Fishing report

BRAINERD/NISSWA

The morning and evening hours are your best bets for walleyes on lakes in this area. Redtail minnows and jigs are turning fish in 18 to 24 feet, and in 8 to 10 feet of water after dark. Lakes such as Gull, Margaret, Gladstone, Hubert, Pelican and North Long have all provided enough walleyes to keep anglers satisfied. The big crappies have started hitting on Hubert Lake, Round, and Wilson Bay on Gull Lake. Most of these fish are suspended over 20 to 25 feet of water.

ALEXANDRIA

Lakes such as Miltona and Ida are producing a mixed bag of fish including bass, walleye and northern pike. The deeper weedlines have been most productive for bigger fish. Bass are very active on most area lakes. Plastic baits and spinnerbaits are turning the bigger fish. Crappies continue to hit along the weedlines of the Le Homme Dieu Chain of Lakes.

ANNANDALE

Cedar Lake is producing a lot of northern pike and a few walleyes in 24 to 28 feet of water. Look to Clearwater Lake for crappies and sunfish along the 10 to 12 foot weedlines. Most area lakes are providing plenty of bass, but Clearwater is a safe bet for numbers of bigger fish.

BATTLE LAKE

Blanche Lake started giving up northern pike in 23 feet of water. On Johnson Lake, anglers are hitting numbers of walleyes in 15 feet of water. Ottertail Lake has given up walleyes in 10 to 12 feet of water. Stalker Lake continues to provide big bass from shallow water. West Battle Lake should be looked at for muskies along the weed edges. West Battle is also providing the area's best crappie action in 10 to 20 feet of water. Sunfish are on the bite at Fisk Lake in 10 to 12 feet of water.

BEMIDJI

Walleyes are hitting on Lake Bemidji in 7 to 16 feet of water. Minnows are starting to turn fish more regularly. Look for numbers of northern pike here as well. The muskie and panfish bites have been slow, but bass anglers are finding numbers of fish on most area lakes.

CHISAGO

Chisago Lake is kicking out a lot of good-sized bass and panfish along the shallow and deep weedlines. Look to North Center Lake and Kroon Lake for bass as well. Panfish are an easy catch on most area lakes. Walleye action has been spotty.

CROSS LAKE

Walleye fishing in this area has slowed in recent days. The fish that are being caught have come from 18 to 26 feet of water on leeches and minnows. There have also been a few walleyes taken later in the day on crankbaits in shallower depths. Northern pike action remains good with numbers of small to medium-sized fish being caught on area lakes. Find a weed edge on a lake here and you should have no problem catching bass and panfish.

DULUTH

Whiteface Lake is producing walleyes on minnows in shallower water. Northern pike are hitting on most area lakes.

FARIBAULT

Cedar Lake and Shields Lake are giving up panfish in 10 feet of water along the weed edges. Northern pike have started hitting on many area lakes and bass have kept anglers busy on most lakes as well.

GRAND MARAIS

Two smaller lakes along the Gunflint Trail, Crescent and Lichen, have started giving up walleyes at a consistent pace. Leeches under slip bobbers or on live bait rigs have worked best in 14 to 18 feet of water. Find 8 to 10 feet of water on most area lakes and you'll have no problem catching smallmouth bass. On Lake Superior, king salmon, cohos and lake trout have been pretty active over 50 to 70 feet of water. Spoons have taken the majority of these fish.

GRAND RAPIDS

Bowstring Lake is kicking out walleyes in 10 to 12 feet of water on crankbaits or shiner minnows. Look to Bowstring for a few good-sized crappies in 12 to 15 feet of water as well. Lake Pokegama is producing walleyes after dark on crankbaits. Most of these fish have been taken in less than 10 feet of water.

LAKE OF THE WOODS

As a general rule, walleyes are being caught in shallow water and sauger are relating to deeper structure. Along the south shore, anglers are using leeches in 16 to 20 feet of water and finding limits of walleyes to be common near Graceton Reef. Downrigging crankbaits has been a productive presentation on the west end in 16 to 24 feet of water. Look to the bays for northern pike and plenty of jumbo perch. Working the reefs in 18 to 20 feet of water has been the best bet for walleyes at the Northwest Angle, and crankbaits are taking fish in the Clementson area as well.

LAKE OSAKIS

The best sunfish reports are coming off Moon Bar in 16 to 18 feet of water. Look to the Three Mile Bar for walleyes with nightcrawlers or fathead minnows tipped on jigs. The Buck Point area started giving up a few crappies, suspended over 25 to 30 feet of water. Look for this bite to only get better as we get later into fall.

LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH

Walleye action has improved over the past week. Most anglers are finding consistent action close to shore, mainly in 8 to 10 feet of water. Crankbaits have worked and there have been enough walleyes taken on minnows to prove that fall patterns have started to kick in. Northern pike are being taken in these same areas, although many of them have been on the smaller side. Perch are also being caught with regularity, but pods of bigger fish have been tough to find.

LEECH LAKE

There have been narrow windows of opportunity for walleyes and muskies this week. Walleye anglers are catching the majority of their fish in 8 to 12 feet of water during the evening hours. The shallow flats and breaklines are your best bets. Muskies are also most active during twilight hours of the day. Fish are being found from rocks to weeds and hitting topwater baits or bucktails.

MANKATO

The Minnesota River is a safe bet for catfish and walleyes. Look for the deeper holes to be holding more fish. Lake Washington is providing panfish along the 10- to 12-foot weed edges. Walleyes are hitting on Lake Tetonka in 10 to 12 feet during the evening hours. Look to Madison Lake for panfish, bass and a few walleyes on the established weedlines.

MILLE LACS

In the east, the shallow to midrange rocks are still producing a lot of walleyes for anglers fishing with slip bobber presentations. Trolling crankbaits early and late in the day in these areas has produced walleyes as well. The gravel bite has been spotty, but the mud flats are consistently kicking out more walleyes. The best bet for perch is on the shallow rock piles. Muskie and northern pike remain active in the bays and on the north end of the lake.

In the west, walleyes remain very active during the morning hours on the edges and tops of the mud flats. Spinner rigs tipped with crawlers and minnows are working best. The night bite has also improved in 31 to 34 feet of water. Slip bobbers and leeches on plain hooks are the best way to go after dark. The bays throughout the entire lake continue to provide consistent northern pike and muskie activity, while perch can be found along the shoreline rock points and mud flats.

PARK RAPIDS

Third Crow Wing Lake is giving up bluegills in 12 to 15 feet of water. Fishhook Lake is still a safe bet for numbers of bigger northern pike in 15 feet of water. Walleye action has been slow, but smallmouth bass and largemouth bass have been hitting on most area lakes.

PINE RIVER

Lower Whitefish Lake is producing sunfish in 8 feet of water right near the weeds. On Upper Whitefish Lake, northern pike have been very active in 12 to 15 feet. Pine Mountain Lake is a safe bet for northern pike and an occasional walleye during the evening hours. Crankbaits trolled in 8 to 10 feet of water have worked best.

RAINY LAKE

The east arm is giving up limits of walleyes in 8 to 10 feet of water. Shiner minnows and jigs have been the best presentation during the day. During the evening hours, crankbaits have started taking fish. Smallmouth bass have been an easy catch throughout the lake, with fish in the 3- to 5-pound class being fairly common.

SAUK CENTRE

Sauk Lake continues to produce a lot of crappies along the 7- to 12-foot weed edges. There have been plenty of big sunfish caught from Sauk in 6 to 8 feet of water also. On Maple Lake, anglers are finding numbers of good-sized crappies in 10 to 12 feet of water. Look to Fairy Lake for sunfish in 16 feet of water. The smallmouth bass bite on Little Birch has been excellent in 16 to 22 feet of water. Slowly worked redtails or leeches have taken the bigger fish. Expect a few walleyes mixed in with the bass.

STARBUCK

Smallmouth and largemouth bass have started hitting on Lake Minnewaska. Look to the deep, hard bottom areas for smallmouth, while docks are holding the majority of largemouth. Sunfish and crappies are hitting here in 12 feet of water as well. Walleye and northern pike action has been spotty throughout the area. Look to Lake Emily for an occasional walleye.

TWIN CITIES

In the central metro, smallmouth and walleyes have kept anglers busy below the Ford Dam on the Mississippi River. Largemouth bass are hitting below the bridge on Lake Nokomis. Look for good muskie action on lakes Calhoun, Harriet and Nokomis. There haven't been many big fish reported, but numbers have been easy to find.

In the northeast metro, bass continue to hit on most area lakes, while northern pike action has picked up along the weeds on Forest Lake and Big Carnelian Lake. Look for eating size sunfish on Coon Lake and Linwood Lake. The St. Croix River has started giving up a few walleyes in recent days.

In the northwest metro, the Crow River is giving up a lot of catfish in the deeper holes. Look for consistent bass action on Beebe Lake and Buffalo Lake. Little Maple Lake is a safe bet for sunfish and crappies in 6 to 8 feet of water. The area's best bet for walleyes has been Lake Pulaski in 30 to 35 feet of water.

In the southwest metro, muskie action has really picked up on Lake Waconia. Look to the tops of the reefs for bigger fish. Use bucktails early and late in the day. Northern pike continue to hit on Waconia as well. Parley Lake is a safe bet for sunfish right in front of the public access. Look to lakes such as Spring and Cedar for good-sized sunfish as well. Lake Bavaria and Lake Riley are giving up big bass on plastic baits.

On Lake Minnetonka, the walleye bite has been very good in the bigger bays in 17 feet of water. Jigs tipped with leeches or minnows have done the majority of damage. Northern pike continue to hit spinnerbaits on top of the flats. Numbers of good-sized sunfish are coming from 21 feet of water in Browns, Wayzata and Crystal bays. Topwater presentations are fooling bass throughout the lake again this week. Muskies have been weed-related and hitting bucktails rather consistently.

WILLMAR

Look to Green Lake for walleyes, most of which are in that 17- to 20-inch class. Fish deep during the day with live bait and work shallower, shoreline areas during the evening hours with crankbaits. Bass and northern pike are an easy catch on most area lakes. Foot Lake and Norway Lake are producing crappies in 15 feet of water.