Lake Winnibigoshish Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report June 16, 2023

After crossing the 80-degree mark, surface water temperatures receded this week. Water temperatures are now registering in the 70 to 72 degree range, and the combination of moderating air and surface water temperatures, along with a stabilized weather pattern helped make this week a good one for fishing on Lake Winnie.

 Our guests and friends visiting the lake reported good catches of walleye on the big lake, and for anglers “in the know”, panfish and bass action on the Cutfoot Sioux chain of lakes.

Some of you may recall the Ojibwe translation for the name Lake Winnibigoshish; “Filthy Water”. These days, that name describes the complete opposite of what Winnie’s water looks like. Zebra Mussels, Faucet Snails, and cleaner, clearer water flowing in from flowages have transformed the formerly stained water lake into one that features gin clear water.

 We’ve issued numerous reports in recent years about fishing “The New Winnie”, and offered solid tips on how to approach walleye presentations that work with, not against, the clear water conditions. This summer, we’re seeing evidence that many anglers have taken those tips to heart. They have adapted to the clear water and their creels, filled with walleyes, offer proof that the adaptations have been effective.

 Fishing the twilight period, for example, is one of the key adaptations. Formerly reserved for sitting by the campfire, fishing at sunset has now become very popular with our guests. They’ve experienced the transformation from lethargic, daytime feeding patterns to aggressive, even gluttonous at times, walleye feeding behavior during the crepuscular feeding periods. Our guide, Jared Saufferer says; “The bite continues to be strong, especially during the twilight hours. Most fish are coming out of the 10 to 18 marks on gravel or rocks.”

Jig and minnow, a longtime crowd pleaser on Winnie, continues to provide results, but these days, we’re seeing more folks fishing with slip-floats. Position fishing, parking the boat and casting out and away from is also fast becoming a mainstay presentation. Folks have figured out that at times, walleyes will disperse when a boat passes overhead. Fishing underneath the boat, especially during calm periods, can feel like a waste of time because the fish are simply not there. But often, they don’t move far from the boats path, so casting and retrieving lures allows anglers to reach unsuspecting fish, and they do bite!

Whether you’re using a jig and minnow, a slip float, or artificial lures, keep your offering a good distance away from the boat. Retrieve your jigs using a “drop-hop-drop-hop” presentation, waiting between hops to feel the fish pick up your lure. Using slip-floats, use small, 1/16-ounce jigs to present lively leeches or ½ night crawlers. To improve castability, add split shot sinkers about 1 foot above your jig. Here’s an important tip to remember, set your float to hold your bait above the fish’s line of sight. It is much easier to entice a fish to swim up for your bait, than to swim down for it. Ideal height for slip float fishing is 18 to 24 inches about the bottom, even higher when fish are feeding aggressively.

Walleye location is still focused primarily on shoreline related structures, but it is shifting slowly. Fish have been moving slowly across sprawling flats on both the north and west sides of the lake. Pushing toward the lake’s mid-section could be an indication that we’re on the verge of seeing insects hatching. So far, we have not witnessed any large-scale hatches of mayflies or the smaller fish flies. There have been smaller, isolated hatches of other bugs, and perch appear to be keying in on some of them.

Panfish are feeding on insects now too, especially sunfish. They’ve largely fishing spawning and are showing up on the outer edges of cabbage and coontail flats, in areas adjacent marly bottom, clam beds. Spinners tipped with night crawlers can get you zeroed in on sunfish location, and once found, small jigs tipped with cut leeches or night crawlers will improve efficiency.

Crappies are on the prowl, but like walleyes, prefer to feed during twilight periods. Early risers will enjoy great fishing for them if they’re on the lake at sunrise. On Cutfoot, casting small jigs tipped with action tails like ripple shads, mister twisters or beetle spins will produce crappies. Treat yourself to a multiple species morning by casting your lures into the pockets and gaps between the vegetation. Let your lure fall into the pockets on a tight line and feel for any “pop” at the tip of your fishing rod. Crappies, sunfish, walleyes, bass, and pike will strike at random intervals. Rock Bass, not often talked about, but fun to catch are still in spawning areas, so you’re liable to catch some of them too.

 Northern pike are still largely being caught as a byproduct of walleye fishing. Jigging often discourages the largest fish, but anglers looking to improve the size should experiment with spinners. For walleyes, it’s a bit early to make a full-scale switch over trolling with spinners, but the pike are striking them. You’ll catch some walleyes along the way too, maybe some panfish too, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

 Perch are where you find them, random catches come and go on a daily basis. So far, there does not appear to be a solid, uniform feeding pattern that gathers and holds them in large numbers. Our best advice for locating them is to watch for gravel, especially when vegetation is present. The combination of woody cover and gravel is a common preference.  

 As summer fish migrations toward mid-lake structure progress, anglers should begin experimenting with fishing on the bars and humps. On overcast days, especially with moderate breezes, fish have been showing up in some, but not all of the more popular mid-lake spots. On clear days, the fish do not hold to the edges of bars and humps. Moving out and away from the structures often puts them in water that’s too deep for safely releasing these fish. On sunny days, we suggest keying in on the twilight periods instead.

 Tomorrow will be the Musky fishing opener and we’re curious to see how much attention trophy hunters pay to Winnie. Anglers casting large baits may begin to encounter larger pike and that could be a focus of next week’s report.

 If you’re headed for the lake this weekend, good luck and remember, you’re always welcome to stop in to launch your boat, or for a chat.

Lake Winnie and Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report June 9, 2023

Surface temperatures, at their peak reached the high 70 to low 80-degree range. After a cooler, breezier weather pattern developed at mid-week, Winnie’s waters were churned by the choppy water and temperatures settled back in to the 72-to-73-degree range.  

The warm water generated a moderate algae bloom and that added some color to the “gin-clear” water in Lake Winnie, which had previously been a problem for walleye anglers on sunny days. There haven’t been any large-scale insect hatches so far, but evidence is mounting that there will be some soon. Walleyes caught on the mid depth flats are coughing up insect larvae in folks’ live wells and tiny white, gnat-like bugs have been hatching over the deep-water mud flats.

 The development of submerged vegetation has influenced walleye location too. Earlier this week, walleyes were caught in good numbers by anglers fishing cabbage patches in shallow, 4- to 7-foot-deep water.

 With the ever-growing food chain, reduced light penetration, and blooming vegetation, the array of angler’s choices has now widened. Jig and minnow presentations continue to work and are still used by many of our guests. But trolling presentations like spinners and crankbaits are producing fish too. Lindy rigs tipped with lively leeches and night crawlers are also producing fish and so are slip floats combined with live bait. The best rule of thumb for choosing a presentation is to adapt your presentation to the fishing situation you encounter.

Our guide, Jared Saufferer tells us that calm water encourages walleye to move onto breaklines and sand-to-mud transitions. Key water depths there range from 22 to 28 feet of water. Jig and minnow combinations still produce fish, but Lindy Rigs are a good choice here as well.

Saufferer advised that on breezy days, walleyes move up onto sand flats and small rock piles in the 10-to-14-foot depth range. Here, the jig and minnow combination still produce the most action, but slip floats, combined with either ½ night crawler or large leech will produce fish too. Using the slip floats is an excellent way suspend bait above the newly emerging “moss-like” vegetation called Filamentous Algae. The algae clings to jigs, rigs and other lures that encounter it, so suspended baits below a sip float improve efficiency by helping to avoid fouling hooks.

In shallow water, cabbage patches trolling spinners is the key to success. Spinners move through the vegetation when other presentations get snagged and fouled. A #3 Indiana blade, a #2/0 Aberdeen hook and medium size fathead will get you into the action. The spinners are not only great for walleyes, but will trigger other warmer water species like sunfish, crappies, pike, and bass. Speaking of warm water species, many have been very aggressive this week.

Crappies wrapped up their spawning migrations about a week ago and have disappeared from shallow cover. Now, they’ve moved into deeper cabbage and along steep, shoreline related breaks. Daytime activity is minimal, but anglers fishing during late evening or at dawn will find schools of fish roaming the edges of cabbage as they feed. Using small jigs tipped with minnows and suspended below a bobber is one standard tactic. Casting small jigs tipped with plastics is also very effective and so are spinner type jigs like the Beetle Spin, Road Runner or Mepps. Fishing from an anchored position, or with the aid of a spot-locking trolling motor, focus on areas where larger expanses of cabbage meet shoreline breaks that lead into deep water.

Bass, rock bass and sunfish are in various stages of spawning right now. As of Monday, for example, rock bass were solidly pinned to their spawning beds and aggressively defending against intruders, including jig and minnow combinations. Often overlooked as a game fish, rock bass seldom get the respect that they deserve. Some folks do harvest them for dinner, but most don’t, but they are a blast to catch. They are scrappy, eager to strike and in the case of Lake Winnie, come is sizes Extra Large, through HUGE! Fish for them in and around bulrush patches, especially the ones that occur in conjunction with sandy, or hard gravel bottoms.

 Largemouth bass and sunfish have been active in shallow water too but are found somewhat deeper. Anglers accustomed to finding them in shallow water spawning cover will be surprised to learn that the warm weather accelerated the process, and many have already moved in, and back out again. Cabbage, coontail and eelgrass patches have been prime examples of their present-day habitat. Fast moving lures like the afore-mentioned spin jigs are a good presentation choice.

 Northern pike are active now as well, but not widely targeted yet. Most folk who do harvest them have caught them as a byproduct of walleye fishing. Folks trolling with spinners tend to catch more pike than folks using jigs, and the size potential of fish caught with spinners can often be greater, so this is the preferred “casual presentation”. Folks interested in targeting a larger pike today should consider large minnows, suspended below slip floats.

Late evening, early morning best for crappies

 A 30-inch pike may allow your jig or spinner to pass by unmolested, but it will have a harder time saying no to the ’full meal deal”. Use a quick strike rig to present lively sucker minnows in the 8-to-12-inch range and suspend them below a large slip float like Thill’s Big Fish Slider. Focus on patches of healthy green cabbage, and on rock points or rock bars located on the flats.

 As summer sets in, fish migrations toward mid-lake structure should begin at almost any moment. We’ll be monitoring conditions and reporting in again next week. If you’re headed for the lake this weekend, good luck and remember, you’re always welcome to stop in to launch your boat, or for a chat.

Lake Winnie and Cutfoot Sioux Fishing Report June 1, 2023

The combination of stable, nearly perfect weather, active fish, and a traditional family holiday turned the Memorial Day weekend into a “Mega Fishing Event” on Lake Winnibigoshish. It’s fair to say that there were few if any disappointed anglers on the lake and a cheerful buzz about the great fishing was the norm around our resort.

Dick Williams with Lake Winnie Walleye May 31, 2023

Walleye locations around the lake were focused primarily on shoreline structure, but the earliest signs of migrations toward mid-lake structure were noted by some of our guests.

 On Lake Winnie, shiner minnows typically begin spawning around Memorial Day, and that pattern was on track this week. So, we think that the shoreline bite will continue for a week or so, especially in areas adjacent to the sprawling sand flats where shiners perform their spawning cycle.  Small perch and other baitfish move onto the same shallow flats where shiner minnows are spawning, and these add to the attraction for hungry walleyes.

 Clear water conditions favor fishing during the twilight periods during morning and evening. Key walleye depths range from 12 to 18 feet along shoreline, shoreline related points and rocky structure also provide decent walleye action. During the daytime, especially on calm days, walleyes slip deeper down the breakline, preferring the 22-to-26-foot depth range. In the dark of night, they’ll move over shallow flats in the 10-to-14-foot range, maybe shallower at times.

Jig and minnow combinations continue to be the prominent presentation for our guests. Jig weights of 1/8 ounce are sufficient during twilight when walleyes move shallow. During the day, ¼ to 3/8-ounce weights are required to maintain contact with walleyes. Shiners are readily available now, and do appear to provide an advantage on Winnie, but larger fatheads or rainbows will get the job done too. Minnows in the 3-to-4-inch range, no matter which species, are the key.

 Alternative presentations are beginning to produce results now too. Trolling spinners, Lindy Rigging with larger minnows and trolling crankbaits have produced fish this week. Experiment if you like, but keep the jigs and minnows ready, as a backup plan.

Walleye Location Lake Winnie May 31, 2023

 While the water clarity on the big lake is still high, surface temperatures have risen into the 65-to-68-degree range. This, combined with lots of sunshine are promoting algae production. On Wednesday, while the underlying water remained clear, there was a thin film of plankton spreading horizontally across the surface of the lake. The “algae bloom” is important to anglers because it helps decrease clarity, making fishing daytime fishing easier. To the tiny walleyes that hatched recently, algae blooms represent an important element to survival, food!

 Overnight Tuesday, into the wee hours of Wednesday morning, thunderstorms rattled the lake. Calm, sunny conditions on Wednesday produced a setback in terms of walleye action. Fish were caught, but at a lower pace and by a smaller group of anglers. Deeper structures, located near the shoreline were one key to “scrounging” decent catches of fish. See the fish on the Humminbird screen above? These tightly grouped schools of walleye are predominantly 2019-year class, 14-to-15-inch fish. When you see images like these on your graph, that’s what you should expect to catch. Anglers in search of larger fish should look for smaller groups of fish, or even singles and doubles appearing on the sonar.

Paul Kautza Showing Early Signs of Crappies Moving Shallow

Crappie fishing over the Memorial Weekend was slow, folks were looking for them, but few were caught. On Wednesday, singles began appearing in shallow water spawning territory. “They were not stacked up, but we saw early signs of movement”, one group of anglers reported. “We caught more rock bass than crappies, and a largemouth bass too, so we’d expect to see more crappies moving shallow over the next several days.” They added.

 Perch fishing is good at times, not so good at others. They appear to be on the move, some anglers find a good school of keeper size fish one day, then lose track of them the next day. Perch populations are lower than average in Winnie right now. But when located, there are some nice size fish available, 11-to-12-inch perch can be expected, if you search for them.

 Pike fishing hasn’t begun in earnest yet, but there are folks catching them as they fish for walleye. Apparently, the protected slot for northerns must be working because catching 23-to-25-inch fish is becoming common. It’s early in the season though, so let’s see how pike fishing progresses as the summer sets in.

Fishing the Memorial Weekend on Winnibigoshish and Cutfoot Sioux May 25, 2023

With almost 2 weeks of fishing in the history books, our guests and friends have shared lots of stories from the lakes, and some very helpful fishing tips for both Lake Winnie and Cutfoot Sioux. So, going into the Memorial Day holiday weekend, our guests will be armed with the knowledge they’ll need to have a productive fishing trip.

Lake Winnie Walleye Action

Surface water temperatures have warmed up and we’re seeing daytime highs ranging from 56 to 58 degrees on the north side. Folks travelling toward the south end of the lake report cooler temperatures, 52 to 54 degrees is the norm. Extreme back bays, and areas where darker water drains into the lake are warmer, 61 to 63 degrees can be found. The variation from one area to others results in differing opinions about both fish location and presentation.

 Regions of the lake with the coolest water temperatures also feature the clearest water conditions. Walleyes in these regions show a strong preference for feeding during low light periods. Anglers do report catching some fish during the daytime. But in the words of one guest whose here right now, “The evening bite is on fire, when the sun starts touching the treetops, the fish start feeding. We’re fishing in water depths of 16 to 20 feet using ¼ ounce jig heads and minnows.”

Mike Cooley with Lake Winnie Walleye

Warmer water, with darker color translates into a whole new story for folks fishing those regions. One of the better area guides says this, “On Wednesday, we fished in the extreme back regions and found 61.5-degree water. “There were some scattered, but still green cabbage plants, along with some stubby, newly emerging vegetation too. There were walleye, perch and smaller northern pike using feeding there.”

 “We caught a mixed bag of fish by moving slowly along the shallow break, in water depths from 4 to 7 feet of water. The best presentation was pitching a 1/8-ounce jig tipped with minnows.  We cast the jigs away from the boat and retrieved them slowly using a hop-pop-hop-pop motion. Shiners worked, but attracted more pike than walleyes and medium size fatheads attracted more walleye and perch.”

Newly Emerging Vegetation In Warmer Water

The contrasting reports, both from trusted sources, teach a lesson. “Be creative and don’t fall into the trap of believing that there’s only one good fishing area, or one presentation that works. The array of productive fishing habits widens every day, fish are showing up in shallow water, deep water and even on the flats.

 Jig and minnow presentations are common thread that runs through almost all of the best fishing reports. Shiners are now widely available and despite the high cost, are being used by a lot of folks. On the big lake, especially in areas with the clearest water, shiners appear to offer an advantage. In darker water, that advantage is diluted, fatheads, rainbows and “river mix” minnows have all been equally productive. You’re better off bringing a small variety of each, rather than stocking up heavily on any one minnow type.

Lindy Rig Using “Lip Hooked” Minnows

An alternative to fishing with jigs and minnows is the Lindy Rig. If you’re fishing over a school of fish that appear un-interested in your jigs, drop down a Lindy Rig, and fish with larger minnows. A 6-to-7-foot leader with a minnow size hook #4 or #2 if needed for larger minnows, and tip them with larger bait. Unless they are very large, and very lively, avoid using fatheads for this presentation, walleyes respond more favorably to the liveliest shiners or rainbows. Hook the minnows lightly through the upper lip to help preserve their liveliness.

Crappies Begin Showing Up In Shallow Water

Crappies, another popular target during spring, have just begun getting active. Earlier this week, warm, calm weather encouraged them to move shallow in preparation for spawning. The cold front that arrived here on Wednesday dispersed them, but as the weather settles, they should begin moving toward shallow spawning areas again.

Perch fishing hasn’t caught yet on as a feature part of our guest’s fishing plans, but there are some nice ones being caught as they target walleyes. Perch have shown up in both deep and shallow water locations, but if you’re interested in targeting perch specifically, you’d be better off taking your search into the shallow water. Perch will use shallow habitats like bulrush, cabbage and other “woody structures” for spawning. Most of them have finished spawning, still, you’re liable to find them hanging around in areas like these.

 So far, northern pike haven’t been targeted much either but do show up mixed with walleyes. Pike, especially smaller “eater size fish” will strike your jig and minnow presentations. To target larger fish, Lindy Rigging with larger minnows like suckers, creek chub or lake shiner. Slip floats used to suspend minnows is popular too, position your boat near rocky points, or cabbage patches.

 Have you checked the weather forecast? If it comes true, we’re in for a fabulous Memorial Weekend. Sunshine, warm air temperatures and breeze should combine to provide good fishing in a variety of areas, for a variety of fish species. As always, you’re welcome to drop in and launch your boat, or stop by for a chat. If not, then we’ll see you on the water, enjoy your weekend!

Lake Winnie Cutfoot Sioux Walleye Fishing Report May 17, 2023

Lake Winnie and Cutfoot Sioux did not disappoint walleye anglers hoping that the action would be great for the 2023 fishing opener. The weather was fabulous, there was a nice chop on the water and the walleyes were snapping. It’s fair to say that on opening day, there were more folks catching fish, even limits, than those who did not.

Cutfoot Sioux Opening Weekend Walleye

On Sunday, and each day since, the climate has been warm, bright, and calm. The water temperature is now in the 55-to-57-degree range and the water is clear. Walleyes continue to bite, but have been located spread out over the flats, along the shallow sides of steepest breaklines. Most fish are not on the steep edges, but rather on top of the flat areas that lead toward them. Key depths on calm days have ranged from about 15 feet down to 18 feet of water.

 With the fish scattered, anglers are covering more territory between strikes, but are still catching good numbers of fish. Trolling with ¼ to 3/8-ounce jigs tipped with minnows has been the primary presentation. When better schools of fish are encountered, stopping the boat, anchoring and “pitching” jig and minnow combos has been effective too. So have Lindy Rigs tipped with larger, super-lively minnows.

Ashley Heigh with a hefty Lake Winnie Walleye

For our guests, travel times have been short because there are enough fish located along the north shore. We hear reports from friends who say that the west side of the lake was also good on the fishing opener. If the breeze picks up, shallow structures near Ravens Point, Mallard Point and Stony Point should be checked out too. With walleyes barely finished their spawning runs, mid-lake structures have yet to attract many walleyes.

 Shiner minnows are available in our region, but the supplies are still spotty. They have not been mandatory for catching fish though, our guests are catching plenty of fish using fatheads and rainbows as well. Our suggestion would be to have a little bit of everything, rather than loading up on any one type of minnow.

 At this point, walleye has been the primary focus on 98% of the anglers on the lake. Perch, pike and panfish, when caught, are the result of “good luck” encounters as folks pursue walleyes. If the weather stays on its present trajectory, shallow water will warm fast and panfish will st4art getting more attention. We’ll keep you posted about that in the upcoming days and weeks.

 Let’s wrap the report with a note about walleye size structure. Anglers are noticing that quite a few walleyes from the strong 2018-year class have now crossed the line into their protected slot size. For one of the guides fishing the lake on Tuesday, fish in the 18.25-to-18.50-inch range represented about 10% of the total catch. Fish in the keeper range, 15 to 17 inches range made up about 60% of the catch. The remaining 40% were fish ranging from 13.75 inches, down to about 13 inches.

All that means is that with Lake Winnie’s fast growth rates, the summer of 2023 will likely be the one that offer anglers the perfect balance of excellent action, quality size and “keeper” size fish in the ideal size ranges. It should be a great summer at Bowen Lodge!