Our guests ushered in the 2021 walleye fishing season in style. Great weather, good fishing, and a fresh sense of comradery made our resort a happy, dare we say delightful, place to be?
Typical of many openers, Bowen’s Bay and Cutfoot Sioux were about as far as our guests needed to go to catch walleyes. But some folks like to travel first, then fish, and for them, Big Winnie did not disappoint either. There were schools of fish on all 4 corners of the lake, so depth and presentations varied depending on which area folks discovered.
Mike and Lisa Lindholm with nice Lake Winnie opening day walleyes.
Although the 2018-year class of walleye has dominated recent conversation, there were still plenty of larger fish in the mix too.
The accompanying photo of Lisa and Mike Lindholm was typical of what many anglers enjoyed this weekend as well. A healthy smattering of fish from the 2013-year class helped keep the cameras clicking while folks gathered some of the 13 to 14 inch 2018s for family fish fries back at camp.
On the south end, walleyes were stacked up along a steep shoreline break. To the west, they were straddling a slow tapering breakline between the shallow flats and deeper water. Up north, walleyes were holding in a trough formed by the tailwaters of Third River Flowage, the large flat between Stony and Mallard Points. To the east, folks found fish along the Mississippi River channel and on the weed flats in Tamarack Bay.
One generalization about the 2021 season so far is that fish are located significantly deeper than they were during the 2020 fishing season. That is because the water, especially in Lake Winnie is much clearer than it was last year. For now, it’s anybody’s guess whether the clear water conditions will persist this summer. That will depend on how much rainfall the area receives; how warm the water gets and how effective the Zebra Mussels reproduce this season. We will keep you posted about water conditions every week.
Because the water is so clear, most fish have been caught in water depths of 15 to 22 feet. There were exceptions, anglers who hit the lake early in the mornings or stayed out late in the evening have found some action in shallower water. But during the daytime, conditions have been clear, sunny, and calm, 15 feet has been the minimum starting depth for most anglers.
Walleye Location Depends On Baitfish Habitat Click Image For Article
Clear water is slow to warm, but the trend is upward. Anglers are reporting surface temperatures ranging from 53 to 58 degrees on the big lake, slightly warmer in both Cutfoot and Little Cutfoot. Shiner minnows are responding to the warming trend and live bait trappers say that they began running in earnest about 5 days ago.
Schools of spawning shiners will be key to locating not only walleyes, but perch and pike as well. Assuming that we eventually get some cloudy, breezy weather conditions, baitfish along the shoreline SHOULD trigger periodic shallow water action. When that happens, all 3 species can be caught at the same time, using the same presentation. For an informative article about walleye location in relation to baitfish, click the image above.
Jig and minnow, as usual, has been the mainstay presentation for most anglers. Using ¼ ounce weights has been best for anglers fishing over the deeper schools of fish, 1/8-ounce jigs are better at the shallow end of the spectrum. Shiners have been plentiful so far and that is what most folks are tipping their jigs with. Large fatheads and rainbow chubs are producing fish too, so for jig fishing, don’t be afraid to use them as well.
Lindy Rigging has started earlier than usual for some, rigging large, lively minnows or air injected night crawler have added extra fish to their larders. Probably because of calm conditions, the slower, more methodic presentation is triggering strikes from neutral-to-negative fish. So, if you mark a school of fish on your graph and they snub your jig and minnow, try Lindy Rigs before you leave the area.
Walleyes and walleye fishing consume most anglers during the early season, but occasionally folks ask about whether crappies have begun spawning. The answer today is not yet. We thought that maybe we’d find some in shallow water on Monday, but an hour-long scan of the shallows didn’t produce any sightings. This is likely to change soon especially if the warming trend continues, we’ll keep you posted.
We love eating fish and we want you to enjoy a family fish fry whenever you want to, but we also think it’s good not to go overboard. So, before we end the report today, let us give you one “conservative minded” sales pitch about the class of 2018 walleyes.
These 2018 fish have the potential to provide years of great fishing, if we don’t pull out too many, too fast. Most, if not all of the 13-to-14-inch walleyes in Winnie have not yet matured. But they will this summer and if they are left in the lake, will spawn for the first-time next spring, just before the 2022 fishing season begins.
We suggest helping them along by setting your own voluntary size and bag limits and then sticking to them. Keep a few for a meal, release a few to provide seed for another season; it only makes sense.
During our formative years at Bowen Lodge, we made a lot of headway with anglers by promoting conservation. Ideas like voluntarily releasing adult, female fish and being selective about which fish made it to the fillet table. We would love to see that spirit of cooperation return to our lake and there is no time like the present to get it started.
Cheers and happy fishing, we will be seeing you on the lake! And don’t forget, if you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and say hi, we’d love to chat and give you a tour!