Fishing guide Jeff Sundin shares his thoughts and tactics ahead of Minnesota’s fishing opener on May 11th, 2024
Meet Dan Schermerhorn, the new DNR large lake specialist for Lake Winnibigoshish, as he and fellow biologists operate the Cutfoot Sioux walleye spawning site.
“Walleyes in Winnie have been moving along the edges of mid-lake structures all week, and many have begun showing up along the shoreline, in shallower water. On any given day, we’ve heard about walleyes being caught in both deep and shallow waters. On mid-lake bars, 15 to 21 feet has been a key depth range. Along windswept shorelines, walleyes were caught in 4 to 8 feet of water. In calmer shoreline waters, 12 to 16 feet have been a key depth range.”
Fall colors on Cutfoot Sioux have peaked, water temperatures have fallen and the end of the 2020 open water fishing season is visible on the horizon.
Fast Boats and Fall Colors on Cutfoot Sioux
Walleyes have turned the corner into the last phase of the open water fishing season. Responding to colder water temperatures, 52 to 53 degrees on the surface, feeding periods have become shorter, less intense, and are more dependent on the current climate.
When the wind blows, walleyes are active, they will move into shallow water to feed. Key depths have been 6 to 10 feet, depending on the structure. Fish move the shallowest wherever the current over windblown rocks offer feeding opportunities. Shoreline areas that do not feature rocky structure can produce fish too, but they will generally run a little deeper. Focus on 8 to 10 foot depths and concentrate on steeper drop-offs and inside corners.
Tim Higgins with Solid 22 Inch Winnie Walleye
Under calm, sunny conditions, we’ve experienced significantly slower action. Walleye become difficult to pin down as they move away from the shoreline and scatter across the flats. Some can still be caught by focusing on isolated gravel patches and rocky structure in water depths of 12 to 16 feet. Others can be caught by fishing along the breaklines that run into deep water. On Saturday, anglers who focused on water depths of 22 to 26 feet found fish that were willing to strike.
Cold water slows fish metabolism, so they feed less frequently, but usually, they still do feed. Spurts of sunset sunrise feeding behavior are common during these final weeks of the open water season. On days without a breeze, anglers who have done the best are those who concentrate on fishing during the predictable feeding periods that occur during low-light.
Jig and minnow presentations are the most common during fall. 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with minnows probably accounts for 90% of the fish being caught. There are folks catching them on alternative presentations too, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Lindy Rigs and live minnows are producing fish; use #1 or #2 minnow hooks and trim the leaders to about 6 feet long. Tip them with larger minnows, 5 to 7 inch Redtails, creek chubs or golden shiners will all produce fish.
Jigging raps and glow streaks have accounted for some fish this week and after dark, trolling shallow running crankbaits have produced fish as well.
No matter how we catch them, evidence abounds that walleyes are in full-scale fall migration mode. Fish of every shape and size are mixed together and the average size of fish in angler creels has greatly improved. Fish in the 14 to 15 inch range are most common, but there’s a healthy smattering of 16 to 17 fish coming in right now as well. The odds of catching large fish have gone way up too. Anglers frequently report catching 10 or more fish in the 20 to 24 inch size range on every outing.
Perch are more scattered these days, but when found, have been of quality size.
The spots that have produced best are slow tapering points in the 10 to 12 foot depth range. Most often, they are caught by anglers in pursuit of walleyes, especially on the big lake. In Cutfoot, gravel patches located along the outer edges of weed patches will produce good catches of perch, especially on cloudy, breezy days.
Jig and minnow presentations are most popular, but short leader Lindy Rigs are good too. Use #4 or #2 hook sizes, trim the leaders to about 2 feet long and tip them with larger fatheads. Troll or drift until you locate them, but then slow down and fish more deliberately, perch will respond well to vertical jigging, so stay close to the schools whenever you find them.
Panfish anglers have tried their best, but for most, crappie and bluegill action has been a disappointment. There are some small, scattered schools of panfish in both Cutfoot and Little Cutfoot, but it’s clear that populations are at low ebb right now. Some anglers do find them and have reported good catches, but the fish appear to be nomadic, rarely staying in the same spot for more than a day.
Tulibees, a fall spawning species, show up after dark on shallow flats that feature gravel or rock, their preferred spawning habitat for. Northern pike, muskies and larger bass move toward those shallow water flats and will lurk in cabbage, bulrush and other patches of green vegetation.
Casting large spinnerbaits into the green cabbage is an excellent way to catch some of the large predators. Jerk baits and large soft-plastic swim baits will also produce fish in these areas. During Late fall, the whole trick is to find the right combination of habitats, after that; there’s no temperature too cold for the fish. This pattern will last from now, into the deer hunting season.
Around the resort, the fishing action is winding down for the season. At the marina, we have the docks pulled out of the water. Our remaining guests are focused more on grouse hunting than on fishing, but we’ll be keeping tabs on some of our friends who still have fishing trips planned for themselves. We’ll keep you posted about major changes to fishing patterns, if and when they occur.
After a recent cold snap brought surface temperatures down into the 59 degree range, walleyes on Winnie showed signs of starting a full scale migration toward Cutfoot. Fish were found following traditional routes such as the shoreline breaks from Stony Point headed east and heading west along the Mississippi River channel through Tamarack Bay. Highbanks, another traditional fall shoreline pathway for walleye began heating up as well.
Mike & Lisa Lindholm with nice Winnie Walleyes!
This week, warm air temperatures and lots of sunshine warmed the surface water. By Wednesday afternoon, 62 to 63 degree readings were the norm and there was an algae bloom developing on the surface. The warmer, calmer, conditions did not seriously impact angler’s ability to catch walleyes, but they did appear to temporarily stall out any full scale exodus from Winnie into Cutfoot.
With plenty of food, adequate cover and comfortable water temperatures, many of the fish simply held position wherever they were at the time of the warm-up. Shoreline related drop offs and weed edges still hold good numbers of walleye. Others though, staged a retreat back into deeper water and were found on slow tapering flats and shoreline breaks leading into the lake’s deep water.
On the shoreline, fish move shallower when there’s a breeze, deeper when it’s calm. Key depths are 8 to 10 feet typically, but never leave an area with first searching the 6 to 8 foot breaks, as well as the 10 to 14 foot ones. Fish also move up and down in response to angling pressure. So if you’re the first one to arrive in an area, start your search shallower. If you arrive late to a party of other anglers, be the one who checks the deeper breakline first.
Some of our anglers have reported catching fish on the lakes larger bars. Key depths range from 18 to 26 feet and when found, the fish are gathered in larger schools. Their attitudes are positive and they have been willing to bite, but these larger schools of fish appear to be producing fewer “keeper” size walleye.
To us, the keeper would be a suggested 14 inch minimum (for 2020), in 2021, we may suggest raising the bar. Right now, it is the availability of fish that dictates which sizes might be harvested. Right now, 14 inches is about the best we can expect from the lake on most days, that’s just where we are in the development of 2018 year class fish. But if the fish populations and growth rates follow the expected trajectory, 2021 will offer anglers the chance to be much more selective.
We would love to see the great fishing continue and we will do our best to help guide you in the decision making process. Hopefully with an eye cast toward not only providing great opportunity for harvesting fish to eat, but also preserving opportunities for as long as possible; more on that later.
Fall Colors North Shore Lake Winnie
Presentations are simple, jig and minnow combinations will produce plenty of walleye. Perch and pike will come along in the mix as well. For most, 1/8 ounce size jigs have been the mainstay, use ¼ ounce when fishing the deeper, main lake bars. Blue-glow, chartreuse-green, orange and glow-perch have been reliable colors. Minnow supplies have been spotty, but when you can get them, larger fatheads, rainbows and shiners are best. The size of the minnow is what’s important; spend a little extra if you can get minnows in the 3-4 inch size range.
The fall crappie patterns are slow to settle in this year. Angler’s reports are sporadic, some find action in deep water, some locate fish in the weeds and many … do not find them at all. It is hard to say if and when panfish action will really fire up in Cutfoot or Little Cutfoot, but we are keeping tabs on developments.
We are close to, or at the peak of fall color right now. The leaves, particularly around Cutfoot, are spectacular. The loons are gathering on the big lake too, a trip to the middle of Winnie on a calm day will lead you to a great photo opportunity. All this, combined with good fishing, makes this a time to savor. Get outside and get your fill now because this time of the season never lasts long enough.
The phrase “It is all about location”, is often credited to somebody in real estate. But we think that the phrase could have easily been coined long ago by a seasoned, veteran fisherman.
That’s because right now on Winnie, it truly is all about location. In fact, we’ve observed that catching fish is a simple as finding fish. It is one pivotal time of the open water season when our guests who know how to locate fish on their electronics turn in consistently good fishing reports.
On Cutfoot and Winnie, the transition from summer into fall is always an exciting time. Fish, migrating from summer hideouts into fall feeding areas makes them vulnerable to anglers. For a time, they are easy to catch, but at the same time, they are prone to moving frequently from one area of the lake to another.
Migration corridors on the big lake really aren’t hard to figure out. A large proportion of Winnie’s walleyes follow the breaklines of mid-lake, super-structures, huge mid-lake bars that connect directly to the shoreline, The Bena Bar, Center Bar, Sugar Bar and Stony Point Flats are all good examples.
As small schools of fish move toward the shoreline by following the edges of these bars, they start showing up on shoreline breaks and on the flats that lay adjacent to them. As smaller schools continue to arrive, they amass into larger and larger schools, and feeding becomes their #1 priority. This is how we find ourselves in the throes of “the fall bite.”
At this point, we have already seen evidence of some early migrations. Our guests have found good schools of walleyes along both the north shore and also further west toward Ravens Point. Those areas were prime locations during a recent period of continued, strong west winds. Now that the winds have calmed and become more variable, similar schools of fish are showing up on the east side of Winnie too. Tamarack Bay, Highbanks and Little Stony point are entering the conversation much more frequently.
The image of the dock at our marina shows dislodged aquatic vegetation and foam floating at the surface. The dye-off of both plants and plankton are sure signs of fall, they reveal how cool air temperatures bring about change in fish habitat.
Foamy Surface and Dying Vegetation Reveal Cooling Water Temperatures
As the water cools, it has cleared somewhat, but there is still a healthy algae bloom. The above average turbidity compares favorably to the past few years and continues to encourage a good old fashioned shoreline bite on the big lake. Weed edges found at water depths of 6 to 8 feet still produce good catches. Deeper breaklines along the shore hold fish too; fishing in depths of 10 to 12 feet was particularly productive over the weekend. Still deeper, the breaklines leading into mid-lake are hosting schools of fish too; you will find them at 20 to 24 feet deep.
Jig and minnow presentations are overtaking summertime trolling presentations, especially when fish are found on structure. Fish located on long stretches of shoreline can still be caught using Little Joe Spinners, but we now think of this presentation as a method of exploration. If you don’t already have an idea where to fish, it’s a good way to find good fishing spots. Once located, schools of fish can be more effectively pursued using the jig and minnow.
Pike, in large numbers, will be found on the shoreline breaks along with the walleyes. You wouldn’t need to do anything special to catch some, but if you are interested in catching larger numbers of them, then trolling would be a good tactic. Spoons, large spinnerbaits, crankbaits and even the Little Joe Spinners will all produce pike.
It’s been interesting to see the number of these fish that have grown large enough to grow out of the protected slot size. Fish exceeding 26 inches are not the norm, but they are not rare either. Pike anglers have a good chance of catching a couple larger fish, along with plenty of 20 to 21 inch fish for the dinner table.
Panfish and perch are teasing us, they show up sporadically, but fishing for them has been inconsistent. Relatively few crappies and sunfish have evacuated the weeds and whenever any small school of either species moves out into open water, they are immediately located and pursued heavily by anglers. It will probably take another cold snap or two before weeds will die off and force panfish into open water.
As fall migrations progress, we’ll weigh in with news from our friends and guests who are fishing the lakes. Enjoy the scenery and Good Luck!
By now, most everybody knows that the fishing on Winnie has been good. Walleye, perch and pike have kept anglers busy for the better part of a month. Until late last week, catching fish has been a simple matter of finding a school, rigging up with your favored presentation and figuring out the right boat speed.
The late summer peak, we believe, coincided with the arrival of a full moon that occurred just yesterday, September 2nd. As the moon waxed toward maturity, not only did the fishing action intensify, but there was also a noticeable uptick in the size of fish that we saw anglers on the lake catching.
The accompanying image shows some of the larger walleyes that were active on Tuesday, the day of the full moon. The Armstrong crew caught a half dozen larger walleyes, along with dozens of smaller fish. It took some effort to catch fish over 14 inches, but the 3 man crew did report harvesting 12 fish in the 14 to 15 inch size range.
Key fishing depths ranged between 4 and 8 feet, with a few fish caught deeper. Wind swept shoreline points produced well, so did areas with shallow weed cover.
Phil & Jackie Goettl and family had a great day on the lake Saturday, returning to the dock with nice walleye and bonus perch. Goettl; “Our guide suggested 14 inches as the minimum size for keeper walleyes and 10 inches for perch. We had to do some sorting, but managed to catch 24 walleyes and 24 perch, all in the size ranges we targeted.” “There were 6 of us fishing, so we didn’t fill out, but the batch of fish we caught was really good,” they added.
Key fishing depths were 5 to 7 feet along the edges of shoreline breaks. Patches of weed, mixed with gravel produced the most fish. Points extending away from the shoreline produced few fish, but sharper breaks located on inside corners held large numbers of fish.
Lake Winnie Walleyes
Always a catalyst for change, the full moon intensified something besides the fishing action, it brought about major changes in the weather. Cooler weather arrived last Sunday and has persisted ever since. Surface water temperatures have now dropped from the mid-70s down to the mid-60s in less than a week.
Cooler water temperatures will force changes in fishing presentation. While most anglers are still fishing with spinners, the number of folks switching to jig and minnow presentations has increased. For now, both remain reliable, so you can go with your favorite method. But keep an eye on the thermometer and as waters cool into the low-60s, experiment more with jigging presentations.
Falling temperatures should trigger panfish migrations too, but we haven’t heard reports of any full-scale transformations yet. During fall, crappies have a way of showing up out of nowhere, so we’ll be paying close attention to them this week. From what we know today, trolling the weed edges with spinners is likely the best way to locate them. Once you’ve identified the location of a school, it may be better to switch gears and fish with small plastics and lightweight jigs.
The strong west winds that arrived with the cold front have also challenged the creativity of our guests. Knowing where the fish are and having access to them can sometimes be two different things. For those with larger boats, it has been manageable; guests with smaller rigs have chosen to focus on fishing in Cutfoot.
As we roll into the Labor Day weekend, the weather forecast calls for more moderate conditions. We’ll have better access to more fishing spots, and also have more reports from our guests. Be sure to join us for updates as we track the progression into fall fishing patterns.
