Summer Fishing Is Here!

June is proving to be the great fishing month we expect it to be in Otter Tail Lakes Country.  Northern pike, walleye, bass and sunfish are all biting very well. Whereas, Crappie are in post-spawn so they are difficult to find on most lakes all around the county.  Sunfish are easy to find from the lake shore out to the first drop off.

Summer is nearly here, and the water is warming rapidly so be sure to consecrate your fishing efforts near the developing weeds where most fish species consider their home.  It’s time to put your early season fishing methods to rest and get into the mentality of full-on summer fishing.  Walleye and other species no longer require a minnow or a lethargic presentation to make them bite.  Horizontally presented baits and artificial lures are working – and you can work them at a higher speeds ( .5–1.5 mph).  Spinners, night crawlers and leeches will work for walleye, northern and sunfish, but try small plastic baits and small-sized spinner baits for largemouth bass.  

Don’t forget to bring the sunscreen this weekend, it’s going to be hot in Otter Tail Lakes Country.  Also, keep in mind that the mayflies are beginning to hatch so if one lake is having a strong hatch, you may want to consider moving to another one that isn’t affected by hatching.

Good luck fishing in Otter Tail County this week!  Remember to drain your live wells and remove all the weeds from your boat and trailer and be kind to the AIS inspectors at the landings—they are helping us keep our lakes free of AIS.  

By Ross Hagemeister, meisterguideservice.com