Where are the fish biting?

Left: Clearwater Lake has been giving up some nice lake trout. AliceKae Stevens of Brainerd, MN shows off her catch. The fish weighed in at 4 pounds 6 ounces.

Jon at Buck’s Hardware files this report: Lake trout action has been pretty decent overall. On Kemo Lake, lakers were biting ferociously. People were getting in 5 feet of water as well as 20 to 30 feet using minnows and jigs or spoons. Over at Greenwood action was good but quite a number of small ones. They used spoons tipped with minnows or ciscoes fishing anywhere from 25 feet to 55 feet. Lakers were suspended.

Up at Moss fishing was being done in 15 feet to 35 feet using jigs and minnows. And finally, up at Sag the lakers were in 35 to 60 feet with the fish suspended. They were using jigs and spoons with minnows and ciscoes.

The splake have also been biting. Pine Mountain Lake, Mink, Shoe, and Esther Lakes are giving up some nice fish. Most are fishing in the 8- to 18-foot range. Ice jigs and waxies are the most common method being used. Some very nice splake are being caught.

Rainbow action on Kimball and Trout lakes is picking up a bit. Try from 8 to 15 feet or so with jigs and waxies (minnows and waxies on Trout Lake).

Publishers Hal and Deidre Kettunen had a great fishing experience on opening weekend. While fishing on West Bearskin Lake on Saturday, January 14, Deidre Kettunen was carefully reeling in the trout while Hal Kettunen waited to help. When Hal pulled the jig out of the fish’s mouth, it plopped back down the hole. Hal, without even thinking, reached into the hole and amazingly retrieved the fish! If you don’t believe this fish tale, there is a video to prove it! It was a wonderful meal.

If northerns are your bag, East Twin, Devil Track, Homer and Pike lakes seem to be doing fine. Drop a sucker minnow in 6 to 15 feet and you just might get lucky.

And finally, not much word about walleyes. Most are heading up to Sag and Seagull lakes with a jig and minnow. Some were catching a few in Cascade in 25 feet or so but the perch were hitting better a little shallower.