Cold, wet spring suits anglers just fine

Sun bathers haven't appreciated it. Nor have motorcyclists, boaters, campers and bike riders.

And if it continues, parents with kids just getting out of school might soon find themselves going nuts, being stuck indoors day after day with their little urchins.

But the wet, cold spring has been great for fishing. Not just in and near the Twin Cities. But as far north as International Falls and Baudette.

Walleye fishermen aren't the only ones who are happy.

Northern pike, bass and crappies also have ravaged anglers' baits this spring.

Just ask Don Prettyman of Eagan. On a lake not far from Fergus Falls last weekend, he and a few friends boated limits of walleyes, keeping what they needed to eat and releasing the rest.

"We caught lots of sunnies and crappies, too," Prettyman said.

Here's a snapshot detailing fishing action on some of Minnesota's best lakes -- and how, on those lakes, you might catch shore lunch this weekend.

Rainy Lake: On Wednesday, Billy Dougherty, an owner with others in his family of Rainy Lake Houseboats, led a four-boat fishing party that caught 180 walleyes before noon.

"The walleye fishing has been absolutely fabulous," Dougherty said.

Jigs and minnows in water 6 to 12 feet deep have worked best. "We're fishing bays, mostly," he said. Smallmouth fishing has been excellent, also.

Lake of the Woods: "We're catching a ton of walleyes in the 16- to 19-inch range," said Gregg Hennum of Sportsman's Lodge in Baudette.

The cool weather has kept fish fairly near shore, with most walleyes being caught in water 14 to 18 feet deep. Hennum says currents have been strong, and 1- to 1.5-ounce weights are being used with chub minnow and frozen shiner rigs featuring a gold spinner.

"Jigging is working, too," Hennum said.

Lake Winnibigoshish: "The fishing is as good this spring as anytime since we've owned the resort," said Rick Leonhardt of High Banks Resort on "Winnie."

"The opener was a little tough," Leonhardt said. "Everyone seemed to catch a lot of walleyes, but most were in the [17- to 26-inch] protected slot."

That's changed in recent weeks, and now anglers on the big lake northwest of Grand Rapids are catching walleyes they can eat and take home.

Leech: Fishing is much improved here over recent years, when Leech anglers struggled to find fish.

"Just after the opener, people were catching walleyes, but most were in the [18- to 26-inch] slot," said Jim Springsteele, owner of Chippewa Lodge on the lake's southeast shore. "That's changed, and now -- though many walleyes being caught are 22 to 24 inches -- many parties are catching enough legal walleyes to eat and take home."

Largemouth bass fishing has been excellent, Springsteele said, with the biggest bucketmouth he's seen weighing 6.5 pounds.

Try jigs and minnows in 6 to 12 feet of water for walleyes. "Shad Raps and Lindy Rigs are also working," Springsteele said.

Mille Lacs: It was spotty on the opener," said Matt Scott of Tutt's Bait and Tackle. "But the water is starting to warm up, finally, and the fishing is picking up."

The sand on the north end and by Malmo has been producing for anglers using shiners and rainbow minnows on spinner rigs. Bobber anglers using leeches are catching walleyes on the rocks.

Mille Lacs walleye fishing this spring might be a bigger story, many around the lake say, if more people were on the lake. "I think it's probably the weather," Scott said.

Vermilion: Joe Kruchowski of Northwoods Bait and Tackle in Cook reports walleye fishing on Vermilion has at times been tough for some anglers this spring. Others are catching walleyes, "lots of them," but they're too big to be legal and have to be thrown back.

"Walleyes are in the middle of the lake now, in the Frazer/Oak Narrows area," Kruchowski said. "Darker jigs work best with rainbows, fatheads and leeches."

Crappie action on the lake is late, "and is just getting going in Muskego Bay and Wolf bays, with some being caught in Norwegian Bay."

Upper Red: The only thing unfortunate about this lake is that it is about a five-hour (or more) drive from the Twin Cities. Otherwise, it's walleye heaven, with tons of fish being caught on the opener (probably literally), and the action still hot in the 6-12 foot range for anglers using jigs and sliding-sinker live-bait rigs.

Upper Red might also be the best spot in the state to catch a big northern, with fish in the 40-inch-plus range common.

Dennis Anderson • danderson@startribune.com