Summer Fishing

Leech Lake

Leech Lake is Minnesota’s 3rd largest inland lake with a total surface area of almost 115,000 acres. The lake is home to a variety of gamefish species such as Walleye, Muskie, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and numerous variety of panfish. The lake offers a multitude of different structures to fish and with it being a reservoir you can find fish at a variety of depths throughout the year. Leech Lake always has some sort of fish biting.

Walleye Fishing: Our end of Leech Lake is truly a trophy walleye fishery winter and summer. Popular areas to fish on our end of the lake are Huddle’s Reef, Diamond Point, Pelican Island and Hoger’s Reef.

Tips and Tricks:

• Fishing Opener to Early June. Jig and minnow presentations work best this time of year. Find wind-blown points, or large sand flats and drift with the wind.
• June fishing can be our best time of the year. Multiple techniques work until the bug hatch. Pull Spinner rigs with a 6-8 ft lead and tip with a nightcrawler over some of the large 12-18 ft flats.
• July-Sept fishing can be weather dependent. The best technique is to use your electronics find the fish and use a slip bobber rig. The best bait to tip your jig or plain hook with is a Leech or half nightcrawler. If the fish do not bite keep moving to find them. They can be shallow this time of year as well.
• Crankbaits work year-round and are a good choice to find and search for Walleye.
• Popular Colors for Walleye: Perch Patterns, Gold, Purple and Orange

Muskie Fishing is very popular and the lake is the #1 destination for Muskie Fisherman in Minnesota. It is also the #1 strain of muskie that is stocked in Minnesota Lakes. The lake has a healthy population of 45”+ fish in it and they are aggressive. The fish of 10,000 casts can be caught easily on the lake and our end of the lake has great areas to fish. Anglers looking to catch fish usually head to Diamond Point, Pipe Island, North Bar and Reds Rocks all hold good numbers.

Tips and Tricks:

• Early Summer locations look towards Weed Points and Weedy Bays. Use slower presentations such as a Safety pin spinner or a Large swimbait over the weeds.
• Peak Summer Mid July-Sept. Look out on the rock bars around the islands and mid lake reefs. Large multi bladed in-line spinners and top water baits work best.
• Fall Bite Mid Sept to Freeze up. They will be on the rocky points and large Rubber bait slowly fished over the rocks usually lands a giant.
• Good Colors: Black, Orange/Black and White

Smallmouth Bass are pound for pound one of the most fun fish to catch. They are the hidden secret on the lake and their population is booming on the Lake. Many anglers target them on our end of the lake on Diamond point, Campbells Bar, Variety Reef and Pelican Island. They can turn around a slow day of fishing quickly.

Tips and Tricks:

• Early summer look for them to start heading to their beds up in the shallows. Good sand rock areas in 3-10 ft are best. Sight fishing and pitching your favorite jig and plastic presentation works well.
• Mid-late summer, they start to head out to the mid lake rock reefs. Look for large boulders and pitch any crawfish imitation bait towards them. A top water on a calm morning also works well.
• Fall bite is your best chance a trophy. Look towards deeper rocks 15+ feet of water and use a drop shop rig with your favorite minnow plastic.
• Colors to use: Orange, Pumpkin seed and Green

Pan Fishing on Leech Lake offers many great opportunities from trophy perch fishing, to bog slab crappies and dinner plate bluegills. They are a fun fish everyone can enjoy. Great spots to look around our end of the lake are Boy Bay, Portage Bay and Miller Bay.

• Spring time look up in the shallow muddy bays for panfish heading to their spawning grounds. Use a small jig under a bobber tipped with a wax worm or crappie minnow.
• Summer time the fish will still be in the bays but look for little depth changes and holes in the weeds to target these fish. Slip bobbers with a small jig and nightcrawler will get you some fish.
• Fall time look in the shallow bays and troll or drift a small jig with a crappie minnow or fathead.