Good morning from Trapper’s Landing Lodge on the scenic south shores of Leech Lake! Although we're a bit delayed in sharing this week’s fishing update due to cold and rainy weather, the outlook is bright with warming temperatures returning to seasonal averages.
Fishing Conditions & Report:
This past week brought cooler temperatures and windy conditions, which influenced fish movement and activity. Despite the drop in water temps, fishing has been productive:
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Walleye Activity:
Walleye are beginning their typical post-spawn transition, moving out to mid-lake structures. Productive areas include:-
Pelican Island
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Bear Island
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Submarine Island (Annex/Sub Annex)
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Huddle’s Reef and Hogar’s Reef
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Campbell and other eastern structures
Anglers had success with:
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Deep Rigging: Long Lindy rigs with leeches and nightcrawlers
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Shallow Techniques: On overcast, windy days, jig and minnow setups near Pelican Island saw excellent results
Depths of 20–22 feet yielded good catches on reefs using rigs and sonar to target fish directly.
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Technique Tips:
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For anglers using forward-facing sonar: Slip bobbers and jigs are highly effective
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Without sonar: Focus on drifting and rigging over deeper humps
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Panfish Update:
Cooler weather pushed panfish out of the bays. However, with the forecasted warm-up, expect crappie and bluegill to return to shallow spawning areas soon.
Lodge & Availability Updates:
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Restaurant Hours: Open Thursday–Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (bar open later)
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Lodging: Last-minute availability still open for this and the following weekend
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Note: Fishing on Leech Lake tends to improve significantly in June, so the best is yet to come.
From all of us at Trapper’s Landing Lodge, we wish you a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend — the unofficial start of summer. Tight lines and we look forward to seeing you on the water soon!