What A Warm Up!
[Photo above provided by Ten Mile Lake Resort]
Good Morning anglers everywhere!
Otter Tail Lakes Country is hopping! We’re having July in June—it’s kind of like breakfast for dinner. Wow! It’s been warm and the temps are on the rise…Lake surface temps have surged into the upper 60’s and low 70’s this week. The fishing hasn’t followed suite yet. Walleye and northern seem easy to find but haven’t quite hit the switch yet.
Most lakes are providing decent fishing and decent catches if you work at it and switch bait and lures along with colors and depths. But over all it’s been a bit challenging. It’s the kind of thing that I’ve seen off and on over the past 20 years. The good news is that when the walleye come out of their funk—they’ll bite well—and that could happen any day now!
Panfish have been challenging as well. Large sunfish are staging for spawn on drops over weeds. Soon they will come in a bed. If you find some nice sunfish right now, please know that they are spawning or getting ready to—release the large ones, especially the large (and colorful) bull males. Sunfish populations need these large bulls to protect nests and strong gene pools.
Night crawlers and leeches are good baits for all species. For faster northern pike action try trolling crank baits over weedy flats near deep water or directly over the tops of cabbage stands. Crappie are very dispersed after their spawn, the best crappie fishing right now is on first drops over and near cabbage.
Good luck fishing Otter Tail Lakes Country this week!
Ross Hagemeister
