Lake Winnibigoshish and Cutfoot Sioux 2022 Fishing Season Outlook

Lake Winnie - Cutfoot Sioux 2022 Fishing Outlook

Bowen Lodge guest Lonnie Mundt 2021 with beautiful Lake Winnie Walleye

Walleye anglers are sitting on the edge of their chairs, checking images of ice-out on Northern Minnesota lakes and searching for clues about where they’ll be able to fish on the upcoming opener.

 We’ve been watching too and have noticed that the origins of those image are creeping slowly, but steadily northward toward Lake Winnibigoshish and Cutfoot Sioux. With only 8 days remaining until the 2022 Minnesota Walleye opener, it’s going to be nip and tuck. Thanks though, to the arrival of this very much needed warm spell, we’ve become cautiously optimistic that our lakes, at least for the most part, will be open and accessible on May 14th!

This year, more than ever, there is good reason for anticipation of a great walleye fishing season to be high. Early data from MN DNR 2021 Fisheries surveys continue to support the widely held belief that 2, back-to-back, “dynamo year classes” of walleyes from both the 2018 and 2019 spawning seasons now dominate the population of walleyes in Winnie.

That means the population of “catchable” size fish in our system will be better in 2022, than it has been for several years. We think even better than it was when the very strong, 2013-year class reached maturity in the 2016-2017 seasons.

As the class of 2018 matures, the stage is set for our guests to enjoy not only good fishing for numbers of walleyes this summer, but also fish of desirable quality too. This will offer anglers a unique opportunity to be highly selective about which fish they harvest and which ones they release. And with a good population of the larger 2013-year class fish still in the system, anglers’ photo albums should be filling up with more images of big fish too.

Speaking of being selective, we’ll be encouraging folks to target fish from the 2018-year class for harvesting this summer. Now 4 years old, those fish will achieve sizes ranging from 15 to 17 inches throughout season. Grand Rapids Area Fisheries Dave Weitzel, told us in a recent conversation that a some of the 2018 fish may even graduate into the protected slot range, 18 to 23 inches, before next winter. So, it makes a lot more sense to allow the smaller, 2019 year class fish to reach maturity by releasing them now, so we can enjoy them later, most likely during the 2023 fishing season.

 We were already happy about the 2018 fish, but during the 2021 fall assessments, DNR fisheries staff recorded solid evidence that the 2019-year class could easily be larger than the 2018 class. A lot depends on survivals rates from last winter, so we won’t know that for sure until after spring and summer test results are in. But as shown in the accompanying chart above, 2019 could actually be Lake Winnie’s largest year class ever!

Magnum perch Lake Winnie fall 2021

All those hungry walleye mouths to feed could be responsible, in part, for lower-than-average perch numbers in Winnie and Cutfoot. At 8.3 fish per net, the fall survey recorded the lowest number of perch in recent history.

 As is often the case though, lower numbers of fish have resulted in more anglers catching perch of greater quality size. In 2021, 25% of perch recorded in angler surveys were over 9 inches. Fall fishing produced good numbers of quality fish, often mixed in with walleyes. Over the past winter, we observed firsthand, anglers with good catches of fish in the 10-to-11-inch range, with an occasional 12-inch bonus.

 Perch enthusiasts fishing the lake this summer will be well advised to cover lots of water, checking a variety of habitats. Perch, like most fish are highly adaptable and can be found feeding on anything. Crawfish, minnows, insects and young of the year gamefish are all on the menu. Habitat like gravel bars, weed beds and semi-soft, marl are likely feeding territory and could be found both shallow and deep.

Northern Pike, another popular species with anglers are well suited for Winnibigoshish and connected waters. The protected 22-to-26-inch slot seems to have resulted in some larger average size pike. We’ve seen more anglers catching fish within the protected slot sizes but have also noted more fish over 26 inches being caught too.

 DNR fall testing revealed a drop in the total number of pike caught in test nets in 2021. That, according to Grand Rapids Fisheries staff is good news. “Low to moderate pike numbers are desirable to maintain good growth rates and contribute to a desirable size quality.” Their spring assessment says.

 One thing we know is that anybody who wants to catch “eater” size pike on Winnie still can do it. According to the test net results, Lengths ranged from 15.1 to 30 inches with a mean length of 22.2 inches. With a bag limit of 10 fish under 22 inches, it doesn’t take long to gather enough fillets for fish fry, a plate of blackened pike or even better yet, coconut pike delight.

Panfish are important to our guests, especially during summer and fall. If you hadn’t already heard, Cutfoot Sioux made the list of lakes to receive protection under the “Quality Sunfish initiative.” The initiative, widely accepted by anglers, is aimed at helping restore larger panfish into systems where heavy harvest pressure has occurred.

 During recent years, sunfish numbers throughout the Cutfoot system have rebounded. We have noted though that many of them had not achieved larger sizes. So, for our guests, the 5 sunfish daily limit could be an exciting development. We’ll know more as time goes on, but we’re optimistic that once again, our guests can enjoy catching some of those “pie plate size” Bluegills that the Cutfoot and Winnie systems have been famous for.

 The late ice out affects us all, and like we said before, we’re just as anxious as you are to know how conditions will be for the opener. Keep your fingers crossed for more sunshine and breezy conditions and please do stay in touch; we’ll keep you posted about conditions every step of the way.

“Sweet 16 and Never Been … Fished” - Bowen Lodge Fishing Report 10-04-2021

About a year ago, retired DNR Big Lake Specialist and our friend, Gerry Albert, mentioned this in a casual conversation; “because of Lake Winnie’s rapid growth rate, walleyes from the 2018 will grow fast. Once they reach maturity, it won’t be much more than a couple of seasons before fish of that age will begin entering the protected slot, 18 to 23 inches.”

Lake Winnie “Class of 2018” Walleyes

Fish from that large year class have entered what we consider an “ideal size range”, 15 to 16 inches and are on the prowl in the big lake. As the accompanying photo shows, anglers who figure out where to look can gather a meal of fish from abundant supply of 2018 year class fish.

 So, where do they look, you may be thinking? The simple answer is by staying away from the crowds and away from wherever the “bite chasers” have proclaimed as the “best” fishing spots.

 Walleyes from the massive 2019-year class, and even some of the tiny 2020-year class fish now dominate the action in certain areas on Winnibigoshish. In some spots and when conditions are prime, catching doubles, even triples have been common, anglers have enjoyed a lot of action catching the 2019 class, 12-1/2 to 13-3/4 -inch fish. Some anglers are happily harvesting fish from the higher end of that year class already

 While it is true that anglers will harvest some larger size fish amidst the legions of smaller ones, most of the fish will be cookie cutter cousins from 2019, sticking together in huge schools. Even when there are larger fish present, they face extreme competition from the hungry little guys who will race them to your lure and most often, win.

Curt Black showing of a nice Winnie Walleye caught on “offbeat structure”.

Leaving the “hot bite” in search of smaller schools, of larger fish, can pay off big time because those fish, ones from the 2018-year class are both abundant and feeding, but often located on smaller, more isolated structures.

By searching out the smaller, more off-beat spots, not only will your catch more harvestable fish, but your chances of catching larger size, photo fish will go up too.

Shoreline related points, rock and gravel patches on the flats and small, more isolated patches of vegetation are all good places to look. Often, the spots are small, so food sources are more limited, enough to support small groups of fish, but not massive ones. The food sources may also be different, walleyes here may be feeding on “adult” perch rather than tiny, minnow size ones. Crawfish, larger minnows and even insect larvae can add to the attracting power of these spots.

 Key water depths are 10 to 12 feet, somewhat deeper than the shallow shoreline areas that have been providing the hot action recently. But, don’t overlook shallower water either, there are isolated structures there too and they will also hold smaller schools from the strong 2018 year class.

 Jig and minnow presentations now make up the lion’s share of anglers’ offerings. While there are a handful of anglers trolling spinners or crankbaits, their numbers are declining by the day.

 A handful of jigs in the 1/16, 1/8 and ¼ ounce sizes will cover you for most situations. Tipping them with larger minnows, ones in the 3-to-4-inch range will increase your chances of success. Fatheads, golden shiners, spottails, rainbows and “river mix” minnows will all produce good results. Just remember that fall is feeding time for these fish and the best fish, want the best food, so avoid any minnow species when they are too small.

 Perch, many of quality size are on the prowl these days too! Vegetation over shallow flats is the structure to look for. Massive schools of baitfish, along with schools of small young of the year gamefish dominate the food sources, but there are perch feeding on insects and crawfish too. So be on the lookout for gravel patches that lay adjacent to vegetation, these will be “premium” perch locations.

 Small, 1/16-ounce jigs tipped with medium fatheads are perfect. When there are strong winds, switch over to 1/8-ounce jigs to help maintain better contact with your lure to improve your sense of feel.

Panfish, particularly crappies, have taken a back seat to the walleyes this fall. Aficionados though, are sneaking around and finding them in both shallow weed growth and “classic fall spots” over deeper, open water.

 Without a lot of firsthand information coming in, its hard to offer solid advice for crappie anglers. So, let’s just say that if crappies are your passion and you spend some time prowling around, you will likely find enough of them to keep you satisfied.

Image of Bowen Lodge facing Lake Winnie October 3, 2021

 With surface temperatures still holding steady in the middle 60s, classic fall migrations into Cutfoot Sioux have been slow to start. According to the calendar, our fishing season should be winding down now. But according to the weather, we could easily imagine seeing anglers on the lake for a couple more weeks as more fish begin to migrate in from the big lake.

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.