Taber’s Bemidji Area Fishing Report

By Paul A. Nelson

February 22, 2010

 

            The season for gamefish in the inland waters of Minnesota closes at midnight on February 28, 2010. Anglers are allowed to continue fishing for perch, crappies, sunfish, whitefish, eelpout and other non-gamefish species after the gamefish season closes.

            There are also extended seasons for walleyes and other gamefish in many of the border waters like Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lake and the Rainy River.

            The Bemidji area lakes are still covered with snow and difficult to navigate off of the roads and trails on the ice, unless anglers use snowmobiles. 

            Fish will stay in their winter patterns until the snow begins to melt and fresh water starts to run into the lakes, which will help rejuvenate the shallows and trigger fish movements under the ice.

            Walleye fishing typically picks up towards the end of the gamefish season as the walleyes begin to position themselves for their annual spring migrations. Potential staging areas include inlets and outlets of rivers and areas of shoreline rock and gravel, where walleyes will spawn in the spring.

            Fish migrations are most evident in large lakes or in chains of lakes, where there is a significant distance between preferred wintering areas and spring spawning areas.

            Most of the walleye action has been in the mornings and evenings, when walleyes make feeding movements onto structure to hunt for schools of perch, shiners and other baitfish species.

            Perch have been most active on the sides of structure, where they can hunt for a mixture of insects, minnows and crayfish. Lakes like Winnibigoshish, Cass, Pike’s Bay and Bemidji have most perch in 28-35 feet of water. Leech Lake has a shallower perch bite, with most perch in 15-18 feet of water.

            Crappies have been most active in 25-45 feet of water, depending on the lake. Crappies can be suspended well off of the bottom, so anglers should pay close attention to their electronics to know what depth to set their baits.

            Sunfish can be found in many of the same lakes as crappies, only they are usually closer to the bottom in shallower water.

           

 

Paul A. Nelson

“Bemidji Area Lakes Guide Service”

panelson@paulbunyan.net

218.759.2235