Weekly Minnesota fishing report

ALEXANDRIA AREA

Walleyes are biting on Reno Lake, Lake Le Homme Dieu, Lake Ida and Mary Lake in 18 to 23 feet of water. Panfish action has picked up in nine to 11 feet of water. Better lakes have been Geneva, Le Homme Dieu, Little Mary and Ida. Smaller northern pike are biting on the weed edges of most lakes.

ANNANDALE AREA

Theres a crappie and sunfish bite at Lake John in 18 to 20 feet of water. Look for crappies and northern pike on Pleasant Lake with minnows in 18 to 24 feet. Walleyes are coming off Lake Sylvia and Sugar Lake in 17 to 20 feet of water. On Clearwater Lake, a mixed bag of walleyes, northern pike and sunfish can be had in 12 to 18 feet of water.

BATTLE LAKE

Fathead minnows are turning perch on Otter Tail Lake in 18 to 24 feet of water. Look for walleyes in 30 to 40 feet with shiner minnows and setlines. West Battle Lake is kicking out crappies during the evening in 20 feet of water. Look to Blanche Lake for sunfish and crappies in 16 to 22 feet of water.

BLACKDUCK AREA

BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA

Walleyes will hit golden shiners and rainbow minnows in 17 to 28 feet of water. Lakes like Round, Gull, North Long and Pelican have produced. Northern pike are hitting sucker minnows in six to 16 feet of water on North Long Lake and Gull Lake. Sunfish are hitting glow jigs tipped with Eurolarvae and waxworms on Nisswa Lake and Round Lake. Look for crappies on North Long, Hubert Lake and Lake Margaret.

CASS LAKE AREA

Walleyes have been tough with a few fish coming off Cass Lake in 20 to 22 feet of water. Look to the bars and Allens Bay at sunset with shiner minnows. Perch action has been good off Stony Point on Cass in six feet of water. Midge Lake and Grace Lake are kicking out bluegills in 20 feet of water.

CHISAGO AREA

CROSS LAKE AREA

Walleyes have been tough to consistently catch, but persistent anglers hook fish during the afternoon and evening. Jigging spoons and minnow heads have worked best on Pelican Lake and North Long Lake. Northern pike are hitting on sharp breaks and points of most lakes and crappie action has improved on small lakes in 12 to 18 feet of water. A glow jig and minnow is working best right before and shortly after dark.

DETROIT LAKES

Caution is advised as theres snow and slush on lakes. Walleyes will hit spoons and minnow heads during lowlight periods in 18 to 32 feet of water. Best lakes are Big Cormorant, Lizzie, Franklin, Big Detroit and Big Pine. Northern pike are hitting shiner minnows along weedlines, and there are panfish to be had on Little Detroit Lake, Little Cormorant Lake, Prairie Lake, Floyd Lake, Cotton Lake and Big Toad Lake.

DULUTH AREA

EAST-CENTRAL MINN

Large minnows are producing northern pike on the north end of Fremont Lake in seven feet of water. Look to Blue Lake and Green Lake for crappies in 17 feet of water during the evening. Glow jigs and small minnows have provided the best action. Walleye and sunfish action has been slow.

FAIRMONT AREA

Crappie action has picked up on Hall Lake in 16 to 18 feet of water. Waxworms and minnows are best. Crappies and bluegills are biting on Lake Sissiton in 16 feet of water during the morning and afternoon.

FARIBAULT AREA

GRAND RAPIDS AREA

Pooles Bay on Lake Pokegama is producing bluegills and crappies in 15 to 18 feet of water. Theres a panfish bite on Big Cutfoot Sioux Lake in 18 feet of water that requires light line and finesse fishing. The main lake bars of Big Cutfoot have given up a walleyes as well. On the north end of Bowstring Lake, anglers are taking walleyes and crappies in 15 to 18 feet of water.

HACKENSACK AREA

Look to Birch Lake for northern pike and a few walleyes in 14 to 22 feet of water. Theres some evening crappie action on Hand Lake in 20 feet of water with minnows and waxworms. Shiner minnows continue to produce an occasional walleye on Pleasant Lake in 18 to 20 feet during the evening hours. Sunfish are biting at a decent pace on Ten Mile Lake in seven to nine feet of water.

LAKE KABETOGAMA

LAKE MILLE LACS

EAST — Nine- to 10-inch perch are being caught in 18 to 22 feet of water on small jigging spoons and minnow heads. Best walleye reports are from gravel bars and Blue Jug Flat in 25 feet of water. Limits are most common during the morning and evening.

WEST — The mud is producing walleyes in 28 to 32 feet of water. The bite peaks during early morning and late afternoon, but you will catch fish all day. The most consistent flats have been Seven Mile, Eight Mile, Seguchie's and Sherman's. A jigging spoon and minnow head is working well. Look for better numbers of perch on structure closer to shore in 14 to 25 feet of water.

LAKE MINNETONKA

There's an evening walleye bite on Lake Minnetonka, Lake Independence and Medicine Lake in 20 to 30 feet of water. Plain hooks and shiner minnows are providing the best action. Phelp's Bay and Crystal Bay on Minnetonka are best bets for crappies and sunfish, tight to the weeds, in 14 to 16 feet of water. Northern pike have been active on top of the 12-foot weed flats. Tip-ups and sucker minnows have worked best.

Walleye action has been off by Lake of the Woods' standards, which many believe is due to cloudy water. Fish are coming from 15 to 18 feet of water early and late in the day and in 22 to 28 feet during midday hours. Red glow jigs and shiner minnow heads are working best. Northwest Angle reports have been more consistent with walleyes and saugers being pulled from the Oak Island area.

LAKE OSAKIS

Sunfish and walleyes are biting in the north end in 14 to 22 feet of water. Sunfish bite best during the day; walleyes are active in the evenings. Crappie reports are scarce, but northern pike are an option throughout Town Bay in less than 10 feet of water.

LAKE VERMILION

Walleyes are in 20 to 25 feet and prefer small minnows. Lowlight periods have been best. Ant-styled jigs and waxworms are producing panfish in shallow, weedy bays. Tip-ups and sucker minnows are the best option for northern pike in 12 to 16 feet of water.

Waconia Bay is a safe bet for panfish and walleyes in 10 to 14 feet of water. Work milfoil edges in the evening. In Wagener's Bay, you'll find crappies in 22 to 25 feet of water. Walleyes and panfish are biting off Harm's Point and Center Reef in 10 to 14 feet of water. Center Reef is the best bet for northern pike with sucker minnows and tip-ups.

LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH

There's perch being caught north of the Mississippi River mouth in eight to 12 feet of water. Moxes Hole on the east side is producing perch in 30 feet of water. On Center Bar, there's been morning perch reports in 33 to 35 feet of water. Tip-ups are producing northern pike on the bars in 18 to 20 feet of water.

LEECH LAKE AREA

Walker Bay humps are producing walleyes in 18 to 35 feet of water during lowlight periods. Setlines and spoons have provided steady action. There are good-sized perch biting off Sand Point, Pine Point and the Narrows in eight to 12 feet of water. Look to Shingobee Bay in the evening for suspended crappies in 20 to 30 feet of water.

Third Point on Lake Washington is holding suspended crappies over 28 feet of water. They bite best during the evening on glow jigs and small minnows. Look to the west end of Lake Francis for sunfish action. Theres walleyes coming off Lake Elysian in 16 to 18 feet of water and off Lake Hanska in 12 to 16 feet with shiner minnows. Clear Lake is worth noting for walleyes as well.

McGREGOR AREA

Crappies are biting during the day off Pleasant Point on Lake Minnewawa. On Big Sandy Lake, the south end of Bellhorn Bay is producing crappies. Northern pike are hitting shiner minnows on the main part of Big Sandy in 10 to 12 feet of water.

ORTONVILLE AREA

The Rustling Elms area of Big Stone Lake is producing perch in 10 to 12 feet of water. The Peninsula area is best for walleyes in 10 to 12 feet of water. Marsh Lake is giving up walleyes in five feet of water all day.

Lowlight periods have produced walleyes on Fish Hook Lake and Potato Lake in 25 feet of water. Setlines and shiner minnows work best. Hit Big Mantrap Lake, Eagle Lake and Island Lake for suspended crappies over 30 feet of water. Glow jigs and minnows have been the ticket. The Crow Wing Chain and Fish Hook are worth noting for bluegills in 14 feet of water. Northern pike seem to be hitting sucker minnows in 14 feet of water on most lakes.

RAINY LAKE

Look for walleyes during the evening in the Rainy Lake City area in 24 to 26 feet of water. There's northern pike biting in this area during the day in shallower water. The Franze's Island area is kicking out walleyes in 36 to 38 feet of water. Look to Sand Bay for walleyes in 36 feet of water early and late in the day. Crappie reports have been limited.

RED LAKE

Crappie action improved last weekend with more limits being caught. The bite isnt as good as normal, but better than last week. Some big northern pike have been taken, and walleyes will bite, but must be released.

Rice Lake is a safe bet for crappies in 24 feet of water. Look for evening walleyes on Rice in shallower water. Small sunfish can be had in 10 to 12 feet of water on lakes such as Becker, Grand and Pearl. These lakes are worth trying for northern pike as well. Pearl Lake is giving up crappies after dark, in front of the access, in 16 feet of water.

SAUK CENTRE AREA

Some sunfish reports are coming off Lake Villard in 12 feet of water. Diamond Point on Big Sauk Lake is worth noting for sunfish in eight to 10 feet of water. Look for crappies in Red Barn Bay on Big Sauk with rosy red minnows in 34 feet of water during late afternoon and evening. Northern pike are along Sauk and Lilly Lake weed edges.

STARBUCK AREA

The Glenwood end of Lake Minnewaska is producing sunfish in 15 feet of water. Youll find crappies in 15 feet of water in front of the Fish Hatchery. On the Starbuck end of Minnewaska, walleyes and perch can be had during the afternoon in 20 to 24 feet of water.

NORTHEAST METRO — Northern pike are hitting sucker minnows on Battle Creek Lake, Demontreville Lake, Forest Lake, and Beaver Lake weed edges. Walleyes will bite in the evening on Lake Phalen, White Bear Lake, Clear Lake and Forest in 15 to 20 feet of water. Look for sunfish and crappies in 12 to 20 feet of water on South Center Lake and Forest Lake.

WEST METRO — Shiner minnows are producing northern pike on Lake Minnewashta and Lake Auburn in 10 to 12 feet of water. Hydes Lake and Eagle Lake are notable for small panfish in 12 to 14 feet of water. Walleye reports have been minimal this week.