Brainerd Guide
Fishing Reports

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 9-30-17
The water temperatures continue to drop in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The best walleye bite has been on Gull Lake. Most of the fish have fallen down the breakline and are in 36 to 42 feet of water. The best tactics have been jig/minnow combos or rigging with a healthy 3-5 inch chub minnow. The crappie schools are starting to show up in the deeper holes. These spots are the locations ice anglers target first ice crappies. Key locations have contour lines which are close together. The best bait for these crappies has been a 1/8 oz glow jig tipped with a crappie minnow. The open water season is coming to an end but there are still several weeks of good fishing left. Thanks for all the calls. It's been a guide season for the record books. Several of the guides still are fishing but I'm about done for the season. I'm planning to spend some time in the field with my German Shorthair the next few months before we have ice. Keep posted. I will still be updating the fishing report in the weeks to come. There will probably be a few hunting pictures as well. Enjoy the fall while you can. Life is good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 9-15-17
The leaves have started to turn color in the Brainerd Lakes. I can't believe we are halfway through September already. October will be here before we know it. The walleye have started to drop into the deeper water on most lakes throughout the area. The best structures have been the edges of large flats which drop quickly into the lake basin. Key locations are in 26 to 32 feet of water. Jigging and rigging have accounted for the majority of the fish. The minnow has been outproducing all other baits at the current time. The bass action has been slower. Some of the bass have moved shallow while others have dropped deep. The bass are more scattered at the current time. The crappies have started to slide to their fall pattern as well. Search out sharp breaks which drop quickly to the deeper water. Thanks for all the calls. Some of the best walleye fishing of the year will happen in the next 6 weeks. We will see you on the lake
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 8-23-17
The walleye are starting to drop out of the weeds on most of the lakes throughout the Brainerd Lakes Area. The shear number of fish showing up on the sonar can only mean that things are shaping up for another repeat of last year's excellent fall walleye bite. Key locations have been the deeper weed edges in 18 to 24 feet on most main lake structures. North Long, Gull, and the Whitefish Chain all gave up their fair share of walleyes this last week. The minnow bite has dominated all other presentations at this time.The bass have also started to drop on most lakes. Colder than normal water temperatures have been the reason for this migration. The bass activity is slower than last week and the bite will continue to fade as water temperatures drop. The larger northern pike have started moving shallow again. Key locations are stands of healthy cabbage weeds. The best, still green, cabbage beds will be key locations in the weeks to come. The crappie have started to fall from the weed line too. Cooler than normal water patterns have put fish in locations two weeks ahead of normal. Thanks for the excellent summer. Michelle set a record for booking trips the year. Life is Good. Hold on to your hats. The best walleye bite of the season is just around the corner.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 8-13-17
The summer is flying away far too quickly. It will be September before we know it. The good news is the fish are biting in the Brainerd Lakes. The walleye, bass, and northern pike have been good this last week. The best walleye action has been on Gull Lake and the Whitefish Chain. Key locations have been just outside the weeds in 14 to 18 feet of water. The best bites have occurred on days when wind is present. The walleye bite has been slower on flat calm, sunny, days. The excellent bass action has been able to fill the void on calmer days. The best bass bite has been coming from the smaller lakes throughout the area. Jig/worm combos fished on the deeper edges of structures containing sand grass have accounted for most of the action. The best northern pike action has been coming off of large weed beds which break quickly into deeper water. Large spin rig combos have been extremely effective in these situations.The walleye have started to drop out of the weeds on many lakes throughout the area. It looks like we will be in for another excellent fall walleye bite this year again. Thanks for all the calls.We will see you on the water.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 8-05-17
Where did July go? I can't believe we are one week into August already. The good news is the water temperatures are in the upper seventies and the walleye bite has been good. Gull Lake and the Whitefish Chain both kicked out their fair share of walleyes this last week. Key locations were just outside the weed edge of wind blown structures. The best baits have been minnows and night crawlers. Key water depths have been 14 to 18 feet. This action should only continue to improve as we get closer to mid August. Things are shaping up for a repeat of last falls fantastic walleye bite. The larger northern pike are now relating to deep water structures. The bass have slide off the cabbage weeds and are now positioning themselves where the cabbage weeds meet the sand grass. Deep water presentations are extremely effective at this time. The next few weeks should be fun. September will be here before we know it. Where did the summer go? Thanks for all the calls. We will see you on the water.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 7-30-17
Sorry for the delay with the fishing report. This is always the time of year where there never seems to be enough hours in the day. The water temperatures we have been waiting for have finally arrived in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The fish, and the fishermen, have been happy, happy happy the last week. The walleye bite has been good to excellent on the larger lakes most days. Key locations have been just outside the weed line in 14 to 18 feet of water depending on the lake. The clearer lakes have the deepest weed lines. The bass action has been excellent. We have had many 40+ trips on half day outings this past two weeks. Key locations are near good stands of cabbage which transition into areas of sand grass. The warmer water conditions have made the bass more aggressive. Most presentations will work in these conditions. The warmer water conditions have pushed the sunfish to the deeper water. Large schools of the bigger bull sized fish have started to relate to the deeper edges of sunken islands and deep water points. These are easily seen on the depth finder. The walleye fishing should only continue to improve now that mother nature has turned on the "feeding light". The summer will be over before we know it. Thanks for all the calls. We will see you on the lake.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 7-17-17
The water temperatures have finally broken the 75 degree mark in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The warmer water has kicked the fish metabolism into their next gear. The walleyes have started to shown up outside the weeds in greater numbers daily. Gull, North Long, and the Whitefish Chain have been the best choices this last week. The bass action has been nothing short of fantastic. Catch rates of 30 to 50 fish per half day outing have been the norm. Key locations have been the outer edges of the weeds. The bass should start to drop into the sand grass as the water temperatures continue to rise. The northern pike action has been fair but should only continue to improve as the water temperatures continue to rise. Key locations have been deep water points which transition into deep water basin areas of the lake. The larger sunfish are now relating to the deeper water. Sunken Islands with good stands of cabbage on top are prime locations. The forecast for the next week looks great. The best walleye fishing of the summer should kick in soon if current weather patterns hold. Thanks for all the calls. It has been a busy summer. We will see you on the water.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 7-10-17
The last week has been some of the nicest weather of the summer in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The water temperatures are currently hovering just below the 75 degree mark on most larger lakes. We are literally standing on the doorsteps of some of the best fishing of the summer. The walleye have started to show up outside of the weed line on North Long, Whitefish, and Edwards while most of the walleyes on Gull and Pelican are still roaming in the weeds. Key locations have been large cabbage beds on main lakes structures. The bass fishing has been excellent this past week. Most groups have been catching 30 to 50 fish on four hour fishing outings. Key locations have been the deeper weed edge in 14 to 18 feet of water. The bigger northern pike are starting to show up outside the weed line as well. The larger sunfish have also moved to deeper water. The best locations have been near sunken islands which top out in 6 to 12 feet of water. . Bring on the heat. The warmer water conditions are getting ready to kick these cold blooded fish metabolisms into their highest gear. Life is Good. It will even get better as the water temps inch closer to 80 degrees. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 7-04-17
Happy Fourth of July. I decided to take the afternoon off this year. Let's get to the report. The final days to enjoy this year's fabulous walleye fishing on Mille Lacs are coming to an end. The catch-n-release season officially closes on July 7th. The last seven weeks have been truly amazing. We were able to boat 40 to 100 walleyes a day throughout most of this time period. All walleye year classes were present in the lake. The smaller fish are located closer to the shore while the bigger fish are relating to the mud flats farther out in the lake. Almost every flat had fish present. The best presentation right now is a bottom bouncer spinner combo that's tipped with a crawler and pulled at 1.2 mph. The best depths for the bigger fish have been 31 feet. I don't understand the politics but I sure hope they figure this one out. Enough said about that. The walleye bite in the Brainerd Lakes has been spotty. Unseasonably cooler water temperatures are mostly to blame. Most lakes are 6 to 9 degrees cooler than normal. The good news is this weeks forecast! The weatherman is calling for highs in the upper 80's for most of the week. It is just what we need to get those water temps to that magical 75 degree mark. The best bass fishing has been happening on the smaller. quicker to warm, local lakes. The best depths have been in 9 to 12 feet. Jig-worm combos have been some of the best lures in these situations. The best retrieves have been slower than normal presentations because of the cooler water conditions. This should all change as the water temperatures rise. The next few weeks should kick start some of our best fishing so far this season. Happy Fourth of July everyone. Thanks for all the calls. We will see you on the water.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-25-17
The walleye bite on Mille Lacs continues to be strong. Key locations for the bigger fish have been the mud flats while the rocks have been kicking out numbers of smaller sized fish. The best baits have been leeches and crawlers. North Long, Pelican Lake, and Gull Lake have been the best options closer to home. Creek chubs and leeches have been the best baits. The bass action has been improving as the water temperatures continue to rise. A few days of heat should be just what the doctor ordered if the weather forecast can be believed. Unseasonably cool temperatures have kept water temperatures lower than normal for this time of year. It is hard to believe the 4th of July is just around the corner. The best fishing of the summer has yet to arrive as water temperatures inch ever closer to that magical 75 degree mark. Keep posted. There are a bunch of new pictures still on the camera. I will try to post some more in the next to days. Time to go. We are headed back to the big pond again tomorrow.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-18-17
The walleye bite is heating up in the Brainerd Lakes Area. North Long and Pelican Lake were the most consistent lakes this past week. Key locations were large weed flats in 12 to 14 feet of water. The bite was even shallower on windy days. Mille Lacs continues to produce numerous walleyes on the flats. We had several 40-50 fish days this last week. The best bait was a leech. Key water depths were 24 to 31 feet. The small mouth bass action was nothing short of incredible earlier in the week before the big cold front. This action should return once the weather stabilizes.Tube jigs in green crayfish and bluegill colors produced the most fish. The sunfish have finished spawning and moved out to the backside edge of the weeds in 6 to 8 feet of water. The pike action is improving but still has a ways to go. Happy Father's Day everyone. Thanks for all the calls. We will see you on the water.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-11-17
Here I am typing at 10:30 pm after fishing all day, so this is going to be short and sweet. The new boat was on the water today for its first trip. Keep the fingers crossed. This boat looks like it is going to be a good one. The walleye fishing was a bit slower the last few days as more and more fish start the transition to summer locations. The warmer temperatures continue to rise, which means we close to hit the magic mark. The bass action has been good on most area lakes. This action should only improve as the water temperatures rise. Sorry for the short report but the eyes are getting sleepy and I have to be up on Whitefish early tomorrow. Happy fishing. See your next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-06-17
Pelican, North Long, and Edwards were the best lakes for walleyes this last week. Key locations were right outside of the weeds on wind blown structures. Key water depths were between 16 to 28 feet depending on which lake was being fished. The clearer the lake, the deeper the weed line, and the deeper the fish. Good baits were shiner minnows and red tail chubs. The sunfish are still in the shallows, spawning, on many of the lakes throughout the area. Key locations are sandy bottom areas near vegetation. Good water depths are 2 to 4 feet. The crappies have moved out to the first break and have started to establish their summer pattern. The bass have move a little deeper too. This migration should continue as the days get longer and the sun gets higher in the sky. The new boat is on its way. It should be here next Friday. I may have to do some midnight boat rigging this weekend. Keep the calls coming, I can sleep when the snow returns.
Life is Good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-01-17
The Minnesota bass opener found the majority of the bass extremely shallow in the Brainerd Lakes. Key water depths have been 4 to 6 feet. The best locations were on large shallow water flats with pencil reeds present. Good baits were jig/worm combos in pumpkin seed and blue fleck. The crappie have finished spawning on the majority of the lakes and moved back to the first break line outside the weeds. The walleye action has been spotty depending on the weather. The bite should improve as the weather stabilizes. The majority of the walleye are relating to the outside edge of the weeds in 16 to 23 feet of water. Shiner minnows continue to produce fish in these situations. The smallmouth action is starting to heat up on Mille lacs in 4 to 6 feet of water. Rubble mixed with boulders are prime locations. So many places to fish, so little time. Life is Good!
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 5-23-17
The best walleye bite in the Brainerd Lakes Area has been happening on Mille Lacs. The action has been great with numerous walleye being caught in the 16 to 22 inch class. We had several outings over the last week where we released 15 to 20 fish per hour. Few places can match that type of activity anywhere! Key locations were sandy areas in 8 to 12 feet of water. The best bait was a jig and shiner minnow. The late evening trolling bite on Gull Lake remains strong while North Long has also been giving up a few walleyes during the day in 16 to 18 feet. The windblown structures on the main lake have produced the most fish with red tails and shiner minnows being equally effective. The majority of the crappies have finished spawning and moved back to the outer edge of the weeds. Key locations are in 8 to 11 feet of water near good stands of cabbage weeds. Slip bobbers tipped with a small jig and minnow have been the most effective lures in these situations. The sunfish are spawning in the shallows on many of the area lakes. Prime locations are in 4 to 6 feet of water. The Minnesota bass season officially opens this Saturday. Key locations this weekend will be in 6 to 9 feet of water. The majority of the bass are still relating to the pencil reeds. Jig/worm combos are effective presentations in these situations. The fishing action should only improve as the water temperatures continue to rise. Happy Memorial Day and thanks for all the calls.
Life is Good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 5-18-17
The best walleye fishing in the Brainerd Lakes has been occurring in the evening hours in 6 to 9 feet of water. The spot-tail shiner spawn is on and the walleyes are taking advantage of the easy pickings. Trolling floating minnow baits has been very effective right now. Good speeds have been 1.2 to 1.8 mph. The best colors have been blue/silver and fire-tiger. Key locations have been sand flats near newly emerging cabbage weeds. The crappie fishing has be fantastic. Most crappies are getting ready to spawn. Search out known spawning habitat and then work towards deeper water If crappies are not present. Key locations have been staging areas in 7 to 9 feet of water near good stands of cabbage weeds. Small jigs tipped with a minnow and suspended below a bobber have been extremely effective. The sunfish have been even shallower, with 5 to 6 feet of water being the most productive. The northern pike are up on the sand flats too. Jigs tipped with a shiner minnow has been a deadly combination for these toothy critters. A 8 to 10 inch shock tippet of 20 lb test is a must in these situations. Attach one end directly to the jig and then a swivel to the other, Tie the main line to the swivel. Pitch the jig out from the boat and then snap it along as you pull the boat forward with the trolling motor. Good speeds have been 1.7 to 1.9 mph. Memorial Day is coming quickly and we are booking up quickly. Thanks for all the calls. See you on the water!!
Life is Good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 5-11-17
The weather has heated up and so has the fishing the Brainerd Lakes Area. The crappies have invaded the shallow water areas and are readily biting small minnow, grub type imitations suspended below a bobber. The bite has been so good that live bait hasn't been needed. The best soft plastic bait colors have been root beer, smoke, and white. Search out backwater areas in 4 to 6 feet of water which are near know crappie spawning habitat. It won't be long, if the current temperatures hold, before the crappies will be spawning in the pencil reeds and bulrushes. The sunfish action has also picked up throughout the area. Key locations have been in 2 to 4 feet of water. A small jig tipped with a panfish leech has been a deadly combination. The best panfish bite has been occurring in the backwater areas with muddy bottoms. Locations with newly emerging lily pads have been best. The walleye action was fair this weekend. The best bite occurred in the evening hours. I look for this bite to improve as the water temperatures continue to rise. Keep posted. It's open water fishing time. We will be updating this forum weekly now throughout the summer until late fall. Good Luck this weekend!
Life is Good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 4-20-17
The crappie fishing has been good in the Brainerd Lakes Area. Small backwater areas have been producing the most fish. Search out locations with soft, dark, muddy bottoms. These spots warm considerably quicker than other areas. The best fishing spots have been located on the smaller bays of the larger lakes. Small channels, harbors, and marshy areas have been producing the most fish. Small jigs, when fished two to three feet below a bobber, have been the best baits. Tip the jigs with minnows or plastic grub imitations. Don't use too heavy of a jig. Spring crappies can't resist presentations which fall slowly. Heavy jigs fall too quickly and are less attractive to fish when the water is cold. Fan cast likely areas while cruising with your trolling motor. Drop the anchor, or hit the spot lock, when the first crappie is found. You've found the spot! Crappie rarely are by themselves. Fish the area effectively and you will have the makings of your summer's first fish fry. Keep posted. There will be more fishing reports to come. It is finally nice to be back on soft water.
Life is Good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 4-03-17
The loons have returned to the Brainerd Lakes area. It is nice to hear the sounds of birds, frogs, and wildlife again after all those silent months of winter. Most of the smaller lakes are ice free. The ice on larger lakes has pulled 20 to 30 feet away from the shores. Things are shaping up for an early ice out this year, especially if we can hook some more rain. Nothing eats ice quicker than rain. We got about a 1/2 inch of rain last night but we still need more water in the area. Many of the lakes I visited yesterday were down 1 to 1 1/2 feet. The entire concrete access was exposed on Round Lake. It will be difficult to land a boat there without some more water. The suckers started running in the creeks this weekend. Most of the northern pike were spawning last week. The walleye should start spawning in the next few days. The honey-do-list is getting smaller. I can feel the open water crappie fishing season creeping around the corner. I truly love this time of year. The crappie fishing should be good this year. Low water will force the fish into different areas. Traditional spring spots might not have enough water to hold crappies if current water conditions continue. This will concentrate crappies into smaller areas. Low water conditions always require a little more searching but the rewards should be worth it. Give Michelle a call if you are interested in fishing. I will be out getting the boat ready.
Life is Good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 3-25-17
The local lakes have started to darken but we still have plenty of ice in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The panfish bite has been good on many of the smaller lakes throughout the area. Key locations are found in 6 to 9 feet of water near good stands of green crisp weeds. Brown, decaying, weeds eat up oxygen. Fish will leave these locations quickly when oxygen levels drop. The Rainy River is open. I am hoping to get up there one time before the season closes. Too bad work always seems to get in the way. I am limited to the weekends this time of year. The little pointer pup is progressing with her training. She should be ready to go by this fall. The DNR released their new walleye regulations for Mille Lacs Lake this summer. The big pond will be catch-n-release for walleye again this year but will also have a no walleye fishing period during the hottest weeks of June. Check out the Minnesota DNR website for further details. I best get going. There are still a bunch of items left on the honey-do list.
Life is Good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 3-07-17
The wind has been nothing short of unreal these last few days in the Brainerd Lakes Area. All of our snow was gone about two days ago and then we got about a 1/2 inch last night. The winds has been blowing 25 to 30 mph for much of the evening with gusts up to 40 mph. It's definitely not an evening that's fit for man nor beast. Much of the local ice fishing has come to a stand still. There has been a good panfish bite occurring on some of the smaller lakes in the area but the crappie fishing has been slow during the day. The only flurry of crappie activity happens when the sun hits the trees at dusk. The bite has been short and sweet then and lasts about and hour. Much of my time has been spent on preparing for the spring. The new boat is somewhere in production and will hopefully be here by the end of the month. That's should give me plenty of time to finish the rigging before open water arrives. I been spending my spare time training the new pup. I forgot how much work they can be. She is going to be a wonderful dog. Stop by at the Power Lodge in Brainerd this Saturday. I will be there from 9 to 4. There's nothing better than talking about boats, fishing, and dogs to help the dull drums of March slip by.
Life is Good.
Keep Thinking Spring.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 2-22-17
The Brainerd landscape has changed. The weather has been unseasonably warm the last ten days. Much of the local snow cover is gone and many of the smaller swamps have open water. The small creeks and rivers are running high. There is literally water everywhere, Don't get your hopes up too high but things are shaping up for an early ice out this year. Enjoy the warm weather while you can. The weatherman is calling for colder weather by this weekend. Hopefully it won't last to long. I was out the last few nights without a jacket. Gotta love it! The walleye fishing has been spotty on the local lakes. Mille Lacs has been spotty as well. I have spent most of my spare time training our new little German shorthaired pointer. She should be ready to go by fall. The new boat is somewhere in production. Hopefully it will be here soon. So much to do, so little time. I guess there is no one to blame but myself. The ice houses have been coming off the local lakes in record pace. The walleye season will close in a few more days so get out and fish if you still have the itch. There is standing water on many of the area lakes. It's time to start getting the boats ready. It looks like it will be a good spring on the Rainy River this year.
Life is Good.
Think Spring.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 2-08-17
The ice conditions remain good in the Brainerd Lakes area. Be careful not to drive close to current areas. These locations can have significantly less ice than main lake areas, The walleye bite has been slow on many of the area lakes. The recent cold front has slowed down Millie Lacs as well. Things should pick up again when the temperatures start to rise. The crappie fishing has been spotty too. This should also pick up once we get closer to March. The sunfish action has been good on most of the smaller lakes. Key locations have been holes within the weeds in 6 to 9 feet of water. Good healthy weeds are a must for catching panfish. Sunfish quickly vacate dying weed growth areas. Small teardrops tipped with euro larva have been the best baits. The tip up action for big northern pike has been good the last few weeks. Key depths have been in 12 to 16 feet of water. Large sucker minnows suspended below a quick strike rig have accounted for most of the fish. March is just around the corner. The new Ranger should be here soon. I will post a few pics when it arrives. It will be the same model as last year's boat only with different colors. I still have tons to do before the spring crappie fishing season arrives; finish taxes, honey-do list, and many more. The new German Shorthair pup is doing great. She should be ready to hunt by next fall. I forgot how much extra work a little pup could be. So much for catching up on my sleep this winter.
Life is Good.
Stay warm.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 1-15-17
Happy New Year Everyone! The last few weeks have been extremely cold with temperatures dipping as low as minus 32 degrees on several past mornings. The conditions have been great for making ice but not much fun for ice fishing. Hopefully the predicted warm up will materialize next week and we can get back to better fishing conditions. The crappie fishing has been good on many of the smaller lakes in the area. Key locations are deep water holes near sharp breaking points. The crappies were very aggressive before the big chill and they would fly up off the bottom to take jigging spoons. Slower methods of presentation are more effective at this time. The walleye bite has been fair to good on Gull Lake. Key times are the forty-five minutes windows around sunrise and sunset. Mille Lacs has been producing numbers of fish these last few weeks. Key locations are the tops of most flats in 24 to 27 feet of water. Jigging spoons were deadly before the big freeze but set lines are now out performing other methods at this time.
JOHN