Where are the fish biting?

 

This week has been all about splake, according to Jon at Buck’s Hardware. He heard of a nice 20 ½-inch splake on Birch Lake and others on Mink Lake. The depths where splake are being found are about 12 to 15 feet with waxies or salted minnows.

Jon said Daniels and Duncan lakes have been giving up lake trout in 40 to 50 feet with spoons and rainbow chubs. Moss Lake has also been good off the bottom. Craig at SuperAmerica said Clearwater has had good lake trout action in about 60 feet of water. He has also heard good reports from Gunflint Lake and Lake Saganaga in 35 to 40 feet of water using jigs.

Jon said brook trout action is good on Shoe Lake and Carrot Lake. The recommended bait is waxies on ice jigs, but small silver spoons may also work well.

Jon has also heard from anglers who have had walleye success on Crescent or Caribou in 25 to 35 feet with a jigging rap.

Jon cautions that “slush is everywhere,” and he added, “It will get much worse with next week’s warm-up, so make like a Boy Scout and ‘be prepared.”

Noah Furcht, 8, got a mention in the Buck’s Hardware fishing report this week by catching a very nice 20½-inch, almost three-pound splake. Noah was fishing with his family—dad Dave, mom Margo, and brothers Finn and Phillip—on Birch Lake when he caught the lunker. Noah, a second grader at Sawtooth Elementary, told Jon at Buck’s that he “was jigging and jigging!” In all the excitement, no one noticed how deep he was fishing, but he was using a chub with that jig.

Fishermen will be delighted to learn that Sarah at Trail Center is once again sponsoring an Ice Fishing Contest. Bring your catch to Trail Center Lodge to be measured. Sarah said, “All fish count—walleye, northern, splake, lake trout, whatever you catch.”

There is no fee to enter and a winner will be drawn from each category. One grand prize winner will be randomly picked from all the first place winners.

The contest continues until April 2, when the winners will be announced at the Trail Center “Eel Pout Feast.”

Watch for slush and good luck everyone!