A More Colorful (and active) Lake Winnie and Cutfoot Sioux! Fishing Report September 22, 2021

The scene at our marina gave a sneak preview of what was in store for us as we headed out onto Cutfoot Sioux and eventually, Lake Winnie. Fall colors setting in along the tree line, a bright blue September sky and puffy “cotton ball clouds”. Now, if the fish would just happen to be biting, we’d be tempted to call this place paradise.

The scene at Bowen Lodge Marina Tuesday September 2021

Paradise it is!

 Walleyes were on the prowl this Tuesday, even on the heels of a major line of thunderstorms blew through the region on Monday. We had to do a little searching to find the right spot, but once we were in ‘em, the classic shallow water, jig and minnow bite kept us busy for the whole afternoon.

 Surface water temperatures did not fall as much as we expected, even after the cold air that settled in after Monday’s heavy rain. In Cutfoot, 63 to 64 degrees was the range we observed and on the big lake, 62 to 63 degrees was more typical. Water clarity was still fairly low, we could not see the bottom in 5 feet. We’re not sure if this is due to an “algae bloom” that’s hanging on, or residual cloudiness caused by the turbulent weather. Either way, the murky water conditions encouraged walleyes to continue prowling the shallows.

Walleye action on Winnie is fast and the scenery is beautiful; Paradise It Is! Photo courtesy Kyle Reynolds.

Key depths range from 4 to 6 feet of water, but in calm areas, fish could be located deeper. Reports of catching walleyes in 10 to 16 feet of water are not uncommon, so if the wind dies, or you’re fishing on the calm side of the lake, don’t be afraid to experiment.

 Key structures include both vegetation and rocks. The hard bottom, gravel and rock patches in shallow water are best during windy periods. Deep rocks are a better choice when it’s calm and so is any good patch of cabbage, coontail or eelgrass; they will hold fish even under sunny skies and flat-water conditions.

 Key presentations continue to be jig and minnow, spinners, and crankbaits. But it is worth noting that some of our friends were on the lake this Tuesday and reported that this was the first fishing trip of the season that required only 1 rod per person. A 1/8-ounce jig, tipped with large fatheads caught walleye, perch, rock bass and pike all day long. There was never a time when the crew felt any temptation to vary, or experiment with alternate presentations.

 For the moment, most of the walleye action continues to be on Lake Winnie. But some of our guests are catching fish on Cutfoot as well. Knowing the reputation for fall walleye fishing that Cutfoot has, it’s obvious that the best is yet to come. But every day, there are a few more walleyes wandering in from Winnie, along with resident fish moving out to the edges of heavy vegetation as it begins to die off and thin out.

Some Winnie Walleyes from the 2018 year class are stretching their way toward 16 inches.

Walleyes from the 2019-year class, 12-1/2 to 13-1/2-inch fish, still dominate the action. But there are more and more fish from the also strong, 2018-year class showing up every day and the size is become highly desirable. In fact, anyone with an extended time frame could easily set a bottom end size for “keeper walleyes” at 15 inches. For folks who are on a day trip, or in a pinch for time, a 14-inch minimum would be more realistic and fairly easy to accomplish. But even they will find a smattering of the larger, 2018-year class fish in the mix. Over the past week, some examples were observed that came close to already reaching the 16-inch mark!

Every fall we see an uptick in the number of large fish caught during the harvest moon. Last week was no exception, large walleyes, large pike, and even larger perch were reported by both guests and some of the local guides. There will be another “big fish boom” down the line and some of the larger fish will continue to run even now. But we think that most folks should expect to see the sizes trending back toward smaller fish as the true, fall walleye migrations progress over the next week.

Panfish, as we reported last week have taken a back seat to the walleye fishing. But there are folks seeking out and catching both crappies and sunfish. As of last week, there were still a lot of panfish located in shallow water vegetation. As the cooling trend continues, there will almost certainly be an uptick in panfish action. We’ll focus more on that for the next report.

If you’re on the way to the lake for this weekend, you should arrive just in time for the peak of fall colors and if trends continue their present course, the peak of fall walleye fishing too! When you’re in the area, stop in and say hello.

Lake Winnie Report Fall Walleye Migrations Intensify. Bowen Lodge Fishing Report 09-10-2021

Is this it, for real, have the fall walleye migrations on Lake Winnie begun?

It would certainly seem so, by all accounts, guests are returning to the marina with reports of good walleye fishing on the big lake. When we walk out to the fish cleaning station, we see even more evidence and hear more reports about good catches every evening.

The “Luscious Sisters” showing off nice walleye caught on Lake Winnie.

One true test occurred on Thursday (9-09), after a long stretch of breezy weather, the sun came out and the lake went flat. Most anglers know that flat, sunny conditions typically stop a great walleye bite in its tracks, but this did not happen. In fact, there were lots of folks who actually caught more walleyes during this period of calm, than they did on previous days when conditions were windy.

Boat control, in many cases is likely the main reason for an improvement. On of the local guides fished out of the resort on Thursday and said, “I think it was easy to get strikes on the windy days, but not as easy to get good hook sets. Walleyes need to be given time to fully inhale the lures, and when it’s too windy, boat speed works against us. The anglers are trying to wait for the fish to get the bait, but the fish often lose interest before they finish it off. When it calms down, the crew has more time to work each strike and the hook setting percentage goes way up.”

Boats on Lake Winnie

Ideal speeds for drifting or trolling while fishing with jig and minnow combinations are around .6 to .8 MPH. When anglers can hold within that range, the presentation just feels most comfortable. Not to mention that fish respond better to jigging presentations at these speeds.

Trolling with spinners is a different matter, faster speeds work better. Most folks shoot for 1.0 to 1.3 MPH. Until recently, spinners tipped with minnows is the only presentation anglers really needed. But this week, we’ve seen serious evidence of shifting preferences. Knowing when to switch between the 2 presentations is important. Trolling with spinners is still an effective search tool, but once you’ve located walleyes, slow down your boat and try jigging, you’re liable to do better.

In 6 to 8 feet of water, one of the key depth ranges, a 1/8-ounce jig tipped with large fatheads, golden shiners or “river mix” minnows with do the trick. Fishing deeper requires a little more weight, especially on breezy days. In most cases, deeper fish are holding in depths of 14 to 18 feet, on top of the edges on mid-lake bars. Using a ¼ ounce jig will cover you most of the time, but a handful of 3/8 to ½ ounce jigs would help on windier days or when fish slip out over the steep breaks in water depths of 22 to 26 feet.

Cooling water = decreasing vegetation and reduced algae blooms

Cooler water temperatures, now in the 65-to-66-degree range have triggered a lot of fish movement, but the calendar plays a role too. It’s obvious that days are becoming noticeably shorter and a trip around the lake will reveal that many patches of vegetation have matured. It is now common to see stalks of wild celery floating on the surface and many of least hardy submerged grasses are becoming sparse. Cabbage and coontail patches remain green though and these are fast becoming key fish holding areas, not only for walleyes, but for pike and perch too.

You could be reading this report and wondering where is “the hard news” about fish location? Now, we don’t believe that poses a problem because any angler with a creative mind and an adventurous spirit can find fish on Winnie. There are schools of fish located on all 4 sides of the lake, in the middle and on shoreline connected, main lake bars.

Troll or drift along any stretch of shoreline and you’re going to find fish eventually. When there’s no wind, finding vegetation is critical and is THE KEY to fish location. On breezy days, fish wander away from the heaviest grass, then, locating areas that provide “workable” drifting or trolling patterns is the secret to success.

Luscious Kelly Damon with chunky pike for the fish fry.

Locating multiple schools of fish over a variety of locations is the secret to finding some of Winnie’s most coveted, keeper size fish. Jeff Sundin, local fishing guide has been around the resort this week and says, “For me, moving from spot-to-spot, looking for various pods of fish has helped us catch more walleyes in the 14-to-16-inch range. It can be fun to stay in an area where there’s lots of action. But I believe that fish from individual year classes tend to stick together. If there’s a thousand small fish in an area, I find it more likely to locate “keepers” when I move away and fish more offbeat structures, often ones that hold fewer fish. Sometimes, cherry picking 2 or 3 15-inch walleyes from the 2018-year class is more rewarding than hanging around a school 0f 2019-year class fish that range from 11 to 13 inches.

I wouldn’t want to over-sell the notion that there are places where we only ever catch keepers, but certain areas do provide heightened odds of success and that’s what I’m looking for.”

By the way, we’d be remiss by not calling attention to Sundin’s reason for being here. The annual VA Nurses Club outing is another sure sign that fall is here. The event is a lot of fun, but don’t let the Luscious Sisters’ wacky outfits fool you, these girls (and guys) are here to fish too. And, as you can see by the accompanying images, they’ve had a good time in that regard.

Overshadowed by the walleye action, panfish and perch have been more of a side-pursuit this week. Some folks are catching panfish in both Cutfoot and Little Cutfoot, but it’s early fall and fish remain scattered. It is not unusual to hear that some folks are catching fish in shallow vegetation while others report finding them in open water. Soon, panfish will consume a greater portion of our report, the news will likely intensify over the next week.

Pike remain active and can be found anywhere that green vegetation provides cover. This week, we’ve noticed an uptick in the number of people who are casting for pike. Pike in the 26-to-30-inch range are becoming more plentiful again and are attracting folks with more passion for toothy critters. With an increasing average size, we’re guessing that the trend will continue.

Folks who just want to get some ”eater” size pike are in luck too, there are solid numbers of girthy fish in the 20 to 21 inch range, perfect for many of our favorite pike recipes.

Watch for more updates as the week ahead unfolds.

Early Fall Fishing Patterns Emerge On Winnibigoshish and Cutfoot Sioux August 29, 2021

We’ve learned that when the surface water temperatures drop below 70 degrees, it is time to watch for signals or early fall fishing patterns. As of Friday (8-27), the surface temperature in Little Cutfoot Sioux Cutfoot Sioux fell to 68 degrees. On Big Winnie, the water held steady at 69.9 degrees and Big Cutfoot hovered at 70.5 degrees.

As temperatures decline, water clarity will improve, but so far, the lake water remains diffused by moderate-to-strong algae blooms. Average water clarity is in the 3-to-5-foot range depending on which areas we check out.

August 27, 2021: Strong winds, cloudy skies and super fishing action! Winnie Walleyes on the prowl in shallow water as fall patterns emerge.

Walleyes, pike and perch are showing up in increasing numbers on shallow, shoreline breaks, rocky patches and weed beds. On overcast days that feature brisk winds, fishing action is getting intense.

A report by one of the local guides includes this; “The windier and cloudier the conditions are, the better walleyes bit. Last Saturday was overcast, there were 2-to-3-foot waves in the northwest corner of Winnie and the walleye action was very good. Early in the day, the average size was smaller, 10-to-13-inch fish were most common, but as the waves rolled along the shallow breaks, larger fish began showing up. Limits of 14 to 16 fish were bagged for all 3 of my fishing customers.”

That report has repeated itself a couple of times this week. When conditions get blustery, both the fishing action and the average size improves. Not that fish won’t bite under sunny skies and calmer conditions, they will. But on calm days, fish tend to scatter across the flats and anglers should expect longer waiting times between strikes, along with smaller average size fish when the weather is calm.

Many, if not all the guides are using spinners as a primary presentation. Jig and minnow fishing is getting more reliable by the day though and the most versatile anglers are trying both approaches on every fishing trip. Using 1/8 ounce jigs tipped with fathead minnows is standard, but have some 1/16 ounce jigs on hand too, sometimes they will be need to reach into shallow, 2-1/2 to 5 foot stretches of gravel, or shallow weed patches.

Panfish always begin entering conversations around the lodge at this time of year. Some of our guests are catching both Crappie and Sunfish in both Big and Little Cutfoot Sioux. Depending on weather conditions, action can be good during daytime hours, but sunshine and calm water will encourage panfish to revert to early morning and late evening feeding periods. Most sunfish are still related to vegetation, crappies are beginning to show up in open water, particularly in Little Cutfoot.

Logan (L) Raymond and Josephine (R) Shouse with nice batch of crappies caught in Little Cutfoot Sioux August 26, 2021

Jig heads tipped with live bait are the most productive presentation for panfish right now. But using spinners tipped with live bait can also be used as a good search tool to locate them.

Perch, mainly on the big lake are showing up at random intervals, in a variety of locations. This week, there have been good catches reported from all 4 sides of the lake. South end, at the corner where shallow water meets the beginning of the Bena Bar. On the west side, anywhere from Sugar Bay to Mallard Point. On the north shore, near Pidgeon River and to the east, weedy stretches in Tamarack Bay.

Like walleyes, perch are sluggish on calm days, but can be caught, especially if its overcast. On calm, sunny days, they can be enticed by slow walking a jig and minnow over rock and gravel patches in 10 to 16 feet of water. When it’s cloudy, shallow patches of gravel will produce fish.

For perch, trolling spinners will allow you to locate them faster, but most often, fishing slower with a jig and minnow will be more efficient. So, use the spinners as a search tool, but a jig and minnow for triggering the most strikes. Don’t overlook Lindy Rigs either, short, 30-inch snells with a #2 minnow size hook, tipped with large fatheads can be an awesome perch producer.

Lake Winnie Northern Pike are getting fatter and sassier these days.

Pike are on a rampage, roaming the flats and shallow weed patches. For many, catching pike incidental to walleye fishing is good enough. But targeting pike, especially larger ones call for a more pointed approach.

Casting large spinnerbaits, in-line bucktails and swim baits are productive right now. Slip floats and suspended sucker minnows are good too, especially when its sunny and pike won’t rise above the cabbage to grab the more aggressive lures.

Follow the edges of deeper weed patches that are adjacent to large, mid-depth flats. Be sure to check shallower vegetation too, particularly when they lay adjacent to steep, inside corners located close to the shoreline. Rocks are attractive to pike as well, so don’t skip over rock piles and gravel stretches located in and around cabbage patches.

As we approach the Labor Day weekend, the weather forecast appears to be mixed. Calmer, more summer-like weather is about to return. Still, we see some hopeful conditions in the forecast too and expect periods of excellent walleye fishing during the next week. We’ll be prepared to post frequent updates about conditions and presentations.

Cutfoot Sioux - Lake Winnie Mid-Summer Warm Water Action Bites! Report: July 19, 2021

Surface water temperatures on Cutfoot Sioux Lake are warm, ranging from 77 to 81 degrees, depending on the breeze. Algae blooms, triggered by weeks of warm, sunny weather are helping to darken the clear water and lush vegetation provides shade for fish in the shallows. When you combine these ingredients, along with shoreline trolling patterns, you can count on an action bite that leads to a mixed catch of walleye, crappie, sunfish, perch, and northern pike.

Algae Blooms developing on both Cutfoot Sioux and Lake Winnie

“Die hard” anglers can still catch fish under the warm sunshine, but most folks can get all the action they need by making short morning and evening fishing excursions. For many, midday is a time better spent on the beach, or playing on the lake with family and friends.

The grass lines in Cutfoot are green and they are thick, mostly growing out to depths of 8 to 10 feet of water. Some vegetation, depending on which type, may grow a little deeper than that, coontail for example, can be found in water depths of 16 to 20 feet. Those deeper patches of coontail should be explored for crappies, while the shallower stands of grass will hold more variety. For walleye, sunfish and pike, cabbage patches should get the larger portion of your attention.

Trolling spinners is the most popular mid-summer presentation on Cutfoot Sioux. But casting spin-jigs, especially during low-light hours can be a blast. Beetle Spins and Road Runners are popular, but virtually any jig head can be converted to a spin-jig by adding a Lindy Spinner. Jigs tipped with plastic tails will get some attention too. Experiment with 1/16-to-1/8-ounce jigs, adding paddle tails, shad imitators or even simple twirl tails. Cast the edges of the grass line and retrieve using a swim-drop-swim action, fish will most of grab the lure while it falls, so always keep a tight line!

Cutfoot Sioux offers great fishing for largemouth bass

Bass anglers are finding them in the heavier, shallower vegetation. Use weedless rigs like plastic worms, jig and pig, or swim baits to explore bulrushes, wild rice, lily pads and heavy patches of coontail and pondweed. The bass will be found in small pockets or openings located with the dense cover. You will need heavier gear, 12-to-20-pound test line and a medium-to-medium heavy rod to pull them out, but you’ll have a great time doing it.

Northern Pike haven’t gotten as much attention as they used to, but they should. There are a lot of pike in the system right now and because of the 22-to-26-inch protected slot, many of them are reaching larger sizes. Catching fat, 24-to-26-inch pike has become common, and there are more fish over the 26-inch threshold being caught these days too. Pike are not only fun to catch, they are good to eat and a few years back, Kurt Walbeck came up to produce a video about catching, cleaning and cooking them. Even if you’ve already seen it, now could be a good time for a refresher course on pike.

Click Here To >> View Outdoor Bound TV Northern Pike on Lake Winnie

Pike Anglers with catch from Lake Winnie courtesy Gerry Albert

Anglers heading out onto Big Winnie are reporting mixed results these days. Daytime fishing, they believe, is hampered by the calm, sunny seas and clear water. But for anglers in the know, nothing can be further from the truth. Walleyes, perch, pike and rock bass are active, even during the daytime, but first you’ll have to find them. Looking for them in deep water is the most common mistake anglers are making out there, the best success is being found by anglers fishing in 10 feet of water, or less.

 Warm water temperatures, decent algae blooms, and high concentrations of 2018–2019-year classes of fish are fueling the shallow water bite. Weed patches and rocks are the primary structures holding fish, but they can be located on shoreline related breaklines too. The breaklines are not terrific spots for calm days, but when the wind blows and the current flows, fish will begin moving along them. One lesson learned during the 2020 fishing season was that fishing the shallow breaklines during late summer turned out to be very productive.

 While no 2 years are ever the same, it does appear that we are on the same, or similar trajectory this summer. Both perch and pike were found in water depths of 5 to 7 feet on a breezy, overcast day late last week. Walleyes, roaming the edges of shallow water rocks were active this weekend. Some customers fishing with local guides had good success and reported bag limits of 2018 year class walleyes, size ranging up to and including 15 inches. With strong growth rates, we should be seeing lots of fish over 15 inches as we roll into the late summer, early fall fishing seasons.

Right now, trolling spinners is the most popular shallow water presentation. Gold, chartreuse, green and bright red spinner blades are good, the #3 Indiana size is most popular, and a 2/0 Aberdeen hook gets the nod from most of the guides and better anglers on the lake. Tip them with night crawlers or leeches if you like but check with many of the guides and you will find that a bucket full of fatheads is what most of them are carrying in their boats. Tailor the sinker weight to your specific depth range, 1/8-ounce bullet sinkers are good for water depths of 4 to 6 feet, 3/16-ounce bullets are good from 7 to 10 feet. Deeper than 10 feet, explore other sinker options like bottom bouncers or Lindy’s No Snagg sinkers.

Lake Winnie Jumbo Perch

Most often, perch, pike and rock bass are encountered by anglers trolling primarily for walleye. Once located, targeting them most efficiently could require adjustments to your presentation. Perch can be caught using jig and minnow combinations, so can rock bass. Pike, especially larger ones can be targeted effectively by casting large spinner baits, spoons and jerk baits.

Don’t overlook soft plastic for pike, large swimbaits like YUM’s Money Minnow produce very well. When all else fails, large minnows suspended below slip floats are fantastic too. An 8-to-12-inch sucker or creek chub wiggling below a bobber will attract and catch pike and can be used either while drifting the breaklines or fished from a stationary position.

This is the time of season when many of our guests could be described as “casually interested” in fishing. Many focus their attention on family activities, beating the heat at the beach or only plain relaxing. If fishing is not your primary concern, don’t worry, there’s still plenty to do, the water is warm, the surface is calm; conditions are perfect for playing on the lake!

Season In Transition Lake Winnie Cutfoot Sioux Report July 8, 2021

Mid-Summer fishing patterns have developed on both Winnie and Cutfoot. With rising water temperatures, fish are more prone to strike faster moving lures, so finesse techniques for walleyes are out, and aggressive, trolling and casting presentations are in.

Panfish, perch and pike, as many of our guests are learning, actually come along as a by-product of trolling for walleye. The species that we catch depends on which area of the lake we’re fishing. Head out onto the big lake and troll the flats with bottom bouncers and the mix will be pike, perch, and walleye.

Move into Cutfoot and begin trolling the weed edges with spinners and the mix will broaden, sunfish, crappie, rock bass and even an occasional largemouth will find your offering.

Trolling, as popular as it is, isn’t the only aggressive fishing style that will trigger fish to strike during mid-summer. Gaining fast in popularity are cast-and-retrieve presentations, here’s why.

With the arrival of clear water caused by Zebra Mussels, fish, especially walleyes have become more “boat shy” than they used to be. They can still be caught, but sometimes driving the boat over them will force them to move before an anglers lure can get in front of them. Positioning your boat within casting distance, but not directly overhead will allow you to present a lure to the fish before they are alerted to your presence and therefore less prone to strike.

Locating structure is the key, cabbage patches, rock piles and sharp, well-defined points make good targets. Remember, you want your lure to arrive in front of the fish before your boat does. Unless you have the latest and greatest side-imaging technology and really know how to use it, casting toward likely structure is your best chance of finding fish. Even if it takes a few tries, have faith in finding good structure and your effort will eventually be rewarded.

Casting heavy, fast moving lures like jigging raps is one casting presentations that works, sometimes. When they work, they work great, but walleyes don’t always respond to the super- high retrieval speed that these lures require. Another more moderate casting presentation is to use jigs tipped with plastic, action style tails. Paddle tails, shad imitating lures and even large twister tails can all work. This group of lures not only allows anglers to cast good distances away from the boat, but also have an enticing action as they drop into the water column. The longer “hang-time” gives fish an extra few seconds to respond and will often produce strikes when heavy jigging lures are too much.

If you’ve never tried casting jigs with plastics, a good starting off point is to pair a round head 1/8 ounce Lindy Jig  with a 3 inch Ripple Shad. Cast the lure towards the fish, let it fall and then begin your retrieve using a sweep-drop-sweep-drop motion. Remember, lures like these offer attracting power moving either up or down; be sure to offer fish plenty of drop-time.

Casting jigs and plastics will allow you to drum up some panfish action in Cutfoot right now too. Scale the lures down in size, 1/16 ounce jigs tipped with 2 inch tails will fit the bill size-wise. Everything that swims in the lake will strike these lures, so have fun experimenting.

Crappies have been stubborn during the day, but can be found during early morning and late evening. Sunfish, because of the warm weather have been more cooperative during the day, but they too show a preference for moving between late afternoon and dusk.

Perch are where we find them these days, weeds are sometimes good, rocks are good at times too and even deep mud-sand transitions hold schools of them. Trolling spinners is probably the best way to locate fish. Once you have an idea where they are, narrow down your territory and rig up with jigs, or Lindy Rigs and focus on the more tightly grouped schools of fish. When our guests find them, they catch some good size fish, average size ranges from 9-1/2 to 11 inches this summer.

Northern pike, particularly larger ones are still roaming deep water. Fishing steep structure on the lakes larger bars using live bait is probably the best way to target them. Creek chubs, large suckers or big golden shiners will all work; Lindy Rigging or slip-floats are the 2 best presentations to try. Trolling crankbaits on top of the flats is an alternative for pike as well, focus on water depths of 14 to 16 feet and troll at brisk speeds, 2.5 to 3.0 MPH. Rattle baits, shad raps, reef runners, use your imagination about which lures to try. Crawdad patterns, Firetiger, bright orange and white are all food colors, tailor your color selection to the water conditions. On rocks, crawfish patterns are great, in open water, maybe white would be better; experiment until you get the desired results.

With the Independence Day holiday behind us, we are already beginning to look forward to early fall fishing patterns. But first, there are a lot of cookouts, swimming, and water sports on the agenda. Take advantage of the great weather while you can and if you’re in the area, stop in for a chat!