The 2025 Minnesota Opener was beautiful!
Brained, MN— Walleyes, Northern Pike and Inland Trout season, and targeting bass is now available too! Now is a great time to Visit Brainerd!
Walleyes – Northern Pike – Small Mouth Bass
- Locations: Sand flats, developing weeds and rock transitions
- Depth: 4-12ft
- Tactics: Target walleyes by casting a 1/8oz Lindy Live Bait jig and shiner minnow and making bottom contact, short hops and slow lifts have been the go-to. Pitching and longline trolling the Smithwick Perfect 10, and pitching a 1/4oz jig with a Mister Twister Sassy Swimmer has been producing bites too
Blugills – Sunfish
- Locations: Edges of weedy bays, weedlines, holes in bays
- Depth: Weed lines, bays or weed flats (2-10ft)
- Tactics: 1/32oz Frostee Spoon or 5mm Tungsten jig/red spike jigging near weeds 1ft from bottom or just above weeds. Try a 1/16oz Lindy Frostee Spoon for a 1-2 sunfish/crappie punch under a slip float. Sunnies are also hitting a Lindy Lil Nipper tipped with a wax worm.
Crappies
- Locations: Bays on inside or outside edges of weedlines or in holes, green cabbage/weed beds adjacent to holes or deep water near a bay, or suspended in the basin nearby, channels, docks, trees in water
- Depth: 2-10ft or 15-25ft (suspended depth over basin/hole areas at that same depth)
- Tactics: 1/16oz Lindy Quiver spoons or Frostee Spoon tipped with wax worms; 7mm Tungsten jig/Mister Twister Sassy Stingum under a Thill slip float. The schools tend to roam, so fan casting is a good idea. Look for warmest water and work from there.
Lake & Rainbow Trout (Inland)
- Trout offer both family fun fishing and a challenge for novice anglers to find larger rainbow trout or lake trout. We pitch Lindy Little Nippers to elicit bites or jigging a spoon tipped with a piece of soft plastic or wax worm for deeper roaming fish. We found trout from the top of the water column down to about 40ft of water, with the most common depth 2-15ft. Trolling a smaller crankbait 2.5-3mph is a great way to catch fish and cover water. Pitch or vertically jig 3/8oz Lindy B-MAX jigs with a Sassy Swimmer to entice lake trout suspended in the water column.
If you’re wondering where and how to fish, tune in to Visit Brainerd for weekly fishing reports by Hawg Hunterz Guide Service LLC! As always, have fun, stay safe and Happy Hawg Hunting!! Learn more about Hawg Hunterz Guide Service HERE.
Plan your fishing trip to Brainerd today. Find excellent in-town hotels and visit one or more of the 400+ lakes in Crow Wing County and the Brainerd Lakes Area for an incredible multi-species fishing experience.
