Where are the fish biting?

Paul Mcmorik of St. Louis, Missouri caught this beautiful lake trout on May 12 using a Beaver House spoon.

Brook trout fishermen— and fisherwomen—are reporting a slow bite right now in area streams, but that should improve with the water warming up (whenever that happens) and the utterly unavoidable occurrence of the mosquito hatch, and later the mayfly hatch. If you fish, you know the old saying, when the mosquitos bite best, so too do the fish.

Inland lakes are starting to produce decent action. Forrest Parsons said groups (and individuals) fishing Hungry Jack Lake are catching some smallmouth bass, which are still spawning. A few walleye in the 19- to 22- inch range are also being taken on trolling raps in Hungry Jack, said Forrest.

Moss Lake has been producing limits of lake trout and rainbow trout are being caught in Leo Lake, but there are a lot of people fishing there, so one might try Birch Lake for rainbow or head to Portage Lake, which is producing some nice splake.

Closer to Grand Marais, Tyson Cronberg caught a 17½-pound northern from Devil’s Track Lake recently, and he was casting from shore when he hooked the beast.

Lake Superior fishing has been good, reports Kelly Shepard of North Shores Outdoors Lake Superior Charters.

Lake trout are being caught in about 180 feet of water, said Shepard, adding, “Walleyes [inland lakes] are starting to show from 6 feet to 8 feet deep when fishing with a bobber and leech, or jigging with leeches.”