Brainerd Lakes fishing forecast: What to expect Memorial Day weekend
Memorial Day weekend fishing outlook: Warm weather good for catching walleye
While the Minnesota Fishing Opener got off to a slow start, Memorial Day weekend is expected to pick up the pace. FOX 9's Jared Piepenburg spoke to an expert who says the warm weather will contribute to good fishing conditions.
BRAINERD, Minn. (FOX 9) - As cabin goers head north for the weekend, anglers in the Brainerd Lakes area are gearing up for what could be some of the best fishing of the season so far.
Fishing outlook for Memorial Day weekend in Brainerd Lakes
What we know:
Fishing started slow this season, but activity has increased over the last few days.
Warmer weather is expected to boost fishing even more, especially for those targeting walleyes, bass and pike.
"Opener was slow," said Walleye Dan, a local fishing guide in the area. "But things just in the last couple of days have just started picking up and I think with that warm water or warm weather coming, it's going to be happening big time for the next month."
Shallow water remains key, with fish found in three to 10 feet of water.
"Shallow water is still going the key. You know, they're pushed up shallow, the shiners up in this neck of the woods are going to be spawning. And yeah, I mean, whether it's bass, pike, walleyes, you name it, they are hungry," said Walleye Dan.
Anglers are encouraged to make long casts with jerk baits, paddle tails, or a jig and shiner.
Live bait like leeches, crawlers and spottail shiners can be effective, though spottails have been hard to find.
"Spottail shiners have been a little harder to come by. So search those babies out," said Walleye Dan.
The best lakes in the area include Pelican, North Long and Round, with the Whitefish Chain and Gull warming up a bit later.
"Whether it's Pelican, North Long, Gull, Round...those are the big ones," said the guide. Dan adds that Whitefish Chain and Gull often lag due to the deeper water, but the bite will likely still be good.
While walleyes will bite throughout the day, Walleye Dan notes that the evening and night bites might be your best bet this weekend.
Depending on the structure you're targeting, switching between trolling and spot-locking will help you pinpoint the fish.
Dan has been positioning his boat off of break lines in 15 to 20 feet of water, allowing clients to cast up into the shallows.
Key depths remain shallow, specifically the 3- to 10-foot range — with Dan predicting that the late-day and nighttime action will push toward the absolute shallowest end of that spectrum.
Anglers can expect a busy weekend, with many boats on the water and at landings.
"Bottom line is it's going to be busy and people are putting their boats in for the first time and they won't start and this, that and the other. So yeah, just be ready is all I can say. Have some patience for sure," said Walleye Dan.
Local perspective:
The area recently experienced wildfires north of Mission, but the impact has been limited for most anglers.
"We're over here in Lakeshore on the west side of Gull and when, when those fires first started, whatever day that was, I was on the water and I saw the big plume that looked like a cloud and I'm like, no, that's smoke," said Dan.
He added that rain and a shift in wind helped prevent further damage.
READ MORE: Flanders Fire investigation update: Sheriff says 'we're close'
Fishing tips and what to bring
What they're saying:
"You should always be ready for everything you know because things are gonna happen fast as far as the warm-up and you know leeches, crawlers, spottails but you could you know bypass all of that and just stick with like the Rapala shadow rap, people really like the Rapala maverick, or a husky jerk. Any shallow running crankbait, you know, long bomb casts and kind of give her the twitch pause twitch pause they whack it so, I mean you don't have to have live bait," suggested Walleye Dan.
On the pontoon, the guide keeps a variety of gear ready.
"I've got jigging Raps, I've got shadow Raps, which is a shallow running crankbait. I’ve got fireball jigs and stingers. I’ve got my live bait rigs. And then I've got some paddle tails rigged as well," said Dan.
Patience is key at busy landings
Why you should care:
With many people heading to the lakes for Memorial Day weekend, boat landings are expected to be crowded.
The guide recommends arriving early and being patient.
"No matter, I think, how many things you do to try to be ready, you're just going to come across stuff that you just don't expect, you know, whether somebody puts in without a plug, or, you know, drops their trailer on the ramp or bottom line is really the only way to go into it is just have patience and just say, you know what, maybe be a little bit early," said Walleye Dan.
The guide also mentioned that his group of six guides still has some openings for the summer and can usually fit people in for trips.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear how the fishing patterns may change if weather conditions shift again or if spottail shiners become more available.
The Source: This story is based on an interview with a local fishing guide in the Brainerd Lakes area.