Some 2017 Notes- Leech Lake

ejd- I ate a big slice of humble pie yesterday, we only managed 4 walleyes in 4 hours. The ones we did catch came as shallow as 5 feet of water, down to 25 feet of water. We are marking fish all over, but the amount of bait is really amazing. I would plan on fishing early and late in the day, or whenever the conditions are good (wind, clouds etc.). There are a lot of fish in the lake, it would be hard to pin down a depth as fish are keying on crayfish, mayflies, perch minnows… etc.

Good luck out there!

Managed 4 pike today and a couple perch pulling cranks in all depths. We got little kids with so hard to pick the time of day they are mostly in charge. Didn’t see any boats with nets out…..

Walleye fishing has actually been pretty good the past month. Pitching jigs and leeches near rocks, weeds and sand patches has been my go-to most mornings. Trolling crankbaits has also put some nice fish top-side. August is also the best time to learn how to utilize our electronics. “Road hunting”, or driving structure until you mark fish on your electronics, is a very productive way to put fish in the boat when nothing else seems to work. When I mark fish on my sonar, I like to drop down a live-bait-rig, and give it a few minutes before moving on the the next good “marks”.

Muskie action has been good one week, and tough the next. Fish are starting to show up more on primary spots, and those putting in their time are scoring some nice fish. Rocks, weeds, sand and open-water areas all can hold these fish.

Smallmouth bass action has been really spectacular during mid-day when the walleyes are uncooperative. Largemouth action continues to be really great in the way-back rice and bays.

Cheers and hook-sets!

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The walleye bite this past week has been up-and-down, which is typical for August. We have seen very good days with great numbers and quality, but have struggled other days when conditions are sunny and calm. Larger perch and pike are already starting to show up with the recent cool-down, and the walleyes should really start bunching-up in the shallows soon too. Muskies are very active.. more on that soon. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass have been bending rods with a vengeance.

Cheers and hook-sets!

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What are the water temps right now?

today on the main lake I saw 69 degrees

shefland wrote:

today on the main lake I saw 69 degrees

Here is hoping those come down 10-15 degrees in the next 4 weeks haha

Jonesy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>shefland wrote:</div>
today on the main lake I saw 69 degrees

Here is hoping those come down 10-15 degrees in the next 4 weeks haha

I hope it drops down 37 degrees!

Was down to 64 late last week, west main was 67-68. Boy bay battle clay Banks was about 67 when we left sunday. She’s up and down for sure.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Black98TransAm wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>shefland wrote:</div>
today on the main lake I saw 69 degrees

Here is hoping those come down 10-15 degrees in the next 4 weeks haha

I hope it drops down 37 degrees!

Gross

nhamm wrote:

Was down to 64 late last week, west main was 67-68. Boy bay battle clay Banks was about 67 when we left sunday. She’s up and down for sure.

That is promising for me. I usually like the water to be low to mid 50’s for my October trip.

Walleyes
Not much has changed on the walleye front in the past few weeks. There are still a lot of fish scattered throughout mid-depth flats, and some nice fish are being caught trolling crankbaits and covering water. We should be on the verge of a very good shallow jig-and-minnow bite as the baitfish, walleyes and bigger perch start to bunch up a bit in the shallows. As the water cools, we typically see some great action once these concentrations are located.

Muskies
We have been spending a lot of time casting for the trophy muskies of leech lake, with some great results. Fish are being caught on shallow rock reefs, shorelines and weeds throughout the lake. These fish use the entire lake, so don’t be afraid to try new areas. Bucktail spinners, large jerkbaits and topwater lures are all catching fish the past few weeks. The careful handling and quick release of these apex predators is crucial to sustaining a healthy fishery.

The next 50-80 days are typically some of the most productive to pursue the walleyes, perch and muskies of Leech Lake.
I hope to see you out there.

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Great report Phil! THX

Whats the current water temp on Leech?

Mocha wrote:

Great report Phil! THX

Whats the current water temp on Leech?

I took the day off for fam, but water was mostly upper 60’s on Sunday.

Walleyes

With the recent cooler temps and northwest winds, the fall bite has turned from so-so, to full-on. Excellent numbers of these favorites are hitting the landing nets on rocky, wind-swept points and reefs on the main lake. A decent weed bite is also happening in Portage, Sucker and Steamboat bays with some bonus jumbo perch adding to the experience. A good ol’ jig-and-minnow has been the main presentation lately. Walleyes and perch should continue to school-up tighter and tighter as the water cools into the lower 50’s.

Muskies

Water is in the mid-50’s now, and these giants are on the move. Large bucktail spinners, topwaters and jerkbaits are all moving and catching fish. Shallow rock reefs, rocky shorelines and sand beaches have all kicked-out some dandies the past few weeks. As the water cools into October, the bites often get fewer, but the biggest fish of the year will soon let their guards down. The careful handling and release of these apex predators is essential to sustaining the fishery.

Cheers and hook-sets!

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A few more October fish.

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Phil,

I’m heading up this weekend, primarily looking for the walleye. Are you still finding the jig/minnow pattern working well like it was a week/10 days ago?

Did well on Second Duck Point 10-14-17, 9 to 10 feet of water. Don’t know if they are still there but worth a shot. Jig/minnow or live bait rig minnow.