a few days later :crazy: .  Anyway, fishing wasn't as good as usual but I fished 7 different lakes and caught a good number of bass, also some pike, walleyes, and panfish. Kept a couple eyes and a few crappies, everything else was released.

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Brace of nice largemouth.

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Random smallie

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23.5" walleye off the dock

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Nice largemouth on a rare calm day

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Fat smallie

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Random crappie

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Bucketmouth

Edited by BTL
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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Nice pics BTL!!!

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Wow looks like a great vacation:)  Nice fish looks like you scored bigtime.!

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I just got back from Otter Tail lake that we spend all week there. The fishing was very good even though the mayflies hatched after we arrived, go figure. The shiners were ok the first day but after using the first leech I never switched back, they were that good. Caught as many small walleyes as good eaters. Water level is back to normal since all the rain which is good too.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Wow no reports??    We started shad rappin. 8ft. Picked up 9-10 eyes, all eaters 15inch.  But too many rock bass ick!!   Night crawlers during the day in 28 feet produced a few.  I was surprised how few boats were out over the 4th. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fished Sat morning with crawlers/spinners.  Tried a few spots with one here and there.  Went over to the north side  with the south wind coming across the lake and found fish up shallow(8ft).  Didn't take long to get our fish.  Very aggressive bite in that stirred up water.  Fish were fat and full of bugs.  14-15 inch with 2 17s

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Only caught 4 last night, 10/1  the bite slowed down since 2-3 weeks ago.

I dont know if there will be another flurry of fish before the first actual flurry!

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  • 2 weeks later...

HOLY CRAP  Saturday 80 degrees out & we probably caught 80 walleyes with 3 boats 3 guys ,  it was an insane crank bite all afternoon/night.

but for real, it was incredible and sundays/todays wind & cold will bring that to a screeching halt.

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Fished OT the 9th and had about 10 fish with only 3 between 15-19".  This cold front/wind should finish off the turnover.  Hopefully stable weather in the future will increase the bite.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...
2 hours ago, BisoNation said:

ok 100 trucks at the OT accesses today   wheres the reports!!

Going up next Thursday I'll have truck # 101 and my wheeler on the ice out of Vacationland - should be on the lake about 3 or so. Resort owner and nephew from Ottertail both said large wheelers were going out of Pelican on Tuesday.  Both said ice was at 10 at the south west end yesterday. I report by Sunday on and success.

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