Rainy Lake Fishing Report: Stay Shallow for walleye

Walleye:

With water temperatures on the rise walleye have turned on.  They are holding near shallow windblown structure such as points, inside turns and weedy bays.  Most walleyes are being caught in the three to ten foot range with a wide variety of techniques.  The go-to choice has been jigs (casted or trolled) and spinners tipped with minnows or worms.  Long lining crankbaits or twitching jerk baits have been effective options when covering water is important, and last but not least, don’t overlook the ever-underestimated slip bobber tipped with a minnow or leech.   Areas of current have proved successful especially on low wind days.  In these areas deeper holes (20 to 35 feet) with ¼ to 3/8 oz jigs have been good places to focus.  A few fish are being caught on break lines and shallow reefs (17 to 25 feet) directly adjacent to spawning areas.    

Smallmouth Bass:

Most of the lake is now seeing at least some bass guarding their nests.  This has been a moving target this season with different parts of the lake warming at different rates and often cooling just as fast with roller-coaster forecasts.  Recently however; things appear to have stabilized and the bass are moving up.  Deeper parts of the lake are seeing bass just starting to bed while shallower areas have experienced bedding bass for over a week now.  Look for bass on shorelines in and around shallow boulders.  Top water lures, stick baits, and plastics have been catching fish.

Crappie:

Crappies continue to be shallow in the three to six foot range.  Most crappies are being caught using a slip bobber and a minnow.  Turns and points in bull rushes as well as on and around sunken rocks have been the key. 

Northern Pike:

With the warming bays baitfish have moved in and the predators have followed.  Look for pike to be moving into shallow warming waters.  They are well past spawn now and are feeding heavily.  Windy shorelines and bays where other fish and minnows are schooling is a good place to start.  Water temperature is often the key to spring pike but remember the actual temperature is not as important as the direction it is going.  Rising water temps throughout the day can often bring pike into small areas in big numbers.  Spoons, larger jerk baits, and twitch baits are drawing strikes.

This post was brought to you by Rainy Lake Guide Association.