Fall Lake and Ely area fishing remain strong into the month of June. A cold front slowed the walleye bite for a few days, but with warm days and wind, the bite is back on! Walleye Anglers fishing Fall Lake have been finding success on some of the lakes dispersed rock piles. The Power Dam is still producing fish, it seems the tighter to the rapids the better the fishing. The Basswood bite has still been the best, whether fishing Pipestone Bay or Jackfish Bay, Anglers are scoring with size and numbers. The largest walleye came from Jackfish Bay, a 28” pig caught and immediately released by long time Packsack guest Judy Eggert. Pipestone has been producing good numbers for those willing to brave the wind. Leeches are now the hot bait to use, but trolling with crankbaits has also been effective in catching some Northern Minnesota Gold!
Smallmouth bass are post spawn, in the shallows and aggressively attacking top water and subsurface baits alike. This is the best time of year to be catching these Bronze Back monsters! Whopper ploopers, jerk baits, tube jigs, and live bait are all working this time of year to put fish in the boat! Of course, it’s always best to release the big ones, and keep the smaller ones for the fry pan. The picture featured is of a 19” fatty caught by Mike Kronke while fishing on Basswood Lake.
Tooth filled monster pike are beginning to move into deeper waters looking for cooler temps, while the smaller “hammer handles are still being caught in the shallows. One thing to keep in mind early in the summer is that pike can transition back and forth between spring and summer patterns due to rapid changes in weather patterns and water temperature. Lake points, saddles, and humps that coincide with a feeding flat are good places to begin searching for larger pike, with a depth of at least 15’. Several fish in the 35”-40” range have been caught in recent days.
Panfishing is post spawn, and beginning to spread out into the cabbage. Drifting over areas of thick weeds with just a hook, sinker, and piece of worm is all it takes to catch some jumbo bluegill this time of year. Back Bay of Basswood is still the best place to go to find numbers of these fish. Crappie have been biting near he pilings on Fall Lake, crappie minnows, worms, or smaller plastics are the ticket to catching some slab crappie this time of year.
Some fantastic fishing has been reported from many of the BWCAW lakes, Crooked, Ensign, Iron Lake, Lake Agnes, and the South Kawishiwi River are all producing fish of size and numbers.
Important things to consider when fishing our lakes. Timing is everything, folks willing to be up and out EARLY are catching fish. Waiting until 10 or 11 in the morning and fishing until 2:00 pm is not going to be the most effective times to fish. Also, persistence pays off! Anglers are having to put some time in to catch a limit of walleyes. Moving to different locations might be what’s needed to stay on top of the fish. Lastly, fishing is about fun! Being out in nature, and spending time with the friends and family we love is the true catch of a successful fishing trip!
Stay safe, and keep your line wet my friends!