Walleye fishing has been good across the region, with the typical hot June bite in full swing. Water temperatures are in the low 60s, and the bite remains consistent wherever you go. Find fish stacking up in 10-14 feet of water with the jig and minnow bite still going strong and many anglers finding success with bobbers and leeches. Lake Winnibigoshish is seeing fish move off to main lake structures in 14-20ft. Night trolling on Winnie and even Pokegama has been very effective, trolling crankbaits and stick baits at 1-2mph on shallow shoreline flats.
Largemouth bass are coming off the spawn, and bluegills are replacing them on beds not far behind. You’ll find tons of crappie and bluegill in shallow stands of bulrush or lily pads. Do know that these fish are very vulnerable during the spawn, so remember to practice catch and release, especially for bluegill exceeding 9 inches and crappie exceeding 12 inches.
Smallmouth bass are bedded up across area lakes and can be caught using a variety of tactics. Remember to also practice catch-and-release with bedded bass to ensure strong future year classes and good fishing for years to come.
For anglers targeting musky, it appears the fish have just finished spawning and are either suspended out in space or lying low up shallow, recovering.
Thousand Lakes Sports
331 NW 4th St
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
218-999-5992
https://thousandlakessports.com/shop/