Leech Lake Fishing Report for January 10th, 2024
January 11, 2024
Report from the Dock
It’s taken a while but ice depths are slowly starting to improve across the entire state. They’re by no means as good as they should be this time of year, but there seem to be some promising signs moving forward. This week’s cold weather, the first extended stretch of real ice-making weather of the season, should improve ice conditions even more. By this time next week, walking out will likely be an option statewide. ATVs should be good to go in many locations, and there might even be some trucks and bigger wheelhouses seen on lakes in the northern half of the state. Overall, fishing activity has remained limited since last week, again due to less-than-stellar ice conditions. Anglers venturing out are catching walleyes most consistently during low-light periods and still not very deep, while the majority of crappies are now suspending over deer basin areas on most lakes. Pike and bluegill action is still going strong in shallow water.
Leech Lake Report
Early this week, ice conditions were still sketchy and there were significant cracks on parts of the main lake and in Walker Bay. Some areas have as much as 10 to 12 inches of ice and some resorts are starting to place a few fish houses in those areas, so continue to work through them. The few people that have been on the lake are catching a few walleyes during low-light periods around the reefs and structure in 12 to 16 feet. There have also been some tullibees and whitefish caught over deep water, with decent spearing reports coming out of Kabekona Bay and Steamboat Bay.