Anyone having a suggestion for walleye fishing in Iowa or MN?

[kirk89gt]

Also heard that Fort Peck Lake in Montana is a walleye hotspot but have not been there (yet).

https://www.fortpeckguide.com/walleyes/

I can confirm that Fort Peck in Montana is legit. My dad and his good friend / classmate (both ISU alums) are pictured on that website with their catches from 2020. What you catch depends on when you go. They have been there for the walleye (early summer) and northern (later in the summer) and they honestly like it better than Canada (and they regularly went to Canada to fish for years). They use the same guide and he knows where the fish are.

 

[WoodCy]

Thanks for the information. It is looking like we will not be going to Canada this year either because of some other issues.

On a typical day, how many fish would one person catch on Cass Lake? The web site that I looked at talked about ANDRUSIA LAKE as a really good walleye lake. Have you had good luck there? Thanks for any help. Starting to get to itch to go fishing.

Fish catch totally depends on the year and your skill level. I have caught walleyes on Andrusia and Cass and Pike Bay. I have hadbyears where I was limited out on good walleyes in an hour and we have had years where I got up early, went to bed late and struggled all week. I have caught walleyes with live bait rigging a Slow Death rig, pitching a light jig and 1/2 crawler or leech, using slip bobbers, trolling at night, rig fishing Redtail Chubs but my favorite is to use a Hopkins spoon or a PK spoon with heavy braided line and my baitcasting gear pitching to pockets in the weeds. You can catch Walleyes, Northern and Muskies. When they bite they nearly rip the rod out of your hand. Cass has a good population of really nice Yellow Perch.

 

[CyCloned]

Fish catch totally depends on the year and your skill level. I have caught walleyes on Andrusia and Cass and Pike Bay. I have hadbyears where I was limited out on good walleyes in an hour and we have had years where I got up early, went to bed late and struggled all week. I have caught walleyes with live bait rigging a Slow Death rig, pitching a light jig and 1/2 crawler or leech, using slip bobbers, trolling at night, rig fishing Redtail Chubs but my favorite is to use a Hopkins spoon or a PK spoon with heavy braided line and my baitcasting gear pitching to pockets in the weeds. You can catch Walleyes, Northern and Muskies. When they bite they nearly rip the rod out of your hand. Cass has a good population of really nice Yellow Perch.

Thanks, I looked at their website and it looks like a nice lodge and the prices don't seem too bad to me. Need to talk to my brother. We tend to do a lot of drift fishing with small (1/8 oz) jigs, but casting into the weeds sounds like fun. What time of year do you like to go?

 

[WoodCy]

Thanks, I looked at their website and it looks like a nice lodge and the prices don't seem too bad to me. Need to talk to my brother. We tend to do a lot of drift fishing with small (1/8 oz) jigs, but casting into the weeds sounds like fun. What time of year do you like to go?

I have been there right after opener, in the middle of summer and then right at at the start of Fall rates. We generally have gone the week prior to Labor Day. That gives you 2 days to rest and clean up prior to going to work, drive home Saturday and rest/clean-up Sunday and Monday.

There are many breaks and humps and edges to drag jigs and catch Walleyes. Dragging jigs while drifting is a good way to catch Walleyes on Andrusia.

 

[CyCloned]

Bumping this back up to see if anyone has any fish stories to tell for 2021. I am heading to Cass Lake, MN in 11 days. Can't wait to get out on the water. I've gotten lots of good tips on what to do and where to go, so I have a head start.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Bumping this back up to see if anyone has any fish stories to tell for 2021. I am heading to Cass Lake, MN in 11 days. Can't wait to get out on the water. I've gotten lots of good tips on what to do and where to go, so I have a head start.

Just confirmed out trip for July to Pike Bay Cass Lake MN CAN NOT WAIT!

 

[CyCloned]

Just confirmed out trip for July to Pike Bay Cass Lake MN CAN NOT WAIT!

What lodge are you in? We are going to be at Stony Point, which is on the south end of Cass and the North end of Pike Bay.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Family cabin we are fortunate enough to get to use-Opposite the Ojibway Resort (Ken's) on Pike Bay. My grandfather used to stay on Cass in 1920's no name of the resort but they had to have taken the train up there from New Market Iowa. Pith helmets, straight cigarettes and walleyes on huge pike polls, hundreds of fish. Wish I had the pic digitized.

 

[BanjoCy]

Bumping this back up to see if anyone has any fish stories to tell for 2021. I am heading to Cass Lake, MN in 11 days. Can't wait to get out on the water. I've gotten lots of good tips on what to do and where to go, so I have a head start.

Didn't mean for a book, TL;DR at bottom.

Did a short week out in Montana earlier this month. Focused only on trout so not really any news to share for walleye. Did a day on the lower Madison and 2.5 days on the Missouri up by Craig (all on drift boats). Between 2 of us fishing netted about 25 of various varieties over that trip - primarily good sized rainbows, a couple browns, and 1 or 2 each of whitefish & cuthroat. Considered a success for us since we're used to fishing small water (i.e. NE IA and Northern WI) and don't have much practice with longer casts.

The last fish of the trip was mine... but boy, we had a time getting it in the net. I should note that we had a friendly wager on the trip (most fish, first fish each day, biggest fish etc). As it happens, I was down 1 fish for the trip and maybe didn't have biggest fish locked up.

Anyway, end of the trip, down 1 fish, and having a couple already break off earlier that day... I had a nice one on the hook about 5mins before our takeout spot. Fought it all the way to the ramp. Part-way through the fight, my reel fell off (somehow had worked loose), so I had to hand strip the line all the way in while trying to give a little drag here and there. Once we got to the ramp, dropped anchor and my buddy jumped out to go net it. I then also get out to help steer the fish out of the deep current towards him and eventually got it in the net. Mission accomplished until...

The lack of weight in the boat lifted it up enough to free the anchor, and it started going downstream. So we both took off chasing it. Fortunately we got it under control quickly, but as he was running away from the net, the 2nd fly on the line got his finger good. And of course it was a brand new hook that we had forgotten to pinch the barb on. Lucky for us, a guide was also just taking out at the ramp when this happened, so he was able to perform the line trick to get the barb out. Had some well earned steaks afterwards.

TL;DR - did some fly fishing in MT in May. Caught some nice trout. Almost ruined the trip by my reel falling off while trying to net the last fish to win/tie our wager for the trip. This led to almost losing the fish, then the boat, and a hook through the finger.

 

[cycloneman003]

Bumping this back up to see if anyone has any fish stories to tell for 2021. I am heading to Cass Lake, MN in 11 days. Can't wait to get out on the water. I've gotten lots of good tips on what to do and where to go, so I have a head start.

Went up to Lake of the Woods during first ice in December and went out through Sportsman's Lodge. Pretty decent fishing, but more sauger than walleye for us. Still plenty of keepers and a few 20"+ walleye.

Not walleye story, but just got back from Dauphin Island, AL. Had a hell of a day fishing for speckled trout and spanish mackrel. At one point in the morning we were reeling them in as fast as we could cast. Speckled trout is great eating and the spanish mackrel put up a good fight for their size. Accidentally caught a two foot shark while we were at it as well.

 

[Isualum13]

Bumping this back up to see if anyone has any fish stories to tell for 2021. I am heading to Cass Lake, MN in 11 days. Can't wait to get out on the water. I've gotten lots of good tips on what to do and where to go, so I have a head start.

About 17 years ago I was in a boat with my brother and father. I think this was the summer before my freshman year of high school. Dad was running the boat and my brother and I were dragging crank baits. After a u-turn my brother's and my line crossed so we traded poles to uncross the lines. Not 10 seconds after we traded poles a fish was on the pole in my hands. I offered the pole back to my brother but he didn't want it. Reeled in a 34 inch walleye. Dad forgot the camera. This was in Northern Manitoba.

 

[Clone9]

Was up at Leech for 4-5 days 2 weeks ago. Overall fishing wasn't great but we managed a couple of nice walleye meals. Also caught a lot of perch and a few northerns. Weather was beautiful which probably contributed to the not-so-great fishing. Ice was out early this year as well. Overall it was a great time as always even if a slow year for fishing.

 

[zarnold56]

Bumping this back up to see if anyone has any fish stories to tell for 2021. I am heading to Cass Lake, MN in 11 days. Can't wait to get out on the water. I've gotten lots of good tips on what to do and where to go, so I have a head start.

Just got back from a weekend in the Waubay SD area. Weather was really crappy and only could fish 12 hours or so due to it Thursday - Saturday. Caught my biggest walleye ever at 27 inches and came home with everyone's limit of walleye and a few perch and bluegills.

 

[madguy30]

Fished in Iowa this weekend. River I was wading felt like early April. Smallmouth were gone but then back the next day when it had warmed up a bit.

No walleye although I've seen a few with the fly rod. Saw a pike clear the surface completely which is always interesting.

 

[justincl]

Just got back from BWCA on Sunday. Cold weather kept the bugs away but also made the walleyes difficult to find and catch. Didn’t have much luck in and around Fourtown Lake. Smallmouth was good as was the Northern Pike. Caught an 18” Northern on my fly rod. That was a fun fight!

 

[Macloney]

I can confirm that Fort Peck in Montana is legit. My dad and his good friend / classmate (both ISU alums) are pictured on that website with their catches from 2020. What you catch depends on when you go. They have been there for the walleye (early summer) and northern (later in the summer) and they honestly like it better than Canada (and they regularly went to Canada to fish for years). They use the same guide and he knows where the fish are.

My brother-in-law caught a Montana state record walleye at Fort Peck in 1996. It was 16.83 lbs and is now mounted in a coffee table where it looks like it's underwater hitting a lure. It looks awesome.

 

[CyCloned]

About 17 years ago I was in a boat with my brother and father. I think this was the summer before my freshman year of high school. Dad was running the boat and my brother and I were dragging crank baits. After a u-turn my brother's and my line crossed so we traded poles to uncross the lines. Not 10 seconds after we traded poles a fish was on the pole in my hands. I offered the pole back to my brother but he didn't want it. Reeled in a 34 inch walleye. Dad forgot the camera. This was in Northern Manitoba.

That is one big Walleye. biggest I ever caught was 31. I have caught several 30 inch ones in the 15 years that we went to Canada.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Pike Bay- there is a hump on the northish end that winds through the middle of the lake about 10' water where you can catch walleye middle of the day on crankbaits. Otherwise it is 9-11pm jig, worm, minnow or leach later in year. Always caught walleye in the sand late summer early fall 6-10' water with the blue rapala #7 at dusk. Full moon you will slaughter them and bonus you can actually see pretty well without a headlamp. My brother in law has always lived up there and we can go to his spot on Lake Bemidji and catch walleye. A few years ago we went to his spot and there were probably a dozen boats we sneaked through the middle of them cut motor drifted through over sand bar floating blue jig head on lindy rig and minnow. We had three doubles and in 4-5 more passes we had our limit. Other boats got closer and closer no one was catching anything. 10:00am first week august sky blue skies very little wind-

 

[Isualum13]

That is one big Walleye. biggest I ever caught was 31. I have caught several 30 inch ones in the 15 years that we went to Canada.

Yes. The fish of a lifetime. The most surprising thing about it was the size of the mouth on it. Looking at pictures of other walleye of a similar size none of them even compare.

 

[madguy30]

Just got back from BWCA on Sunday. Cold weather kept the bugs away but also made the walleyes difficult to find and catch. Didn’t have much luck in and around Fourtown Lake. Smallmouth was good as was the Northern Pike. Caught an 18” Northern on my fly rod. That was a fun fight!

A favorite benefit of using a fly rod is it's a single hook as opposed to the typical treble hooks on lures. Yeah you can switch those treble hooks out but I'm not sure if I've ever seen someone do it.

I still have a scar on my index finger from a Rapala hook when a pike wasn't quite done 20ish years ago.