UTERJanuary
Ice walleye at dusk
Lake of the Woods and Upper Red.
Mille Lacs to Lake of the Woods
Minnesota freshwater fishing
What's biting in Minnesota freshwater in October: smallmouth bass, black crappie and yellow perch at their peak, with largemouth bass, bluegill and sauger around too. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows 23 fish here month by month, from Mille Lacs to Rainy River.
Fall muskie
The land of lakes: walleye, pike, muskie, perch and crappie on ten thousand lakes, half the year through the ice — Mille Lacs, Lake of the Woods, Leech, Red — plus the Rainy River's walleye and sturgeon.
Mille LacsLake of the WoodsLeech LakeUpper Red LakeLake VermilionRainy River
Updated
Now · October
Fall muskie
Big suckers.
WalleyeNorthern pikeMuskellunge (muskie)Black crappie (speck)Yellow perchSmallmouth bass
This month here
From the season calendar, best firstPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakSpawningSpawningSpawningPeakAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAround
Smallmouth bass
Black crappie (speck)
Yellow perch
Walleye
Fall walleye on the rock reefs at night
Northern pike
Muskellunge (muskie)
Mille Lacs fall giants on the rock reefs
Channel catfish
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Brook trout
Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)
Lake sturgeon
Fall Rainy River sturgeon
Largemouth bass
Bluegill
Sauger
Flathead catfish
Brown bullhead
White bass
Freshwater drum (sheepshead)
Common carp
Longnose gar
Bowfin (mudfish)
The water
Structure that matters
LakeReservoirRiverCreek / streamPond / pitDock / pilingsBridgeBoat ramp
Month by month
What's happening, and what to throwFebruary
Eelpout and perch
Burbot spawn under the ice.
March
Last ice crappie; walleye closed inland
Rainy River open.
April
Rainy River walleye and sturgeon
Jig and minnow.
May
Fishing Opener
Shallow sand for walleye.
June
Muskie opener; crappie spawn
Bucktails on Mille Lacs.
July
Summer walleye
Leeches on the reefs.
August
Mid-summer bite
Crawler harnesses.
September
Fall smallmouth and walleye
Mille Lacs rock.
October · now
Fall muskie
Big suckers.
November
Freeze-up
Wait for ice.
December
First ice
Shallow bays.
Fish guides for Minnesota freshwater
When, where and what to use, fish by fishBlack crappie (speck)BluegillBurbot (eelpout, ling, cusk)Channel catfishLake sturgeonLargemouth bassMuskellunge (muskie)Northern pikeSaugerSmallmouth bassWalleyeYellow perch
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