Local Fish Report

According to our fishing expert John Muhich at Buck’s Hardware, the walleyes are still hanging out fairly shallow…

Jigs and minnows are turning walleyes at Lake Saganaga in 10 feet or 20 to 25 feet, Crescent Lake and East Twin Lake in eight to 12 feet, and Hungry Jack Lake in four to 12 feet.

Lake trout are hitting spoons or ciscoes near the surface over 40 feet at Daniels Lake, near the bottom over 25 feet at Duncan Lake, over 35 to 40 feet at Trout Lake, over 20 to 50 feet at Greenwood Lake, and off the bottom at Saganaga over 30 feet.

According to our fishing expert John Muhich at Buck’s Hardware, the fish were just as cold as the fishers this past week.

BUT  --  the fishing is still going strong. Walleyes are still shallow and so are the Lake trout.

The word about walleyes is to still fish in eight feet of water or less. Some lakes to try include: Poplar, Homer, Gunflint, Devil Track, Lichen and Caribou. Generally minnows (chubs) on a jig are producing as well as bottom bouncers and live rigs.

The Lakers, in water less than 20 feet, are being had with minnows and ciscoes on jigs and spoons. You might want to try a cowbell or a mini cowbell as some are finding fish that way. Lakes to try include: Sag, Loon, Gunflint, and Trout.

Also, we’ve been hearing about a few rainbows being caught on Leo and Trout lakes.

According to our fishing expert John Muhich at Buck’s Hardware, Word on the street is the walleyes are shallow, as you might expect this early in the season.

Elbow, Crescent, Two Island, Hungry Jack and the Twin Lakes are all reporting good action. In fact most of the lakes are doing well. Pretty much anything is working except for leeches as it’s a bit cold for them. Minnows and night crawlers on jigs, Rapalas trolled or cast, it all seems to be working as long as it’s in four to eight feet of water.

As far as Lakers go, they were hot last week and fairly shallow. Try trolling spoons as well as the old jig and minnow set-up.

Northerns are also doing pretty well on sucker minnows in four to ten feet of water.

Saw a few pictures of Smallies caught this past week and they were beauts.

The fish report will be intermittent as we transition from winter to summer fishing conditions.

The walleye and northern pike season starts May 11. Lake trout season starts the same day as well as stream trout in lakes.

Lake trout continue to hit jigs and spoons tipped with chubs over 35 to 45 feet on Clearwater Lake, 25 to 30 feet at Duncan Lake, 18 to 25 feet at Kemo Lake, and over 25 to 45 feet at Greenwood Lake.

Small jigs tipped with waxworms are turning rainbow trout at Leo Lake in 16 to 24 feet and minnows are producing rainbows at Trout Lake in 12 to 18 feet.

On Esther Lake, spoons and waxworms are triggering rainbows and splake in 15 feet.

There’s limited walleye reports coming off South Fowl Lake in six to eight feet and Lake Saganaga in 25 to 30 feet.

According to fishing expert John Muhich of Buck’s Hardware, there shouldn’t be any reason to not go fishing this week.

The weather seems to be doing all it can to cooperate. At the very least try to hit the Trout Derby this Sunday up at Gunflint Lake. Sign-in is from 9 to 11am. Prizes will be awarded.

If the Derby isn’t your cup of coffee, head over to Clearwater or Greenwood to look for trout.

If you’re more interested in smaller lakes head out to Kemo or Pine Mountain lakes.

For some brookies, Shoe and Carrot are fairly easy to get to and usually produce.

But, the Trout Derby on Gunflint March 3rd is highly recommended.

According to fishing expert John Muhich of Buck’s Hardware fishing went on despite all the snow.

Walleye fishing outside the Boundary Waters ends in a couple of weeks so head out soon. Birch Lake was throwing out a few walleyes but there was better success with Splake in that lake.

Sag and Seagull, almost always productive, produced a few too.

Lakers on Moss and Mayhew lakes were decent and a few  were also caught on Greenwood.

Old standbys such as Clearwater and West Bearskin are also good bets. Rainbows are hitting well at the regular spots like Kimball, Mink, and Trout lakes, but the action has been spotty.

According to fishing expert John Muhich of Buck’s Hardware it looks as though we’re finally getting out of the really cold spell and into some decent fishing weather…but things were a little slow this past week

Walleyes have seemed to disappear off the map. Sag and Seagull have their areas of walleyes but we are heading to the end of the season.

Lakers have been turning up in Greenwood, Kemo, Daniels, Duncan and Moss Lakes.

Rainbows are a bit slow but some action in Leo, Trestle Pine, and Trout Lakes can be found.

Some were hitting Mink and Bogus Lakes for splake, but the action was a bit spotty.

Remember, the walleye season ends Sunday the 24th.

According to fishing expert John Muhich of Buck’s Hardware he’s been hearing a lot of big fish stories from the past, probably because fishing is a bit slow right now.

If you’re looking for a few places to drop a line for walleyes. . . try Sag of course, but also Partridge, McFarland, and Devilfish lakes.

If lakers are what you need, Pine, Clearwater, Flour, and Loon lakes are looking to be good bets.

Rainbows were hitting this week on Mink, Esther, and Muckwa.  

If you’re looking for brookies, give Loft, Lima or Shoe Lakes a go?

It looks as though the weekend ahead will be nice so go fishing.

According to fishing expert John Muhich of Buck’s Hardware he’s just blown in from the Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake. He said anything that wasn’t anchored down blew to the shore -- gusts over 45 mph.

For walleyes this week try heading out to Hungry Jack, Saganaga, Homer or the Twin Lakes.

Rainbows are hitting on Trout, Leo, Kimball and Mink.

Lake Trout can be fished at Greenwood, Saganaga, Daniels, Duncan and Gunflint Lakes.