Leech Lake Fishing Report for April 23rd, 2025
April 24, 2025
Report from the Dock
Not much has changed on the panfish front since last week. Water temperatures have not gone up a whole lot, at least as of early this week, so there sill isn’t a big push for crappies or bluegills into shallow water. When the sun is out and water temperatures do jump up a few degrees, you will find fish in those shallow bays, harbors, and channels late in the afternoon and into the evening hours. But they haven’t been staying consistently warm enough to keep them there all day long- that’s coming, but it hasn’t occurred yet in most areas. Small hair jigs tipped with minnows or wax worms under a float have been most productive outside the shallows in 6 to 12 feet or so. Keep in mind that this can change quickly, it just needs to stay warm overnight and for several days in a row, and those traditional, shallow spring spots will be full of panfish. There’s still ice covering lakes in the far northern part of the state, but it is deteriorating daily.
Leech Lake Fishing Report
There was still a lot of ice on the lake as of Tuesday morning, but it is deteriorating fast. There are pockets or stretches of open water on the big part of the lake, many bays are ice-free or partially open, and any ice that’s left is expected to be gone soon.