As we reach mid-October, the fishing for all species has been very good. The fall is such a wonderful time to be out on the water. Very few people are fishing, leaves are changing colors and the fish are hungry. It doesn’t get much better!
Jigs and minnows, live bait rigs and minnows, and Jigging Raps are all working to catch walleyes. Depending on wind and cloud cover, you’ll find the walleyes shallow and deep. Look to Lakes Bemidji, Plantanganet, Gull and Andrusia. The bigger perch are also going on jigs and minnows in 8 to 12 feet. Crappies and bluegills are being found out in the deeper basins and the bass are off the deeper green weeds and rocks.
It’s a great time to be out on the water, so enjoy it while you can, as the hard water season is not that far off.
Joe Henry catches a largemouth bass.
Contributed
Bemidji area: Walleye fishing has been good on Lake Bemidji, Lake Plantagenet, Turtle River Chain of Lakes and Big Lake. There’s fish as shallow as 8 feet and as deep as 20 feet. Jigs and minnows and live-bait rigs with minnows are working well. You’ll find suspended crappies over 20 feet or more, and bass fishing has been good off the deeper green weed edges on most lakes. Grouse hunting has improved with the leaves falling. Grouse numbers don’t appear as strong as last season, but there’s birds being shot.
Bemidji area resource
can be contacted at
Blackduck area: Crappies and bluegills are hitting along the 12- to 16-foot weedline throughout Blackduck Lake and Turtle River Lake. Crappies are being found suspended off the weed edge on Pimushe Lake over 25 to 30 feet. Walleye action has been best at Gull Lake with a jig and shiner minnow in 12 to 15 feet. There’s been a few more grouse shot now that the woods have started to thin out a bit, but grouse numbers sound lighter than expected. Duck numbers are also down, resulting in limited hunter success.
Blackduck area resource
can be contacted at
Cass Lake area: Muskies have become real active on the deep side of the sharp breaks on Cass Lake; most are suspended and hitting rubber baits. Walleye action remains strong with bigger minnows such as redtails in 18 to 20 feet or with crawlers in 7 to 9 feet on Cass. Perch continue to be caught in or along the bulrushes in 6 feet or so on Cass, Pike Bay Lake, Wolf Lake, and Lake Andrusia. You’ll find crappies and bluegills in 8 to 12 feet on Kitchi Lake and Big Lake. Waterfowl hunting reports have been limited; there seem to be ducks and geese around, but not many people hunting them.
Cass Lake area resource
can be contacted at
Upper Red Lake area resource
can be contacted at
The walleye and perch bite has been picking up.
Contributed
Upper Red Lake: There have been some anglers on the lake, but not enough of them to gather any type of accurate fishing report. The best option at this point is to fish the shorelines in less than 7 feet for walleyes. As the minnows start moving back into shallow water, walleyes will follow and feed heavily along most shorelines or shallow structure. There have been some “better than expected” grouse hunting reports from folks willing to get off the main trails.
Upper Red Lake area resource
can be contacted at
Lake Winnibigoshish: Consistently catching walleyes continues to be difficult. A jig and minnow remain your best option in the Highbanks area over 12 to 15 feet and Tamarack Bay in 10 to 12 feet. The shallow bite along the main-lake points hasn’t kicked in — most anglers feel that water temperatures are still too warm. The Third River Flowage is giving up perch and a few walleyes on minnows in 6 to 8 feet.
Lake Winnibigoshish area resource Lake Winnie Resort Association can be contacted via its website,
Leech Lake: Minnows and crawlers continue to turn walleyes in Portage Bay and the sand flats between the river and Five Mile Point in 7 to 10 feet. There’s also been some fish caught in the 12- to 14-foot weeds between Grand Vu Lodge and Goose Island. Perch action is going strong around Walker Narrows in 3 to 5 feet — find green weeds and you’ll find perch. Muskies remain shallow and active, hitting bucktails or topwater baits on rocks more than weeds. Steamboat Bay, Sucker Bay, Shingobee Bay and Boy Bay are producing a mixed bag of panfish in 5 to 9 feet.
Leech Lake area resource
can be contacted at
Please remember to practice selective harvesting. By doing so, we will continue to have great fishing for years to come!
Dick Beardsley is the owner and operator of Dick Beardsley Fishing Guide Service in Bemidji, Minn., and writes weekly fishing reports for the Pioneer. He can be reached at (218) 556-7172 and dick@dickbeardsley.com.