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.