Report from the Dock
Panfish anglers are starting to get out, and crappie action has improved a lot since last week. Generally, reports have been best from central Minnesota and points south – where the ice has been gone the longest. Those traditional spring spots such as shallow bays, harbors, channels, and shorelines have started holding plenty of crappies, along with some bluegills. The farther north you go, the crappie activity is just getting started, but water temperatures remain relatively low. In most northern locations, crappies are just starting to be found in shallow water, while other pods of fish are being found slightly deeper, just outside of bays and channels. Small jigs tipped with wax worms, minnows, or plastics under floats seem to be working best. Look for walleyes to be shallow this weekend in most areas. If the walleye bit is slow, there should certainly be a lot of opportunities to put some panfish in the boat.
Leech Lake Report
Any remaining ice went out early this week. There hasn’t been much fishing activity, but look to Shingobee Bay or Miller’s Bay for crappies in shallow water. Expect to find walleyes shallow, hitting a jig and minnow this weekend along wind-driven points and shorelines.