2020 Lake Osakis Fishing Reports

[JIvers]

Finding walleye in the pencil reeds isn't just an early-season thing on Osakis; you can still find walleye there in July. You maybe won't catch many walleye in largemouth territory on Osakis, but the ones you do catch tend to be nice-sized.

[Sportfish1850]

Thanks Wayne, I'll give that a try. Warm weather and sunshine is going to cause things to change fast and move fish out as the weed line pushes out deeper.

[JIvers]

I'm heading up to Osakis for a week this Saturday: what are the water temps, water color, and deep weedlines looking like?

Based on the forecast, I had better remember to pack my rain gear. I'm looking at the bright side and hoping that the cloudy, rainy weather won't be accompanied by lightning or too much wind. That way, I should be able to pick up a lot of walleye shallow during the day.

[paceman]

Get ready for a little company out there this weekend as I believe there is a tourney out there sat/sun.

[JIvers]

Get ready for a little company out there this weekend as I believe there is a tourney out there sat/sun.

Head out before 7:00 AM (unless they changed the start time) Saturday and Sunday--problem solved. I've fished around the Lions tourney before.

[bigbucks]

They didn't change it. Take off starts at 7am. Have to be in at either 3 or 3:30 depending on your team number & the day.

[Finlander]

I fished that tourney a couple times years back and you won't be bothered by the tourney boats unless you decide to fish out in front from where they take off from and that is Town Bay.

Otherwise it's not unlike any other weekend fishing there.

Also they won't fish after 3:00pm friday thru sunday so the evenings will be void of tourney boats.

Good Luck!

[JIvers]

I fished that tourney a couple times years back and you won't be bothered by the tourney boats unless you decide to fish out in front from where they take off from and that is Town Bay.

Otherwise it's not unlike any other weekend fishing there.

Also they won't fish after 3:00pm friday thru sunday so the evenings will be void of tourney boats.

Good Luck!

A few years ago I had a good morning trolling bite going on the top of Half Mile bar during the Lions tourney; there was no wind, but I had a good chop for a few minutes after 7:00 AM. I distinctly remember netting a 17" walleye while all the tourney boats buzzed by.

I get in to town on Saturday, so I have to launch well before or after 3:00 PM, but that is not a big deal. Redtail chubs may be hard to find in town, too, but I've planned for that.

[JIvers]

If you have little kids and want to keep them busy, take them out to Osakis--the small perch are really biting. I heard the small perch are driving the tourney guys crazy, although some nice 13-15 lb. limits of walleye were weighed in yesterday.

My party's three biggest walleye yesterday evening were 19", 18" and my 16.5" in the open water photo thread. And, lots of small perch.

[bigbucks]

Yes they were, but there's definitely some cleanable perch in there. Several 10"ers & a few 11"ers.

[Finlander]

How high are the pencil reeds and bullrushes?

[UKCM]

The reeds are a couple of feet out of the water, however they are still much more sparse than they normally are at this time of the year.

[JIvers]

Yup, weed growth is a week or two behind normal on Osakis this year. When we arrived on Saturday, the water temps were 69-70 degrees. By this morning, they were down to 64-65. The algae bloom has happened, so it could be worse if you are looking for walleye.

There is little growth on the deep weedlines, too, which has made finding walleye a little different than normal for June 24. I found a good bite this morning on a small hump that got hammered by the wind and waves for the last three days, and I expect to find more fish there tonight. The fish were spread out over the edges of the bar, and not concentrated on what weedline there was.

The weather and boat problems (I'm heading back to IC with my lower unit laying in the boat ) made this a frustrating trip to the Big O. When the weather was decent and I could get out with my small loaner rig I found fish, but the front that blew through Monday afternoon...Tuesday...Wednesday...and most of Thursday...left me stranded on-shore, and I could not get on a pattern to really hammer fish. This morning was pretty much my first day of the trip in terms of finding fish. Oh well, you have to have trips like this once in a while.

[Sportfish1850]

I'd say weed growth is nearly a month behind. The combination of the lake being 2ft higher this spring, the late cold temps kept the pencil reeds below the surface and the deep edges clean for much longer than I've seen in my 8 years of regular fishing on Osakis.

Fished it pretty hard the last 4 days. Finding walleyes but they seem spread out and not in any 1 particular location. Found some shallow 6ft all the way down to 14ft depending on the structure/cover. Some in weeds, some on bar edges with mostly clean bottoms, some on points, some on north end bays/reefs. Caught some on bobbers, some on cranks, and some on spinner harnesses. So for me anyways, the pattern was a kitchen sink approach. Go to one location fish for 30 mins, try a presentation or two...catch a fish or two, move, repeat. If you move around and be flexible in what your throw at them and how you present it you can find fish here and there. The % of fish above the legal keeper size seemed up this year and the 3 we took home for dinner Sun coughed up come pretty big partially digested perch (I think) minnows in the live well. So there is no shortage of forage in the water.

I'm hoping the warm weather the next few day pushes the water temps up to 70-72 which should make for a more predictable pattern in prime locations.

Did get some active pike to hit aggressively as well. Biggest went 32".

[JIvers]

Yeah, Friday night the walleye were spread out over the tops of bars that would usually have four or six feet of weed growth by June 24. This year, those edges are as clean and smooth as a baby's behind. Heck, there were boats trolling crankbaits on the shallow flats after dark, which is usually impossible due to weed growth by now.

My favorite way to fish on Osakis is to find just the right pocket on the windward side of a bar on the very edge of the weeds, anchor so I am directly over the pocket, and then drop leeches or shiners down and catch eater-sized walleye til I am out of bait or my arms are tired. This year I had to keep moving when I did get out on the lake. The fish were still biting, though, so it is definitely worth fishing.

[PASSION_4_BASSIN]

Hey man Im pretty new to this forum stuff but im takin my little brother up to Osakis for the week so im just lookin to see how the fishin is. We are lookin to catch anything and i saw you say the pike are active. Just wonderin how to get into some bigger pike. Always have luck catchin em just none with any good size....

[bigbucks]

They've been running a little bigger this year. I've caught a couple around 6 1/2 lbs. & a couple of 4 pounders just fishing walleyes. Most of them on some type of shad rap shallow or deep over weed growth or along it, 11' or less I'd say. One of the 6 1/2's came on a night crawler & a plain hook. That was fun on 6 lb. line, still can't believe he didn't cut the line. I haven't found color to matter, one day we were just having fun catching northerns & I'd switch plugs after every fish or two. We happened to be in about 10' at the time, #5 & #7's with the right amount of line accordingly of course, minnow raps, X-raps, different colors, they didn't care. Caught them on I think 7 different plugs in about an hour and a half.

[pushbutton]

Bigbucks is pretty much spot on. I would start off trolling the tops of the weed flats in the 8 to 12 ft range and hit the edges or a little outside(upperteens) if need be. I am a member of the Cheap Tackle Pro Staff and would not worry too much of what you are pulling, more importantly finding the right set up to get the lure to just nip the tops in the cabbage and try to get it down about 5ft off the bottom in the deeper water.

[Finlander]

I have had good luck for big pike working the weed edges next to deep water on Osakis. Try to find some big celery weeds like the north end just past Lindberg Point along that shoreline is extensive celery weed flats with deep water. Use large sucker minnows or large shiner minnows under a bobber on the outside edge of the weeds and give the area about 30 minutes. No action move 50 yards over an try again. Caught alot of pike there and when you clean the pike, check there stomach, alot of the large ones have tulibees in the stomach! They get real big eating them greasy fish!

Good Luck!

[caseih]

Anyone been out on osakis lately, I would like to take the old man out this week would like to know if its worth the trip.

[Kyle From]

How has osakis been into the summer? I fished it in mid may but didnt have much luck due to some bad weather all weekend. we got into some decent size pearch and also a few 20+ inch Northerns

[Finlander]

The sunfish should be biting in the tall pencil reeds in the outer/deeper edge of them. My brother last saturday caught a 10+ inck bluegill there!

Walleyes are in the same area's also.

Good Luck!

[Sportfish1850]

Had decent luck with walleye's this weekend. They are still shallower than normal even with the water warming up. We caught some nice ones in 8-9 FOW with leeches under a slip bobber in the evening. Daytime we found action with Husky Jerks in silver/orange trolling the outside weedline 10-14 FOW near the lake's main bars. Tried night crawlers but couldn't keep the little 5 inch perch from

attacking the bait so went back to Rapalas.

Saw plenty of boats pulling panfish from the pencil reeds

[SunnyCrappieDay]

I have never been on the lake but would live to start fishing it now that it is on my back door step. If a person wanted to catch some eyes or pencil weed panfish what end or side of the lake should I launch?

[JIvers]

I have never been on the lake but would live to start fishing it now that it is on my back door step. If a person wanted to catch some eyes or pencil weed panfish what end or side of the lake should I launch?

There are patches of pencil weeds (and that deeper structure that holds walleye) all over the lake. The biggest pencil reed beds are on the south end of the lake in Town Bay and off Two Mile Bar, so the launch in town would probably be best if you are looking for sunnies.

As for walleye on structure, get a lake map and pick a spot on the lake that looks like a good place to start--they're everywhere.

[SunnyCrappieDay]

Are there any spots on the lake a person should avoid so I dont donate a prop or lower unit!? Thanks for the info eye hunter

[Finlander]

Stay out of the area between the rock marker buoys on Coon Point and between Battle Point shoreline which is called Moon Bar. There are rocks in the shallows like a boulder here and there but nothing of significance.

[Sportfish1850]

I second what 'eyehunter said. Its also important to play the wind right based on your boat. When the wind is coming hard from the northwest a trip from town can be a wet bumpy experience. It could be worth a trailer drive up to battle point and launch on a more protected ramp and fish some of the structure and weeds up on the north side or near the narrows. Its not worth trying to fish the main bay in a strong south-wester if you have a smaller boat. Save yourself a headache and fish north of the narrows. The water will be much calmer. If you have a decent size boat then its doable but play the wind as necessary in your decision where to put in.

The pencil reeds by two mile - three mile bar AND by the outlet area a producing sunnies according to the sunny fishermen I've talked to. I usually wait until August when the stack up on the main lake bars. Any nice patch of water 10-15 ft deep near a weed edge with access to deeper water will produce a walleye or two with the right presentation. Like 'eyehunter said the walleye are spread out all over the place and you can find them in many similar locations.

[SunnyCrappieDay]

Thanks for the great info. I am planning on heading to Osakis tomorrow morning before the heat index reaches unbearable levels. I will be sure to post if I get out or not and how I do. I am excited to get out there and try some new water for a change. If anyone made it out today it would be great to hear your report!!

[SunnyCrappieDay]

Well I hit the big pond this morning and didn't do half bad. We hit the water right about 6 and fished till a touch after 11. The fog was really heavy this morning making my first explore mission tougher than expected. We intially tryed for some panfish in the pencil weeds on the west side of town bay. We had no luck after about an hour of zig zagging back and forth. We switched it up and headed to the weed line just east of the pencil weeds hoping to find some pannies. We were pulling small spinners tipped with leeches. We were only able to catch 3 nice 11-12" perch. With no panfish jumping in the boat we decided to change it up and go after some walleyes. We continued the same weed line and managed to catch one 17" walleye on a spinner and crawler. By this time the fog had lifted some and we could start to see other boats fishing. There was a very small cluster of boats what appeared to be fishing a small bar area so we tied on the Jr. Thundersticks and started trolling the weed line to the structure. It wasn't a 100 yards and bingo, 23" walleye caught and released. Once we hit the spot that most of the boats were fishing we were able to pull a 38" pike and a 19" walleye off the top of the bar in 10-12 fow. All of the other boats were jigging or pulling lindys and we never saw a fish caught. The fog definitly made it tough to navigate but I am excited to hit the lake again soon to try some spots further out in the main portion of the lake. Good luck fishing everyone.