Fishing Report for July 13, 2020
Reeds Family Outdoor Outfitters
Leech Lake has diffidently hit its summertime patterns. We have had a great first few weeks in July and the weather continues to look very favorable. With the nice warm weather, it has also pushed the water temps up in the upper 70 and 80’s. The walleye day bite has been a little tougher with some of these conditions we are seeing but there are plenty of other fish out there to target as well. If you’re able to pick and choose your time, the low light hours in the morning or the evening have been the best.
Many people are still finding walleyes using a variety of patterns right now. Running a Lindy rig tipped with a leech or a crawler in 18-25 ft of water working the shoreline breaks or mid-lake humps has produced fish. Running a bottom bouncer with a Northland or Lindy spinner on your flats is also a great way to cover water and locate fish. Sand Point, Sucker Bay, Goose Flats are all great areas to run spinners in the 10-18ft range. With the water temps approaching 80 degrees many of the walleyes have moved into some deeper water as well. Running lead core with crankbaits is a great way to get down to them. Paris Trench off Stony Point is holding a lot of fish in the 20-30ft range. The evening crankbait bite has also kicked into full swing. Seems like that last hour of light and after dark has been a great time to be out pulling cranks. Sand Point, Pine Point, Traders Bay or Goose Flats are all great areas to look. Don’t be afraid to fish the weeds, there are lots of walleyes that live in the weeds year-round. The cabbage weeds provide cover and usually have an abundance of baitfish in them. Running a slip bobber tipped with a leech or pitching a jig and a minnow are great ways to target these fish.
Muskie’s have started to become more active with the water temps warming up. Keep looking for healthy cabbage weeds or warmer sand flats for these roaming fish. Smaller presentations have been producing fish, smaller bucktails, jerkbaits, or soft swimbaits all are good choices. The Muskie bite should only keep getting better as the summer progresses.
If walleyes are not your thing the bass bite on Leech Lake is very good. Both Largemouth and Smallmouth are very aggressive right now. Steamboat Bay and Boy Bay have been kicking out some great bass. Look around the weed edges or fish the heavy cover in the rice. Pitch your weedless frogs or jigs in the pockets of the rice, or run your spinnerbaits through the weeds or bullrushes. Smallmouths have been very active down on the south end of the main Lake. Look for your rocks around Pelican Island, Diamond Point, and Pipe Island, all are good places to look for Smallies on Leech. We also have had a good bluegill/Sunfish bite on Leech as well. Most of your gills are being caught on a slip bobber tipped with a leech around your cabbage beds or bullrushes.
We hope everyone enjoys the great weather we are having for the last few weeks of July. Make sure to stop in at Reeds and have the experts mark a map for you or outfit you with any of your needs. And remember Reeds always has the Best Service, Best Price, and Best Advice. Enjoy the lake or the area no matter what you are doing!
Leisure Outdoor Adventures
507-450-7986(Cell)
1-855-LOA-Hook
www.leisureoutdooradventures.com
http://leisureoutdooradventures.blogspot.com/
Our team of Leech Lake Fishing Guides have been running throughout the lake in search of the hot bite the past week. We have definitely hit that post 4th of July slump, but with some work there are still some good days to be had. The key right now is to stick and move for the most part and if you find a good school work them over, but fully expect them to shut down. We have also noticed feeding windows are a major key right now with early mornings being good and late evenings. During the day time you just gotta keep moving.
On the Main Lake, pulling spinners in 16-20 feet of water along rock reefs and transitions is still kicking out fish. The bite hasn’t been as good but if you stick with it you can put some fish in the boat. Changing up blade color and speed is a big key to success. Slow death has also been good at times. Also look to deeper breaklines and find those larger schools of bait fish in 25-30 feet of water and you will find some of the bigger walleyes.
On the West Side of the lake in Walker Bay, shoreline breaks and breaklines are still kicking out fish in 12-20 feet of water depending on the wind and the day. Pulling crawlers and leeches on lindy rigs as well as throwing slip bobbers with leeches are the presentations that are working the best. Also look for the crankbait bite to start up here soon as well trolling #5 and #7 shad raps.
It is important right now with the warm water temps that you take good care of these bigger fish that you are going to put back in the lake. Don’t keep them out of the water that long and take care of them as you are putting them back in the lake. They just need a little love and the same goes for the larger predator fish as well such as the musky and pike.
Some of the smaller lakes in the area are also kicking out fish in 16-22 feet along weedlines pulling spinners, lindy rigs, and also using corks. Alot of good fishing can be had on these little lakes for bass, walleye, pike, and panfish.
Until next week
Leisure Outdoor Adventures Guide Team
–Fishing Report- by Swanson’s Bait & Tackle
Brought to us by Fish On Outdoors with Bill Hornung
Crappie-Try trolling with plastics and 1/32oz jigs to find fish. Once you find them keep going through them or throw on a slip bobber rig with a jig and minnow. Look for fish to be in the 12-16ft range.
Bass- Weeds and weed edges are holding fish. Texas rig plastics to get action. Top water is still good at low light times. smallmouth have moved a little off rock edges. Dropshot rigs are a good option for these fish.
Walleye- All options are on the table. Rigs, jigs, jigraps, trolling cranks and spinners. Cover water to find active fish. Not all fish have moved deep, check different deepths.
Good Luck! #FishOn
Well, you are here to fish you should also explore what the Leech Lake Area has to offer!
