Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report September 30, 2026

" Walleye anglers continued to enjoy some great fishing this last week. Reports indicate that with falling water temperatures, the fall minnow bite continues to improve.

Minnows in that 3 to 6 inch range, tipped on a jig or fished on a lindy rig in depths ranging from 15 to 25 feet of water, continues to be the way to go. Anglers continue to focus on top or around the edge of sunken islands that topped out in that depth range. Other anglers found their walleyes in stands of green cabbage or river mouths in that 6 to 12 feet of water. Anglers fishing here have been doing really good casting crankbaits, deeper diving jerk baits and pitching minnow along those weedlines and river mouths. Orange, perch and purple continue to be hot colors this last week.

Smallmouth Bass anglers continue to complain about the smallies taking over many of the sunken islands they have been fishing for walleyes. When the smallies are really active they will be found right on top of the sunken islands in that 8 to 15 feet of water. Anglers have been catching them with deep diving crankbaits, drop shotting minnow style baits or lindy rigging big minnows.

Northern Pike anglers have been bringing in pictures of some really big pike, this last week. Anglers have been finding them around river mouths, green weeds and large main lake points in that 6 to 15 feet of water. Anglers have been catching them with large suckers under a bobber, large paddle tails and large crankbaits.

Stream Trout fishing continues to be very productive for stream trout anglers. Just like the last couple of weeks, anglers fishing from a boat continue to troll with small crankbaits with leadcore about 10 to 20 feet down, while fishing over 30 to 80 feet of water. Shore anglers continue to find really good success floating a nightcrawler about 5 to 10 feet down. Anglers targeting Splake from shore have been having success floating a night crawler 2 to 3 feet off the bottom.

The shallow water panfish bite continues to slow, and anglers are now finding the majority of crappies and sunnies out in 16 to 25 feet of water now. Anglers targeting them have been having good luck with small jig/twister or drop shotting a crappie minnow about 3 to 5 feet off the bottom." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Lake Winnie Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report September 29, 2026

"Anglers who do “find the fish” report catching high quality, fat fish. They look like little footballs, fat in the middle with slim tapered heads and tails. Even shorter, 14- to 15-inch-long fish appear to be much larger than usual. The range of fish sizes being harvested indicates that there are several year classes present. Fish in the 16.5-to-17-inch size range appear to be the most abundant “keepers” available. Some fish in the 14-to-15-inch size range are coming too, and anglers report catching several larger, 20-to-22-inch size fish as well.

Key habitats for locating and catching walleyes include shoreline breaks with present vegetation. Two key depth ranges are the 9-to-12-foot breakline and the shallow water breaklines in depths of 5 to 6 feet deep. Another key location, rock and gravel rises, can be found on the lakes sprawling sand flats. When fishing rocks, water depth is not a factor, whether rocks are shallow or deeper, odds are they will be holding some fish.

Presentations for walleye vary, but some of the most productive methods have included ..." Read >> Bowen Lodge Lake Winnie Fishing Report September 29, 2026

September 27, 2026 "Presenting the Present-Able for Walleyes"

On a lot of my fishing charters, I set my customers up to fish and begin fishing with one familiar presentation. Most often, I already know their preferences and can select the method that they are the most comfortable with. The reason for doing that is to give them confidence in the lures and baits they’re using. Think about it, if you’ve caught lots of walleyes using a jig and minnow for example, then it makes sense that you’d feel good about starting your fishing trip, using that presentation.

Often, the experimentation falls to me, I’ll be at the back of the boat experimenting with alternative presentations. In some cases that might be me “wiggle worming”, Lindy rigging with live baits or maybe experimenting with plastics. Good examples of the “mixed presentation” experiments have occurred this week, during my fishing trips with Kyle and Karen Reynolds. I’d go so far as to say that the past two days have provided perfect examples of why I keep an experimental bait going while customers fish the presentations within their comfort zones.

Start with the last trip first, just yesterday. We started our morning in search of a mixed bag, hoping to finish off their limits of walleye and crappie. With luck, we’d add some more short-but-fat northern pike to larder along the way. Based on what we’d learned on Friday, we started our search along a familiar shoreline where we’d done well the previous day. My crew, fishing with jigs and minnows, were struggling to get bites. I, at the back of the boat using night crawlers and live bait jigs, managed to pick up a couple of walleyes early into the morning.

Wiggle worming, effective as it is, requires a certain attention to detail that not everyone enjoys. Casual anglers who don’t fish with intensity often struggle and that concerns me. We could have stayed right there, and we may have picked up a few more walleyes to finish off their limits, but I thought it would have been a grind. I thought too that if we stayed, the additional few walleyes may well have been harvested by me, while my crew continued to go fishless. I consulted with them, expressed my reasoning and suggested that we make a move to try something different. 

They decided it would be most enjoyable for them to go after northern Pike. Karen loves to eat them, and Kyle loves to catch them for her. Pike are usually susceptible to jigs and minnows and I knew a place where the odds would be in our favor. We made the move, then set ourselves up to drift a steep Shoreline break that lays adjacent to a flat of mixed Coontail and cabbage weeds. On the first drift, using a jig and minnow, Kyle and Karen both caught multiple northern Pike. Now all we had to do was sort through the sizes to capture the fattest fish under 22 inches that we could find.

While those two were jigging up pike, I experimented with wiggle worming. You never know, I might have picked up a walleye or two that I could add to their larder. As it happened, wiggle worming on this day produced zero walleyes, and zero northern Pike. But it did produce several nice surprises, 3 or 4 nice smallmouth bass, one exceptionally large bigmouth bass, and four bonus bluegills, which turned out to be my bonus dinner for the evening.

Alright, you’re thinking, what’s the new news? Well, it’s now September 27th, surface water temperatures remain warm, 61 to 63 degrees depending on the lakes we’re fishing, and I’m still catching a mixed bag using night crawlers. This is happening while virtually all of my colleauges are either jig and minnow fishing, or trolling spinners and reporting slow results.

On Friday, day three of my fishing trip with the Reynolds’, we fished a lake that has typically been good for walleyes in the fall. Almost always, jigs and minnows are the perfect bait for this time of the season, but not that day. On this occasion, we did find walleyes and they were travelling the breaklines in good numbers, but wiggle worming crushed the jigs and minnows as the walleyes preferred presentation. To be fair, we caught some walleyes using jigs and minnows. But walleyes were much more responsive to wiggle warming.

As long as the water temperatures remain warm, it makes a lot of sense to try your preferred fall presentations. But at the same time, experiment with some of the proven late summer presentations too. Rather than put too much emphasis on the classic fall methods that “should work”, try using some presentations that maybe “shouldn’t work”. That’s my working theory for the time being anyway, at least until it’s proven wrong.

Maybe some of those non-biting fish that we see on our screens actually will bite if we can crack the code of the presentation that they prefer right now?

I have a rather long stretch of walleye trips on the schedule for the next few weeks, and most of them will take place either on Lake Winnibigoshish, or somewhere in that area. During these trips we definitely will spend time using typical fall presentations but while we’re at it, I’m gonna make a special point of throwing in a few tricks that we haven’t been trying lately.

I’m sure you’re aware that whatever I learn, I will pass along to you. So make a special point of checking the reports every day. From here on out, I’ll be on the water pretty much every day until mid-October. If the weather stays on its present trajectory, I may open up a few extra days towards the tail end of the month. So, if you’ve been thinking about squeezing in one last fishing trip this year and the weather looks favorable, maybe we can work that out. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

September 24, 2026 "Twirling the Twirl-Able" Inside Out Twist on Fishing for Crappies

You likely already know that I do a lot of crappie fishing. My birth father was “a crappie guy”, so I grew up loving them too. These days, most of my customers like fishing for them as well, and most days are willing to go out of their way to chase them with me.

I write a lot about fishing for crappies, and most often, I refer to only a few simple tactics for catching them. Yesterday, for the time I can recall, my report focuses on a new, (even if only slightly new) twist on fishing with jigs and plastics for crappies.

My long-time charter customers Kyle and Karen Reynolds like to take crappies home every fall. They are most familiar catching them on spinners as we troll along the weed edges. Sometimes, their trip coincides with crappies that have migrated into open water where we catch them suspended near deep water. During those trips, they’ve fish with jigs and minnows, dropping the lures vertically into the suspended pods of fish I locate for them. Because those 2 presentations are in the couple’s comfort zone, I try to catch fish using them as often as possible. Yesterday though, catching crappies required doing something a little bit different.

Frequent readers know that for me, trolling spinners to locate fish is one of my “go-to” presentations. Yesterday, that tried-and-true method worked perfectly well for finding fish. Trolling the breaklines along the outer edges of cabbage and coontail patches worked perfectly well for finding them.

For whatever reason though, the crappies I located yesterday were extremely flighty. Whenever we trolled spinners through a school of fish, Kyle would usually catch one of them. Then I’d circle back to try for more, but almost always, the school of fish would be gone when I got back there.

If trolling isn’t working, we’ll try vertically jigging, I reasoned. So, I stopped above the next school I located, and we dropped jigs on them. Again, once a fish struck and we got it in the boat, the rest of the school soon disappeared.
Casting our jigs tipped with plastic tails out and away from the boat, then swimming the lures though the schools performed somewhat better. Still, fish dispersed and disappeared soon after we caught 1 or 2 of them. The game of hide-and-seek continued, and it appeared as if I’d be reporting today about the “tough bite” we encountered on Wednesday. Then, as an experiment, I tried one more thing.

The fish were holding along a steep shoreline drop-off in about 16 feet of water. There were enough of them to make me confident that we could “fish blind” without using the electronics to catch them. Even if I didn’t know exactly where they were, I figured that sooner or later, our lures would cross paths with some of them. So, instead of searching for the fish, and attempting to either troll through or hover over the schools, I positioned the boat in shallow, 8-to-10-foot water. Then we cast the jigs out toward the open water breakline, let them fall a little and then use a swim-drop-swim-drop retrieve back toward the boat.

The inside out approach worked, and while it still wasn’t perfect, the action was more reliable than any of our previous approaches. It seemed like some of the fish we did hook, had others following them into the shallower water. Instead of dispersing and disappearing, the fish lingered within casting range allowing us more shots at the targets.

The lures we used won’t surprise you; I’ve mentioned them before. Berkley’s Power Bait twirl tail, Strike King’s Slabalicious, Keitech’s Easy Shiner and the X Zone Shad Body were all good choices. In recent days, on every lake I’ve fished, color schemes that favor white and chartreuse have worked well. Ther probably are other effective color combos too, but as long as these keep working, I haven’t experimented with others. The jig heads pictured are Berkley’s 1/8 ounce and Dr. Fish 1/8 ounce minnow head, both were effective.

Now Kyle and Karen are not expert anglers, and getting the feeling of casting the lightweight jigs takes some practice. Sensing the strikes and setting the hooks takes practice too, so my expectations can’t be set too high in situations like these. But Karen (pictured above), who was struggling to catch anything before, now had some successes. Even if she didn’t catch a million fish, she at least caught some using this technique. Kyle fared better, and not only caught a good number of crappies, but landed this bonus pike along the way too.

I was thinking at the time that this presentation would have been awesome for folks with higher levels of experience. I definitely will be trying to replicate the situation any time I locate fish within casting distance of shoreline vegetation and steep breaklines.

How much longer that will be is anyone’s guess. As of yesterday, surface water temperature was still hovering between 62 and 63 degrees. Even though fish were located out and away from the weeds, there was no sign of movement toward the lake’s deeper basin. In fact, I never marked any fish deeper than about 16 feet, even though they had access to depths of 25 to 28 feet nearby.

There were both cabbage and coontail weeds along the breakline, but there wasn’t much evidence of crappies located in them. Sunfish, small pike and tiny bass were still using the vegetation on that lake, but every lake will have differing patterns for a while. The value of weeds will vary by type, cabbage will hold fish for a long time, while faster dying varieties like milfoil and pondweeds will die off and repel fish rather than attract them.

I suspect that the next hard cold snap will send schools of fish into open water. For the near future, I will continue to check the weeds first, then if fish are not present, will move out into open water. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

Wired2Fish September 24, 2026 "5 Feet Tall Versus 28 Pounds of Pike: An Unexpected Catch Near Reindeer Lake"

"Next summer Emily Head and her husband Daryl Gilbert are poised to open Jack Pine Wilderness Lodge on 184-mile-long Reindeer Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. They bought an old camp last year after it had remained idle for over a decade. This summer they’ve been clearing and cleaning the property, renovating cabins, and in their minimal spare time, doing some fishing.

“We have access to a number of lakes near our lodge and most of them we haven’t fully explored,” Emily told Wired2fish. “We’re winding down our fishing now, getting ready for waterfowl hunting season. So, Daryl and I decided we should go to a nearby walk-in lake and get a boat-and-outboard and some other gear out before winter sets in.”

On the afternoon of September 9,, the couple walked about a ¼-mile to the lake, and since they were there decided to fish a while. “The lake hadn’t been fished in many years, and we found a couple deep weed beds and started casting spoons with spinning tackle,” she explained. “We were catching pike after pike at the first spot we tried. I know we ..." Read Full Story >> 5 Feet Tall Versus 28 Pounds of Pike: An Unexpected Catch Near Reindeer Lake

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report September 23, 2026

Walleye Fishing

With water temperatures finally starting to dip into the 50s on many Ely area lakes, the fall bite has started. Minnows in that 3 to 5 inch size range have quickly become the bait of choice for walleye anglers this last week. Many anglers reported finding walleyes at two depths. 8 to 12 feet of water and the other has been 25 to 35 feet of water.

The anglers finding walleyes in that 8 to 12 foot range are mainly finding them on weedlines, shallow rocks and mouths of shallow bays or river mouths. If these spots are windblown, even better. Most anglers are fishing these spots with a jig and minnow, but some anglers are also finding success lindy rigging large minnows and fishing jerk baits.

Anglers fishing out deeper, in that 25 to 35 foot depth range have been also mainly fishing with a jig and minnow or lindy rigging those bigger minnows. Trolling also continues to be very effective, but anglers seem to be doing it more on those days where the winds are just too much to effectively control their boats. Hot colors continue to be orange, perch and purple

Smallmouth Bass Fishing

Smallies continue to eat just about anything they can fit into their mouths right now. Beetle spins, in-line spinners, spinnerbaits and crankbaits continue to catch large numbers of smallies when worked along shorelines with large isolated boulders, river mouths or on top of shallow sunken islands. As water temperatures continue to cool down smallies will continue to congregate around sunken islands that are close to areas they will winter. Many anglers will mainly drop shot their favorite minnows style bait on top and around sunken islands in that 15 to 25 foot depth range.

Northern Pike Fishing

Pike anglers have also noticed a jump in big pike activity as water temperatures continue to drop. Many anglers have been having some really good luck fishing with large suckers under a bobber, right off their dock, along weedlines, river mouths and mouths of shallow bays. Other anglers have been having really good luck fishing with large spoons, large swimbaits and large crankbaits. Regardless of how you fish for them, 8-15ft of water really seems to be the best depth right now.

Stream Trout Fishing

Rainbow trout continue to be cooperative for anglers. Anglers fishing from shore continue to have good luck fishing with a nightcrawler about 5-10ft under a bobber, or if they are looking for splake, floating a crawler about 2 to 5 feet off the bottom. Anglers fishing from a boat continue to troll small crankbaits with either leadcore or behind cowbells, about 15 to 20 feet down, while trolling over 30 to 80 feet of water. Good rule of thumb, the brighter the bait, the better.

Panfish Anglers

Crappie and sunfish anglers both have reported that crappies and sunnies are largely now being found out in 16 to 25 feet of water. Clearly not all fish are doing the exact same thing, so anglers can still find some sunfish and a few crappies in the shallow weedbeds during the day with beetle spins, red worms, wax worms and jig/twister. Crappies are still flooding those shallow weedbeds during that last hour of light.

Lake Trout Fishing

Lake trout reports continue to be few and far between this last week. The few reports we did hear were from anglers that were starting to see lakers relating to sunken islands. These lakers were often seen in about 40 to 50 feet of water. Anglers continue to troll large spoons with down riggers around these sunken islands." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Brainerd MN Area Fishing Report September 23, 2026

"The walleye bite in the brainerd lakes area is on full swing! The colder weather and dropping water temperatures have increased fish activity.

Walleyes are being taken on a wide variety of tactics, and the jig and night crawler has been the most consistent. Minnows are coming into play very quickly though, and their effectiveness should rise steadily. Live bait rigging along weed edges is working well for eaters.

If the walleyes are being spooky, using a drop shot to pitch away from the boat. Your drop shot rig, tipped with either a night crawler or minnow is working. In addition to the weed lines, deeper humps are holding walleyes as well.

Crappies have started staging on weed edges. Working small plastics or spinners tipped with crappie minnows is working well.

Muskies are moving and chasing bucktails and topwater in the weeds. As the water temps drop minnows will continue to get better and better for all species. " — Joe Billiar, Crooked Hat Guide Service • 507-469-2714

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report September 23, 2026

"Fall has settled in on Lake of the Woods, and it's showing up in the best way. Water temps have slipped to right around 60 degrees, and the fishing is good. Cranks and spinners are still the top producers, but the jig bite is waiting in the wings, and it won't be long now. Here's a look at the three areas this week.

Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)

On the south end, crankbaits and spinners are still the best way to get on fish. That said, the classic fall pattern is right around the corner. As the water drops a little more, anchoring up and jigging the basin will really take off. It's one of the most fun and productive ways to fish this lake.

Big schools of walleyes are out in the basin, and as October rolls in, more of those fish will start setting up closer to the south shore. Keep an eye on your electronics, and when you mark a good group of fish, get ready to have some fun.

Rainy River

It won't be long and emerald shiners from Lake of the Woods will start moving into the river. When that happens, schools of walleyes will be close behind. This sets up a tradition many call the fall run. The river is fishing well right now on cranks and spinners, and like the basin, the anchored jig bite here will turn on as soon as water temps ease down a bit more. It's coming quick.

Another sought after species in the Rainy River during the fall is sturgeon. Fish put on the feed bag as the waters cool and it won't be long. If sturgeon fishing has been on your bucket list, October is a month to make it happen.

Northwest Angle

The big story up at the Angle was the Professional Musky Tournament Trail, which brought its field to Lake of the Woods this past week for their championship, and the fishing did not disappoint. Tournament director Tim Widlacki shared that the field caught and released 117 muskies over three days, with 18 of them measuring four feet or longer. By his account, it may well have been the best overall event in the PMTT's 28 years for both the number and the size of muskies brought to the boat.

What made it click was variety. Productive patterns ranged from current-swept rock rubble to shallow weeds and slop, and the teams that did well kept adapting, covered fresh water, and trusted their decisions under pressure. Everything came together, and the competitors took full advantage.

The walleyes and crappies are firing up here, too. NW Angle guides are reporting both bites are hot right now, which is no surprise, as fall is some of the best fishing of the year. And with the 14,552 islands to explore, jigging is a favorite up here all year long, with plenty of traditional spots giving up good numbers.

October is an incredible month to fish Lake of the Woods. Between the walleye run on the Rainy River, the big schools of walleyes staging on the basin, and the traditional Angle spots where anglers are jigging up good numbers, it's hard to think of a better time to visit.

A quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

September 21, 2026 "Maxing Out The Fun-Factor Dial"

The Fun with Dick and Paul MMXXVI Fall Session ended on a quintessential early fall day on Sunday. Crisp, cool air blowing from the northeast, sunny skies and vibrant colors on the shorelines. Our fishing score, if you measure it in the percentages of fish limits taken home, was about 68%. The boys had full limits of both crappie and sunfish but were 1 walleye and 48 perch short of those possession quotas. Recall though that we ate fish for dinner 4 of the 5 nights and add those fish back into the equation and the percentage increases to over 80%.

After the technical score is calculated, we added in the excitement factor, along with the friendship, comradery and relaxation scores. Wow, now the percentages push higher, well into the maximum fun factor zone!

The fishing on Day 5 was relaxing; our goal was to top off the crappie allowance by capturing 9 keepers. That took a few hours, because we spent some time sorting through a variety of sizes. By about 11:00 am, we’d managed to complete that goal.

Catching those crappies did not involve doing anything different than we did back on day 1. The crappies remained in early fall locations, steep breaklines along the shore, but adjacent to the lake’s deeper, mid-lake basin. The key depth was about 16 feet of water, but there were some fish caught in slightly shallower water as well. If there were any fish in deeper water, I don’t know about them because we limited our search to the shallower zones.

The presentation was the same as day 1 too, 1/8-ounce minnow shaped jig heads tipped with Slabalicious paddle tails. White and chartreuse combination was a productive color combination, so we stuck with that and didn’t experiment with others.

Most fish were 5 to 6 above bottom; some were even higher. So, we drifted through the small schools of fish and presented the lures with a swim-hop-swim-hop motion and maintained a depth well above the bottom.

Next, we decided to follow up on a tip from a friend. He’d suggested a spot where we might find some keeper size perch. We packed up, drained out and cleaned up the boat and high-tailed it to another lake.

When we arrived, the surface water was warmer than I expected. At 65 degrees, it was 2 degrees above the first lake, and also warmer than any other lake we fished this week. Apparently, this lake with deeper and clearer water is holding its heat longer than the shallower water lakes we’ve been fishing. The vegetation in the lake was mostly green, but there were signs of stress in some of the weed patches.

We did catch some good keepers, but the perch expedition didn’t go quite as well as we’d hoped. For one thing, it took me longer to dial in the right location than I’d hoped. As they often do, perch select one small portion of a larger weedy flat as their preferred territory. That spot, on this lake, was an inside turn along the weedy breakline. We located it by trolling spinners tipped with minnows and on most days, I would have stopped the boat and tried fishing with jigs and minnows.

On this day, I was up against the clock because we wanted to be finished early. Our goal was to make a stop at 1000 Lakes Sporting Goods before their closure at 4:00pm. So, we stuck with the trolling presentation long enough to pick up 10 keepers. As you can see by the picture of Paul and his perch, my friend’s tip was a good one. In the interest of protecting his intellectual property, I’m skimping on details, I hope you understand why.

Okay, that’s the report, the fall session of Fun with Dick and Paul MMXXVI is a wrap. The boys are on their way home and I’m preparing for a busy, but somewhat quieter week. I’ll be working every day for another 2 weeks when we’ll celebrate our granddaughter’s birthday. Then, I’ll have another couple of weeks working before the season wraps up for me. So, there will be lots of updates about fall fishing patterns coming along, check back often! — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

OH wait, before I go, Before I go, let me share one more bit of news about fishing technology and the use of it. We already know that technologies like forward facing sonar are having an impact on fishing. If nothing else, the technology has divided anglers into 2 groups. Today we have one group that embraces technology and another that has voiced opposition to it.

Fisheries managers struggle to decide whether advanced electronics and other technologies should, or should not, be regulated. To assist them, the University of Minnesota, in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the LCCMR have initiated a formal study about fishing electronics and how they ..." Read Full Story >> U of M Fish Technolgy Study

September 20, 2026 "Happy With What the Lake Gives Me" Fun with Dick and Paul MMXXVI Fall Session Day 4

At the end of the day, we enjoyed a delightful fish dinner at Riley’s. The bluegills we brought in to eat were delicious, they were lightly battered, slightly seasoned, and cooked perfectly. The fillets were golden brown outside, flaky and white inside, not over-cooked or dried out.

It was only this summer that I first learned the Riley’s offers their own version of the “cook your own catch” fish fry. Last June, one of my customers who lives in the area told me about it. We went there with a large fishing group then, and it impressed me.

Another group, Patterson’s, joined me there for a fish fry in August and that experience was good too. The service yesterday was good too, and again, we all enjoyed the experience thoroughly. So, if you love to bring your catch of the day into a restaurant at the end of your fishing trip and you’re in the area. Add Riley’s to your list of places to try, I really do think you’ll be happy!

Leading up to the fish dinner on Day 4 of Fun with Dick and Paul involved trolling through a lot of weeds. Warm water species, largemouth bass, sunfish and rock bass dominated the day. I felt fortunate to be where we were because of the weather. During the morning, cloud cover made the day feel cool. Eventually though, the clouds burned off and the skies turned blue and the sunshine made it feel much warmer than it was.

While the calm surface and bright skies were ideal for trolling spinners over the weed tops would have made it tough to bag walleyes. In fact, only one lone walleye, an uncharacteristically large northern pike and another single crappie were the only “cool water species” that we caught.

I imagine that there were more of the crappies, pike and walleyes along the breaklines we fished. I’d bet that later, during the crepuscular period, they would have become active. During the heat of the day though, they appeared to be hunkered down at the base of the dense vegetation. I checked some open water spots like rock bars, sunken islands or submerged water points but those locations showed few signs of life.

I recalled one customer that I used to fish with, Wayne was his name. No matter what we caught, it made Wayne happy. Before his passing, he always used to tell me, “You just have to be happy with what the lake gives you.” I think Wayne was right, and I feel the same way. So, when the lake was offering us good quality sunfish and bass fishing, I took her up on the offer. Looking back, I can say that we were very happy with what the lake gave us yesterday.  

Both the water conditions and fishing presentation were very summer-like. The surface water temperature was locked in at 63 degrees and under the sunny skies, becoming greener with algae bloom. Trolling with spinners over the deeper edges of the weeds worked perfectly.

Luckily, I had a full cooler of night crawlers because for whatever reason, the fish loved them. The same spinners, fished in the same spots, produced very few strikes when we tipped them with minnows. In the fish cleaning shack, I noticed that the bluegills had been feeding on some sort of insect larvae. Maybe that’s why the night crawlers were a key, I can’t say for sure.

Key depths varied from spot-to-spot, but almost any weed bed growing in water depths of 8 to 12 feet held at least some fish. The bass, and some of the larger sunfish seemed to prefer coontail patches. Eelgrass patches, lying closer to the bottom of the lake produced larger numbers of smaller sunfish along with a few perch.

While we were fishing, I stayed in touch with some of my friends who were fishing on Winnie. Most of them agreed that the calm seas and bright skies were not helpful. Walleyes that were active on Friday, took a pass on feeding during the day on Saturday. Most anglers who worked hard enough did catch some fish, but I think walleye fishing is going to very dependent on the weather for a while.

For me, days that look ideal, windy and grey with a choppy surface will be for targeting walleyes. Days like yesterday, calm and sunny, will be used to pursue alternative species. Those will be the days that Wayne’s voice will echo in my head, “Jeff, you just have to be happy with what the lake gives you.”

— Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

Lake Winnie Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report September 19, 2026 Jeff Sundin Guest Post

"The strong algae bloom reported by Bowen Lodge a couple weeks back had declined somewhat already. Balls of white foam, representing the die-off of plankton, provided evidence yesterday morning of further declines in the algae blooms. That said, an average water clarity of somewhere around 8 to 10 feet deep remains favorable for anglers, especially when the weather produces ideal conditions.

The term ideal conditions mean different things to different people, but for me, a snapshot of yesterday’s weather sums it up. Grey skies, paired with a southeast wind of 10 to 15 MPH that provided the classic “walleye chop” on the surface. Those conditions, on Friday, proved to be more than theoretically good, they definitely encouraged fish to move onto shallow water structures to feed.

The fall session of “Fun with Dick and Paul”, a perennial topic in my daily fishing reports happened to be on day 3 yesterday. I’d already forewarned my crew that walleye fishing had been a struggle in recent weeks. “Unless we get a lucky break, and have the right weather, any great walleye bite might not happen,” I advised. Luckily, the right weather did arrive, Dick and Paul did enjoy an afternoon of good walleye action and they ..." Read Full Story >> Bowen Lodge Lake Winnie Fishing Report September 19, 2026

Wired2Fish September 19, 2026 "Angler Of The Year Caught Cheating? One Pro Is Under Fire"

"Adam Eisele has been disqualified from the 2026 WISCO BASS Crown Championship and banned from all future WISCO BASS sanctioned events after tournament officials found 14 live bass in his boat the night before the championship.

WISCO BASS announced the decision to its anglers after completing an internal investigation into the incident. The organization also told Wired2fish the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is conducting a separate investigation.

The WISCO BASS Crown is the organization’s championship event for the top 50 anglers in Angler of the Year points. In 2026, the Crown was held September 12 and 13 on the ..." Read Full Story >> Angler Of The Year Caught Cheating? One Pro Is Under Fire

September 18, 2026 "Fun with Dick and Paul MMXXVI Fall Session"

Somehow, these first 2 days of this “Fun with Dick and Paul” fall session have already passed, and with little fanfare. Sorry about that, I’ve just been swamped, it’s a hectic time of the season. To rectify my tardiness in reporting, here’s a nuts-and-bolts recap of both day 1 and day 2.

On day 1, we began the fall session by fishing on Lake Winnie where I’d hoped to get the trip off to a strong start by adding some walleyes to the boys’ larder. Long story short, locating fish was easy, catching them was not. My experience, combined with several other reports I’d received from friends on the lake, discouraged me. It seemed that walleyes, at least at that time, were uncooperative for everyone I was in contact with. I contemplated my next move and whether to get stubborn and keep searching for walleyes or move on to something different.

Personally, my preference in fishing is for action rather than spending an entire day searching for a handful of active walleyes. Dick and Paul have similar preferences so in the interest of finding action vs species selection, we pulled the pin on Winnie and headed west to Cass Lake.

It’s been widely reported that perch are biting on Cass Lake, in fact, I’ve mentioned it a couple of times myself. It is true, the perch are biting on Cass, but the size quality has been below average compared to previous years. So, I expected to catch enough perch for our dinner, but also imagined that we’d do a lot of sorting to gather a modest number of keepers. All of that turned out to be true, plus it required more exploration than I expected.

When we arrived at Cass, there was one crowd of anglers fishing in front of the Norway Beach Resort. There was another crowd fishing in front of Cedar Island, and another crown on the East Bar, another on Steve’s Bar, another one on Buck and list goes on. There were people fishing everywhere, in fact it’s been a long time since I recall seeing so many anglers fishing on Cass at the same time.

Fishing in crowds is a turn off for me, and I don’t think my crew likes it much either, so we moved around in search of fresh territory.

Trolling the weed edges with spinners is a good way to search for schools of perch. For me, catching and rejecting small fish results in continuing the search. Whenever somebody bags a keeper, I mark the spot, stop the boat and switch over to jigs to work the cover more thoroughly. That process worked on Wednesday when we discovered some keepers on a small, weedy, shoreline-related point.

The screenshot of my graph shows a small school of perch scattered over the weed tops on that structure. Note how high above the grass those fish are holding. The same pattern was in play last week when I fished Cass with a different crew. Both then, and again on Wednesday, it was those small schools of high riding fish that produced our keeper size fish. So, don’t fall into the trap of believing that you must fish on the bottom; in cases like these, the bottom is the enemy!

To keep our jigs running high in the water column we use 1/16-ounce live bait jigs tipped with either large fatheads or golden shiners. The light jigs and larger than average minnows allow for a slow-falling, attention-grabbing presentation.

Another bait that works well in these situations is Berkley’s Realistix. You need patience to fish with them because jigs are lightweight, and the plastic tails are small. They fall extremely slowly, so I allow them fall slowly and wait for a “tick” on the rod tip. The main benefit to me is that I don’t have the distraction of putting minnows on my hook, and I can pay attention to my job. Often though, as was the case on Wednesday, I can keep pace using this artificial lure while my crew is using jigs and live minnows.

After an afternoon of perch fishing on Cass Lake, we harvested a total of 39 perch. Of those, 23 fish were solid keepers in the 10-to-11-inch size range. Ordinarily, we would not have harvested the remaining 16, which were smaller, ranging from 9 to 10 inches. Those 16 fish served a purpose that day because we brought them into the Big Fish Supper Club where they were transformed into a tasty supper.

Day 2 of Fun with Dick and Paul was a really “crappie” day of fishing. Despite my selection of a smaller lake that has decent populations of other species like walleye, northern pike, bass and sunfish, crappies were the only game in town. No matter which side of the lake, or which structure we tried, crappies were the only fish we caught. In fact, through the entire day we caught exactly 1 northern pike, 1 sunfish and 1 small bass.

The crappie action throughout the day wasn’t non-stop, but during that trip, we caught and released crappies fairly steadily. Small schools of fish scattered around the lake provided the action. The best locations were long steep breaklines adjacent to the lake’s main basin. Water depths varied from spot-to-spot, ranging between 10 and 18 feet. The crappies will likely move deeper at some point, but for now, they were not suspended over the deeper holes. Instead, they held just outside of the breaklines, in the shallower parts of mid-lake holes.

On flat calm water and under a sunny sky, the schools of fish would get boat shy after an initial burst of action. So, most often, I’d spot a school of fish, then we’d cast 1/16-ounce minnow head jigs tipped with plastics. Fishing the lures using a drop-swim-dop-swim motion, we’d hook up 6 or maybe 8 fish from each stop before they’d quit striking.

Later in the day, the breeze picked up enough to allow for a drift. Once we began drifting using the same lures, we enjoyed a period of faster action. The crappie double you see pictured here served as the “grand finale” that ended our day of fishing.

The boys are staying here in Grand Rapids, so for convenience, our day 2 fish dinner happened at the Pickled Loon. We’ve brought our catch there before and they’ve always provided a good fish dinner, but I have to say that this was the best one so far. On Thursday, the side dishes, French fries, hushpuppies and coleslaw were all very tasty, and the fish portions were generous. Our fish were cooked perfectly, a little crunch outside, moist and flaky inside; really tasty.

Okay, that catches us up on the first 2 days of the MMXXVI fall session. So far, the boys have a few packages of perch in the freezer and half their limits of crappies. We might re-visit those spots before they head back home on Monday. Today though, we’re going to take another run at walleye fishing for day 3 of the fishing trip. Reports of decent walleye fishing came in from Winnie yesterday, and the forecast appears to be favorable for a return trip there. With luck, I’ll have a great report for you tomorrow morning. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

September 16, 2026 "Walleyes; The Triumph Bonneville of Minnesota Fishing?"

"Back in the early 1980s, I rode a very special motorcycle, a Triumph Bonneville. It was beautiful, gold and sparkly brown; all shined up and ready to execute the most intricate of hairpin turns.

Looking back, that Triumph reminds me of walleyes and walleye fishing. Like my Bonneville, walleyes too are gold and brown and beautiful. Also, like my Bonneville, walleyes are prepared to offer a truly a joyful ride, … when they are running.

You see, my motorcycle, while beautiful, was a kick-start model with some quirks. Kick it once with the choke on, then again with the choke off, then a few times with the throttle on, and then with the … well, you get the idea. Sometimes it could take a lot of kicking before the bike was ready to get started and take me for a ride.

This week, not unlike the classic brit bikes, Walleyes are trying to get moving, but only for anglers who crack the code to get them started. The action is spotty but at times, walleyes act like they’re entering the full-scale fall feeding period. It has been common for some fishermen on the larger lakes to report catching their limits one day, followed by a struggle to catch anything on the next day. Whether we’re talking about Leech Lake, Winnibigoshish or Cass Lake, the trendline, while inconsistent, is upward.

What’s going on, I think, is that fish are on the move, transitioning between summer and fall territories. As water temperatures cool, and weed growth disappears, both baitfish and predators will be concentrated in more defined areas. The action will become more consistent and soon, more anglers will enjoy the beauty of brown and gold.

Surface water temperatures are cooling daily, now registering somewhere between 62 to 69 degrees, depending on the lake’s water depths and clarity. For me, any place in the low 60s should be good, but for some, temperatures in the high 50s are preferred. Either way, we’re headed in the right direction. And right now, if water and weather conditions are good, expecting a good bite is reasonable.

Last Friday, my crew experienced one of those “good fishing days” on a cloudy day with a moderate breeze. After that, the ship hit the sand when a cold front, featuring blustery northwest winds and air temps in the 40s disrupted everything. Since then, conditions have kept me away from “big water”. Instead, I’ve been hunkered down, focusing on smaller waters that offer multiple species, along with a chance at bagging some walleyes.

So far, walleyes have not shown up on any of the smaller waters, but crappies have. On Monday, catching them was easy, even if the rain did make fishing uncomfortable. Crappies had moved out of shallow, weedy haunts and were holding along steep drop-offs along the shoreline. At the mid-lake basin, there were a handful of crappies holding in deeper, 18-to-20-foot water, but the numbers were few compared to those along the shorelines.

The presentation we used was 1/8 ounce minnow shaped jigs tipped with Strike King's Slabilicious paddle tails were effective. At one point, hoping for some walleyes, we trolled spinners with minnows but that presentation was not effective. I suspect the spinners will still work in some situations, but crappies showed a strong preference for the jigs and plastics on Monday.

Bluegills, on that same day, were tough to find. The shallow vegetation where they had been holding recently was all but gone. The whitecaps and cold weather blew away some of the northern milfoil, pondweeds and other delicate varieties. With much of the shallow habitat gone, sunfish moved somewhere, I just didn’t figure out where. Soon, we’ll have time to re-visit and dig deeper into where they went.

Okay, looking at the weather forecast, I see more stability in the short-term future and for me, that’s great news. Beginning today, I’m working almost every day for the next three weeks beginning with day 1 of “Fun with Dick and Paul”. I’ll have time to cover some ground and be creative these next 5 days. That means there will be plenty of reports with fresh, firsthand information to share with you. Check back here every morning for all of the details.

With any luck at all, Walleyes will have their radios tuned to the Rolling Stones station. I will, and I’ll be ready to turn it up whenever the song “Start Me Up” is playing!" — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report September 16, 2026

"Last week was a tough week for walleye anglers, as a major cold front moved into the area. Many anglers struggled to find walleyes willing to bite after the front moved through. Before the front moved in, anglers were still finding walleyes trolling spinner rigs with crawlers in that 12 to 25 foot range. Key locations were around sunken islands and transition areas.

Trolling crank baits also continues to be very productive for anglers too. These anglers continue to troll large flats, again in that 15 to 25 foot depth range, with #6 or #7 size crank baits. Orange, perch and purple were hot colors this last week for walleye anglers. Remember, we are needing water temps to break into the 50s for the fall minnow bite to really get going. Currently sitting in the mid 60s.

While the smallmouth bass fishing didn't quite slow up as bad as the walleye fishing, average size and numbers of smallie definitely dropped this last week. Anglers had to slow down and downsize their bait to get bites this last week. Small 2 to 3 inch crawfish or minnow style baits, fished on a drop shot in 6 to 25 feet of water, slowly, definitely out produced everything this last week. As temperatures continue to drop smallies will continue to transition out onto sunken islands or main lake points that drop off into deeper water for the best bite.

Northern Pike anglers definitely noticed a jump in pike activity this last week and weekend. Pike always seem to love those cooler, rainy days. Angler reported that fishing creek chubs and suckers under a bobber was excellent, but so was fishing with large swim baits, large spoons and crank baits for the pike. Anglers reported that they found the pike at the mouths of shallow bays, main lake points and river mouths, all with deep water close by.

Rainbow trout continue to be very active and anglers continue to enjoy some really consistent fishing right now. Rather your fishing from a boat or from shore anglers continue to report great fishing with a slip bobber and a crawler about 5 to 15 feet down. Early mornings or in the evenings, into the dark has been the best time for the shore anglers. Anglers fishing from a boat continue to catch lots of rainbows trolling small crank baits with leadcore or cowbells, about 20 feet down, over anywhere from 30 to 80 feet of water. As always with the crank baits, the brighter the better.

Lake trout reports were few and far between as high winds kept many anglers off the deep water where many of the lakers are right now. The few reports that we got came from anglers that found lakers in 60 to 70 feet of water, while trolling large spoons with downriggers.

Panfish anglers also reported a tough week this last week. As water temps drop weeds start browning up and panfish start transitioning out into basins for the winter. Reports of crappies in the weeds is now really limited to the last hour of light when they move in to feed. When this happens beetle spins and jig/twister are very efficient in coving water and finding bitters. Sunfish are also in that transition phase too. Anglers can now expect to find some sunnies in remaining weedbeds and out in 18 to 25 feet of water too. Wherever you find them, fishing with wax worms or red worms on a small jig continues to be very consistent for anglers." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Wired2Fish September 16, 2026 "Four Accessories That Your Walleye Boat Absolutely Needs"

"A good walleye boat is more than a hull, motor, and a few fishing rods. The right accessories can make your time on the water more efficient, and a whole lot more productive. Whether you’re trailering across the state to fish a new lake, dialing in your trolling speed, running multiple electronics, or navigating shallow water, having the right equipment can make a noticeable difference.

The best boat accessories are the ones that solve real problems. They protect expensive equipment, give you better control, make your electronics easier to use, and help you spend less time dealing with your boat and more time fishing. That’s especially important for walleye anglers, who often spend long days trolling, covering water, and traveling lake to lake.

From protecting your outboard during a long trailer ride to making precise adjustments to ..." Read Full Story >> Four Accessories That Your Walleye Boat Absolutely Needs

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report September 16, 2026

"Fall is starting to show itself on Lake of the Woods. The water has cooled to 64 degrees, and that drop is setting the stage for some of the best fishing of the year. Walleyes are still biting strong across the lake, the Rainy River's fall run should begin in the near future, and a stretch of great weather makes this a fine week to get out on the water.

The walleye bite on Big Traverse Bay on the south end hasn't let up. Spinners tipped with crawlers are still doing the damage when it comes to putting walleyes in the boat. Anglers are drifting when there is a breeze or slow-trolling on the calmer days.

Trolling crankbaits behind are still effective as well. This technique is great for covering water and putting baits in front of plenty of fish. As the water keeps cooling, look for that bite to hold steady or even pick up. Walleyes tend to feed harder once summer's grip starts to loosen. It won't be long and vertical jigging will really start to pick up. As a rule of thumb, when water temperatures cool, such as from September into late fall, jigging really becomes effective.

Change is on the way for the Rainy River, and it's the kind anglers wait all year for. As water temps drop, emerald shiners will begin pushing up the river, and that's usually the first sign of the fall walleye run getting underway. It's early yet, but the pieces are falling into place, and that bite only builds from here.

Sturgeon fishing tends to pick up too as the water cools and the days get shorter, so keep that on your radar if you're chasing the big ones. Anchored up and watching the migration while you wait for your rod tip to do a tap dance is good for the soul.

Up at the Northwest Angle, fall is the name of the game. Walleye activity remains strong. Some great reports of big crappies being caught already and as the water cools, it will only get better.

Muskie activity will spike as we get late into fall, and the scattered island structure up there makes for some of the best muskie fishing of the year.

Fall is one of the best times to plan a trip north — cooling water, a building bite, and fewer crowds on the water. If you've been putting off booking, now's a good time to lock in your dates. Charters and guides are still available.

Many are reminded to schedule your ice fishing reservations for Lake of the Woods if you haven't done so yet. There are many options, from full service to self service, day houses or sleeper houses, on the south end or up at the Northwest Angle. These are good decisions to have!" — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

September 14, 2026 "You Can't Always Get What You Want" But if you try sometimes ….

For me, things had been going along “swimmingly” (pun intended). Under cloudy skies and breezy conditions, warm water temperatures, 73 to 74 degrees, fish had been active and once located, fairly easy to catch. Last Friday, assembling a nice catch of jumbo perch, along with some bonus walleyes seemed like an easy task.

Little did we know things were about to change. A blustery cold front was headed into north central Minnesota and with the front, falling water temperatures and a decline in fish activity. On the heels of that blustery cold front, Saturday’s crisp mid-50-degree air temperatures brought surface water down from the 73 to 74-degree range into the mid-to-upper 60s. Fish were already hunkering down into heavy weed cover, catchable, but not aggressive.

By Sunday, there were some fish that seemed unaffected by the weather change. Small northern pike, largemouth bass and some of the smaller panfish were still active. But other fish such as walleyes, crappies and the larger sunfish seemed to have disappeared. We couldn’t find any of them in deeper water, and the ones I located in the weeds were not active. Fishing from 9:00 am to noon, the cooler in my boat contained nothing except ice. Despite catching a lot of “unwanted fish”, we had harvested nothing, not a crappie, no sunfish, nothing. I knew it was time to make a move, but comparing text messages with friends was not helpful in deciding where to go. It seemed like everybody I knew was struggling to catch much of anything that they wanted.  

Eventually, I decided that re-visiting “the perch hole” would be the best idea for us. I’d located enough of them last week to give me confidence, so even if the bite was off, we’d catch enough to make a day out of it. By days end, that turned out to be a good decision but even the perch did not make it easy.

Searching along weed edges using spinners, we trolled until one of us caught a keeper size fish. Then we stopped the boat, switched over to jigs tipped with minnows and fished vertically in the cover. The search and stop method worked well enough to allow a modest harvest. After sorting through the smaller perch, small pike and other odds and ends, we had 16 “keepers” in the cooler. I know that doesn’t sound great, but it was a lot better than we’d been doing on the crappies earlier.

Everybody wants fishing to always be good, but there’s just no way that it can be. Sometimes the system needs a re-set, and every fall, we experience episodes just like this.

Every fall it seems like there is one day when the weather changes quickly enough to force fish into hiding. Getting them to bite is a struggle for a while, but in the end, the shakeup turns out to be … what we need. I think we’re there now, so I’m skipping over any detailed report about specific lures or baits this morning because I think it’s irrelevant. Sunday’s tough fishing conditions, I believe, represented a temporary setback and patterns are about to change.

I mentioned in a text message to one of my guide colleagues that I think the cooler weather will be helpful in the long run. His reply, “I sure hope you’re right about that” was understandable. My reply, “I hope so too”, is one prediction that I definitely want to see come true. I’ve seen it happen a lot of times, and I feel confident that Mother Nature’s course correction will benefit all of us in the coming days and weeks. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report September 9, 2026

Walleye Fishing

With water temps still getting into the 70's, night crawlers continue to be the bait of choice for walleye anglers this last week. Spinner rigs tipped with crawlers and fished around sunken islands in that 15 to 30 foot depth range continue to be the most popular approach. Trolling out in the basins, also in that 15 to 30 feet of water range also has remained very effective this last week. Perch, orange and gold continue to be hot colors

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass fishing continues to go strong this last week and smallies are really starting to put the feed bag on, trying to fatten up for winter. Soft plastics, in particular crawfish color, have been red hot for bass anglers. Drop shooting and Ned rigging continue to be a very popular choice for those anglers fishing with forward facing sonar. Paddle tails, square bill crankbaits, in line spinners and spinnerbaits are all also catching their fair share of smallies.

Sunken islands are quickly becoming the best place to find the biggest numbers and size of smallies. Sunken islands that top out in that 10 to 20 feet of water are typically the best ones.

Panfish Fishing

Crappie anglers enjoyed another good week targeting crappies. Crappies continue to be found in and around weedbeds this last week, but as weedbeds start to brown up, crappies will be spending less time in the weedbeds during the day. That last hour of daylight continues to be the best time to target crappies. Anglers continue to have good luck throwing beetle spins and jig/twisters during the evenings.

Northern Pike Fishing

Anglers are starting to see big pike starting to show up in shallow water pike spots again. As water temperatures continue to cool off, the pike fishing should really start picking back up. Big creek chubs or suckers, if you can find them, fished under a bobber have been very effective and will only going to get better. Anglers looking to throw lures have been having good luck with large spoons and swimbaits around weedlines or river mouths that have deep water close by.

Stream Trout Fishing

Stream Trout anglers also continue to catch good numbers and sized stream trout this last week. Shore anglers continue to catch quality rainbows this last week while floating a night crawler under a bobber about 5 to 15 feet down, particularly during those evening hours and after dark. Boat anglers continue to troll with leadcore and small, brightly colored crankbaits about 20 feet down, over 30 to 80 feet of water." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report September 9, 2026

"It was a special week on Lake of the Woods. Lots of great fishing occurred, including two events that brought anglers together. The 13th Annual Pay It Forward Veterans Event on the south end and the Max multispecies fishing tournament as part of Buoy Bash up at the NW Angle. Here's a look at the three areas this week.

Big Traverse Bay South Shore

The south end of Lake of the Woods played host to the Pay It Forward Veterans Event this past week, and it was a great few days to remember. Ninety-nine participants boarded charter boats for two straight days and enjoyed some great walleye fishing. As a rule, limits were caught, along with a number of trophy walleyes as big as 29.5 inches. We owe our veterans so much, and we sincerely appreciate the generosity of the many Lake of the Woods resorts and sponsors who made this 13th annual veterans event happen.

The fishing itself followed the productive pattern that's carried the season. Most charters were drifting or slow-trolling (when there was no wind) spinners and crawlers. Strong blade colors included five of diamonds, firetiger, and gold with red or pink. A few boats worked the basin trolling crankbaits behind downriggers, and they did well too, covering water and putting their cranks in front of thousands of walleyes. It only takes a small percentage of those fish to react, and by the end of the day, the fish cooler looks pretty darn good.

Rainy River

The Rainy River continues to serve up a mixed bag, and there's more on the way. As the water cools, the fall run of emerald shiners up the river is beginning to build, and the walleyes won't be far behind. Big schools of emerald shiners running up the river sets the table for the epic fall walleye run the river is known for. For some who have experienced this fall run in the past, it is one of the most anticipated bites of the season, and it's getting closer each week.

As the waters continue to cool and the days get shorter, lake sturgeon activity will start increasing as well. Fall is a time when the sturgeon bite really turns on.

Nortwest Angle

Up at the Angle, the Max multispecies derby, held as part of the Northwest Angle's Buoy Bash, turned up some outstanding fish. In this two-day tournament, which combines a team's top muskie and top walleye each day.

Anglers put up some very nice muskies, many between 45-to- 49.5 inches, along with big walleyes up to 28.5 inches. It's a great snapshot of just how strong the Nortwest Angle part of the lake continues to be. Muskie activity will continue to increase as fall approaches. Fall is a prime time to fish among the islands.

A quick reminder on the regulations. The combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches in posession allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.

With the jig bite and the river's shiner run both on the horizon, fall is shaping up to be a fantastic time on Lake of the Woods. There's still plenty of open-water season left to enjoy, so plan your trip, come on up, and make some memories." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

September 8, 2026 "Sundin's Busman's Holiday Fishing Report"

I mentioned on Saturday that my brother Gary and my sister-in-law Cyndee were coming up to help us relax over the Labor Day holiday. I predicted too that at some point, we’d be on the lake and yesterday, fishing for panfish, that prediction came to life.

These things couldn’t be rushed, so we took our time and rolled out the door around 11:00 AM. The outside air temperature at the time was about 76 degrees; it was a little muggy and the sky was partly sunny. Nobody even thought about wearing jackets, rain gear or the like.

On our way to the lake, conversation turned to the date September 8, 2020, Gary and Cyndee’s wedding date. Gary recalled the contrast between conditions then, vs conditions now. On that date, the weather at Lake Mille Lacs was not friendly, the wind was blustery and the air temperature was cold. The wedding party canceled their scheduled boat ride on the Twin Pines launch and hunkered down inside the lodge. Going fishing was the last thing anybody was thinking about.

Okay, we knew that we’d be comfortable on the lake, but we didn’t know if we’d catch anything. As it happens, we did catch something, in fact, the action was pretty good. But the presentations we used were different than I planned for or expected to use.

My plan, based partly on my brother’s interest and partly on my need to become more proficient, was to deploy “the gizmo” to locate schools of panfish. I’d use it, I thought, while we trolled the breaklines to watch for a spot, or spots, that we could spot-lock and fish with slip-floats, or casting jigs with plastics. As we moved along the breaklines though, I discovered that crappies, and to a lesser extent sunfish, were not gathered in “schools”. Instead, singles, doubles and small packs of fish were spread horizontally along the drop off.

As we trolled the spinners, tipped with minnows, I and Susan caught an occasional crappie. When I tipped my spinner with a night crawler, sunfish struck instead, and I picked up a couple of keepers, along with some smaller ones that were released. Gary and Cyndee though were not enjoying as much success. As I watched and wondered what we might do to improve the action for them, I remembered fishing with Bob Slager and Joe Banek back in July.

If you recall, or if you’d like to read the (Fishing Report August 5, 2026), I wrote about how the fish were visible on my graph, but instead of being bunched up, they were spread horizontally that day too. The spinners, providing only sporadic action, forced an experiment that worked then and was repeated yesterday. We stopped trolling, put away the spinners and rigged lighter weight rods with 1/8-ounce minnow head jigs. We tipped 2 of the jig heads with Strike King’s Mr. Crappie “Slabalicious” tails and 2 of them with Berkley’s Power Bait twirl tails. The colors were varied and included white, chartreuse, red and lime green.

There was a stiff breeze blowing, so we deployed the drift sock and began drifting the breakline. The water depths ranged from 9 to 12 feet, and the structures where I saw fish were steep drop-offs. As we drifted, everybody began picking off fish and the mood became rather cheerful. Even though the packs of fish I observed were small, the attitude of the fish was positive. Most of the fish we encountered struck our lures, it was not uncommon to pick up 2 fish at the same time. All of the colors were working, but the fish on this day showed a preference for the white-chartreuse 2-tone Slabalicious. Whenever somebody needed a new tail, I replaced the old colors with those.

Sunfish did not appear to be located along those steep breaklines, or maybe I should say if they were there, they were not interested in the plastics. We did not experiment with other presentations while the crappies were biting. Later, after we each had harvested 5 crappies, I swung back to an area where I’d picked up those couple of keeper sunfish earlier.

To find the sunfish, we drifted using the same 1/8-ounce jigs but tipped them with cut chunks of night crawlers. It didn’t take that long to find some, and when we did, I spot-locked the boat and we began tight-line fishing.

The water depth was shallow, 5 to 7 feet of water. The weeds, that were not important to the crappies, were essential for catching the bluegills. They were gathered in and around patchy clumps of cabbage and pondweeds. Dropping the jigs over the side and fishing directly below the boat worked fine. So did using clip on bobbers to reach out away from the boat.

It took a little longer to gather the sunfish, but eventually we each harvest 5 of those too. By now, it was going on 5 PM, and my family had a long drive back to the twin cities ahead of them. So, we headed home, cleaned up the fish and ate a fast supper. My busman’s holiday, successful as it was, had come to an end.

I’m grateful not only for our great day of fishing, but for the whole weekend with our family. We listened to a lot of music and played our guitars a little bit. We chatted about life, enjoyed the campfire and ate way too much food. I think I’ll recover, but whew, that was a lot of living in a short time!

Today, I’m scheduled to fix broken stuff, clean dirty stuff, and catch up on back burner stuff. So, unless I’m wildly efficient, probably won’t be on the lake. Based on what we discovered yesterday, my next few fishing trips will likely be on lakes where I’ve had success during early fall before.

Even though the water remains warm, the fish appear to be migrating into fall locations. As water temperatures cool, we should see an uptick in feeding activity over a wide range of lakes. Of course, you’ll be the first to know what I discover next. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

September 6, 2026 "A Crappie Example of Locating the Locate-Able"

One would believe that after the massive rainstorm that rolled through north central Minnesota on Thursday, crappies might have been forced out of their weedy summertime sanctuaries. That’s what I thought on Friday morning when crappies had seemingly disappeared from areas where we’d caught them earlier this week. Later, I’d discovered that assumption was wrong, but not before I searched the lake high and low hoping to discover where they’d gone.

The storm was a strong one, but not at all typical of most Minnesota thunderstorms. Yes, it rained hard for about a half hour, but the temperature didn’t drop like they usually do. Throughout the episode, air temperatures remained warm. So, by Friday morning, surface water on the lake we fished was still warm, 72 degrees on average. Seeing that, I reasoned that “spinning the weeds” would be the best way to start our fishing trip. Try as a might, crappies could not be coaxed out of the weeds, no matter where I tried to find them.

Sunfish on the other hand were still over the weed tops and considering the weather disruption they were still fairly active. No matter which weed beds we fished, sunnies hammered on our spinners, most often pulling the minnows off our hooks without being hooked themselves. Their level of activity, along with some pike and small bass that struck, made me think that fish were still active, but that the crappies must have moved away from the weeds, and into open water.

I started searching for them in open water located adjacent to weed flats and marked some fish on my graph. We caught a couple of crappies in about 16 feet of water and that encouraged my belief in the alternative plan. Despite that bit of encouragement, trolling the open water was not effective.

Okay, maybe the storm’s passing had sent crappies to the bottom of the lake. They could have been, like they sometimes do, spread out horizontally along the bottom where electronics have trouble registering them? So, we ditched the spinners, rigged up jigging rods and drifted over a portion of the mid-lake basin. Sunfish were out there, and we caught a handful of them, but crappies, if they were there, did not respond to the jigs.

No matter where we fished, no matter what showed up on my electronics, the crappies had seemingly disappeared. By now we’ve tried deep water, medium depth water, structure, mud flats, everything, but the crappies were ghosting us.

“Well, they have to be somewhere, the lake isn’t that big,” I said. “Let’s go back to the beginning and re-start our search in the weeds. By now, it’s nearly 1:00 pm and the sun is peeking out. “I’ll be lucky if I can find them now”, I thought to myself. But the time of day, and the sunshine was not a problem.  This time, for reasons known only to the fish, the crappies were in the weeds and they bit. Trolling the same spinners through the same weeds yielded a completely different result than it had a few hours earlier.

I can’t say that the action was gangbusters, but it was good enough. Thanks to the recovery, and a little bit of sorting, we were able to amass about half of the crew’s harvest limits. Added to the sunfish and pike that we’d gathered along the way, the ice chest was heavy and my crew was satisfied.

The takeaway was that despite the disruption, crappies refused to abandon their weedy summer haunts. While sunfish scattered and showed up almost everywhere in the water column, crappies simply hunkered down near the same weeds they’ve been using for several weeks. I supposed that hours after the storm, their mood became more aggressive, and they became easier to catch.

It might have become even better later that day. During the evening, I received a text from a friend, Jacob Neumayer who was on a completely different lake. We’d been comparing notes periodically, and he was reporting on the results of his crappie fishing excursion. “It was the perfect bite for the young guns” (pictured right), his text said. For Neumayer, tossing slip floats and jigs to catch the fish worked well. I imagine that an angler trolling spinners there would have caught some fish too.

I suspect that if the storm had delivered a sharp drop in water temperatures, crappies might have evacuated their summer garden spot. Weeds were still green and lush though, and with relatively stable and warm water temperatures, they had no incentive to move out into open water. So, for now, I’ll continue to bank on summer fishing patterns as the first choice for crappies.  

The only clue that crappies may be thinking about early fall migrations was the specific locations of the better weed beds we found. Steep breaklines (Image Upper Right), adjacent to deeper water seemed to produce better results than flats with slow tapering breaklines. Inside corners also produced better results than points, or straight line stretches of weed growth.

Like many of you, Labor Day weekend is a family holiday for us. I must admit that it was nice not to worry about fish, where they were, or whether they were biting. That said, the sense of relief won’t last too long because I’ll be back on the lake soon, and as fall approaches, the schedule will be hectic. Today, I have a busman’s’ holiday on tap, not a fishing charter, exactly, but a fishing trip with my own family.

My guess is that we will pursue my favorite fish, sunfish, that should be fun. If you’re heading out on the lake, good luck and be safe. See you in a day or two. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

September 2, 2026 "A Fresh Brew of Mixed Mix-Ables"

Sometimes it happens so slowly that we barely notice, but when we’re observant, we can detect a change in the mix of fish on a mixed bag fishing trip. Take yesterday for example, I noticed a change in “the mix” on my mixed-bag fishing charter. As the photo left reveals, my crew, CJ and Jack Nilson harvested some beautiful specimens. Even if none of the species were represented in large numbers, those crappie, sunfish, perch and walleye definitely represented a really fun day of fishing.

What triggered the transformation, I think, is the arrival of cooler water temperatures. For the first time in several weeks, the surface temperature of the water dipped below 70 degrees; but not by much. For most of the day, 69.5 to 70 degrees was the range, a 2 degree drop in temperature from the previous day. That may not sound like a huge change, but it’s enough, I think to re-structure the pecking order of fish on the weedlines.

As the waters cool, warm water species like largemouth bass, rock bass and bluegill begin to lose their aggression and the numbers of hyper-active fish diminish. Even though the mix of fish on the weedline doesn’t change, the lower metabolism and diminished activity give cool water species more opportunity. When the panfish and bass bite tapers off, yellow perch, northern pike, crappies, walleyes and other cool water species have more time to find and strike our lures.

At the same time, some of the grasses and submerged plants begin to die off. Filamentous algae, northern milfoil and some other pondweed varieties begin to disappear. As they die off and the habitat “opens up”, fish that feed as the roam, like walleyes and perch, have even more access to baitfish, and our fishing lures too.

Okay, while I do believe that the transformation from summer to fall is beginning, I don’t see any rapid transformation on the horizon for this week. Overnight air temperatures will keep the downward trend going, but warm daytime temperatures will slow the cooling trends. What I’m hoping for, like I always do, is a steady drop in water temps from now until they reach the low 60s. If that happens, we’ll slide into fall with a slow-but-steady increase in fish activity.

If the weather changes suddenly, and we get a sudden drop in water temperatures, a temporary slowdown in fishing action will likely occur. Setbacks like that usually don’t last more than a few days, but for folks who are only here for those few days, fishing can be difficult. So, let’s combine our efforts and use our powers of persuasion to envision the steady, but controlled slide into fall fishing patterns. Like my wife says, “whenever 2 or more are gathered, the influence of positive thinking can create miracles.”

What? You don’t believe in the powers of positive thinking? Seriously, are you kidding me? Ask Rick, the fellow you see pictured here with a nice walleye if he’s becoming a believer. On Monday, Rick started off the day as an antagonist, “I don’t believe in any of that crap”, he said. But during the early afternoon, as we trolled over the weed tops catching crappies, sunfish and bass, Rick said, “With all these beautiful weeds, there JUST HAS TO BE a walleye roaming this breakline”.

Rick was right, within one minute, that nice walleye struck Rick’s spinner and minnow combination. That, my friends, IS the rainbow fish mediation, the Snyder Effect, the power of positive thinking or whatever else you want to call it. It is what happens when we get out of our own way and stop believing that the fish aren’t biting and allow them to come and get us!

Presentations, like they have been for weeks now, continue to favor trolling. For me, and most of the other guides too, spinners are reliable and simple for our customers to use. They can catch fish without having to be highly skilled anglers. That said, most of us are getting anxious to move into fall patterns so we can change our presentations.

For me, jigs and minnows are not just fun, but more relaxing and simpler to manage. Last year, at about this time, I wrote a story about jigging with Eye Candy for a mixed bag of walleyes, perch and pike on Lake Winnie. Right now, I’m champing at the bit to learn whether that presentation will be effective again this fall. As always, you’ll be the first to know if that happens, or if it doesn’t.

As we roll into the Labor Day Weekend, the weather forecast appears to be favorable. Mostly warm, mostly calm, mostly sunny days and cooler nights should keep the current trend going. Walleye lovers should probably focus on early morning and late evening fishing trips. Panfish, bass, perch and pike should continue to inhabit the weed lines, and trolling presentations will remain productive. I’ll  be on the water through Friday, so watch for updates to help fine-tune your game plans.

— Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

Wired2Fish September 2, 2026 "What Lures We’re Throwing in September 2026"

"This is the time of year when the sweltering summer heat finally starts to break. For some of us down south, there’s the slightest indication of this by way of a few cooler mornings and evenings. Further north, there’s a more obvious shift, as hoodies become appropriate outerwear again — at least until the sun gets high in the sky.

Fall is fast approaching, and the fish are starting to pick up on these changes. As water temps start to drop and baitfish begin to migrate, the techniques necessary to catch them will change, as well. So here’s what we’re throwing in September.

While almost everyone has one of these baits tied on at this point, the bass are still biting on ..." Read Full Story >> What Lures We’re Throwing in September 2026

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report September 2, 2026

"Walleye fishing reports have changed very little from our last report. With the walleye bite this last week continuing to follow summer patterns in warm water temps in the Ely area.

We really need a week of air temperatures in the 60s to kick start that fall minnow bite. That being said there have been reports of minnow catching walleye, but crawlers still dominate the reports. Anglers continue to report that they are finding their walleyes with either spinner rigs tipped with either a leech or crawler, fishing around sunken islands or trolling small crank baits over flats in that 15 to 30 foot range. Hot colors this last week have been orange, perch and yellow perch.

Smallmouth bass fishing continues to be red hot for bass anglers. Crawfish colored crank baits, paddle tails and Ned rigs have been really hot. Spinnerbaits, in-line spinners, topwater baits and urchin baits have also been catching lots of bass right now. Anglers should continue to look to large flats with large scattered boulders, sunken islands and river mouths.

Crappie anglers continue to report excellent crappie fishing again this last week as these anglers continue to find crappie in weedbeds. As with the last couple of weeks anglers should focus on thicker stands of weeds to find crappies sitting in the shade. Here beetle spins, jig/twister has been very effective. During the last hour of light crappies will start to roam around these same weedbeds looking for food. Again, beetle spins or jigs with twister tails, fished about 1 to 2 feet below the surface have been very effective.

Sunfish are also being found in these same weedbeds. Oftentimes these sunnies are roaming around in the weeds looking for something to eat. Red worms fished under a bobber have been deadly here.

Stream trout fishing reports continue to improve for anglers this last week. Anglers trolling cowbells or leadcore small crankbaits or spoons have been having little issues getting their limit of fresh trout for dinner. 20 feet of water really seems to be the key depth while trolling over 30 to 100 feet of water. Good rule of thumb is the brighter the crankbait the better. Anglers fishing from shore have been having really good luck floating a night crawler under a bobber about 5 to 10 feet down. Cloudy days have been best for daytime bites, but sunset into dark has really been the best time.

Lake trout fishing seemed to have slowed up for many anglers this last week as successful reports were few and far between. Anglers have been finding lakers in 50 to 70 feet of water this last week while trolling with either downriggers or dipsy divers. Large flashy spoons continue to be the baits of choice.

Northern Pike fishing reports have also cooled off some this last week. There were still a small handful of reports of some big pike caught this last week. These anglers were trolling large swimbaits along weedlines, river mouths and over large flats close to deep water. As with the walleyes, a week of the 60s would really help this bite get going." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Reader Comments September 1, 2026 Gary Korsgaden "When Did Fishing Become More About Us Than the Fish?"

"I have been thinking about the direction of fishing in Minnesota for some time. After more than six decades on the water, I have watched enormous changes in equipment, technology, fishing pressure, and the way anglers share information. Change isn't necessarily bad. In many ways, it has made fishing more accessible and productive than ever. But I sometimes wonder if we are losing sight of something important: the fishery itself.

The current discussion surrounding the Minnesota DNR's proposal to reduce the statewide walleye limit from six fish to four is a good example. Anglers have every right to question the proposal. They should ask questions, examine the research, and participate in the public process. If they disagree, they should say so. But there is a difference between questioning a fisheries-management decision and dismissing it simply because we don't like the answer.

DNR fisheries professionals have spent years collecting information, studying fish populations, examining harvest and evaluating Minnesota's fisheries. Management decisions should be based on the best available science and what is believed to be in the long-term interest of the resource. So, perhaps the better question isn't simply, "Why should the limit be reduced from six to four?" Perhaps it is: What does the evidence tell us?

There are some questions worth asking.

What problem is the proposed change intended to address? What does the research show about harvest and walleye populations? What benefits (to the angler) is expected by the Minnesota DNR? And how will we know whether the change is accomplishing what it was intended to accomplish?

What concerns me is that fisheries discussions increasingly seem to be influenced by personalities as much as information. Tournament anglers, celebrity fishermen, podcasters, YouTube personalities, and social media creators now have enormous audiences. Some have tremendous fishing knowledge and have earned their reputations through years on the water. Their experiences can be valuable. But popularity and expertise are not the same thing. A person can have thousands of followers and still be wrong about a fisheries-management issue. Likewise, a fisheries biologist may have very little social-media presence and still possess decades of knowledge that should carry considerable weight. We need to be careful not to confuse the two.

There is another factor worth considering: money. Sponsorships, advertising, tournaments, endorsements and personal brands are now deeply connected to modern fishing. None of these things are inherently wrong. They are part of today's fishing industry. But whenever money and personal interests become connected to an issue, it is reasonable to ask whether those interests can influence the conversation. Are we promoting what is best for the resource, or what generates the most attention?

That is not an accusation against every angler, tournament fisherman or fishing personality. It is simply a question worth asking.

I have seen fishing evolve from a pastime largely passed along through family, friends and local knowledge into an industry driven by technology, competition and social media. Some of that evolution has been remarkable. But with greater influence comes greater responsibility. When an influential angler promotes an opinion, thousands of people may accept it without examining the evidence. When a controversial statement generates hundreds of comments and thousands of views, it can appear more credible simply because it is popular. That is where I believe we need to slow down. Being the loudest voice doesn't make someone right. Having the largest audience doesn't make someone a fisheries expert. And disagreeing with the DNR doesn't automatically mean the agency is wrong.

At the same time, the DNR should never expect anglers to accept every regulation without question. Transparency, good communication and public discussion are essential. That's especially true when something as significant as a statewide walleye limit is being considered. Anglers deserve to know why the change is being proposed, what the data shows and what fisheries professionals believe the long-term consequences will be. And if the science changes, management should change with it. That is what responsible fisheries management should look like.

Those of us who have spent many years on Minnesota's waters also have a responsibility to look beyond our own boats, our favorite lakes and our individual interests. The fishery belongs to all of us. It belongs to the young angler catching his first walleye. It belongs to the family spending a week at a resort in Minnesota. It belongs to the guide making a living on the water. It belongs to the tournament angler and the casual weekend fisherman. And it belongs to the generations that haven't even launched a boat yet.

That is why the four-fish discussion matters beyond two fewer fish in a limit. It forces us to ask what kind of fisheries management we want in Minnesota and whose voices should carry the most weight. Do we want decisions driven primarily by popularity, personalities, and social media pressure? Or do we want decisions driven by sound science, long-term thinking and what is best for the resource?

We can disagree without attacking one another. We can question the DNR without dismissing fisheries science. And we can embrace new technology without forgetting that technology does not replace stewardship.

After more than 60 years of fishing, I don't believe the answer is to turn back the clock. Fishing will continue to change, and it should. But one thing should never change: The fish should come first. If we lose sight of that, then perhaps the bigger question isn't whether Minnesota should have a six-fish or four-fish walleye limit.

Perhaps the bigger question is whether we have forgotten what fishing is really about?"

Brainerd MN Area Fishing Report September 1, 2026

"Water temperatures in the brainerd lakes area have started to drop. Comparing 3 lakes, the water temps were between 71 to 74 degrees and this is a positive turn for fishing.

Walleyes continue to be caught along weed lines using bobbers and crawlers or a jig and crawler. Some fish have slide out to deeper edges where a Lindy rig with a minnow or jigging raps work better. As for me, I have started to experiment with a jig and minnow, so far with limited success. This cool water, jig and minnow bite should begin to pick up over the next couple weeks, especially as water temperatures continue to drop.

Key fishing locations are still weed flats, points, and deep water humps. Staying on the move and working through as many fish as possible until an active pod is located.

Largemouth Bass continue to eat a variety of presentations along deep weed edges too. Musky action has increased significantly as well, with fish chasing bucktails in the weeds. Good luck and tight lines!" — Joe Billiar, Crooked Hat Guide Service • 507-469-2714

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report September 1, 2026

"The fish are still parked over the deep mud, and spinners and crankbaits remain the best options for getting at them. But there's a change in the air: water temps are starting to drop, now sitting in the mid-60s. That cooling trend is the first nudge toward the fall patterns Lake of the Woods anglers look forward to all year. Here's where things stand across the three areas this week.

Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)

The deep-mud bite is still going strong on the south end, and the two go-to presentations continue to deliver. For spinners, pink and firetiger blades have been the ticket. For crankbaits, start with blue/chrome, firetiger, shiny gold, or pink UV firetiger. As always, rotate your colors throughout the day and let the walleyes tell you what they want. Some days they'll show a clear preference, and dialing it in makes a real difference.

Keep an eye on those falling water temps, too. As the lake continues to cool, the fish will gradually shift gears, and it won't be long before the jig bite starts to take over.

Rainy River

The Rainy River is producing a nice mixed bag right now, but the real excitement is what's on the horizon. As water temperatures fall, emerald shiners begin their fall run up the river — and the walleyes follow right behind them. That baitfish migration sets up the epic fall run of walleyes the Rainy River is famous for. It's one of the most anticipated bites of the year, and it's just getting started. If a fall trip is on your radar, the river is the place to keep an eye on.

Sturgeon anglers also mark September and October on their calendars as the bite really picks up. Anchor up amongst the beautiful colors, watch the migration happen in front of your eyes and watch that rod tip!

Northwest Angle

Cooler water means things are only heating up at the Angle. Muskie activity typically picks up as fall approaches, and these world-class waters are a fantastic place to chase a giant. Beyond the muskies, some anglers love targeting the big black crappies tucked in among the islands out of the NW Angle, a real treat this time of year. Pike and bass fishing continues to be strong as well, rounding out a multispecies destination that only gets better as the season turns.

Walleye fishing also remains strong. The beauty of the fall up at the Angle is hard to beat.

Looking ahead, September and into October bring a great jig bite across Lake of the Woods, making it one of the best times of the year to make a trip. Cool mornings, comfortable days, and outstanding fishing — it's hard to beat.

A quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed in your pessession. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.

There's still lots of open-water season left to enjoy. Plan your fall trip, come on up, and make some memories." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

Wired2Fish August 24, 2026 "Best Trolling Motors for 2026"

"There ain’t no two ways about it. A good trolling motor lets you slip through the pads quietly or keeps you in place against current or wind, putting your rig in the perfect position to tempt bucketmouth bass, Walter walleyes, and slab crappie.

While smaller craft may rely solely on a trolling motor, larger vessels typically pair a trolling motor with a main outboard engine. The outboard gets you from spot to spot quickly, while the trolling motor lets you maneuver quietly once you arrive. Regardless of your budget, investing in the best trolling motor you can afford will make a huge difference on the water.

The trolling motor market has exploded over the past 10 years. Where two brands once dominated the industry, nearly a dozen manufacturers now produce electric propulsion systems for ..." Read Full Story >> Best Trolling Motors for 2026

Wired2Fish August 2026 "Learning to Use Technology, and Understanding Crappies Better in the Process"

"Don’t believe that adage about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks. Richard Bowling, a popular fishing guide at Truman Lake in Missouri, is a good example of how wrong that way of thinking can be. Bowling, a longtime guide on Truman Lake in Missouri, uses forward facing sonar to unravel some of the mysteries about crappie behavior.

After more than 30 years of guiding for crappies, he thought he had a good handle on what makes the species tick. Then live scope, which shows the real-time movement of fish, came along in the late 2010s. Even Bowling was amazed at everything he learned after that. Location, Location, Location

If it’s a crappie, it has to relate to brush, flooded timber, or weeds, right? Wrong. That was the old-school way of thinking. But Live scope has since revealed that crappies are quite comfortable living in ..." Read Full Story >> Learning to Use Technology, and Understanding Crappies Better in the Process

You Are Invited To Become A Duly Deputized Fishrapper Cub Reporter Too!

If you've been waiting for a gold engraved invitation to participate in the daily reports, then stop waiting and consider this your own personal invitation.

Helping your fellow fishermen and women stay abreast of fishing conditions in your area is good for everybody and it's easier than you think! You don't have to write a book, you don't have to share your secret fishing spots and you don't even have to mention your lake. You see, with just a few words about general trends, seasonal patterns or local weather conditions you can help steer your fellow anglers to more gratifying fishing experiences. So, be like Dan and Sean, and become a duly deputized "Cub Reporter", it's good for fishing and that's good for everybody!

Use the Contact Us page, or if you prefer to be "social", use our community page on facebook Fishing Reports Minnesota, that is the Facebook counterpart to this page and it is open to the public, so you can post your own fishing update or just share a photo of a nice catch.