Local Fish Report

Leeches are the hot bait for walleyes at Two Island Lake in 12 to 16 feet, East Twin Lake in 12 to 18 feet, Poplar Lake in 15 to 18 feet, and Hungry Jack Lake in 8 to 15 feet.

 Crankbaits are turning smallmouths on the shorelines of Devil Track Lake, Devil Fish Lake, and Hungry Jack.

Hit Duncan Lake in 20 feet or Seagull Lake in 25 to 35 feet for lake trout and crawlers are producing brook trout in 12 feet at Carrot Lake and 15 feet at Birch Lake.

Crawlers or fly fishing has been the ticket for brook trout at Carrot Lake in 10 to 15 feet and Loft Lake in 15 to 20 feet.

Rainbow trout are hitting crawlers in 8 to 12 feet on Leo Lake and 12 to 15 feet at Trout Lake, while lakes Saganaga, Greenwood, and Seagull are giving up lake trout on spoons or ciscoes over 25 to 45 feet.

 Look for walleyes in 8 to 12 feet at Two Island Lake, 6 feet on Elbow Lake, and 15 feet at Caribou Lake.

Smallmouth bass are an easy catch on the rocky shorelines of most lakes.

Drifting minnows or leeches has produced walleyes at Elbow Lake in 6 feet, Two Island Lake in 8 to 12 feet, and Caribou Lake in 15 feet.

On Devil Track Lake, Rapalas are producing walleyes in 10 feet, as are leeches on the 15-foot rock piles.

Crawlers are producing rainbow trout in 8 to 12 feet on Leo Lake and 12 to 15 feet at Trout Lake.

Lake trout are hitting jigs or ciscoes over 20 to 35 feet at Greenwood Lake, Saganaga, Gunflint, and Loon.

Minnows or leeches are producing walleyes in 12 to 15 feet at Seagull Lake, Two Island, Cascade, and Pine Lake.

Smallmouth bass fishing remains strong on most lakes in 5 to 8 feet and minnows or crankbaits are producing northern pike in 6 to 12 feet on Poplar Lake and Hungry Jack Lake.

 Hit Esther Lake for splake in 8 to 12 feet or Carrot Lake in 8 to 10 feet for brook trout.

Minnows or leeches are turning walleyes in 12 to 15 feet on Cascade Lake, 12 to 14 feet on Pine Lake, 10 to 14 feet on Two Island Lake, 15 feet at Crescent Lake, and 20 to 25 feet on Lake Saganaga.

 Lake trout are hitting ciscoes on jigs in 18 to 30 feet on Saganaga, 20 to 30 feet on Gunflint Lake, and 18 to 23 feet at Loon Lake.

Hit Leo Lake in 10 to 15 feet for rainbow trout, and Esther Lake in 8 to 12 feet for splake.

A jig and minnow is producing walleyes on the 12- to 14-foot rocks at Two Island Lake and 8- to 12-foot rocks on Crescent Lake. Walleyes also can be had with Rapalas at Devil Track in 8 feet, with minnows in 12 to 15 feet at Seagull, and with leeches in 15 to 18 feet at Hungry Jack Lake.

Ciscoes, suckers, or spoons are turning lake trout in 20 to 30 feet at Greenwood Lake, 25 feet on Loon, and 12 to 15 feet at Kemo.

Spoons, minnows, or crankbaits are triggering northern pike at Northern Light Lake in 6 feet, Hungry Jack in 14 feet, and Poplar in 8 to 12 feet.

Musquash Lake continues to produce splake on flies in 12 feet.

A jig and minnow or crankbaits are turning walleyes in 12 to 15 feet on Cascade and Poplar lakes, in 6 feet at the inlet on Northern Light, and in 20 feet on Seagull.

Look for lake trout over 15 to 25 feet Saganaga, 25 to 27 feet on Greenwood, and 15 to 20 feet on Seagull.

Splake are hitting crawlers in 10 feet at Musquash Lake and spinners in 12 feet at Esther, while crawlers are producing rainbow trout over 20 feet at Leo Lake.

 “The Friday Fish Report” is supported by the Grand Marais Municipal Marina… a “Minnesota Clean” marina on Lake Superior. Featuring day charters, guest slips and buoys, fuel dock and services, and public access to the Big Lake.  Online at Grand Marais Recreation Area dot com.

About a half a million anglers were expected to hit the water last weekend when the walleye season opened. Fishing on Lake Vermillion for the governor’s opener Saturday was very good. Gov. Mark Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk and House Speaker Kurt Daudt pulled in 35 walleyes in three hours. Next year the event will be held at Big Sandy Lake near McGregor.

On Saturday the 9th, reports from mid-Gunflint Trail say bass fishing was good on Poplar Lake, but the walleye catch was better in surrounding lakes.   

Jigs tipped with minnows are producing walleyes in 4 feet at Elbow Lake, 4 to 8 feet on Saganaga, and 6 to 10 feet on Seagull. Northern pike are being taken with crankbaits or sucker minnows in 6 to 10 feet on Northern Lights Lake, Poplar, Cascade, and Devil Track. Suckers, shiners, ciscoes, and jigs are working for lake trout in 15 to 22 feet on Loon Lake, 20 feet on Gunflint, and 12 to 20 feet on Greenwood.

On the big lake, lake trout are in the 150 foot range, if your trolling try the orange, pink or black and white "Nasty Boys"; you could also try jigging live bait in the 200 foot range. Wear your winter clothes, though…it's cold out there.

A few of the lakes that have good reports this past week include Kemo, Elbow, White Pine and Brule.

Rapalas are producing walleyes in eight to 12 feet at Devil Track Lake,  minnows are best at Homer Lake in 20 to 25 feet and at Seagull Lake in 25 feet.

Rainbows are hitting crawlers in 15 feet at Kimball,12 to 18 feet at Trout Lake, and 22 feet at Leo.

Grousing is going on and it might be a bit easier as some of the leaves have started to fall. Walking is still the most successful method for filling the bag. Bear season is coming to an end Sunday the 13th.  

According to our fishing expert John Muhich at Buck’s Hardware, the stream trout and laker season is over, which leaves the big three until ice-up.

The 2013 stream fishing season ended on the last day of September. Now we’ll have to wait for spring to once again test ourselves against the crafty brookie or rainbow. We still have the trout lakes to fish until the end of October…but lake trout season also ended on September 30. So, it’s walleyes, northerns, and perch from now on.

We’re hearing stories about Homer, Lichen, Two Island and Poplar lakes. Hungry Jack and Seagull are producing a few as well.

As far as grouse hunting goes, lots of hunters on the road and lots of grousing from hunters about a lack of birds out there. The birds are there. But in the woods, not on the road.