Final Weekends For Ice Fishing Walleye In Central Minnesota

The ice fishing walleye season is coming to an end soon with just 2 weekends left. It ends on February 22. Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joined me on WJON. He says it's been a pretty good year for walleye but the bite isn't as good this time of year. Schmitt suggests looking for walleye lakes to increase your odds of success.

photo courtesy of Glen Schmitt for TSM

Walleye Lakes

Good local walleye options include Lake Koronis, Clearwater Lake and the Horseshoe chain of lakes. Other options in Central Minnesota include Lake Osakis, Reno Lake and Big Sauk. Schmitt suggests downsizing your presentation and focusing on low light periods due to shorter feeding windows.

Warmer Weather and Ice Conditions

Warmer weather will change the ice fishing conditions. Schmitt says we have enough ice on area lakes to make getting around on lakes safe but he plans to switch to an ATV instead of a larger vehicle. He says shallow areas and lake accesses could be adversely affected by the melt. Schmitt believes the snow will melt away and the lakes will become a bit sloppy.

Bass Season

It has become official that Minnesota will have a year round large mouth and small mouth bass season on inland waters. Schmitt says there are some differences on our northeast Minnesota lakes so anglers should check regulations. Starting March 1st on inland waters, it will be catch and release for bass until May 22. May 23 - September 13 anglers can keep bass until fall regulations change it back to catch and release.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Glen Schmitt, click below.