Fish are Making Shifts from Summer Habits to Fall Patterns
Things are changing in Otter Tail Country. We seem to be stepping closer and closer to fall time. September, after all, 
begins next week. The fish, too, are making shifts from summer habits into fall patterns. It can be a tricky time of the year—it’s a pretty major transition/transformation. To make things a bit more challenging we’ve had some cool weather over the past couple of weeks and it’s greatly reduced the water temps throughout the county. Eleven days ago the water temps were 82 degrees—mid day. Today they were 67 degrees. Wow! That’s a rapid cool down. What does this mean for our fishing? Keep on your toes, pay attention to the little things. Leader lengths, trolling speeds, jig zip and color, and the size and type of live bait all matter. And don’t expect the fish to stay in the same spots everyday right now. Walleye, bass, panfish and pike are all feeding, but they are shifting away from their summer holds into new areas. Nearly all of the fish species are appearing closer to drop-off areas and weed lines. Fish that were shallow all summer are beginning to migrate out to the edges and fish that were deep are beginning to push shallower. It’s an exciting time in Otter Tail Country—there’s no time like fall fishing, and while transition fishing can be more challenging, the fish are very catchable—you just have to get your boat over the top of them. Here’s a few tips: Many of Ottertail Country’s lakes are taking on a late-summer stain which makes the water darker. Try using bright colors, and keep your trolling speeds down. Also, while I’m finding smaller-class panfish in and near weeds, I’m finding larger panfish away from heavy vegetation on drop-offs. Good luck fishing Ottertail County’s fall transition.
