North Long Lake Fishing & Road Closures

Taking the boys to North Long Lake next weekend and staying at Sullivan’s Resort for a couple of days. The oldest of my boys (they’re 2 and 4) is really starting to grasp what “up north” means and we’re pretty excited. Any suggestions for the lake? Looks like popping into Merrifield Bay is worth a try with all it’s humps and islands. As always, not looking to steal any specific locations, just asking in general terms and also wondering about what people are using for bait. Would like to get the boys to have a good panfish experience because that’ll keep them busy, and would also like to do some slow trolling for northern/walleye at some point.

Also, just got an e-mail from the resort about road closures in the area. We planned on coming up Highway 10 and then getting on 371 to get to North Long, anyone know of closures impacting that route?

Thanks.

It’s been a while for me on North Long but there’s a couple flats on the big bay
that get shallow and if you can find the weeds I would fish there.
(I’ve fished next to Al Lindner out there a couple times)
There is a bend in the drop off a couple hundred yards west of Merrifield bay and on the north side of the big bay. Fish there at sunset for eyes.
You cannot beat North Long for kids.
I had a Great Aunt that had a place there. I would go up in the summer – 60’s and 70’s, cut wood, split wood, learned how to garden, learned about birds, did chores, fish, swim, etc. I would spend hours in and on the lake and out in the woods.
Great Memories!
Enjoy and good luck fishing!

Never been there in spring,
always later for the summer family vacation. Merrifield has good pike and bass in it. Any weedy point seemed to hold a bass, long pockets had the snot rockets. Dragging a pan fish leech or chunk of crawler on the deep weed edge will lyk where the bigger pan fish were.

Big lake is good fishing too. We had a 3man limit of eyes w spinners on the deep weed edge first year during a morning run, second year didnt get out and last year only had time for couple trolling runs in Merrifield.

Careful of the zeebs swimming, water shoes are a must.

Been my favorite lake for many years. I believe the road construction they are talking about is for the road (Ojibwa) that runs off 371 to the resort. It is all tore up and closed to through traffic. 10 and 371 are good from St. Cloud up to Brainerd. Bass and Panfish should be up shallow next weekend. Water temp was 62 last Tuesday…. it did cool back a little since then but upcoming week looks to be warm. Merrifield bay cattails/reeds would be a good bet for bass and Panfish. 371 bay is mostly shallow but there is a hole where you can have some good pike (and bass once they move out from spawning). I take my 10 and 13 year old grandkids out there for lots of action throwing spinner baits. Pike are generally on the small side but lots of fight! Walleye I would fish the drop in front of the resort or shoreline point across the lake from the resort this time of the year. Good luck… glad the kids are excited, that’s the best! Let me know if you have any specific questions and I’ll see if I can help…

Evening/night time trolling the sand flats and breaks is my go to for walleyes in Brainerd lakes area.

Dunmire’s restaurant on the lake in 371 bay has some good food too. Just opened up a couple months back.

Nodakk wrote:

Evening/night time trolling the sand flats and breaks is my go to for walleyes in Brainerd lakes area.

Dunmire’s restaurant on the lake in 371 bay has some good food too. Just opened up a couple months back.

Is that the old Ivans location?

Dutchboy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Nodakk wrote:</div>
Evening/night time trolling the sand flats and breaks is my go to for walleyes in Brainerd lakes area.

Dunmire’s restaurant on the lake in 371 bay has some good food too. Just opened up a couple months back.

Is that the old Ivans location?
Yes

The entire break line from Sullivan’s west to Weavers Point will hold walleyes. There’s an underwater point close to Weavers that walleyes will school up on during the right conditions. Also, in the evening. if you see lights on boats on the Southeast part of the Big Lake, they’re catching walleyes in 3-5 of water. Live bait rigging with minnows or leeches is the ticket.

I’d stick to the 371 or Merrifield bay for panfish.

My god the bass on that lake around the weeds humps will keep your little ones busy. Its a good night bite on that lake, usually the bays are the best the center lake can be hit and miss.

The road closure is on the north side of the lake, on Ojibwa road.

If you want to nail some walleyes just head up to Gull for the evening.