Report from the Dock
Finally, some better weather has arrived across the state and that should improve fishing opportunities. Not just in the number of people getting out, but lake conditions to the north as well. Early this week, deep snow and slush was still limiting where anglers could get to across most of northern Minnesota. That should change quickly with the warmer air, but it’s anyone’s guess just how much better lake conditions will be by this weekend. Generally, the snow will settle, but there’s probably going to be some water still on top of the ice. From a fishing standpoint, this seemed to be a transition week, which means some panfish are still being found suspended over deep water, while others are more active in shallow water. Expect this transition into shallower depths to happen quickly given the nice weather forecast. It’s time to start looking to those traditional, late-ice panfish spots to start holding better numbers of fish rather than those deep basin areas.
Leech Lake Report
Deep snow was still limiting fishing activity early this week, but lake conditions should quickly improve throughout the week. The few folks venturing out were finding a few keeping-size perch in deeper water, 10 to 15 feet, off the points and flats. These fish should make a quick swing into shallow water, so start looking to the shoreline breaks and points in less than 9 feet to hold fish. Tullibee and eelpout reports also have been minimal, but there hasn’t been many people chasing them due to the conditions.