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


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We fished in the area the whole weekend.  Saturday morning we did pretty well before the storm came in.  Took three boys out jigging with a shiner and we kept three eyes threw back a ton of northerns and the one boy who doesn't fish often released a 22" eye.  Only one of us in the boat didn't catch a walleye but the one who didn't get one was busy with pike so he was happy.  Fished a few more times hit and miss but couldn't really catch many until Monday morning.  Bite was furious on edge of weed line.  Kept 11 for the two of us and threw back four slot fish with 2 being 21".  Very active and aggressive bite.

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Fished some on Saturday and a little on sunday, well until I ran out of bait.  Saturday we tried a few spots graphed a bunch but only seemed to get northerns to bite.  Went out three times during the day trying varying depths but with little to no luck.  Weedline last week was around 10/11 feet this weekend I was graphing and feeling them 14ish feet.  Sunday I got up and hit my favorite spots and didn't mark a single fish so I worked deeper and I found in 17-21 fow the shiners were out there.  Tried jigging and didn't get a bite not even a northern.  Switched to a plain Lindy with a shiner and within a minute I had a keeper walleye.  I lost two smaller eyes next to the boat as I was trying to net them had a 20-22" break the line just as I had the net under half of it.  Kept four 14-17" for the frying pan and released a 25".  All of this happeened within an hour and a half when I switched to lindy rigs.  The nephews showed up as I was getting into them and they stayed shallow and didn't get a fish while I was getting all my fish.  So key was lindy's deeper and a shiner.  I did see one boat in 5 fow trolling fast 1.5-2.5 mph with spinners with crawlers and they were schooling us. 

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Just got back from my annual 2 week trip, and OTC was good to me as always. Mostly fished bass but caught a little of everything. Fished 8 different lakes this year, some of them multiple times. Kept a few walleyes and panfish for a family fish fry, everything else was released.

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I love it out there so much. Sad to be back home.

 

Edited by BTL
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Got out last night.  Bugs are bad right after sunset but seemed to go away after about an hour.  Lots of boats out trolling.  Fished from 8:30 pm 1:30 am.  No bites until 11:15 then got 4 in about 10 minutes.  Got one here and there along with 3 rock bass, 31 inch northern and numerous small perch and eyes.   Gold # 10 husky jerk on lead core worked best

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  • 3 weeks later...

Father and I fished Ottertail on Saturday morning and found fish in about 18 feet of water using a Lindy with a leech. Marked quite a few fish and ended up keeping 5 and threw back another 8 or so. A lot of big boats out there prefishing for the AIM tournament that was held on Sunday.

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Was out 2 different times on OT this weekend.  Counted 7 walleyes over 16 inches floating either half dead or dead.  How many tourneys were out there this year?

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There have been quite a few but I know the FM Walleyes one was a catch, photo, release. I hope more tournaments start going to this format.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fished Little Pine this weekend with limited success, pulled a few small walleyes in the 14-16ft range with the biggest being 23".  Friends did well trolling spinners with suckers through the weeds in 5-8ft of water.  50-50 split between pike and walleyes 6 over 20" in this range.  Eater fish were hard to come by.

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  • 5 months later...

Where' the Fishing Reports?

 

Ottertail has been good this winter.  always 4-5 walleyes nightly, and perch have been much bigger than years before.

 

what's everyone seeing?   Suckers on a dead stick have been the trick lately

 

 

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I was out there fishing on Saturday evening and caught a couple eyes on shiners with just a glow hook. Have heard a lot of good reports of guys doing well in 25'-30' on the mid-lake humps. My buddy was fishing out of Riviera on Saturday evening and he brought 30 eyes topside but only kept 6. I know there has been a lot of smaller eyes being caught.

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1 hour ago, Chill62 said:

Way to invite me buddy! LOL

HAHA sorry, next time! Heading to Mille Lacs this weekend, the week can't go fast enough.

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Glad you are sorry!!!!  Have to share pics when you get back.  I know we are trying a trout lake this weekend around the area since it's opener for trout fishing and we are already jumping at the bit of who is grabbing what stuff lol.  Targeting Eyes, Perch, Smallies or whatever comes through the hole?

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Targeting eyes. Staying in a sleeper on Saturday night and running portables during the day on Saturday and Sunday. Looking like its suppose to be pretty nice out so might just end up fishing right on the ice and not set the portable up.

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Earlier in todays Ottertail report sounding good. We be on Ottertail Fri through Sun chasing walleye and some Blue Gills. Might give Walker a try for Crappie. @busse_3775 Good luck on Mille Lacs this weekend.

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10 hours ago, slammer said:

How is the snow depth on OT?  Can you get around with ATV?  Need chains?

You can easily get around with a truck or wheeler. Chains would help but you wouldn't absolutely need them. Guys were driving trucks every where last weekend.

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  • 4 months later...

Amazing Opener on Ottertail.

we caught well over 20 walleyes, only 1 was 25 inches and 2 were 20inches plus.

all shiners. Lots of smaller walleyes.  13-16 feet.

 

 

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I was out there on opener as well and caught a lot of small fish. Averaged about 30 walleyes a day but nothing bigger than 17". Last weekend the bite was a lot tougher which I would assume was due to the weather. 

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The waves have been bigger than i've ever seen the past 3-4 days on Ottertail.  Don't know how that is affecting the walleye bite... but its a mess out here.

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How has the bite been this weekend?  Not able to fish this weekend due to graduations.  Shiners still working?

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Fished Big Pine.  Caught perch lol  Not one walleye.  Fish flies are hatching and the wind kept us off of the lake a lot.  Finally yesterday we fished NW corner of the lake aka calmest spot we could find and we got a few pike.  Otherwise we picked up some decent perch 8-11" on the south side in about 6 feet.  Only saw one walleye being caught all weekend and it was a 21" while fishing for perch next to me.

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I'm thinking of heading to Otter tail on (Monday) for the first time on the lake or in the Battle lake area! Does anyone know if the big mayfly hatch has started or gone on at Otter tail lake yet? I'm looking for any general info on what access to go out of to Fish the afternoon and evening. I've heard the south side has been pretty busy lately! Is the saddle area a good area to try? Any colors to try or avoid on the lake? My Wife an I are looking for Walleyes Primarily. Perch are fine as well, if we can find some keepers. Thanks In advance for the help!

 

Trent! :)

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Headed up to the Battle Lake Area this friday.  Anyone been out that way lately?  Curious if the bass are done spawning yet.  If they're not I'll be chasing some 'eyes and pannies instead.  If they are then it's game on baby!  Weather looks nice except for the wind on Saturday.  Can't wait to get out of town for a bit...

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Got back from my annual 2 week vacation yesterday. First couple days were cold and rainy, but after that the weather cleared up and was beautiful for the rest of the trip so I got in lots of time on the water. I hit 8 different lakes this year, mostly for bass but caught some other stuff too. Otter Tail County was good to me as always. Here are some of the many pics I took.

 

Nice largemouth

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I decided I was going to throw a lot of swimbaits this year. They worked well until they were inevitably stolen by pike.

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I loved the color on this hybrid sunfish. I think it's a bluegill/green sunfish cross.

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And here's a pure bluegill for comparison.

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Caught some decent walleyes throwing jerkbaits off the dock at night.

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Brace of nice smallies.

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I made the mistake of trying to weigh this pike. He didn't like that so he thrashed like crazy and took my scale back into the water with him.

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Fishing from the dock. See that dark shape in the water near the rock bass I hooked?

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I caught him next.

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Makings of a fish fry.

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I pulled a few slab crappies out of a weedbed in 12'. The water was so clear I could see them hovering over the bottom.

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Pig largemouth.

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Pretty smallmouth on a jerkbait.

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More quality largemouth.
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Smallmouth selfie.

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Largemouth blah blah blah

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Minnesota roadkill

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Back at the grind today. 2 weeks is never long enough.

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  • 2 months later...

no reports huh?

fishing has slowed down the last week or 2.  Did catch a nice 23 inch and 21 inch in 22 feet water last weekend.

only caught 10 total for 2 days fishing.

 

hopefully it picks up after labor day Im guessing.  any reports out there?/

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out last night, cranking in 8-10feet at dark.

17 rock bass  2 walleyes..     how do we eradicate these dam rock bass?

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  • 5 weeks later...

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