Wait for Below-freezing Temperatures Before Ice Fishing in Brainerd Lakes Area
Brainerd, MN—Stay off the ice! We need some below-freezing temperatures to lock things up again. With that said, fishing in the Brainerd Lakes Area has been great, and will be expected to remain good after the ice is fishable again. Rain, warmth and wind make for ice deteriorating conditions; we’ll continue to stress the importance of ice safety. I’ve continued the lookout for small, shallow lakes (under 200 acres) with as much as 8–10 inches of ‘safer ice’ to walk; ice is never 100% safe. Make sure you’re checking ice conditions frequently and stay off ice less than four inches. Please review the Minnesota DNR resources to help determine ice safety, immersion survival, etc.
On smaller, shallower bodies of water, and in weedy bays or shallow basins, panfish and northern pike remain active! Catch crappies in bays and weedy shorelines under 14ft of water. Jig crappies with 1/16oz or 1/32oz jig tipped with a Mister Twister Sassy Stingum, 1/16oz Lindy Frostee spoon (our go-to) or glide-bait style lure, such as a Vexan Crystal Reaper. We’ll switch to a Mister Twister Sassy Stingum or wax worm on a Tungsten jig if they aren’t hitting the spoons. Aggressive jigging will bring schools in, although it’s a good idea to drill several holes and jig at least 10-15 minutes in each hole before moving to the next hole or spot due to the movement of fish during early ice. Jig higher in the water column, a good rule of thumb is splitting the depth in half and jigging at that location in the water column as well as jigging within 2-3ft from the bottom. Bluegills have been hitting tungsten jigs tipped with the tail end of a Mister Twister Sassy Stingum or wax worm. We’ve been jigging inside weeds and weed pockets for sunfish.
Northern pike are hitting sucker minnows and spoons tipped with a minnow head. We are jigging high in the water column and set lines are above the weeds in 6-12ft.
Walleyes are active at low light periods and cruising the shallows during the day! Walleyes are hitting minnows/livebait presentations or spoons tipped with a minnow head jigged near bottom in 13-22ft of water. 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!
