Where are the fish biting?

Henry Walch of Lutsen and his friend Ian Gallagher were fishing on Trout Lake on Valentine’s Day when Henry almost lost this nice-looking rainbow trout. Henry had an “epic” struggle landing the fish through his six-inch ice hole. Ian (heroically) stepped in with the gaff to get it through the ice. The rainbow was 6 pounds 2 ounces and 24 inches long.

Jon at Buck’s Hardware Hank
files this report:

F.Y.I. the walleye season ends on Sunday so you better get your fix in while you can. Reports keep coming in indicating that people are getting fish. I’m not exactly sure what it means when I can’t contribute to my own reports but others are getting fish.

Lake trout are still hitting out there and people are using a variety of bait. Greenwood reports action in 40 to 55 feet. Folks are using jigs and spoons with ciscoes. Some were having decent luck with rainbow chubs too. Daniels and Duncan were doing pretty well though the fish were small.

Over at East and West Bearskin lakes, some were down in 60 to 80 feet of water but fish were suspended just under the ice. Spoons and jigs with chubs and ciscoes. I’m sure other fish were being caught shallower too. I heard that Gunflint was also giving up a few lakers in various depths from 60 to 100 feet, though the fish were suspended.

At Thrasher and Musquash lakes the splake were a little slow but catchable. Try from 4 to 12 feet in Thrasher with waxies. In Musquash try a little deeper, 12 to 18 feet also using waxies.

My intrepid boss, Buck, took a little ski trip into the Bee-Dub and reported really good brookie action in about 15 feet of water. If I’m not mistaken he fished just off the bottom with just about anything he decided to throw down at ’em. His trip took him through a small chain of lakes, but both Bat and Powell Lakes received special mention.

At Trail Center, the annual fishing contest is under way. The contest ends March 31. Here are a few of the fish entered: 28-inch walleye (Donny Sorlie); 35¼-inch northern (John Anderson); 11¼-inch crappie (Gene Shelton); 23¼-inch whitefish (John Anderson); 20-inch brook trout (Mark Harrington); 32 ¼-inch lakers (Jerry Lawrence and Victor Pederson); and 18½ rainbow (Larry Sheils).

Call (218) 388-2214 for more information.