Line Up the Crankbaits & Lean Back!
Hello fishing enthusiasts!
Otter Tail Lakes Country lakes continue to warm – water temps this week are about 70–72 degrees. Some of the larger deeper lakes are a bit cooler, but not much. I’ve been seeing a lot of skiing, tubing and swimming around the lakes—that’s a sure sign the water is nearing true summer temps! 
What do the rising temps mean to anglers? It means crappie, sunfish and bass are all done spawning and are setting up in summer patterns. You can find all of those species near weed lines and drop offs. It’s not unusual to find largemouth and smallmouth bass in 25 feet of water—especially on deep weedy humps and points. Northern continue to hang out near weed lines as well—especially since panfish are occupying those zones. An easy way to fish for northern is to troll crankbaits near drop-offs, especially over the tops of cabbage weeds. Most mid-depth diving lures will work – just stay on your toes when it comes to color selection.
Walleye are still situating in late spring patterns all around lakes country. This means they will still be shifting in and out of patterns a couple more times over the next couple weeks. Good places to start are deep weed lines in depths between 15 – 25 feet. Night crawlers and leeches are standard good baits for walleye throughout the summer. Minnows are good baits too, but they require more effort and care to keep alive. While crankbaits are good fishing choices for northern pike, they are also good choices for walleye. If you’d like to hang a rod in a rod holder and tool around with a pop in your hand and catch fish, then crankbaits are the ticket. Enjoy fishing Otter Tail Lakes Country this week!
Good Luck,
Ross Hagemeister
