October 9, 2026 "Fat and Happy; Winnie's Lethargic Walleyes"

I'm paraphrasing an email message from Rand Olson about baitfish populations in Winnibigoshish and the impact on walleye activity.

Olson, "Jeff, we were at Bowen Lodge on the day that you had clients there and I'm sorry our paths didn't cross. We are just home from our 12-day fall fishing trip on Lake Winnie and I’ve been reading your recent posts about "The Mystery" (of missing walleyes) and wanted to comment on our fishing experience. 

For us, fishing was extremely challenging, maybe my most challenging year ever. While I’m maybe not the foremost authority on walleye fishing, I do still think I can usually catch fish. On this trip, I could never find a (consistent) bite or a pattern. We fished at depths of 4 to 14' feet of water and frequently saw fish, sometimes lots of fish using 1 of my 2 Live scopes. Getting those fish to bite was a significant challenge.

Here is one thought I want to run by you. We fished primarily from the Rock Pile all the way up the shoreline to the Third River; we fished a little bit near Raven’s Point too. While Winnie has never suffered from any less than ample supply of forage fish, this year, baitfish populations seemed to be even heavier than normal. During many of our drifts across the Rock Pile, baitfish clouded the screen of my graph solid, from top-to-bottom. Clouds of baitfish showed up all the way from 14 feet, up to 6 feet. Many times, the bait was so dense that the 2D sonar could not even detect any bottom depth. We could see fish amid these gargantuan bait clouds, but good luck getting them to notice our jigs.

We fished mostly along the North Shores, so, I’m wondering if south winds 6 days out of 7 added to this situation?

I told the guys that this was like trying to catch fish that had just pushed away from a Thanksgiving feast, including 3 desserts and trying to offer them a 4th, they just didn’t seem interested.

What are your thoughts on the number of baitfish on Winnie this year? Every fish we cleaned was chunky and coughing up minnows.

With the big winds we encountered, traveling from Bowen's to the south shore would not have been fun. In retrospect though, I'm wondering if we should have spent more time fishing along shorelines with significantly less minnow clouds? Please comment on your thoughts to the baitfish quantity.

Rand, thank you for the thoughtful comments and detailed recap of your recent trip to Winnibigoshish. Like you, I and my customers have endured the fickle nature of Lake Winnie's fat, and very well-fed walleyes. There have been days when fishing has been awesome, but then there have been difficult days for us too. No 2 days are alike, and no school of fish stays in position very long. So, when we find them biting, we are heros but when we find them, as you say, after they've feasted, we are zeros.

Sorting out what's happening with the Winnie Walleyes is not a simple matter because there are several layers of both biological and weather-related conditions going on at the same time. That said, the cumulative impact on walleye fishing is that the balance of predator vs prey has temporarily shifted.

Recalling the teachings of my friend and mentor, fisheries biologist and outdoor writer, Dick Sternberg, altering the balance between walleyes and baitfish, even a little bit can completely transform the activity in any lake. When there's a surplus of predators, anglers enjoy great fishing. But when the balance shifts, and there's a surplus of baitfish, a "hot bite" ends, and a lake can appear to be a "dead sea".

For the past several years anglers had been spoiled by the large populations of walleyes from 2019 and 2018. There were enough walleyes in the system to shift that predator prey relationship in favor of walleye fishers. Those fish, after 4 to 5 years of heavy fishing pressure have been “thinned out”. At the same time, Lake Winnie hasn’t produced any exceptional new year class of walleyes. While there are a variety of various aged fish present, there are no longer enough of them to consume all the available food supplies.

The excess baitfish have probably come from more than one source. Decreased minnow trapping activity on the lake likely accounts for some increase in the number of shiners in the lake. Lower water levels may be forcing some baitfish away from the shallows and out into open water too. Perch, or other small game fish may also have had a fantastic spawning season, adding more than the typical number of young minnows and baitfish to the system. When you add up all of the possibilities, its easy to imagine why baitfish populations are so strong.

The excess supplies of baitfish, as you’ve observed, are more than enough to keep the fish well fed. Any hungry walleye can locate and consume its food in short, but intense spurts. So, when an angler happens to find fish while they’re feeding, the action is fantastic. Locating the same school of fish when they’re not feeding and it’s like pulling teeth to make them bite.

If there’s any bit of advice I can offer, it is to keep moving and searching for active schools of fish. Avoid falling into the trap of seeing fish on your electronics and then stubbornly trying to “make them bite”. The time wasted, I think, on attempting to feed lethargic fish is better spent searching for a more active school of fish.

Another thing that’s been working for me is to use non-traditional presentations. As much as I love jig and minnow fishing, it is simply not producing the best results right now. Wiggle worming, even in the cool 56-to-57-degree water has been productive enough to make it worth the trouble. We aren’t necessarily setting the word on fire, but using the night crawlers, I can amass a respectable catch on most trips.

Slip floats, used to suspend night crawlers, or extra-large minnows is working too. Employed mostly by the “sharpshooters” using forward sonar to locate fish, the locate, stop and drop method continues to produce better results than jig and minnow presentations.

When will the situation change? Whenever the lake’s walleye population increases, and the predator prey balance shifts again. If the lake decides to produce another large year class, or if the DNR decides to increase the number of fish stocked, the fishing will likely become easier again.

One thing is certain, change will occur; nature will provide a population of something that feeds on those clouds of baitfish you’ve observed. For all we know, it already has; maybe some of those huge baitfish balls are small walleyes, growing slowly but surely into another year class that will dominate the lake again. I for one will be very anxious to get my first look at the DNR’s population assessments from this past summer. With luck, they’ll have some good news to share. — Office Call or Text 218-245-9858 or EMAIL or Facebook or X

News Release June 16, 2026 "Add your voice to the conservation conversation by joining a Minnesota DNR advisory group"

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is recruiting new members to serve on several key advisory groups related to natural resource management.

The DNR has a long and proud tradition of working closely with advisory groups as we manage natural resources across Minnesota. With their diverse membership, advisory group members share a wide range of important perspectives and experiences with DNR.

Because no single group can effectively and credibly address the full scope of DNR’s resource management responsibilities, we rely on several different advisory groups, each of which allows members to focus on particular aspects of our work to help shape thoughtful, balanced, and community informed decisions. We’re currently seeking new members to join ..." Learn More >> Advisory Work Group Positions Available October 8, 2026

Ely Area, Arrowhead Outdoors Fishing Report October 7, 2026

"Walleye anglers reported a steady increase in surface water temperatures this last week. Water temperatures returned into the mid-60 degree range and the warming tempertures resulted in a mixture of fishing reports about where to fish, and what were the best baits for catching walleyes.

Warmer water seemed to have cooled off the minnow bite, quite a bit for some. Spinner rigs tipped with either a crawler or a minnow seemed to be the most effective to find bitters. Most anglers fishing this way found walleyes in 20 to 25 feet of water. Often time while working around sunken islands, sharp breaks and river mouths.

If you're looking for a trophy walleye there remains a handful of anglers that continue to report catching big walleyes in water depths of 5 to 12 feet of water while floating a large sucker under a bobber looking for pike.

As water temperatures rose, smallmouth bass activity, just like with the walleye fishing, cooled off some this last week. Best location continues to be out on top of sunken islands in that 8 to 20 feet of water. Right on top is where the most active smallies are being found. Anglers have been having good luck with crankbaits, swimbaits and drop shotting either crawfish or minnow style soft plastics.

Stream trout anglers continue to report really consistent angling this last week. Shore anglers and boat anglers alike have been catching rainbows with a night crawler 5 to 10 under a bobber. Spoons, jigs and twisters and small brightly colored crankbait are also really starting to become really effective for all anglers now too. Shore anglers have also been catching some Splake as Splake start checking out gravel bars to spawn on. Floating a night crawler 1 to 3 feet off the bottom is very effective here.

Northern pike anglers fishing from their docks with large suckers reported catching some quality pike this last week. Anglers fishing from a boat reported finding quality pike around river mouths and large rocky main lake points. As water temperatures drop, minnows will start dropping out of the rivers. Pike, walleyes and smallies all know this and are waiting for them. Ciscos and whitefish will be looking to spawn soon too. Rocky main lake points and river mouths are where they spawn. Again, trophy pike know this and wait for them to show up.

Panfish reports were few and far between this last week. The few reports we heard this last week came from anglers finding them in 12 to 18 feet of water. Anglers catch them fishing a crappie minnow on a drop shot or jigging a jig/twister." — Arrowhead Outdoors, 218-365-5358

Wired2Fish October 7, 2026 "The Pros and Cons of Using Perspective Mode on Forward-Facing Sonar"

"There are so many options these days when deciding what electronics to put on your boat. From numerous brands to different screen sizes to varying technologies, the options can be overwhelming. LIVE sonar is the hot commodity for sure, with now-traditional forward-facing sonar (FFS) views like Garmin LiveScope 2, Humminbird Mega LIVE 2, and Lowrance Active Target 2. But the vertical view of these only tells part of the story: Each also has the capability to run LIVE sonar horizontally now.

Garmin’s Perspective Mode, Humminbird’s Landscape Mode, and Lowrance’s Scout Mode all offer a new angle on LIVE sonar, swapping from a vertical slice of the pie to a horizontal one. While this tech can’t compete with traditional FFS at great distances and depths, it does do certain things better.

To find a source familiar with this tech, I reached out to ..." Read Full Story >> The Pros and Cons of Using Perspective Mode on Forward-Facing Sonar

October 7, 2026 "What Happened to Sundin's Lindy Live Bait Jig?"

October 2026 Paul Plinske wrote: "Jeff, do they still manufacture and sell your Lindy Live Bait Jigs? I’ve looked around for them where I live, and also looked for them this fall up in both Deer River and Grand Rapids but I can’t find them."

Paul, thank you for the question. Unfortunately, no, the Lindy version of my original jig is no longer available. Like many of the larger manufacturers, Lindy is "getting ahead" of proposed bans on the sale and use of certain sizes of lead fishing sinkers and fishing lures.

Lindy has replaced the standard version of the Live Bait Jigs with a different, non-toxic version using Bismuth rather than lead.  Their new offering, called the Lindy B-Max™ Live Bait Jig is widely available in stores, and on the Lurenet website too. I do see these items for sale at some of the Deer River and Grand Rapids area tackle shops.

When the B Max jigs first came out, some of the folks at Lindy offered to provide me with some of them for testing and assessment. Sadly, those lures were never delivered to me, so to date, I have not used them and can’t speak to their effectiveness as a replacement for my original design jigs. Because I don't know whether the B Max version is equal to Lindy's original lead-based version of the Live Bait Jig, I can’t honestly say whether I’d endorse them, or not.

If you try them, I’m sure that FishRapper readers would appreciate your feedback. So, please do provide comments for us if you decide to go that route. — Office Call or Text 218-245-9858 or EMAIL or Facebook or X

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report October 7, 2026

"Fall fishing is in full swing on Lake of the Woods. Water temps have dropped into the mid-50s, and that cooling has the walleyes doing exactly what anglers hope for this time of year. The fall movement is on, fish are pulling in toward shore, and the jig bite is hitting its stride. October is a great month to get your last open-water fishing of the year in.

Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)

The fall walleye movement is really rolling now. Nice walleyes have pushed in to within a couple of miles of shore on the south end, which makes for a shorter run and some excellent fishing. Some really good fish are coming to the boat for anglers who anchor up or spot-lock and vertical jig.

This is classic stained-water fishing, and the traditional colors are doing the job. Gold, gold/pink, and chartreuse have all been working well, and a jig tipped with a minnow has been tough to beat. If you haven't jigged the south shore this fall yet, now's the time.

The Rainy River

More and more walleyes are continuing to move into the river, and the bite is building right along with the fish count. Just like on the big water, anchoring up and jigging has been the go-to technique. As the run keeps strengthening through October, the river only gets better.

Sturgeon fishing is picking up as well. The shorter days and cooler water have these prehistoric giants more active, and this bite will keep improving as the season rolls on. It's a great time to tangle with the biggest freshwater fish most anglers will ever catch.

Northwest Angle

Walleye fishing remains excellent up at the Angle, with good numbers of fish being caught. The muskies and crappies are cooperating too, keeping the multispecies action strong among the islands. It's hard to beat the variety up here in the fall, and the fishing this week is proving it out.

Fall fishing is as good as it gets right now, and October is the month to get your last open-water trip of the year in before the hard-water season arrives. Guides, charters, and resorts around the lake are ready to help you make it happen." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

October 6, 2026 "Sundin's Mystery of the Missing Walleyes Part 2"

On Monday, I compared notes about walleye fishing with a few of my friends. One of them, implying that fishing for him has been good, offered this; “The fall bite in the area is now showing its true colors! All area lakes seem to be clicking on all cylinders. With stable weather we should have an extended season.” The other, implying that fishing has not been good, offered this; “The water is just too warm, maybe by Labor Day the fall bite will be on.”

Okay, if I wasn’t already frustrated and confused by the fickle nature of Minnesota walleyes, I was after reading those 2 communications. They left me wondering why one friend believes that fishing is good, while the other one believes it isn’t? I’ll bet you wonder too, which one of them is right and which one is wrong?

Well, the answer is that they’re both right, and at the same time, they’re both wrong. On one hand, water temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50s are good for walleye fishing and I believe that’s a fact. I have never experienced bad fishing during fall when water temperatures are in this ideal temperature range. On the other hand, just because water temperatures are favorable for walleye fishing doesn’t mean that walleye fishing, area wide, is “firing on all cylinders” either. The difference between these 2 extremely capable anglers is that one of them is finding fish, and the other one isn’t.

Depending on the day, I am finding myself in both situations, sometimes on the same days. Lately, when I find the walleyes, they bite and we catch good numbers of them. Some days though, I don’t find them and then it feels like I just can’t do anything right. It’s on me, I freely admit it, I try as many spots as I can think of, and offer as many presentations as possible, but some days, my luck runs out. If you’ve read recent reports, you’ll notice the pattern, some days, I get lucky and some days, I don’t.

On Sunday, I asked; “Is it possible that nature could bring a lake’s water temperature into an “ideal range” without the fish responding favorably to the change?”

My answer to that question was this, “The scientific answer to that question may be over my pay grade, temporarily at least. The anecdotal answer though, is yes, I do believe that a sudden change in water temperature can ruin an otherwise good day of fishing. Adding other variables to the equation complicates the matter even more. Barometric pressure, sunshine, wind velocity, baitfish locations … and who knows whatever else the fish are responding to on any given day.”

Okay, we talk a lot about water temperature and by now, you are likely to realize that the velocity of a change in water temperatures temporarily affects fish activity. For example, a couple of days after the sudden plunge from 62 degrees down to 57 degrees killed my walleye fishing. The same spots where we caught good numbers of fish on Tuesday were vacated by Friday.

On that day, I tried every spot I could think of and squeezed in as many stops as possible during my allotted time. I never connected with a good number of fish AND COULD HAVE GONE HOME BELIEVING THAT THE FISH “WERE NOT BITING”. The problem was that somebody else did find them and on that same day, caught a lot of fish. I saw them with my own eyes at the fish cleaning station and there was no denying it, I simply failed to locate the fish.

It happened again on Sunday, but not to me. While we were off celebrating our daughter’s 5-year birthday, some friends were fishing on Winnie and struggling. No matter where they went, fish could not be found and for them, the conclusion, previously mentioned was; “The water is just too warm, maybe by Labor Day the fall bite will be on.” But at the same time, another friend reported finding a school of active walleyes and catching 40 or more of them in just a few hours. The only difference was the location, nothing more, nothing less.

The variables, fish populations and baitfish supplies are responsible for the complicated bite on Winnibigoshish this fall, I think. For several years now, we’ve been spoiled by the strong year classes of fish from both 2018 and 2019. We could find fish more easily because there were simply more of them to find. Now, because the population has been reduced, finding smaller schools of fish takes time, sometimes more time than we have available to work with.

Baitfish populations on the other hand are strong. There are lots of small perch, along with shiner minnows and other small gamefish in the lake. The balance of predators to prey has shifted enough to make feeding easy. Smaller numbers of walleyes combined with larger numbers of baitfish means that fish can go on short, but intense feeding runs. They can pick and choose the best times, and the most favorable weather conditions for feeding. When we find the right spot at the right time, fishing is good, very good.

I’m not sure if this report will be helpful to many, but for those of you who are still fishing, it might. The day will come when cooling water temperatures do become a problem. But for now, location is the key and it’s on us to figure that part out.

The only helpful advice that I can offer right now is that walleyes have stubbornly focused on shallow water. Every instance of really good walleye fishing that’s occurred this past week happened in water depths of 5 to 7 feet of water. Some fish have been found on rocks, especially when its been windy. Other fish have been located over the tops of low-lying weeds like eelgrass. Minnows are holding in the weed stubble, and predators are holding tight and waiting to ambush them.

It may be coincidence, but this week, I’ve had decent success in areas where gulls are feeding on minnows. In most areas, the activity occurs in water depths so shallow that boating into them isn’t possible. Still, some of the baitfish must be located out and away from the shallowest water. Shallow flats, with the presence of larger schools of minnows and feeding gulls appears to be worth noting.

Last week, I had good results using night crawlers, but in the past few days, not so much. Jigs and minnows are producing better results now and the jigs we’re using may surprise you. Fish appear to prefer a simple 1/8 ounce round jig head, unpainted, with a size #1 red hook. For whatever reason, these unpainted jigs are working better than the other shapes and colors we’ve tried. I know that finding these might not be easy, but alternatives, like black, dark green or blue that feature red hooks might be worth trying.

Since my last report, my calendar filled up a little bit more so now, I have even more days of reporting ahead of me. I’m on duty every day for the next week, so be sure to check up on the progress reports. If you’re out on the lake, be sure to swing by and say hello, it’s always nice to greet fellow anglers on the water. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

Wired2Fish October 5, 2026 "Why Some People Stop Fishing, And Ways to Reverse the Trend"

"Tyson Seirer represents a troubling trend in the fishing world. He is an avid outdoorsman, hunting pheasants and quail, and training bird dogs. But he doesn’t fish.

“I live just a mile from Waconda Lake (in north-central Kansas) and we’re there almost every weekend in the summer,” he told Wired2Fish. “It’s just that we don’t have a fishing pole in our hands.”

Seirer has bought a fishing license only once in the past 10 years. He cites many reasons. But it all boils down to one major reason: a lack of time. “I fall into that 35- to 45-year-old age range where families are busy,” he said. “We have two young children and they’re involved in all kinds of activities. There’s so much more to do now than when we were kids.” Seirer admits his family could make time for fishing if they ..." Read Full Story >> Why Some People Stop Fishing, And Ways to Reverse the Trend

October 4, 2026 "The Mystery of the Missing Walleyes"

Water temperature and its impact on fishing is a tricky topic. On one hand, the surface temperature is a simple number, and based on this alone, one would imagine that we “should” be able to determine fish activity. On the other hand, how the lake arrives at a given water temperature has a lot to do with fish activity too.

Is it possible that nature could bring a lake’s water temperature into an “ideal range” without the fish responding favorably to the change?

The scientific answer to that question may be over my pay grade, temporarily at least. The anecdotal answer though, is yes, I do believe that a sudden change in water temperature can ruin an otherwise good day of fishing.

Adding other variables to the equation complicates the matter even more. Barometric pressure, sunshine, wind velocity, baitfish locations … and who knows whatever else the fish are responding to on any given day.

My day of fishing on Lake Winnie yesterday offered examples of things I still don’t know. Despite fishing conditions that should have been ideal, fish, in the areas I explored, did not respond favorably. Cloudy skies, a stiff south wind and surface water in the 57-to-58-degree range did not help either I, or my charter Ken Seufert catch fish. While we did catch some, it was far from the level we’d experienced in the past, and nothing at all like the fishing my customers enjoyed just last week.

There may well be areas of the lake including some of the spots we caught fish last week, where fish were active. But the gusty south winds made vast areas of the north, northwest and east sides of the lake virtually unmanageable. So, my judgement about fish activity is limited to the areas where we could fish safely. In those areas, south, southwest and a small portion of the southeast shorelines, small pods of fish were scattered, and acting finicky.

There was one blessing, despite the cooler water, an algae bloom persists and visibility is relatively low. I struggled to see bottom in water depths of 6 to 8 feet, and that dingy water allowed us to boat at least some of the fish from shallow water. For us, 5 to 6 feet was the deepest water where we caught any walleyes. Perch, and a couple of pike were located slightly deeper, but not much over 7 to 8 feet deep.

Jigs, 1/8-ounce unpainted round heads with red hooks seemed to be the preferred color. We tipped them with golden shiners and fished them using a hop-drop-hop-drop motion. Tentative strikes required long waiting times to set the hook. I experienced several pickups by fish that quickly dropped the baits before I could attempt catching them. The wiggle worming that worked well last week did not produce fish yesterday. Small perch picking the crawlers apart was the best I could do using them.

Targeting the shallow water, we drifted along the shoreline breaks in 5 to 6 feet of water. We kept fishing, finding a few small schools of fish and caught the ones we could before the fish dispersed. Yesterday, harvesting the “legal ones” and releasing the protected ones was a definite deterrent to gather a large larder. Our bag was light, but as always, there were some highlights and overall, our experience was still a good one.

Watching gulls working, over the shallow water flats provided evidence of why walleye, perch and pike were located nearby. Intense periods of feeding on minnows and small gamefish occurred at irregular intervals. As it happened, one of those feeding frenzies happened as I was retrieving my truck at days end. Whatever they were eating made them oblivious to me and my phone camera. If you like, you can view the short video I put up here. Gulls In Shallow Water Feeding Frenzy

Okay, I know this isn’t the most optimistic report, but it is what it is. At least now the suspense is over, we’ve had our first frost, a big temperature drop has occurred and soon, there will be a recovery. It’s never fun to be here when a major shift in water conditions occurs, but in the end, this will be beneficial. Hopefully folks planning to fish in the region during the coming weeks will enjoy better conditions and a more bountiful harvest.

For me, 9 more trips are scheduled, and potentially, a few more will be added. So, more reports will follow, and I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

October 2, 2026 "Lucky Day on Lake Winnie!"

Looking in the mirror this past Wednesday morning, I had an interesting conversation with myself, it went something like this.

Conversations like this, between me and “mirror me” happen more often than you’d think, and this one couldn’t have been more accurate, or more common. All summer long, the subject of walleye fishing Lake Winnie has been recurring. All summer long, there have been times when walleyes showed up, were actively feeding, and dazzled my fishing customers. But then there have been other times when walleyes appeared to be nothing, but illusions printed on the screen of my sonar gear.

I haven’t been the only one frustrated by the fickle walleyes in Winnie. Most folks have had their own struggles to produce consistent results on the big lake. One thing I learned on Tuesday though is that there are walleyes in there, and when they want to bite, the action can be awesome. There are a lot more walleyes in the lake than we’ve realized, and there are fish from a variety of year classes. Many of them are of better-quality sizes than folks have suspected too.

Another thing I learned, I think, is that we are still observing fish that respond better to summer fishing presentations than they do fall methods. Night crawlers, fished on 1/16-ounce live bait jigs provided 90% of our catch on Tuesday. Yes, there were some fish caught using 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with shiners too, but wiggle worming produced a lot more strikes. The fish struck the worms more aggressively too, making this the best day of walleye fishing I’d experienced in the past couple of months.

Part of the reason, perhaps the main reason why we did so well on Tuesday was the weather. Grey, skies, occasional drizzle, and south winds that churned up whitecaps turned the walleyes on. Conditions were ideal, they were exactly what I’ve prayed for all summer long. In the shallow water, 5 to 6 feet deep, the waves produced strong current that combined with lower visibility, made it easy for us to use traditional tactics. Drift sock in the water, floating along the breakline and wiggle worming produced consistently for most of the day.

Recently, we’ve waited for cooler water temperatures to help kick in seasonal migrations. But with warm overnight temperatures and summerlike conditions during the daytime, surface temperatures have been locked in at 61 to 62 degrees. It’s been clear that walleyes are in “the feeding mood” and at times, traditional fall fishing patterns appeared to be right around the corner. But then, just when we expect improvement, summer conditions send us back into the doldrums.

I’ve been optimistic though because even on the wrong days, we do still catch some fish and that has been an improvement. On Monday, fishing with Nathan and Hank Milius, conditions were not ideal. The air was calm, the skies were semi-clear, and the water’s surface was smooth. Despite the poor fishing conditions, we still managed a respectable catch, harvesting 10 keepers and releasing another half dozen or so large, protected slot walleyes. At the time, I mentioned to my crew that if we were catching any fish on that day, the indication was that ideal fishing conditions would produce much better results.

As it happened, that calm day with Hank and Nathan on Monday actually set the stage for our good performance on Tuesday. Why? Because it was the calm conditions and sluggish walleye attitudes that forced me to get creative. My experiment with wiggle worming as an alternative to jigging with minnows might not have happened otherwise. When we discovered that walleyes showed a preference for the night crawlers, our productivity really improved. So, the knowledge I gained on that trip set the stage for an early boost in our action on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Fishing with Larry, Tim and Mike, we began our day with all three of my crew using jig and minnow combinations. I would provide the test for whether wiggle worming was still the preferred presentation, or not.  It was, in fact, the first walleye of the morning was caught on my night crawler, so was the second one and the third one too.  By now, I was hearing the voices of my crew saying, “I’ll try one of those, so will I, and hand me one too.” Now, with all of us fishing wiggle worm combos, the walleye bites were aggressive and the action was steady.

Okay, the pattern isn’t going to last forever, but while summer-like conditions persist, wiggle worming should be considered as a prime option.

Cooler weather is coming, this morning (Friday 4:45 AM) here in Grand Rapids, I have 40 degrees on the air temperature thermometer. Over at Bena Minnesota, it is 36 degrees at the moment. When I arrive at the lake today, I expect to see water temperatures in the upper 50s. The cooler water will encourage more fish migrations, but the best movements will likely still occur when the wind, clouds and waves combine to encourage feeding movements. I’m skeptical whether we can expect the same level of action we enjoyed this Tuesday, but when get similar weather conditions, it should be good.

Hopefully, you understand that I’m not patting myself on the back or taking credit for my crew’s great fishing trip. I do realize that we got lucky. The wind was blowing, the sky was cloudy and the fish were on the prowl. That said, a little knowledge and extra preparation definitely do help set the stage for lucky days like that one to occur. That’s why I write these reports, so my experiences can offer you that boost, a little extra pre-trip planning to help put you in the right spot at the right time.

We’ll see where the next few days lead us. Both today and Saturday will be spent walleye fishing with a new crew. After that, I’ll have trips scheduled for most days until mid-October and there will be plenty of reports coming. I’m looking at the weather, and if it stays warm, I might open up a few extra dates. If you’ve been thinking about one last fishing trip before winter sets in, consider whether October 19th through 23rd appeal to you, if so, we can chat about the potential to make it happen. — Jeff Sundin, The Early Bird Fishing Guide Call-Text 218-245-9858 • Email • Facebook • X • Subscribe Insider Newsletter

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report October 1, 2026

"The fall transition is well underway on Lake of the Woods. Water temps are still hovering around that 60-degree mark, and the walleyes are starting to shift toward their fall locations closer to shore. Plenty of fish are still out in the basin, though, so there's more than one game to play right now. Here's a look at the three areas this week.

Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)

The walleyes are on the move. As fall settles in, more and more fish are sliding toward their fall haunts nearer shore, even as good numbers hang back in the basin. That mix of locations is classic for this time of year.

The big change this week is the jig bite. More anglers have gone back to jigging with a minnow, and they're having good success doing it. That said, spinners and crawlers and trolling crankbaits are both still producing, so there's no wrong answer. It really comes down to how you like to fish and where you find them.

Don't sleep on the smallmouth bass, either. Anglers are catching some nice ones, including at least one over six pounds this week. Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River have a tremendous smallmouth population that flies under the radar, mostly because everyone up here is chasing walleyes. If you want to tangle with a true trophy smallie, this is a great place to do it.

Rainy River

Things are heating up on the river. Balls of emerald shiners have started showing up, and some anglers are already reporting good catches of walleyes as fish key in on that bait. This is the very start of the fall run, and the activity will only increase as we move into October. If the famous Rainy River fall walleye run is on your list, now's the time to start watching it closely.

The sturgeon are cooperating, too. There's been some good activity this week, with a few fish topping 60 inches reported. Sturgeon fishing tends to get better and better as the days shorten and the water cools, so this bite is just getting rolling as well.

Northwest Angle

Up at the Angle, anglers are still reporting big numbers of walleyes, and the traditional fall spots are really producing. Alongside the walleyes, jumbo perch, smallmouth bass, and pike are all doing well, making it a great stretch for a mixed bag.

Fall is also prime time for crappies, when they gather into big schools, and that's exactly what's happening. Some nice slabs are coming to the boat. Muskie anglers are getting in on the action too, with some nice fish reported. Fall is flat-out a good time to go fishing, and the Angle is showing why.

Before you go, here's a quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately. Anglers are allowed to posess one walleye over 28.0 inches. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.

Guides and charters across Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River are still available, usually through October. It's a great chance to get that last open-water trip in before the hard-water season begins in December. Come enjoy some of the best fishing of the year while it's here." — Lake of the Woods Tourism, (800) 382-FISH

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