ALEXANDRIA AREA

Crappie action remains good, but the majority of fish have moved out of the shallows and onto the flats. The Le Homme Dieu Chain of Lakes is always a safe bet for crappies. Walleyes continue to hit leeches and crawlers in 12 feet of water on Reno Lake and in 10 to 18 feet on Lake Mary. The deep weed edges of Lake Ida and Lake Miltona started giving up walleyes as well. Plastics are a safe bet for bass on most lakes.

ANNANDALE AREA

There’s been a good walleye bite during the evening hours on Cedar Lake in 18 to 20 feet of water. Clearwater Lake is a safer bet during the day for walleyes along the emerging weed edges. Leeches are now most productive on these lakes. Bass and northern pike anglers are finding numbers of fish in the weeds on Clearwater, Cedar, Pleasant Lake, Sugar Lake, Lake Francis, and Lake Sylvia. The sunfish have moved off their beds but continue to bite on most lakes in eight to 10 feet of water.

BRAINERD/NISSWA AREA

Walleye activity has been very good on Pelican Lake in 18 to 22 feet of water. Gull Lake is providing plenty of walleyes in 16 to 25 feet as well. Live bait rigs tipped with redtails, leeches, or shiner minnows are fooling most fish. Look for crappies off the weeds in 12 feet of water, and the bigger sunfish are very active in four to six feet of water. Small minnows or leeches under a float have worked best.

CROSS LAKE AREA

The majority of walleyes are coming from 12 feet of water along the emerging weedlines and sharp breaks. Live bait rigs with colored hooks tipped with redtails, leeches or shiner minnows continue to produce fish. Pike action has been excellent along the weedlines with spinner rigs and sucker minnows. Bass continue to hit spinnerbaits and jigs ripped through the weeds. You’ll still find a few crappies in shallow water.

FAIRMONT AREA

Expect to find nice bluegills in eight feet of water on Hall Lake and Lake Sissiton. The crappie bite remains consistent on Sissiton as well. The shorelines of Hall and George Lake are worth noting for largemouth bass, but walleye reports continue to be minimal. Minnows are still providing decent channel catfish action on Hall and Amber Lake.

LAKE KABETOGAMA

During the evening hours, you’ll find walleyes and sauger in the shallow weeds and wind-swept reefs. Daytime hours are best spent on the 20- to 24-foot reefs. Crankbaits and minnows continue to turn the majority of fish. Work the rocks for smallmouth bass. Small northern pike are very active along the weed edges.

LAKE MILLE LACS

EAST &045; The 10-foot rocks near Three Mile Reef are holding active walleyes throughout the day. The rocks off Big Point and the gradual breaks out of Cove Bay also are producing walleyes. A slip bobber and leech combination is the way to go on the rocks, while a slowly presented live bait rig and leech is your best bet in deep water. Muskie and northern pike reports have been minimal, but smallmouth bass are hitting consistently on the rocks.

WEST &045; The shallow rocks between Seguchie Point and Brown’s Point are kicking out a lot of walleyes during the evening hours. Pike’s Point and Garrison Reef are worth noting as well. The deep mud has provided its best bite of the season this week. During the day, work the deep edges and slide up to 24 feet as the sun sets. Curley’s Flat and the One Mile Flat both have been prime locations in recent days. Anglers fishing the weedlines of St. Alban’s Bay and Wigwam Bay with crankbaits are turning numbers of northern pike, and you’ll find plenty of active smallmouth bass on the rocks.

LAKE OF THE WOODS

Walleyes continue to be scattered, but active along the south shore. Spinner rigs tipped with minnows or crawlers has been best. The key is to cover a lot of water in depths from 10 to 25 feet. The deep reefs on the north end of the lake also are producing quite a few walleyes. Northern pike continue to be caught on crankbaits along the emerging weedbeds. The points scattered throughout the Northwest Angle/Islands area have provided steady walleye action again this week.

LEECH LAKE AREA

The walleye bite has been very good during the evening hours on the shallow rocks of Leech Lake. Look to Submarine Island, West Bar, Red Rock Reef, and the Annex with Lindy rigs and a leech or crawler. The weeds in Portage Bay continue to produce walleyes as well. Lake Thirteen started producing walleyes in five to 18 feet of water. The deep breaks on Benedict Lake are producing walleyes throughout the day, as is Garfield Lake in 20 to 25 feet of water. The north end of Steamboat Bay and Boy Bay on Leech are producing numbers of largemouth bass.

RAINY LAKE

The most consistent walleye action is taking place near Eight Mile Island and in Sand Bay over 17 to 30 feet of water. The weed edges of Jackfish Bay also have provided consistent walleye activity. Minnows still are the best option in these areas. On the Rainy River, walleye action is very good at the mouth of the Little Fork River. The shallow water of Black Bay is producing a few nice crappies, and look to the weedlines in Lost Bay for northern pike.

LAKE WINNIBIGOSHISH

The points along the west shore continue to provide plenty of eating-sized walleyes in eight to 12 feet of water. A jig-and-minnow combination is your best bet off Sugar Point, Mallard Point, and Stoney Point. The Highbanks area on the east side continues to provide shallow water walleyes as well. Look for bigger walleyes on the main lake bars scattered throughout the lake. Perch and northern pike are mixed in with the walleyes and continue to be very active.

LAKE OSAKIS

There’s been some good evening action on the main lake bars in 12 to 20 feet of water. Live bait rigs tipped with leeches, crawlers, or minnows have worked best. Leeches under a slip bobber also will fool a few walleyes. The weed edges also are providing a few walleyes during the evening hours. Northern pike and largemouth bass are very active throughout the weeded areas of the lake. You’ll find a few sunfish and crappies in shallow water, but the majority of them have yet to move near shore.

LAKE VERMILION

Walleyes have pressed off the shallow bite and have dropped back down, into 15 to 19 feet of water. Short, live bait rigs tipped with a leech or minnow on soft-bottomed areas have been most productive. Crankbaits are also turning a few fish along wind-swept shorelines. Muskie action is improving as most anglers are finding fish in the shallow, soft-bottomed bays. A few bigger fish are also showing up on the rocks. Bass anglers are catching muskies on their smaller lures, so keep that in mind.

MONTICELLO AREA

The Mississippi River is kicking out a few walleyes and numbers of smallmouth bass on minnows and nightcrawlers. Look for consistent panfish action in shallow water on Buffalo Lake, Maple Lake, and Locke Lake. Largemouth bass and northern pike are hitting spinnerbaits in eight to 12 feet of water on most area lakes.

STARBUCK AREA

Walleye action has picked up on Lake Minnewaska in 20 to 28 feet of water on spinner rigs and crawlers. The key has been to troll them at a good pace. Lake Emily still is producing walleyes on shallow-running crankbaits early and late in the day. Look for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in the sand and along the weed edges. Sunfish action has picked up on Minnewaska near the docks. Look for a few crappies in the Starbuck Marina.

WILLMAR AREA

Diamond Lake started producing walleyes on crankbaits or slip bobbers and leeches in 10 to 15 feet of water. Look for a few walleyes off the rocks of Nest Lake, Lake Andrew, and East Solomon Lake as well. On Green Lake, walleyes are hitting leeches and crawlers in 30 to 40 feet of water. Lakes such as George, Andrew, Games, Norway, and Florida are producing sunfish, while northern pike and largemouth bass are very active throughout the area along the 10- to 12-foot weed edges. Spinnerbaits, plastics, or crankbaits are safe bets for them.