Brainerd Guide
Fishing Reports

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 11-30-18
Most of the smaller lakes have 4 to 6 inches of ice at the moment. The larger lakes like Gull, Whitefish, and North Long have all skimmed over. We currently have little to no snow in the area. These are perfect conditions for making ice. I would not be surprised to see ice houses on many of the lakes within the next few days. All of my spare time this last month has been spent either in the woods or the field. My German shorthair pointers, Ava & Greta, have had a tremendous season so far. The north shore trip was one to remember. Beautiful scenery, great hiking, and good grouse numbers made for an excellent trip. One that will surely be repeated again next year. The local grouse population around Brainerd is much lower than last year but we still have be able to get 4 to 5 points per outing this fall. We also headed down to Iowa for a pheasant hunt this fall. The pheasants were plentiful and the weather was beautiful. The only bad part was the drive down. We hit a snow storm in the Cities which turned a 5 hour trip into 7 hours. Good thing it never snowed at our destination. Keep posted. Happy Holidays.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 11-05-18
The shallow lakes have started to ice over in the Brainerd Lakes Area. Many of the larger lakes like Gull, Whitefish, and Pelican are still wide open. The boat has been officially been put away for the season. This is the time we start focusing on grouse, pheasant, and deer hunting. The grouse numbers are down from last year but are still above the cycle's average. We have several grouse hunting trips planned this year including one to the north shore of Lake Superior. The Iowa pheasant population is up this year so I guess there might be a couple of trips down there too before the season is over. The girls, Ava & Greta, are doing great. We will keep you posted on our bird hunting adventures as well as local ice conditions in the Brainerd Lakes Area. We will not be running any ice houses this year. Happy holidays to everyone. Thanks again for such an awesome fishing season. We will see you soon.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 10-05-18
The walleyes have been biting in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The fish have moved to a fall pattern with water depths of 32 to 36 feet being key locations. Rigging with a large 3 to 4 inch redtail chub has been a deadly combination in these situations. The crappie have also moved deeper. Sharp breaks which drop quickly into the main lake basin have been prime locations. Key water depths have been 28 to 34 feet. A small jig tipped with a crappie minnow and then suspended below a slip bobber has been the ticket in these situations. The larger pike have moved back to the shallows. Key locations are in 6 to 12 feet of water where good, green, crisp cabbage weeds are still present. Thanks again for the great season. The ice will be here before we know it.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 9-04-18
The walleyes were biting on Gull Lake and the Whitefish Chain this last week. Key locations were the tips of wind blown points just outside the weeds. The best depths were 14 to 16 feet on Whitefish and 18 to 20 feet on Gull. Rigging with minnows continues to be the most productive method for catching these tasty critters. The water temperatures have dropped almost 8 degrees in the last ten days. This should cause the walleye to start dropping deeper in the weeks to come. One of my favorite walleye bites of the season is just around the corner. This occurs when the cisco start to spawn in mid september. The evidence of fall is all around us. Some of the trees are showing signs of changing color. Thanks again to all of you that made this summer one of our best guide seasons to date. The good news is there is still some good open water fishing left before the ice skims over. Enjoy the beautiful weather.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 8-25-18
The walleye bite has been good this last week. Key locations are wind blown areas in 12 to 16 feet of water. The Whitefish Chain has been the best option for catching walleyes. Rigging with creek chubs has been the best tactic. The bait fish populations have started to dwindle. Things are shaping up for a good fall bite. The northern pike have moved back to the weed line on most lakes in the area. Falling water temperatures are sure to push them shallower in the weeks to come. The best presentations for catching these toothy critters this week has been a jig/minnow combination. The bass have moved deeper on the larger lakes, holding just outside the second weedline. The only exception has been on the smaller lakes where some have moved ultra shallow to chase minnows amongst the pencil reeds. The panfish have start to drop off the weed line this week. They will continue to drop shallower in the weeks to come. Thanks everyone for such a successful summer season. We will see you on the water.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 8-10-18
The walleye fishing was good this week. We had multiple mornings with double digit catches and several afternoons with good numbers too. Minnows and crawlers were effective baits in these situations. The best spots were wind blown points of healthy cabbage weeds that transitioned into sand grass areas. The best depths were 14 to 20 feet depending on the day and wind conditions. September should be exceptional again this year. I have been impressed with the walleye numbers I have been seeing so far. The bass and northern pike fishing has been fantastic too. I don't know where the summer went but it will be gone soon. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 7-30-18
The walleye fishing on Gull Lake was good this week. Key locations were wind blown cabbage beds which transitioned into sand grass. The bests depths were 18 to 20 feet. Rigging with a healthy creek chub was a deadly combination in these situations. The number of walleyes present outside of the weeds on some days gave an indication of how good the fall bite will be this year. The bass action remained fantastic. I can't remember a summer when we boated as many 5 lbs+ bass as we have this year. The bigger pike are showing themselves outside the deep weed edge and the larger sunfish are relating to the sunken islands. That's all for now. We will see you on the water.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 7-23-18
The fishing was good this past week. The walleyes were biting just outside the weed line. Key locations were wind blown structures with healthy cabbage weeds. The best presentation was rigging with creek chubs. The bass action has been fantastic. We have had many 50+ mornings this week. The action should only continue to improve as the water temperatures rise. The larger northern pike have become active this last week. Key locations have been the deeper edges of structures which drop quickly into deeper water. Thanks for all the calls. Its been a great season so far. We will see you on the water.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 7-16-18
The walleye bite was good this week. Right up until the might we got 4 inches of rain. The lakes are higher than normal for this time of year. I am expecting the walleye bite to pick up again once the water starts to clear. The only good news is we didn't get the 7 to 8 inches like they did on Mille Lacs. The larger northern are starting to show up outside the weed edges more and more each day. This action should only improve as we get closer to August. The bass action was slower after the big rain but has been improving daily. The sunfish continue to relate to the deeper water and can be found in 16 to 20 feet of water. Thanks for all the calls. Michelle has kept us busy. We only have a few openings left this next week. Enjoy the sun and great weather. This is the reason we live in Minnesota. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 7-07-18
The warmer weather has kept the bass biting. I spent much of this week fishing the deeper weed edges where the cabbage transitions into the sand grass. There was plenty of action and the larger bass were feeding as well. The best baits were jig/worm combos fished slow. The walleye action was spotty and I really didn't fish them much. Most groups were just looking for action. The largest bass of the week was just over 6 lbs. The larger sunfish have moved into the deeper water. Sunken islands with good cabbage on their tops are key locations. The summer has been a blur so far. It will be August before we know it. The best fishing is just around the corner. The alarm rings early this time of year so its off to bed. We will see you on the water. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-27-18
The water temperatures have finally heated up in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The bass bite has shifted into a high gear. The bass bite has been awesome the last few days. The best bass locations have been just outside the weed edge in 12 to 14 feet of water. Seek out deep water points and saddle areas which transition into sand grass. Jig/worm combos have been extremely effective in these situations. The walleye bite has been spotty the last week. The big northern pike have started to fall of the weed line. Key locations have been deep water points which fall into the main lake basin. The larger sunfish have started to show up on the sunken islands. Key locations have been in 14 to 16 feet of water, Small jigs tipped with a leech have been all that is needed to catch a mess of these big bulls. Happy Fourth of July everyone. It's been a busy season so far. Give us a call if you are looking to spend a fun day on the water. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-19-18
The weather has stabilized and the fish are biting. North Long, Whitefish, and Gull Lake are all producing walleyes just outside the weed line in 13 to 18 feet of water depending on the lake. The best technique has been live bait rigging but pulling a spinner has been effective as well. Key locations have been the wind blown edges of large main lake weed beds. The sunfish has finished spawning and have dropped into deeper water. Steep break lines near spawning areas have been prime locations. The bass action has heated up with the rising water temperatures and should only improve in the weeks to come.The best bass locations have been the outside edge of the weeds in 12 to 16 feet of water. The small mouth bass action has been red hot on the big pond. The best locations have been rock piles near known spawning locations. Crayfish colored tube jigs have been extremely effective in recent days. July 4th in quickly approaching and the fishing season is shaping up nicely. Enjoy the beautiful weather. You will find us on the lake. Take care until next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-11-18
The weather has been spotty but the fishing has been good. The best walleye action has been happening on North Long Lake in 18 to 20 feet of water. A healthy creek chub on a Lindy rig has been an effective combination for catches walleyes this last week. The crappie action was good earlier in the week but warmer water conditions pushed most of these fish out of the shallows by the end of the week. A beetle spin rig is still an effective bait just outside the weed line on over cast days or low light conditions. The bass are extremely shallow. The best depths have been 6 to 10 feet. Key locations have been the backside edges of the weeds. Areas near pencil reeds have been outproducing other locations. The sunfish are currently spawning on most area lakes. Search out sandy bottoms areas with a southern exposure to find the most fish. Puddle Jumpers rigged with a small jig have been extremely effective in these situations. The northern pike action has been fair. The best locations have been newly developing cabbage beds. Summer is coming. It's time to enjoy some time on the water. The boats are ready to roll. Give us a call.We will see you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 6-02-18
Summer has finally arrived in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The Memorial Day weekend was exactly what the doctor ordered. The weekend was blessed with plenty of sunshine and highs in the upper eighties. The best walleye bite continues to occur on Mille Lacs in 16 to 20 feet of water. Shiner minnows fished on rigs or jigs continue to be the best option for numbers of fish. The crappie bite was exceptional this last weekend. The best spots were southern exposures with pencil reeds transitioning into cabbage weeds. Key water depths were 4 to 6 feet. The small jigs tipped with a minnow and then suspended below a casting bobber were deadly in these situations. Good color combinations were pink/white, green/brown, and black/yellow. The largemouth bass are extremely shallow right now. Prime locations are sandy spots located on the back side edges of weed beds in 4 to 6 feet of water. These bass can be sight fished on the calmer days with a white/black colored 7 inch swimbait. The smallmouth bass are currently on their beds and should remain there for the next 4 to 5 days before dropping deeper. The water temperatures are rising daily. It is hard to believe most area lakes were covered with ice just 3 weeks ago. Enjoy the weather. It is a welcome change from this year's long winter. Give us a call. The best fishing is yet to come. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 5-25-18
Consistent weather patterns have finally arrived in the Brainerd Lakes. The last few weeks have seen several periods with highs in the lower eighties only to be followed by days in the lower fifties the next. The Brainerd Lakes forecast is looking good with high temperatures predicted to be in the upper eighties for much of the outcoming Memorial Day weekend. It should be a beautiful time to be on the water. The best walleye bite has been occurring on Mille Lacs in 12 to 20 feet during the day and 8 to 12 in the evenings. A jig/shiner minnow combo has been effective in both situations. The crappie have finish spawning in the pencil reeds on most of the local lakes but there a still situations where they are still spawning in the deeper cabbage. A small crappie jig tipped with a minnow and suspended below a bobber is a good bet in these situations. The best water depths have been 6 to 10 feet. The Minnesota bass season opens this Saturday. Anglers can expect the majority of bass to be shallow. Large shallow water flats with sand, reeds, and a southern exposure will be key locations this weekend. A 1/8 oz jig/worm combo rigged with an exposed hook is an effective tool under these conditions. Good worm colors include black, blue fleck, and motor oil. The water temperatures are still cooler than normal so slower lure presentation will works best. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend. Keep posted! The summer fishing season has begun. See you next week.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 5-08-18
The lakes are officially ice free in the Brainerd Lakes area. The last eight days have been absolutely beautiful. The crappie have finally started to move into the shallows on most local lakes. Shallow water backwater areas, especially those with soft bottoms, are the key locations during this time of year. Small 1/64 jigs tipped with a minnow and suspended below a casting bubble are always extremely effective in these conditions. The walleyes should be shallow this coming weekend. Many of the creeks are currently full of spawning walleye. Current areas will be prime locations this close to the spawn. Shiners minnows might be hard to get this weekend. Plan ahead. The cooler water temps have kept most minnows from running on area lakes. The good news is the crappies are biting. The red horse suckers are running too. The weather is beautiful. Life is truly good! Good luck this weekend. Stay posted. Opening Weekend pictures are sure to come. The 2018 Fishing Guide Season has officially begun!
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 4-03-18
Old Man Winter just doesn't seem to want to leave the Brainerd Lakes Area. We received 12 inches of the white stuff on Easter Weekend and the weatherman is predicting another 3-4 inches tonight. The only people smiling around town are the snowmobilers. It's been several years since we had this much snow coverage in the area. The trail conditions have been great for much of the winter. I wish I had more to report about local ice fishing conditions but with a couple of big family vacations and another pointer puppy; I ice fished less this year than I can ever remember. The winter just seemed to fly by. The new puppy is progressing well. At five months old, Greta is already pointing, honoring, and retrieving live birds in the field. We escaped the snow this year and headed to Florida. The fishing was fun. The sun was even better. Too bad I didn't put enough sun tan oil on the tops of my feet. You would think I knew better. I guess not. The 620 Ranger is in the garage ready to go. All we need now is a little more heat. Happy Easter everyone. The soft water will be here before we know it. Life is good.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing/Hunting Report: 2-15-18
Sorry for the lack of ice fishing reports. We added another German Shorthair pup to the family shortly after Christmas and every spare moment seems to have been spent training dogs. Great, the young pup, has preformed beyound our wildest expectations. She is like a little sponge. It is amazing how quickly young dogs learn when worked with an experienced pointers. Our first season of offering pheasant hunts went better than we could have ever expected. Thanks to everyone who managed to get out into the field and hunt with us. The 2018-2019 bird hunting season should be even better. That being said, the birds will have to wait. The 2018 freshwater fishing season is quickly aproaching.
JOHN

Brainerd, Minnesota
Fishing Report: 1-15-18
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