Lake Winnibigoshish Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report September 4, 2026

As we roll into Labor Day weekend, Lake Winnie is undergoing some seasonal changes. Early signs of the annual transition between late summer and early fall migration patterns have begun.

 Timing is everything and so far, tracking the progress reminds us of watching a game of musical chairs. Fish activity, especially in shallow water ramps up on certain days, anglers discover “the spot”, and work it over. Then the fish move, disperse or simply become inactive for a time. The result is peaks and valleys in angler success, some days are great, some days are a struggle.

 Surface water temperatures remain slightly above 70 degrees. On Thursday, 71 to 72 degrees was the standard on all 4 sides of the big lake. Cutfoot Sioux remains slightly warmer, ranging between 71 and 73 degrees depending on the specific locations.

 The strong algae bloom we reported last week is still going on but is showing signs of a decline. Water clarity on the main lake now ranges between 8 to 10 feet deep, still low when compared to earlier summer readings this season but clearer than the 7-to-8-foot clarity we observed a couple of weeks ago.

 Walleye populations continue to increase along shoreline breaks and spread across the lakes sprawling flats. There are not only reports of improved walleye fishing action, but both perch and northern pike are showing up in classic early fall spots too. Steep breaklines that bridge the gap between patches of shallow vegetation and deep water are best for northern pike. Fish on the shallow side of the breaklines for walleyes and perch, 6 feet of water, down to about 10 feet at the base of the breaklines has been productive.

 The most reliable presentation for walleyes continues to be trolling spinners. At times, tipping the spinners with night crawlers is an advantage, but medium to large fatheads are the standard live bait, and most of the time, effective. Alternative presentations for walleye are slip-floats with night crawlers or leeches, and trolling crankbaits on the flats.

 Jigs and minnows have yet to become effective for catching walleyes but both northern pike and perch are hitting them. In fact, one group trolled through an area with spinners and caught only walleyes on Thursday. After the trolling pass, they returned to the beginning of their run and drifted back using jigs and minnows. Perch and pike responded to the drifting pass, but no walleyes were caught. Likewise, jigging with paddle tails or other soft plastics has been okay for pike but are being snubbed by the walleyes.

 Crappie fishing in the Cutfoot Sioux chain of lakes has been “okay”, but not fantastic. Folks who work at it are finding enough fish for a meal, and they are using spinners and minnows to catch them. As the vegetation dies off, there will likely be an uptick in the crappie action, and we’ll report on that when it happens.

 Sunfish continue to be active in the Cutfoot chain of lakes too but as water temperatures cool, presentations are changing. Trolling spinners is still a good way to locate fish, but once found, anglers are better off switching to slow moving lures tipped with cut pieces of night crawler. Ice jigs, especially the compact but heavy tungsten jigs are a good choice. Fish the edges and inner pockets around patches of mixed cabbage, coontail and pondweeds. Sunfish love small patches of gravel or sand located amidst the vegetation.

 Traffic during the week leading into Labor Day has been light, but we’re seeing some new arrivals now. It’s liable to be a busy weekend on the lake, and with luck, most folks will find some decent fishing out there.

 Good luck, and always remember, you’re welcome to swing by the lodge for a chat. We’re always up for fishing stories from the lake.

Lake Winnie and Cutfoot Sioux Late Summer Walleye Migrations August 24, 2026

August 24, 2026, Lake Winnie and Cutfoot Sioux Late Summer Walleye Migrations Report

Look at the calendar, Labor Day is almost upon us! Lake Winnie, and the Cutfoot Sioux chain of lakes are in the throes of the annual transition between late summer and early fall migration patterns.

There is a strong algae bloom going on right now and water clarity is low when compared to mid-summer readings. The Secchi disk readings on Sunday ranged from 7 to 8 feet deep depending on the lake location where they were taken. The decreased water clarity has helped make it easier for anglers to approach schools of fish. At the same time, strong algae blooms encourage fish to move away from deep water where oxygen levels are decreasing.

August 23, 2026: The Secchi disk reading on Lake Winnie was 7 to 8 feet deep

Baitfish, small gamefish and walleyes are now showing up in greater numbers along shoreline breaks and spread across the lakes sprawling flats. There are recurring stories of improved walleye fishing action and perch, pike and crappies are beginning to show up in classic early fall spots. Steep breaklines that bridge the gap between patches of shallow vegetation and deep water. Best fishing depths range from 8 feet on the shallow side, down to about 16 feet at the base of the breaklines.

Baitfish, small gamefish and walleyes are showing up on Lake Winnie’s shoreline flats.

Both the lake and the fish are doing what they can to satisfy anglers. Now all we need is a little extra cooperation from Mother Nature. Whenever she delivers a bit more breeze, and a little less sunshine, fishing patterns are likely to become both predictable and reliable.

Over the past week, anglers who fished on “the good days”, breezy and cloudy reported excellent catches. Anglers fishing during periods of high blue skies and calm conditions have struggled. At times, both sets of circumstances occur on the same day.

Lake Winnie Walleye action Friday August 21, 2026

This report, delivered by one of the better Lake Winnie Walleye guides, sums it up.

“We did well in the morning, there was a ripple on the water, and the clouds covered the sun. Before noon, we had a half dozen keeper walleyes and had released a half dozen others. Northern Pike, and some perch were showing up along the same weedline on the north shore. Then the sun burned off the morning fog, the breeze stopped blowing and the lake went flat. Once conditions changed, the fish went inactive and the afternoon was a grind.”

Look at the photos above of Joe and Nick Jarosinski provided by another one of our preferred fishing guides. The background tells the story of their fishing trip. Cloudy skies, breezy conditions and flats filled with baitfish triggered a strong feeding run. Trolling with spinners and night crawlers produced walleye limits for the duo along with some bonus protected slot size fish that they released.

That was Friday, and by Sunday, the weather turned calm and bright. Fishing in the same areas, using the same tactics, with the same fishing guide produced meager results. The fish didn’t disappear, and they didn’t stop biting altogether, the crew just had to work harder, and smarter for fewer fish.

Calm + Sunny = Tough Conditions for Walleyes

Sunday’s action improved by moving away from the flats on Winnie, and onto weedier flats in Big Cutfoot Sioux. By working the pockets and edges of mixed cabbage and coontail patches, the crew was able to catch more fish, and a wider variety of fish species. Walleye, sunfish, pike and perch were sharing the territory, separated by vegetation types and water depths. Walleyes held in 14 to 16 feet of water, while pike, and the others held shallower, in 8 to 10 feet, wherever the vegetation was thicker.  

There are still quite a few “scopers” and advanced anglers locating schools of walleyes on mid-lake structures. We mentioned in the last report that those fish have been heavily pursued, and the reported results have been hits and misses. While walleye populations on deeper structures, mud humps and small reefs do persist, it’s likely better to leave those areas to the pros. Populations on shallower structures, or even on the tops of Bena, Horseshoe, Center and Sugar Bars are larger and more easily approached using conventional presentations.

Water temperatures remain warm, ranging between 71 to 73 degrees. In those warm temperatures, trolling presentations, along with aggressive jigging style presentations produce the best results. Spinners tipped with live bait are the most widely used lures right now. Trolling crankbaits, casting jigging raps or throwing paddle tails are effective alternatives.

We love walleyes, as most folks do. But panfish are fun and tasty, and there are a lot of guests taking advantage of the strong sunfish action that’s been occurring in both Big Cutfoot and the smaller, Little and Little-Little Cutfoot lakes. Sunfish numbers are high, and their locations are widespread, so location is the easy part. Catching quality size bluegills requires a little more effort.

Trolling with spinners tipped with night crawlers or small leeches will help you locate fish. Switching to slower presentations will be more effective for catching larger size fish. Small jigs tipped with cut pieces of night crawlers or cut up leeches will work. Experiment using tiny plastic lures on small jigs, or on ice fishing lures. Mini-Mites, 1-1/2-inch tubes, and 2-inch plastic worms are good choices. Use colors that mimic insect larvae or small redworms. Brown, orange, motor oil and black are solid color choices for panfish.

Our opinion hasn’t changed from what we said in the last report, perch fishing continues to baffle us! There are small perch everywhere, but jumbos have been elusive. Nomadic by nature, any good perch bite found in one spot today seems to be gone by tomorrow. As a rule, schools of perch show up while early fall patterns for walleyes take shape. We expect to see more, and larger perch showing up soon.

Crappies are far from a featured topic in our current reports. That said, there are more of them showing up in the mix this week. Anglers report catching small numbers of them in the Cutfoot Sioux chain as they troll spinners. So far, most fish have been found in and around vegetation like coontail, cabbage and pondweed. Some crappies have been caught in shallow cover like Lilly Pads and along the edges of cattails.

To pursue crappies, try starting early in the morning and cast small jigs with action tails along the edges of vegetation. Twister tails, Ripple Shads, 2-inch Slabalicious and 1-1/2-inch tubes are all good choices. Color combos including white, yellow, chartreuse and red are good choices.

Large fish like musky, bass and trophy pike have been caught in good numbers recently. Last week, we had 9 musky catches reported here at the lodge. One guest caught a 40-inch northern pike, a true monster these days.

The full moon of August occurs this week on Thursday 8-27-2026. The full late summer moon period typically signals an uptick in catches of large fish. The stage is set for an excellent set of conditions, and this could easily be a week filled with stories about more trophy fish catches. All we need is a little cooperation from Mother Nature, let’s hope so!

Remember, you’re always welcome to pay us a visit. We have a great boat ramp, live bait, boat fuel and tackle. And for folks in the market for quality cutlery, Bowen Lodge is a Benchmade dealer. The water series fillet knives, along with dozens of other Benchmade products, are available here, in our lodge. Whether e see you or not, we wish you good luck on the lake!

Cutfoot Sioux and Lake Winnibigoshish Fishing Report August 11, 2026

We’re on the verge of seasonal change; mid-summer giving way to the late-summer, early fall migrations. It seems too early for the “fall-bite”, and for now, it is, but fishing reports from guests and friends reveal glimpses of what lies ahead.

Jake Hamilton with a nice walleye from Little Cutfoot Sioux

Walleye fishing, depending on the angler who reports it, is good, bad, or somewhere in-between. The upshot is that when you locate the “right school” of fish, you will be rewarded with good action. The wrong school of fish, an inactive one, will frustrate, giving the impression that all the fish in the lake are simply not biting.

Somewhere between the two extremes are the anglers who locate small, isolated spots that hold singles, doubles, or smaller schools of fish. Often, the non-traditional locations anglers find are the places that provide the best surprises. The photo of Jake Hamilton, above, shows a nice Little Cutfoot Sioux walleye that was hiding along the edges of lily pads and wild rice. Trolling through the vegetation using spinners tipped with a minnow fooled that fish.

File photo, Lake Winnie Walleye Anglers

At the same time, there was another group of anglers fishing on the southeast side of Winnie, along the shoreline in water depths of 6 to 7 feet and having a great day. Further up the shoreline, anglers fishing the 10-to-14-foot breakline at High Banks also reported a good walleye catch. Another group, fishing in Big Cutfoot, found a small, but active school of walleyes in a stand of cabbage weeds.

The “scopers”, fishing pros, and highly experienced anglers using advanced electronics, continue to locate schools of walleyes on mid-lake structures on the big lake. Those fish have been heavily pursued, and the reported results have been hits and misses. Walleye populations on deeper structures, mud humps and small reefs seem to be thinning out. Populations on larger, sprawling structures like Bena, Horseshoe, Center and Sugar Bars appear to be building in numbers.

The clues provided in these reports all point to a pattern that typically develops during late summer. Walleye populations move away, from deep, mid lake humps and take up residence in shallower water. Even on the lake’s big bars, fish will stack up on the high side of breaklines in water depths of 12 to 16 feet. Shoreline fish will relate both to whatever vegetation that’s available and weather conditions. Calm days with sunshine will force fish over to the flats with sparse vegetation. Windy days with dark skies send them shallow, into water depths of 4 to 8 feet.

Paul Babcock with a nice Cutfoot Sioux Walleye August 5, 2026

Presentations will vary with fish locations, and water conditions but generally, faster moving lures will produce good results. This is especially true now, while water temperatures remain warm, 72 to 73 degrees, and while there is a robust algae bloom in the lakes.

Cloudy water conditions offer some protection for anglers and allow success using trolling presentations. Spinners tipped with live bait is a mainstay for both walleyes and pike. So are crankbaits trolled over mid-depth flats with patches of gravel or rock. Over vegetation, trolling at 1.1 to 1.3 MPH while jigging with soft plastics is a tactic that’s growing in popularity too. For an interesting story about jigging with paddle tails, we suggest reading an article published last fall. In it, the author offers a comparison between using spinners, vs fishing with jigs and plastics. Read the article >> Sundin Fishing Report September 14, 2025

Recreation, rather than fishing, has been the primary goal for many of our guests. For them, walleye fishing hasn’t made the high end of their priorities list. Instead, sunfish have proven to be both entertaining and delicious for families and casual anglers.

Trolling spinners tipped with night crawlers or small leeches have produced a lot of fish this summer. As water temperatures fall, slower presentations will prove to be more effective. For now, use spinners as a search tool to locate sunfish. Once located, hold your boat still and switch to small jigs tipped with cut pieces of bait, or use tiny plastic lures.

Perch fishing continues to baffle us, they’re active but very nomadic. When folks encounter their schools, they bite. Often though, perch found in one spot today will not be found there again later. Typically, perch follow similar migration patterns as walleyes do and we expect to hear improving reports in the coming weeks.   

As we head into the Labor Day holiday, the casual family vacation will begin turning into more serious fishing vacations. As the intensity increases, so too will the frequency of our fishing reports. Please be sure to check in often as the action begins ramping up, we’ll be here to let you know how it progresses.

Lake Winnibigoshish Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report July 13, 2026

After several seasons of relatively easy walleye fishing, anglers are working harder, and smarter to capture “The Gold” on Lake Winnie this year. Declines in the population of fish from strong 2018- and 2019-year classes account for part of the struggle. This year though, unfavorable environmental conditions have accounted for more than the fish populations have.

Jake Premo, one of the better guides on Winnie said yesterday, “Right now, practically every piece of structure on that lake has at least some walleyes on it. It’s crazy, even when I stay 40 to 60 feet away from the fish, I can scan them and get about 1 out of 15 fish bite using jigging raps or using slip floats and live bait.” Premo went on to say that there are fish in shallow water too, they are visible, but like their deep-water cousins, are very difficult to catch.

Turning to advanced electronics to help solve the problem worked like a charm for several seasons. There’s no doubt that the proper use of forward-facing sonar will allow you to see fish before your boat passes over them and that is a big advantage. Still, seeing fish on your screen doesn’t mean that you can trigger them to strike. Anglers suggest that fish are conditioned to detect the “ping” of the powerful sonar beam which contributes to their “boat shyness.”

The most devoted walleye anglers use the cover of darkness to make catching finicky walleyes easier. Night anglers do report better success, and so do those who fish early in the morning or later in the evening. Fishing the crepuscular periods is important tip for folks searching for keeper size fish. Larger schools of smaller, more active fish seem to move during these early and late, low-light periods.

Feeding walleyes move along the mid-depth flats in water depths of 8 to 14 feet of water. Precise depths vary with locations on the lake, but any structures that connect shallow shoreline or mid-lake flats to the breakline into deeper, mid-lake basin areas are potential candidates. Covering water is one key to consistent success, so aggressive presentations are better here than slow moving, finesse style presentations.

Trolling with crankbaits gets a lot of attention from night and low-light fishing enthusiasts. But an exciting alternative is casting paddle baits, jigging raps and bucktail hair jigs. Position your boat along the edges where water depths transition from shallow to deep, and vice versa. Fan cast the area and retrieve your lures using an aggressive swim-drop-sweep-drop style retrieve. Experiment with jigging cadences, and fine tune your presentation for each lure.

This year, water clarity remains high, Secchi disk readings of 20 feet plus are common. The water clarity contributes to sluggish walleye action. So, for folks who insist on fishing during the daytime hours, finding vegetation, or areas of darker water will help. Warm weather and sunny conditions should encourage the development of algae blooms and that will help. It’s not at all uncommon for walleyes to go on intense feeding runs during the late summer, warm water period.

Perch, another fish species that undergo warm water feeding runs have already been showing up in shallow patches of eelgrass, and other submerged vegetation. Some anglers are finding them in water depths of 4 to 6 feet, others are reporting perch caught in deeper water, wherever mixed gravel and rock are present.

Jigs and minnows are most popular for catching perch. Trolling with spinners tipped with minnows or ½ night crawlers are an effective method of searching for them. Once located, stopping the boat, anchoring and fishing slowly, using vertical presentations will likely put the most fish in your boat.

Sunfish, rock bass and largemouth bass love the warm water and are very active. Folks looking for action should look to these species to keep the kids (of all ages) busy. Again, trolling over the tops of submerged vegetation is a great way to locate schools of fish. For sunfish, tipping your spinner with ½ night crawlers is going to get the most action. At times though, small perch will attack relentlessly and can become a nuisance. In situations like that, swap your worms for small to medium size leeches; they will help cut down on perch attacks and increase your productivity.

Northern pike get a little harder to catch when the water is warm. For the best action, search for them along deeper breaklines with fast breaking drop-offs into deep water. The presence of gravel or rock adds to the attractiveness of a spot. Deep growing vegetation like cabbage, coontail and others will gather baitfish which in turn, attracts northern pike too.

There are a lot of ways to catch pike, but probably the best presentations are jigging with heavy weight jigs and larger size paddle tails or live bait rigs tipped with large, lively minnows. Follow the steep breaklines in water depths of 14 to 24 feet of water. When casting jigs, use an aggressive drop-snap-drop-snap retrieve. When using live minnows, move slowly along the edges, and let the minnows do all the work.

The best minnows are lively creek chubs in the 7-to-12-inch size range. Alternatives are large golden shiners, or sucker minnows. Use 2-hook, quick strike style rigs to help avoid deep hooking the pike.

Remember, you’re always welcome to pay us a visit. We have a great boat ramp, live bait, boat fuel and tackle. And for folks in the market for quality cutlery, Bowen Lodge is a Benchmade dealer. The water series fillet knives, along with dozens of other Benchmade products, are available here, in our lodge. Whether e see you or not, we wish you good luck on the lake!

Lake Winnibigoshish Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report June 15, 2026

The walleyes are trying to cooperate, they really are! Last week, they’ were “stacked up” along the upper edges of main lake breaklines as they migrate away from the shallows, toward deeper water. On a recent fishing trip, Larry Lashley and his crew reported, “We could see the fish swimming under the boat. Fishing at the Sugar Bar, 14 to 16 feet of water was full of fish. We caught some of them. But struggled to get most to bite, but they were definitely there, and one of these days, we’re going to figure out how to catch more of them”.

Seeing the fish, watching them swim around under the boat is exciting, and it helps boost confidence that an angler is fishing in “the right spot”. That’s one good thing, but that same ability to see the fish also points to a problem; ultra clear water. If we can see the fish, then they can see us too and when they’re alerted to our presence, they become more difficult to catch. So, if your goal is to catch walleyes, then working out how to present a lure to them before they detect your presence is the key.

Obviously, a lot of anglers have turned to advanced electronics to help solve the problem. The proper use of forward-facing sonar will allow you to see fish before your boat passes over them and that is a big advantage. Still, just seeing fish on your screen, as many pros report, doesn’t mean that you can trigger them to strike. Often, fish can detect the “ping” of the powerful sonar beam, and the effect is equal to them detecting you visually; they become alert and less likely to strike.

Remember our report last week? In it, we offered this, “An important lesson to remember is that despite being heavily pursued, those “boat shy” fish must still feed at some point on most days. So, the trick to success is to be the first, or among the first wave of anglers to discover any “fresh” school of fish.”

Despite what many will say, how you accomplish being the first, or in the first wave of anglers to discover “fresh schools of walleyes” is not dependent on having advanced electronics. There are several ways to present lures to fish before they become alerted to your presence. Probably the easiest “work-around” is to fish at night. One angler, checking in with us at the fish cleaning station said, “I don’t even go out during the daytime, I just wait for the sun to go down and start fishing then,”

Fishing in the dark is fine for the “hard core” walleye anglers. For them, catching fish is the highest goal and other parts of the fishing experience are less important. Not everyone enjoys fishing at night though, and we understand that. It can be cold and clammy in the dark, there can be more insects to fight off and there are additional safety considerations too. That’s not for everyone, is it? Discomfort and safety concerns are why we seldom encourage the more casual anglers to participate in night fishing.  

Daytime anglers who don’t have the tools for “scoping fish” should consider the advice of one veteran guide who fishes on Lake Winnie frequently. “Follow the breakline using your trolling motor, or a drift sock to make a slow, controlled drift. Cast your lures out and away from the path of your boats travel. Retrieve the lures along the upper edges of shoreline breaks, or the edges of main lake bars and humps. Known fish holding locations like rock piles and cabbage patches can be approached the same way. Be prepared before you approach structure, then sneak up on the structure, cast your lures toward it and retrieve along the edges, over the tops of vegetation or rocks or into the gaps between heavy patches of cabbage, coontail or other submerged plants.

One of the most reliable presentations last week was slip-floats and live bait. Small 1/32 ounce to 1/16-ounce jigs tipped with ½ night crawlers of large leeches have worked well. Jigs and minnows, or jigs tipped with plastics continue to be effective too, and so do 1/8-ounce jigs tip with night crawlers. On a recent trip, one group of anglers reported catching a few fish on every one of these presentations on the same day. So, avoid becoming dependent on any one presentation, and be willing to experiment with alternatives.

The advice we offered last week remains in effect. “Creeping along at slow speeds and casting lightweight jigs is still an effective search method. Retrieve the lures using a light hop-drop-drop-hop-drop retrieve until contact with fish is accomplished. Then stop the boat, anchor or spot-lock and switch over to one of the slip-bobber presentations. Other search baits, like in-line spinners tipped with trailing night crawlers, can be effective too. Experiment with suspending style crankbaits as well, make long casts, allow the baits to fall for several seconds and then retrieve using a twitch-stop-swim, twitch-stop-swim style retrieve. No matter which presentation you use, keep your lures out and away from the boat, concentrating on finding fish before they detect your presence.”

Northern pike have been on a rampage recently and anglers searching for walleyes are catching lots of them. The Larry Lashley group used northern pike to prepare several “shore dinners” last week. Fried, blackened, broiled, baked, smoked or pickled, pike are a delicious and useful source of protein that should not be overlooked.

Most of the northern pike caught recently have been the by-catch of walleye fishing. Probably the most exciting way to target them right now is to use 1/8 to ¼ ounce jigs tipped with large plastics. Lures in the 3-1/2 to 5 inch range are effective, and bright colors like yellow-orange, lime-yellow and orange-black are good combinations. Lures like Berkley’s Ripple Shad, Northland’s Eye Candy, Keitech Minnows, and others will produce good results. The jigs heads to use can be any of the longer shanked hooks in the 1/0 to 3/0 size range. Use an aggressive snap jigging presentation to trigger strikes.

Spinnerbaits, rattling style crankbaits or “Rippin’ Raps” can also be used, especially in patches of vegetation. Use steel leaders, or at least a leader made of 20-to-30-pound fluorocarbon to protect your expensive lures from “bite-offs”.

Finding vegetation is the secret to finding perch right now. Eelgrass beds are developing and perch love this type of cover. Other low-lying grasses, or even cabbage patches will hold perch as well. Once located, anchoring and still-fishing with tight lines are effective presentations. Trolling with spinners tipped with minnows is also a good presentation for perching, especially when used as a search method.

This weekend, cool and highly windy weather was a setback for many. The weather forecast going forward appears to be more moderate, and we’re looking forward to a re-start of early summer fishing patterns. Soon, insect hatches “should” begin occurring around the lake. That is typically the time when walleyes move toward deeper, mid-lake structures. When this happens, anglers will enjoy the benefits of fish holding in somewhat deeper water. Watch for updates and advisories as the conditions evolve.

Remember, you’re always welcome to pay us a visit. We have a great boat ramp, live bait, boat fuel and tackle. And for folks in the market for quality cutlery, Bowen Lodge is a Benchmade dealer. The water series fillet knives, along with dozens of other Benchmade products, are available here, in our lodge. Whether we see you or not, we wish you good luck on the lake!