Today's Feature Fishing Report: Jeff Sundin - May 29, 2026 "Jeff Sundin Upper Red Lake Walleyes and More!"

Fishing conditions in north central Minnesota are greatly improved this week. Sunshine, calm seas and warm air temperatures are transforming what were action-less fishing waters into vibrant ecosystems that are teaming with life. There are many reasons to be optimistic, but after almost 3 weeks observing cold water temperatures, seeing readings in the mid-60s is the most exciting.

Maybe the best fun I’ve had on Upper Red Lake in several years occurred on Wednesday. The big lake, which has been “fairly good” turned on, and for a few hours, walleyes were on a legitimate “hot bite”. On that day, the transformation occurred slowly, we observed fish populations in shallow water build hour-by-hour. During the morning, we chipped away at the walleyes, catching a keeper every 20 minutes or so. Sometime after 1:00 pm, the pace accelerated and by about 3:00 pm, my crew was boating 2, and sometimes 3 fish at a time.

I wasn’t there on Thursday, but based on conversations with friends, there was a similar pattern in play then too. Jason Alto, one of the more versatile guides in the Grand Rapids area, was there. Alto reported slow action early in the day, followed by a steady improvement during mid-afternoon. At one point, he found a spot where the action was good,

We speculated the notion that shiners, moving into shallow water as temperatures warmed, triggered a feeding movement. We pondered too that maybe it just takes a while to find the “right spot” for every new day. Either way, the trick for both of us was to not be discouraged by slower action early in the day. Instead, we used the time to explore, searching for areas that held baitfish, and by extension, walleyes. Only the fish know what triggers them, but over the years, I’ve seen the pattern play out many times,

I’m a jigger by nature; I love the feel of a walleye picking up a lure and tricking it into inhaling it. But I have to say that jigging is not the best way to search for fish. Covering water by trolling allows us to search for more territory faster. For me, trolling crankbaits was effective. After some experimentation, we settled on Berkley’s #5 Flicker Shads. Trolling in 5 feet of water, at 2.5 mph, we let out about 30 to 35 feet of line to get into the strike zone. Preferred colors, on that day, were lime-chrome, purple-tiger and fire tiger.

Trolling was effective for others too but not using crankbaits. There were several reports from folks using spinners tipped with either night crawlers or minnows and for them, the pulling blades worked equally well. I would have tried spinners, but honestly, didn’t have the necessary gear packed. The next time I visit the lake, I’ll be sure to try them and offer a firsthand report.

Theoretically, we could have stopped the boat and fished with jigs and minnows after location had been determined. We watched several other groups catching walleyes by anchoring and jigging. My assessment is subjective, but it appeared to me that the fish they were catching averaged smaller in size. An observation by a friend supported that theory, and it’s something to think about on your next trip. Either way, I think you can use your favorite presentation and probably do just fine.

I’ll have more about Red Lake soon enough, but before I run out of time, I want to mention yesterday’s fishing trip. Fun with Dick and Paul, 2026 spring trip is under way, and we started off the 5-day stint with a nice day on the lake. For me, a little more wind might have been nice, but it was gratifying to fish a small lake, find walleyes in the cabbage, and catch some of them.

The action wasn’t gangbusters, but it wasn’t bad either. We managed to add 3 walleyes to the larder for their trip home. We harvested 5 walleyes, smaller fish, for our fish fry at the Outpost, and tossed back a few smaller fish as well. Jigs and minnows worked well for us early in the day, maybe until about 1:00 pm. After that, the northern pike woke up and once they did, we couldn’t keep them off of our hooks. Mostly small, 14-to-20-inch fish persisted to the point that I gave up on minnows and rigged up a wiggle worm. Pictured here, my first wiggle worm walleye of 2026 was followed by a few more too. I can’t say that using the night crawlers was the best presentation, I can only say that it did help fend off attacks with the small pike.

The key depth for us was about 8 to 10 feet, just outside the edges of sparse patches of cabbage. There were a few shallower fish too, located in about 5 feet of water along the outer edges of bulrush patches. Making long casts toward the structure and using a hop-drop-hop-drop retrieve triggered those fish.

When surface temperatures pushed into the mid-60s, I spent a little time looking for panfish. In that time, I didn’t find them, but my sense is that there will be crappies moving shallow very soon. We’ll be checking for them again in the coming days, and whatever we learn, I’ll share with you.

If you’re headed for the lakes this weekend, good luck out there! Pack your sunscreen and a wide variety of baits. I think there will be a lot of options for folks who enjoy experimenting with lures and presentations.

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Lake Winnie Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report May 28, 2026

"It is often said that history repeats itself, but seldom do 2 fishing seasons match as closely as we see this season. Remember our fishing report for this same week last year? In it, we offered, “Out are the cold and blustery conditions that tested guests who fished with us last week. In, are warmer air temperatures, sunshine and calmer breezes. Revealed are ultra-clear water, along with flighty walleyes.” For more, read the full Bowen Lodge Fishing Report May 25, 2025

The temperatures, both water and air, are tracking closely with those we observed last year. This week, we’ve seen air temperatures rise into the mid-80s and under bright sunshine, surface temperatures increasing dramatically. On Tuesday, dark water areas on Little Cutfoot reached into the mid-70s. The clearer waters of Winnie and Cutfoot managed to reach the 66-to-68-degree range.

Shiners, small perch and other “baitfish” were encouraged to move onto shallow water flats. Walleyes, larger perch and northern pike followed and could be seen without the aid of electronics. In the clear water though, most of those fish ..." Read >> Bowen Lodge Lake Winnie Fishing Report May 28, 2026

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