 |
 |
 |
(218) 665-2231 | |
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report September 22, 2019
This past week "fishing" was way better than last. That is, it was pleasant to be out fishing compared to last week where it wasn't fit to be out on the lake. Some walleyes were caught, but most targeted the species that would bite. Fishermen were rewarded with good northern and perch fishing this past week.
With mainly south winds, Northerns were caught trolling along the southwest shore and the south shore. Larger spoons trolled at 3-4 mph were the best for pike. Some fish were caught casting, but the majority were trolling.
Perch fishing was really good. Many perch in the 10-12" range were brought in. Look for the edge of heavy weeds for these fish. Sometimes they are right in the weeds. Jigs and fathead minnows were the best bet for the perch.
It looks like we are going to have two more good weeks for fishing.
We are still running our 20% off cabin rent special. Give us a call if you want to get in on the action.— Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report September 15, 2019
The walleye fishing has been better this past week. Keepers have been brought in most every time our guests go out and try for these fish.
The key has been fishing as close to the weeds as possible without getting hooked up in the weeds. Jigs and minnows have been the best for catching walleyes.
Most of our guests have been targeting northerns. The pike fishing has been good but not great. Most of the fish are caught trolling on the flats from 8-14 feet of water. All of the favorite trolling lures are working.
Perch fishing has been better this past week than at any time this year. Many fish in the 10-12" range have been brought in. Jigs and minnows right in the weeds has been the ticket to catching perch.
Some fishermen have been using artificial on their jigs and seem to be doing just as well as the minnows.
The weather last week was very unfavorable for the fishermen. This coming week the weather looks to be ideal for any fall activity. We have immediate openings and are in the midst of our 20% off fall special. If you are thinking about coming up to Winnie for a last minute trip, give us a call.— Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report August 18, 2019
Walleye fishing has been quite spotty this week. Some fish have been caught trolling near the shoreline breaks and the main bars. Fish are showing up in the weeds adjacent to the shoreline breaks, as well.
Most of the fish are in the protected slot, but we have had numerous reports of 10" walleyes being caught. Maybe Jerry isn't as full of B.S. as we thought!
Northern pike are the go to fish right now. All methods of pike fishing are working right now. Trolling, casting, and fishing with live bait will catch northerns. The fish are still in the deeper weeds, so target those areas.
A new phenomenon has occurred this week. The muskies have made an appearance. There were 10 fish caught this past week. Nothing huge, but still a change from the past couple of years. Most of the fish were caught trolling while fishing for northerns. The largest reported was 43". Anytime you can hook one of these fish, it is quite a thrill.
Perch are starting to show up in numbers, now. The quality isn't what we would like to see, but at least you can go catch a good number of perch. Look for the flats with scrubby weeds in 14-16' of water. If you are catching all small perch, try increasing your speed, sometimes it works.
Fall is definitely in the air. We have openings the whole month of September. This can be some of the best fishing of the year. Normally, the weather is still nice and the fish are hungry.
We offer 20% discount on all cabin reservations. Check your calendar and give us a call. The local radio stations have the Twins and the Vikings games, so you don't have to miss a pitch or a touchdown while out on the water!— Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report August 12, 2019
The walleyes seem to be in a transitional mode this week. There are more fish showing up on the shoreline breaks than the mid-lake structure.
We are still catching some fish in the middle, but they seem to be more finicky than the past couple weeks. All the methods are catching walleyes at different times of the day. Trolling crankbaits and spinners, jigging minnows, leeches, and worms, and Lindy Rigging with the same baits are all working. The key is to find active fish.
Northern Pike fishing has been quite good. Look for the weeds on top of the main bars as well as the weeds along the shoreline drop-offs in 14-17' of water. Trolling spoons and larger crankbaits seem to be the best tactics on these structures. Jigs and small sucker minnows are also doing the job on top of the main bars for pike.
The perch front is showing signs of improving. Some nicer perch were brought in this week. Small crankbaits were the best way to catch the bigger perch. Minnows are catching perch too, but most of them are small; the small ones don't seem to bite the crankbaits. Fish the shoreline breaks 10-14 feet.
Fall is right around the corner. We have our Labor Day special at the end of August. Reserve the week of August 24-31 and stay until Labor Day for free! This is a popular special with our guests. You get nine days for the price of seven! We hope to see you then! — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report August 4, 2019
The walleyes seem to be in a transitional mode this week. There are more fish showing up on the shoreline breaks than the mid-lake structure.
We are still catching some fish in the middle, but they seem to be more finicky than the past couple weeks. All the methods are catching walleyes at different times of the day. Trolling crankbaits and spinners, jigging minnows, leeches, and worms, and Lindy Rigging with the same baits are all working. The key is to find active fish.
Northern Pike fishing has been quite good. Look for the weeds on top of the main bars as well as the weeds along the shoreline drop-offs in 14-17' of water. Trolling spoons and larger crankbaits seem to be the best tactics on these structures. Jigs and small sucker minnows are also doing the job on top of the main bars for pike.
The perch front is showing signs of improving. Some nicer perch were brought in this week. Small crankbaits were the best way to catch the bigger perch. Minnows are catching perch too, but most of them are small; the small ones don't seem to bite the crankbaits. Fish the shoreline breaks 10-14 feet.
Fall is right around the corner. We have our Labor Day special at the end of August. Reserve the week of August 24-31 and stay until Labor Day for free! This is a popular special with our guests. You get nine days for the price of seven! We hope to see you then! — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report July 28, 2019
Walleye fishing has been very productive this past week. All the guests that pursued walleyes had success. Northern pike fishing is going good too and I think the best method is the mixed bag approach, fishing the weeds on top of the main bars.
Jigs and small sucker minnows are the preferred bait. Some fish are starting to go on crankbaits as well. Fishing adjacent to the main shoreline drop-offs with the crankbaits is the best location. Lindy Rigs with leeches and crawlers are working along the edges of the structure. Also, trolling with spoons and crankbaits in the weeds will catch fish. Focus on the best weeds you can find for targeting pike.
Perch are still the mystery of the year. When you can't get a perch bite dragging a night crawler, you know something is going on with the perch. Some fish are being caught, but the action is very much hit and misses right now. The folks that are having some success are fishing the shoreline weeds using fathead minnows.
We have some openings for the next few weeks. There is still time to get in a family fishing vacation before the kids go back to school. Check out our availability and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report July 21, 2019
Fishing has been better than average this past week. There were a lot of fish caught by all of the fishermen at the resort.
Most of the guests have turned to the "mixed bag" method of fishing. This is where you go out and just fish for what will bite. Using small sucker minnows on a spinner or jig has been the most productive presentation in this mixed bag approach.
Just find some weeds on top of one of the main bars and you will catch walleyes and northerns using the mixed bag method. Most of the walleyes are in the slot, but the northerns are keepers. This has been the main table fare for our guests.
You can still target walleyes using live bait rigs with leeches and crawlers. Fish the edge of the bars and mid-lake humps. You will catch fish.
Northerns have been caught using all of the traditional methods. Trolling spoons seems to be the preferred method when targeting pike. Look for the best weeds you can find in 13-17' of water.
Perch continue to be a mystery. In the past, you couldn't keep the perch off of your line while fishing a night crawler on a rig. This year, we can't find the perch when we are trying. I will stay on top of this unusual situation and try to come up with some answers for next fishing report.
We are in full vacation mode at the resort right now. The fishing seems to be secondary to the pool, playground, grill, etc.
We have openings for the fall season. Remember we offer a 20% fall discount after Labor Day. Pick out your dates and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report July 16, 2019
The heat has turned off the fishermen more than is has the fish this past week. The pool has seen a lot more action than the lake. That being said, the fish continue to cooperate with the ones who choose to go after them.
Walleyes are in their normal summer patterns. Rigs with leeches and crawlers on the main bars and humps will catch fish. The weeds on top of the main bars has been productive for both walleyes and northerns.
Larger minnows with spinners or jigs have been very good while fishing this structure. Most of the walleyes continue to be in the protected slot.
Northern fishing has been reliable, trolling the shoreline drops with larger spoons such as Trolldevles. We had two muskies caught this past week while trolling for northerns. Lori Turnbull from Anna, TX caught a 44" beauty on an orange and green. Ruby Koch, from Reinbeck, IA caught a 46" monster on a orange and gold Eppinger trolldevle.
They came as a surprise as we have not seen or heard of many muskies being caught in the past couple of years.
Perch continue to be very spotty. Hopefully, we can get them dialed in by late summer for some great fall perch fishing.
We have openings for our fall season. Our fall special kicks in on Labor Day, 20% off all cabin rental. Make your plans, and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report July 7, 2019
The walleye fishing has been quite good despite the calm conditions.
Mid-lake structure is the best bet using rigs with leeches or crawlers. Most of the fish continue to be in the protected slot.
These fish are very impressive, though. There are also some fish being caught in the best cabbage weed growth you can find. Look for areas adjacent to deep water in 13-17' of water.
These weeds are also the prime areas for northern pike. Jigs and minnows as well as normal hardware are catching pike. This has been the prime fish for eating this year. There are many under the slot as well as some overs being caught.
Perch fishing is still very spotty. Cabbage weed growth is a good place to start. If you don't find them in the weeds, look at the bottom side of the primary break on the main bars. The key depth is 30' when fishing this structure. Jigs and fatheads or a bare hook under a bobber and a fathead minnow will catch these perch.
The summer season is in full swing. We still have a few openings for the prime vacation season. Check out our availability and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report June 30, 2019
The walleye fishing has been good to great. The keeper size fish seem to be more elusive as the fish migrate out to the mid-lake structure. Finding keeper size fish has been a real challenge this week. We are catching a lot of walleyes in the slot 18-23".
These fish are very impressive in the way they look and fight. I had a trip Thursday and the folks I was guiding commented that these walleyes fight harder than any they have caught before! Without targeting walleyes on Thursday, we managed to catch 8 fish in the slot on jigs and sucker minnows.
The fish are going on rigs and leeches, as well. All of the main bars are holding walleyes. Also, there are still fish on the primary shoreline breaks in 17-25' of water.
Northern fishing has really picked up. In fact, on our trip on Thursday, we had to feed 8 hungry guys. I decided the best way to do this would be to catch northern. They didn't disappoint us. We drifted on top of the main bar which sports random weed growth. There was a mixed bag of perch, walleyes, and especially northern. Most of the fish were perfect size for eating. We kept them between 20 and
22".
When de-boned, northern pike are as good eating as any fish we have; especially, the smaller ones.
Perch fishing has still been very spotty. Most of the numbers continue to come from the Third River Area of the lake. The southeast winds the past couple of days have made that a dicey proposition getting to the spot and back.
Jigs and fathead minnows are the bait of choice for the perch.
We are still a week or two behind normal. So the good June fishing should continue into July. We have openings for the first two weeks of July. Check our availability and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report June 23, 2019
The walleye fishing has been good to great. The keeper size fish seem to be more elusive as the fish migrate out to the mid-lake structure. Finding keeper size fish has been a real challenge this week. We are catching a lot of walleyes in the slot 18-23".
These fish are very impressive in the way they look and fight. I had a trip Thursday and the folks I was guiding commented that these walleyes fight harder than any they have caught before! Without targeting walleyes on Thursday, we managed to catch 8 fish in the slot on jigs and sucker minnows.
The fish are going on rigs and leeches, as well. All of the main bars are holding walleyes. Also, there are still fish on the primary shoreline breaks in 17-25' of water.
Northern fishing has really picked up. In fact, on our trip on Thursday, we had to feed 8 hungry guys. I decided the best way to do this would be to catch northern. They didn't disappoint us. We drifted on top of the main bar which sports random weed growth. There was a mixed bag of perch, walleyes, and especially northern. Most of the fish were perfect size for eating. We kept them between 20 and
22".
When de-boned, northern pike are as good eating as any fish we have; especially, the smaller ones.
Perch fishing has still been very spotty. Most of the numbers continue to come from the Third River Area of the lake. The southeast winds the past couple of days have made that a dicey proposition getting to the spot and back.
Jigs and fathead minnows are the bait of choice for the perch.
We are still a week or two behind normal. So the good June fishing should continue into July. We have openings for the first two weeks of July. Check our availability and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report June 16, 2019
Walleyes have transitioned to the deeper structures, for the most part. Most of the walleyes are being caught on the shoreline drops 17-25' or one of the main bars. I haven't heard any good reports from the smaller mid lake structure as of yet.
Shiner minnows and jigs continue to dominate the bait selection. Leeches and crawlers are doing the trick, as well. Most of the fish are in the slot, 18-23", but some overs and unders are possible.
Northern fishing is fairly good right now. I think the backwater areas are your best bet for pike. Jigs and minnows or your favorite hardware will catch pike. The size range is good. This is a good way to supplement your fish for the fish fry when most of the walleyes are in the slot and have to be thrown back.
Perch fishing is still a crapshoot. You can be on them and they are biting as fast as you can get your line down there, and then the wind can change or increase or decrease and the perch will be gone. Having a hard time figuring them out. We know that they should be gorging on the crayfish in the new weed growth, but that just doesn't seem to be the case.
All in all, fishing has been good. Every boat that goes out catches something. The water level hasn't gone down at all. It is still at a
25 year high. That could have something to do with the perch.
The bulrushes in the mouth of the Mississippi still haven't cracked the surface!
The weather is getting nicer and the fish continue to cooperate. The next couple weeks is a great time to come to Winnie and get in on the action. We have openings through the end of the month and also into July. Check out our availability and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report June 10, 2019
The walleyes continue to relate to the shorelines. When the wind blows we are catching fish on the primary breaklines in 10-14 feet of water. When it gets a little calmer, we are finding the fish on the secondary breakline in 17-20'.
Jigs and shiner minnows are still the preferred bait of the walleyes. Leeches and night crawlers are starting to tempt their taste buds, though. The water temperature is slowly but surely climbing into the 60's. Look for the midlake structures to start up in the next week or so.
Northern fishing has definitely improved this past week. Not only catching them by accident fishing for walleyes, but also targeting
them on artificial. The largest fish caught this week was a giant 35" pike by Larry Renze from St. Peters, Mo.
The real story is the perch are starting to show up in numbers. I found a spot in some new growth weeds and it was as fast as you could
get your line down, you had a perch. They were not super jumbo's, but we kept the 9-10" fish. The perch fishing should only get better as the water warms and the weeds start to attract the crayfish.
June fishing is hard to beat on Lake Winnie. We have some openings for the rest of the month. If you are thinking about a fishing trip, check out our website and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report June 3, 2019
The walleye fishing is still the main attraction at the Four Seasons Resort. Fish are being caught on a variety of structure and methods.
Fish shallow 7-10' when the wind blows with a jig and shiner.
When it is calm, move to the secondary breakline and use a jig and minnow or rigs and leeches on the deeper structure. Some fish are being caught on slip bobbers and leeches in the evenings just before dark, as well.
Most of the fish continue to be in the protected slot, but there are more small fish brought in each day. The water temperature even after a few warm days continues to lag behind normal. Very few reports of over 60 degree surface temperatures. In the coming days, as the water warms, the fish should more predictable. Our guests are still happy catching and releasing double digit walleyes in the 19-22"
range!
Northern fishing has been fairly reliable, with some fish starting to go on artificial as well as the jig and minnow combination. Spoons
and crankbaits are the baits of choice when throwing hardware at the pike.
Perch fishing continues to be a puzzle. Normal perch haunts seem to be void of these fish. There is no consistent pattern to finding perch. I'm hoping when the water warms up, the perch will school and we can get back to normal perch fishing.
The water is still at a 25 year high level at the resort. Some of the walkways are being challenged by the high water. So far, boots are not needed to get to any of the docks. The dam is open at full capacity and I can't figure out why the water level doesn't recede. We have had no measurable rain in the past two weeks. Another enigma in a series of enigmas this year!
We have some openings for the month of June. Give us a call and join in the great fishing we have going on. It will only get better in the coming weeks. Hope to see you. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Fishing Report Memorial Day May 27, 2019
The fishing this weekend did not go as expected. The weather did not cooperate in the days leading up to the Holiday weekend. We needed
the water temperature to warm up rather than cool down.
Sunday was a very nice day, with calm winds and sunshine. This was great for fishing, not necessarily for catching. The rest of the weekend was cool and damp. Those that braved the elements caught fish.
The fish continue to be in a holding pattern waiting for the shiners to move into the shallows to spawn. The late afternoon and evening bite is still the best. Some fish are being found on the deeper structures adjacent to the shallow water. Most of the walleyes being caught are in the protected slot. Most of the keeper size are found later in the day.
Northern fishing has picked up. They have been a great supplement to the fish fry. Northerns above and below the 22-26" slot are being caught. All of the fish are caught fishing for walleyes on jigs and minnows.
Perch are slowly starting to congregate. They are still way behind schedule. Targeting perch has been a challenge. When you do catch one, it is a nice keeper size, though.
We now have a full complement of minnows on hand. Shiners, fatheads, and small suckers. Also, leeches and night crawlers. When the weather starts to come around, and the water warms up, the fish are ready and willing to bite.
We have openings for the next couple of weeks. Check the weather and our availability, and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Opening Day Fishing Report May 20, 2019
The walleye fishing continues to be very good. Most boats are reporting double digit catches everytime they go out! The majority of the fish continue to be in the 19-22" range, but some "keeper" size are becoming more common. There have been some big ones caught, as well. My boats largest today was 27". There were many other fish above the slot (23" +) caught, as well.
The conditions were tough this weekend with high winds and cold temperatures. But the ones who toughed it out were rewarded with premium action. Jigs with minnows are the most common method of catching walleyes right now.
Most of the fish are in 7-10 feet of water along the windblown shoreline.
Northerns are being caught along with the walleyes. One cabin caught a monster 36" fish on a jig and minnow. With the majority of the walleyes returned to the lake, a lot of our guest are supplementing their catch for the frying pan with some northerns. Fish above the 22-26" slot and below are being caught.
Not much to report on the perch front. Very spotty so far. There have been one caught here and there, but no schools of perch showing up yet. Warmer weather could help on this front.
All in all, the walleyes are where it is at right now. This weekend could be some of the best walleye fishing we have seen in some time. The fish are shallow, and ready to bite.
If you haven't made plans for Memorial Weekend yet, and want to go fishing, Winnie is the place to be. We still have a few openings for the holiday weekend. Check our availability and give us a call. — Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231
Four Seasons Lake Winnie Opening Day Fishing Report May 12, 2019
After a very long winter, the time finally came. Guests were weary of winter, and ready for some open water fishing. The weather forecast was for rain and high winds. Well, the winds came, but the sun was out all day long.
The buzz around camp was "did you find any shiners?". No, we didn't have shiners. But the fish bit on leeches, the fish bit on fatheads, and the fish bit on small sucker minnows!
It was one of our better openers in many years. Every boat that I talked to caught fish. Most of the fish were in the protected 18-23"
slot. But there were many reports of double digit catches per angler.
Not per boat, but per angler. There was no magic spot, either. The fish were reported being caught from Little Stony Point on the south end of the lake, all the way to the north end. The boats that were tough enough to brave the waves on the north end were rewarded with the most keeper size walleyes.
In addition to the walleyes, there were some nice northerns over 26"
caught. No report of a perch bite came in.
All in all, we had great weather and great fishing. A rare combination on Opening Day!
The fishing looks to be above average this spring. We have openings for the coming weekends including Memorial Weekend. Make plans now to get in on the action. - Joe Thompson, Four Seasons Resort 218-665-2231