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Whitefish Chain Fishing Reports


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Heading up to the Whitefish Chain this weekend.  Any new info?  Did the water cool down some?  Last time I was there the water was 82-84 way too hot.  Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!  Have a great weekend!

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No Info from me to be given as I have not been up since the weekend after the 4th...hoping to get up this weekend and try some deep water trolling if the floating weeds aren't too bad out there.

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i just texted a buddy that lives up there and asked him what he was catching for the last few weeks and he said he went out a couple times and said there was sooo much boat traffic it made fishing near impossible.

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FIL was out last night and the report was he caught 1 22" eye deep water trolling.  heading up tonight to give it a run.  will report back Monday

 

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Was up this past week and fishing was really slow.  Trolled deep from Big Island to Foleys and back with one Northern the results.  Really was not a whole lot suspended in the 50+ water. There is no way to fish middle Whitefish on the weekend.  Every pontoon in the world now ties up around the sand dune island and the boat traffic is unreal.  Looks like Minnatonka ,  not a good thing. Did get a few small walleyes on leeches early morning , nothing to brag about.  Keep a eye out ,   lots of crazies out there.  Think the Sheriff needs to hit the lake for a few days to settle the Windsor crowd down a little.  

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 I hear ya on the difficulties fishing any lobe of Whitefish on the weekends!  Just have to get up and be done before 10am or go back out after 6pm and the lake settles a little.  We trolled "lower" WF on Thursday evening and only caught 1 northern.  Didn't appear to have as thick of a gathering of fish...

We went back out on Saturday morning to try our luck on Whitefish for Whitefish and in 2 hours caught 1 3.5lb'er and missed a few bites.  Wow can they be fun to pull out of 50-70 ft of water.  We use jigging raps but wow do whitefish bit lightly but put up a good fight...and there are plenty of them on the big lakes!!!  Good fish on the smoker too!! 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Times are tough.  Fishing really slow for everything but the hammer-handle pike. Tried everything I know for Walleyes yesterday and got zip.  Plus the floating weeds have returned.  May try Bass till water cools a bit. To all you pontoon drivers. It’s a big lake you don’t have to come forty yards from a boat trying to fish. Be considerate . 

 

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Sounds like i haven't missed much then the last couple weekends!  It sure amazes me when you have a huge lake to navigate yet the pleasure boaters feel they need to cruise close to the fisherman.  Just be glad they were pontoons and not the stupid wake boats!!!

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It's the Minnetonka of the north out there these days. Being nearly ejected off the bow seat while trolling is the new normal. I never thought I'd need a 96 inch trolling motor shaft to keep the prop below the surface. ?

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Hopefully if next year is better for the  pandemic the lake will get back to normal. Once the people can go on trips etc and back to work the crowds here should be less. 

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Hello. We fished LWF last weekend and caught 2 - 22" walleyes, 4 - 24-28" northern, and 1 18" smalley. 2 adults and 3 kids fishing for about 4 hours. Kids caught all the fish :-). All but 1 of the fish were caught on rigging minnows or jig. I personally tried crawler most of the time, and caught a lot of perch. Feels like bait fish are abundant so minnows are best option from here IMO. The fish we caught were in 20 - 25 ft close to deep weed beds. Slow fishing. I marked very few fish; leads me to believe they aren't very active yet. But that will change. I hope to fish 3-4 days next week. Cooler weather may get fish more active. I'll start looking at some of my fall spots on the lake....points with deep weeds mostly. Good luck.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Any new reports?  I was fishing 2 weekends ago and everything was very slow.  I am planning on heading back first weekend in October.  Hopefully the fish will have turned on by then.  Been a very weird year.  Stay safe everyone!

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I had some very aggressive bites on sucker minnows under a bobber over the weekend. It was only pike and bass, but they were devouring 5-6" minnows without toying around with it first. Seems like the Fall feedbag is getting underway. 

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I fished a couple of hours on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. No wind, blue sky, and warm. Marked a few big fish but overall didn't see many on the graph. Caught one very nice small mouth and a bunch of 6" perch riggin a lindy with a crawler or fathead. Nothing more. Going back up first week in October. 

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Hit up the lake Friday afternoon running around we did not get anything but one 22" eye pulling a lindy with a worm.  We then pulled out of the lake and Saturday went to Winnie.  Stayed dry up there but the fishing success eluded our boats.  

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Headed up tomorrow for the next couple weeks and the fall closedown.  Hope to get some fishing in .  Last time we were up fished a couple days with not much success.  Couple of small walleyes but did get into some nice crappies.  They were suspended off a deep weedy point.  What a strange summer for us all.  Hope next year we can get back to normal. If I have any luck I'll post the results.  Go Twins.  

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Rayguy how's the fishing been that past week+?  I am headed up on Friday and hope to wet a line on Saturday possibly to take the kids out crappie fishing or if the day gets away from me then check out the walleyes...hope you are sore from reeling in all those monster fall fish!!?

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Ozzie its been fair.  Have caught enough to eat .  Nothing big and they are pretty scattered.  Best depth has been 20 to 25 feet.  Mostly on deep water points and dropoffs.  Crappies are suspended over deep water.  Have been getting them on tube jigs or small cranks.  Tried trolling crankbaits yesterday morning and only picked up one 18" walleye.  River chubs have been best bait but have also had action on crawlers. Weather is great.  Good Luck.

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Thanks rayguy!!   I was able to get out Saturday afternoon and hit our usual shoreline.  Nothing but a pike, a bite off, and a good fighter up to within 15' of the boat and it got off before being seen!

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Pulled boat this afternoon in 30 mph winds. Cold coming so called it a season. Very slow for fall fishing. Did get three good Walleyes on Sunday . All on crawlers in 20 ft of water. Nothing since. A very windy fishing season. Don’t remember such strong winds so often. Till spring. Ray Guy

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Sad day when we know that our season has come to an end...winter is coming and the wait for spring begins!  Hope the winter treats you well Ray!  until next open water season?

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Does anyone know where ciscos spawn on the chain?  I may skip deer hunting this year and try fishing the first weekend of November.  Am I crazy?

Edited by Wiley Coyote
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It is a good thought, and a thought i have had the last few years, but never have done it as it has just gotten too cold out for me to fish!!  I don't like to fish when my eyelets all freeze up constantly.  As with anytime on the chain your chances of getting nothing are better than killing it, but if ya find urself in the right place at the right time you may just have the time of your life!!  Good Luck!!!

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Best bet would be to troll tiny flashy spinners until you mark schools of fish. Then use winter tactics when you find them.

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On 10/18/2020 at 2:16 PM, JBMasterAngler said:

Best bet would be to troll tiny flashy spinners until you mark schools of fish. Then use winter tactics when you find them.

Not looking to catch ciscos, looking to catch the things that eat ciscos, lol

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  • 2 months later...

made it up to Crosslake this weekend and got onto the ice.  I fished Horseshoe lake (mission area) on Saturday and found pickling sized pike but no crappies and the lake had about 12" of ice.  Sunday morning met a buddy and we went onto Whitefish where we found 12-14 inches of ice in the area we were fishing.  We caught a few northerns, a whitefish, and I missed (spit the hook) what i believe was  nice walleye.  Fished in 22' of water on a break.  was nice to get out and find some decent ice!  Good Luck

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got back up and gave the ol WFC another shot...was on the north west end of the system again and fished in the 22' range along a fast break.  Had a million annoying perch around but did land a nice 22" whitefish saturday morning before I left for Mille Lacs.  Had 16" of ice this weekend on WFC.  Hoping others were doing better than I!

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  • 3 months later...

Anyone heading to the WFC for the opener this weekend?  I am planning on heading up on Friday morning and hope to find some Crappie on Friday before trying to some Walleye on Saturday.  Last time on the water the temps were only low to mid 40's.  Anyone have any updates on the water temps?  I will be fishing in a Red G3 boat with a Black Talon and Yamaha kicker.  Stop and say hi if you see me, I might be fishing solo this weekend.  I will publish something about my trip Sunday or Monday.  Good Luck Everyone!  Stay safe and Tight Lines!

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i will be up in the area but not sure i will hit the chain.  the history with me and opener on the chain has not been productive so this year I am finding a smaller shallow lake in the area and going to hit it for walleyes.  I have not asked my father in law what the temps were but he has hit south cross and clamshell a few times and when fish are caught they have been on the smaller side.  Good Luck to you!

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I'll be up there with a couple friends on the chain. Never have any confidence for walleyes on opener, so we'll go after whatever bites (with an emphasis on eyes). ?

 

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