2020 Lake Osakis Fishing Reports

[sartellangler05]

Heading out to Osakis on Monday to try and catch some walleyes or northerns. Anyone able to give me some pointers for walleye fishing early season would be great. I will admit I've caught few enough walleyes from a boat to count with my two hands...just got into fishing them the past 2 years and have only targeted them in the winter. Any info on best presentations, depths, bait, trolling or jigging would help. PM me if need be. Thanks!!

[JIvers]

This will be my reply to both 3to1 and sartellangler...

In my experience, fishing Osakis for walleye before mid-June can be challenging. The water is usually gin clear until after the first week of June, and the fish tend to be very spooky. I've caught walleye on Osakis under those conditions, but it is tougher for me than after the water turns green.

If you want to catch walleye out there now, get away from the crowds and the commotion. I sometimes caught walleye right around the edges of the pencil reeds casting crankbaits, along with a LOT of Northern. (The clear water doesn't bother the toothies any.) Trolling live bait, or fishing it on slip bobbers, on the tops and edges of reefs and bars can be productive, too. At night, fishing leeches in the shallows works well. Just don't expect the numbers of walleye you'll get from mid-June on.

After the water turns green from the algae bloom and the weedlines fill in, which might happen earlier than normal this year like pretty much everything else, walleye fishing on Osakis gets much simpler.

Through July, for good numbers of legal eater fish find the downwind edge of one of the weedlines in around 15', and fish a leech, shiner, or crawler (I would recommend trying them in that order) on a slip bobber a foot or two off the bottom. If you don't catch fish at one spot, keep moving to others, and you will catch walleye and Northern.

If you want bigger walleye, look shallower on the edge of the pencil reeds...

Trolling perch-colored crankbaits or live bait on the deep weed edges works too for walleye, but I tend to spend too much time cleaning my bait off after I edge it over in to the weeds. Slip bobbers avoid that problem.

I don't fish for panfish much on Osakis, but in my limited experience when they are done spawning the bluegill start to bite in the same deep weed edges in around 15' of water as the walleye. Prior to that time people fish for them right in the pencil reeds. Usually I start catching bluegill while walleye fishing in early July, but again with the warm spring that may happen earlier this year.

Good luck!

[3to1]

Thank You eyehunter for the info. Look forward to coming up in a few weeks and spending some time on Osakis.

[Finlander]

Any issues with "Green Slime" that is occuring in Mille Lacs and other lakes?

[timjones]

Water is still plenty clear yet. The water level has started to drop again though after coming up the last month. It's down about an inch this past week. Not good, barely had enough to get the boat on and off the lift as it was.

[sartellangler05]

Thanks for the heads up eye hunter. Any suggestions on other lakes in the area that might produce better numbers, or have less water clarity?

[TheTuna]

A number of walleyes being caught. A lot of the 12"-15" size which isn't the best for frying pan, but great for future of lake osakis. Northerns seem to be plentiful as well. Crappies spawning shallow with my 3 year old catching nice 13" (forgot to hit save botton on cell phone) and happy to let get bigger and release. Check out Head of the Lakes Resort as well if looking for a place to stay on Lake Osakis. They have new owners with cabins/camping sites/restaraunt/bait shop onsite.

[3to1]

Some SW Minnesota lakes experiencing the green slime as well. Early warm weather causing this?

[sartellangler05]

Hit Osakis yesterday and got skunked. Fished the shoreline across from Battle Point early at 7am tossing cranks and throwing shiners out under a slip bobber. Didn't produce anything, so I decided to troll slowly backwards in the 12-25 foot range, still nothing. Switched to drift and jig with a minnow, but ended up just a bunch of perch. Got lazy and decided to troll for northern, and didn't get a strike for almost 2 hours. $#@^@^#%!! It's been a while since I've made a trip and havn't caught a dang thing...anyone with tips feel free to help a discouraged fisherman out

Left the lake in search of pannies around 2 pm, and tried Mill. My DNR lakes guide had a decent gill net report, however I had no luck with sunnies or crappies. Good bass lake though.

[Finlander]

Osakis is a fickle lake to say the least! After the weather fluctuations we've had the last week, the fish in Osakis shut down until we get stable weather for a few days or even a week.

Lightning really shuts down the walleye bite, even the northerns get tight lipped. Just adjust the weather control to stable weather for a week and the fun will start!

After fishing Osakis since 1968, that is what I see is the only thing you can do is wait!

Good Luck!

[grizrunner]

Osakis is a fickle lake to say the least! After the weather fluctuations we've had the last week, the fish in Osakis shut down until we get stable weather for a few days or even a week.

Lightning really shuts down the walleye bite, even the northerns get tight lipped. Just adjust the weather control to stable weather for a week and the fun will start!

After fishing Osakis since 1968, that is what I see is the only thing you can do is wait!

Good Luck!

That...and it helps to get on the water before 7am.

[bigbucks]

I hardly ever get on the water before 7am & catch plenty of walleyes. The bite generally isn't as fast, but you fish when you can. Caught an awful lot of walleyes at high noon.

[Dakotabassbeast]

Hey guys, me and my family are camping up on osakis June 30th to July 4th. We are staying at linwood resort on the SE end of the lake i beleive. Is their any good spots for walleye pike or bass nearby? Thanks

[Finlander]

The bulrushes and pencil reeds to the North of Linwood is a great place for bluegills, walleyes, bass, and pike! Fish as shallow as 3' in the openings of the bulrushes for blugills. You will catch walleyes while fishing the same time. I started fishing there in 1968 next to the outlet and that whole bulrush/pencil reed area holds alot of fish! Just use an electric trolling motor to move around until you catch fish!

Good Luck!

[UKCM]

What Finlander said, plus you can also troll shallow running shad raps in 7 to 12 foot of water (depending on how high the weeds are) for walleyes.

[Dakotabassbeast]

Hey.I was just curious about the fishing on the S End since i will be staying on linwood resort in a few weeks. What species of fish will be easiest to catch June 30th to July 4th? How large are the Pike in this lake? Thanks

[Finlander]

If your trolling Raps for walleyes, you'll catch pike. And most will be 2-4lbs. There are big pike in this lake though, but you would have to target them with big sucker minnows. The north end next to the deeper water next to a weed line dropoff is where I caught most of the bigger pike in this lake thru the years! I have caught 10lb+ pike on the north end next to deep water (60'-70') and they had tullibees in there stomach! So that is what I would do for big pike!

[Dakotabassbeast]

Has anyone been up latly? New reports?

[bigbucks]

Was out Thursday & last night. Bite seems to have slowed, although the little walleyes & perch are hitting live bait like crazy. Plug bite was virtually nonexistent the last two times out, it was going okay a week or so back.

[Dakotabassbeast]

Thanks! I will be up to osakis for the first time this week for a long weekend. I was hoping to troll rapalas for walleye or pike and maybe do a little bit of jig and minnow and some lindy rig action. Stayin at Linwood Resort. Hope to catch some bass casting too or even some smallmouth if im lucky! Love smallmouth but are sometimes harder to find.

[hardwater55319]

Any panfish reports?

[hardwater55319]

Was up on saturday found plenty of smaller sunfish but no keepers. We where surprise by the amount of smaller walleyes that we caught under 12". We where fishing anywhere from 6-15 fow. Will try again at a later date. Any tips would be helpful. Thanks

[Finlander]

Whats the hot bite going on now on Osakis?

[pushbutton]

Coming up Sat on a little family trip and will let you know.....but suspect will just be reporting on some gills as well as the sand castle action

[Chad Peterson]

PB-The bite on gills has been pretty good. Have been getting them in the afternoon to evening hours in about 10-15FOW. Hope you have a great weekend with the family.

Sniffer

[pushbutton]

Thanks! Since this weekend will be nuts my plan is to start out in 30 ft. and draw some of the pack in....then go up to 5 ft where others will follow....then try to sneak away into that 12 ftish sweet spot and duck tape my kid's mouth shut when we start catching fish Stop by if your in the area!!!

[Chad Peterson]

Will do!

Sniffer

[Dakotabassbeast]

Stayed at Linwood resort over the weekend. On Monday we rented the pontoon and it was pretty much a pike fest! We trolled the 10 to 12 ft depths along the resort down to andersons bar. Caught most our fish there. Caught a few trolling near half-mile and one-mile. Also as we were comin in at about 7:30 pm i hooked into a nice 21in walleye and a 13in walleye. A yellow perch colored glass sr5 shad rap worked the best.

[JIvers]

So the Northern on Osakis are making it through the heat wave alright? It may be far enough north, and a deep enough lake, that there will be no problem up there.

I can't make it up to Osakis this year, so I have to make do with readings reports.

[Finlander]

Walleyes were snappin last Saturday! Caught over 40 from 12" to 22"! And they were biting anywhere as long as you were in 12'-15' of water!

Slowed down Sunday though!