Minnesota FISHING REPORT 6-29-06

[iceman]

ALEXANDRIA
Walleyes have been fairly slow. Minnewaska, Osakis, & Ida in 15-20 feet of water have been the best in late evenings and early mornings. For walleyes the best bites have been coming on jig and minnow presentations as well as rigging with leeches. Bass and northern have been found along the weedlines and biting good. Some bass are still being found very shallow and the ticket has been plastic worms. Panfish bite has been good. Some sunnies have still been found on the beds and some have moved out. The crappies are being caught in 8-12 feet on tube jigs and crappies minnows.
ANNANDALE
Sunnies are still spawning but on the tail end of it. Places to look are the Second Island, Quippies, and the east side of Bungalow Island. Crappies have been at the weedlines in about 6 feet of water fishing 3 feet down, sunset is a good time. Lots of small northerns also on weedlines - 10 to 15 feet of water, bobber fishing with medium sucker minnows. Walleyes have been a little quiet, mostly with leeches in 15 feet of water. Bass have been in the slop to 15 feet of water. Spinnerbaits (white and yellow) and plastic worms working well.
BATTLE LAKE
The walleye bite has been doing very good on Ottertail. The anglers are using shiners, redtails, and leeches. There as been a good bite on Eagle in 25 feet of water using leeches. West Battle has also been good for walleyes but the fish are being found deeper there. The panfish bite has been good all over.
Bemidji
The walleye bite has picked up again. Lake Plantagenet has been very good for walleyes. Last weekend there was a tourney out there and 60 boats weighed 100+ fish. Bemidji has been slow. Winni and Cass continue to produce decent fishing, best bite rigging with crawlers and leeches. Bluegills are still on there beds and doing well in the area. The muskie fishing has slowly started to heat up, I think we need one more warm stretch to really get things going. The bass fishing has just been phenomenal in the area.
BLACKDUCK
The Red Lake bite continues to be good but has been a little tougher. The crappies have also started to be harder to find. Blackduck has been producing some nice fish and Red is too. The fish have been moving into their summertime patterns. The fish are really starting to relate more so to structure. On Red up until about a week ago you could go anywhere along the shore and find walleyes. They are still there but are holding more to structure. You need to find the walleyes and if you do you should have excellent success. People are still reporting 50-100 fish days, It seems to be by far some of the best walleye fishing in the state. Trolling cranks has been successful to find fish. Once you find them slip bobbers and leeches have been the ticket. Panfish have been doing well everywhere.
Brainerd
The Brainerd Lakes area is hot right now when it comes to walleye fishing. Many lakes in the area are giving up numbers of fish. The best baits have been leeches and shiners. The bass fishing has also started to kick it. Most of these fish are still relatively shallow. The docks have been the best location. The sunfish are still spawning, so take your pick, and have a great day in the Lakes area.
CROSSLAKE
Walleye action continues to be good on all area lakes. Whitefish and Pelican gave up some nice size Walleyes, most fish are being caught in 18 to 28 feet of water with Lindy rigs tipped with leeches or minnows. Early mornings and evenings seem to be top times. Bass and northern anglers are working weed lines with plastics and spinner baits and reporting good action. Pike anglers are pulling spinner rigs with big sucker minnows and having good results. Crappie and panfish fishermen report good action, with fish being located in 12-16 off weed lines. Panfish are in shallow yet. Small jigs tipped with wax worms or minnows should provide of plenty action.
GRAND RAPIDS
The cold front slowed fishing down, however we are now doing pretty good. The walleyes are going to the bars on Winnie. Leeches and crawler rigs are top baits. Some northern are hitting along the weed edges. Bowstring has gone to the summer pattern. Try the humps on the north end. Use rigs and crawlers in 17 feet. Crappies and perch have started here also. Pokegama walleyes have surprised us. They have been hitting during daytime this year. The bass have been going great guns. Topwater baits have really done well. Lots of 3- to 4-pound fish. Muskies are still a little slow.
Lake of The Woods
With the combination of great weather and hungry fish, anglers fishing on Lake of the Woods this past week went home happy. The fish may have gotten tired of jumping into the boat, but that has not stopped fishermen from limiting out. The sandy shorelines in all areas of the lake have keep producing great walleye. Over the past week, fish started biting on crawlers and leeches more than minnows. The south shore produced some good "eaters" this past weekend. Anglers fished by Twin Islands off of Long Point in 6 to 20 feet of water. Drifting and using hammered-gold spinners, most of the fish caught were within the 13 to 16 in. range but a few 23+inch fish were released. Down rigging made its debut on the three-mile reef this past weekend. Fishermen down-rigging used salmon and bright orange colored worm harnesses throughout the day and towards dusk switched to darker colors. They too caught fish within the slot limit. Over by Pine Island in 5 to 20 feet of water, anglers continue to catch good-sized fish, with an occasional trophy walleye. Hammered gold spinners have not let guides down, but some tried a new perch colored spinner and had great success! Anglers at the Northwest Angle caught fish while jigging and slow trolling. Using chartreuse and gold spinners and worm harnesses fishermen at the Northwest Angle were fishing off reefs and transitions in 10 to 35 feet of water. A few anglers caught and released four, five, and six pounds walleyes east of Garden Island. Weather remains perfect for this time of year, mid 70's with slight breeze and mid 50's during the evening. The water temperature was warming up over the past week as well. It peeked at 70 degrees but settled at 65 degrees by the weekend.
Mille Lacs
The bite has not stopped and continues to get better as more options open up. The mud is really starting to take off. The shallow and deep rocks are still holding fish at all times of the day. On Monday we caught fish all day in 20-22 feet of water over rocks. The biggest was a nice 27 ½ inch fish. If you're fishing rocks with a slip bobber use jumbo leeches with a colored hook. The gravel has been good as well. Try using crawler rigs for the best bite on the gravel.
Park Rapids
Walleyes on Big Sand are being caught in 12-18 feet of water. Leeches, crawlers, and minnows have been the best. On Fish Hook try 12-18 feet of water and use leeches, there has been a pretty good bite. Northern pike have started on Big Mantrap along the weedlines on bucktails. Potato has been having good reports of pike as well as smallies. Largemouth bass have been doing well everywhere as well as panfish.
SAINT CLOUD
It was a slow weekend due to the weather. The panfish are still in 5-6 feet of water. Crappies are in 10-15 feet of water using a jig and minnow combo. For panfish use waxies or panfish leeches. The walleye bite has once again started to pick up. Rice has reported fish being caught. Leeches and spinner rigs have had the best luck in the area. Pike are in the weeds and being caught on suckers and spinners on all area lakes. For bass try the outside of the weed edges and use any plastic.

[Lipripper]

WOW iceman thanks for all them reports 

[topcat]

Thanks Iceman....for the reports....keep up the reporting I am sure it will help others that come to the site to get information about a lake in Minnesota  .......

Topcat

[NiceBass]

nice reports  I used to have a cabin up on Lake Ida