Winter Fishing 2023

The perch and walleye bite the past week was pretty good on Lake Bemidji that was until that big cold front moved in on early Sunday morning. I had the pleasure of taking 12 year old Anders Johnson of Grand Forks out on a guide trip this past Sunday. We had a ball and he absorbed information like a sponge! For being only 12 he is very knowledgeable about a lot of things but especially fishing. We fished hard for 6 hours, but the bite was tough. We caught some perch, walleye, and pike but it was definitely slow. He wanted to learn how to fillet fish so we cleaned them right in the fish house and for never having cleaned a fish before he did great! I love seeing young people getting into the sport and enjoying the great outdoors like I do!

Slush and water remain a problem on Bemidji and other lakes in the area and with a bunch of snow coming to our area this week that sure won’t help. Snowmobiles or track vehicles are still the best way to get around unless you’re on a good, plowed road which there aren’t many. If you can stay away from the crowds, your chances of icing some fish improve dramatically.

Cass Lake: Walleyes are being caught on sucker minnows at night in 20-30’ on Cass and Pike Bay Lake. The perch bite has been a bit slower, but the Cedar Island area is producing a few bigger fish.

Upper Red: Some groups are doing well while others not so much. Overall, the bite is pretty decent for this time of the year. Low light periods and overnight are producing some walleyes in 11-13’. Crappie fishing is starting to heat up.

Winnie: The main-lake bars and humps continue to produce the majority of walleyes and bigger perch in 30-35’ during the day and 15-20’ during low light periods.

Don’t forget that the walleye, pike, and bass seasons close at midnight Sunday February 26 and reopens on Saturday May 13.

Please remember to practice selective harvesting, by doing so we will continue to have great fishing for years to come!

What a crazy winter we’ve been having! The way above normal temperatures the past few days has been enjoyable but it has made a mess of some of my plowed roads out to my fish houses. I’ve had to pull two of my rental houses off the ice. I’m hoping to get them onto new spots this week but it all depends on the conditions. People including my wife Jill ask me why I don’t just put my houses out on the community spots on the north or south end of Lake Bemidji? I could do that, it would sure make things easier as there are wide plowed roads and not a lot of flooding of those roads. Nothing against those areas but my goal for my clients is to be on spots where they have a chance to catch good numbers of fish. Ask anyone who has rented a fish  house from me, they are away from all the crowds. Yes it takes more time and effort to get them on these spots but it typically pays off! The perch and walleye bite on Lake Bemidji picked up a bit this past week and I’m finding those fish in a bit shallower water. 18-24’ using Northland Glo-Shot Spoons with minnow heads or wax worms.

Cass Lake: Walleyes are being caught at night along the sand/mud areas in 20-30’. Bigger perch are being caught on Pike Bay Lake and the south end of Cass in 10-12’ among the weeds.

Upper Red: Some walleyes are being caught during the day but the evening and overnight bite has been much better. The further your away from the crowds the better.

Lake Winnie: The walleye bite has been best during the evening on the main lake bars and humps in 18-22’. You’ll find perch in 15-22’ on the flats and bars.

With potential rain, then snow, then turning much colder make sure you keep an eye on your fish houses and pull them off if you need to. The last thing you want to have happen is for them to get froze in the ice. It’s not a fun job to get them out, I know, been there and done that a few too many times! Please remember to practice selective harvesting, by doing so we will continue to have great fishing for years to come!

Check out the season’s first Visit Bemidji winter fishing report with Dick Beardsley Fishing Guide Service!

Visit Bemidji’s weekly fishing report with Dick Beardsley Fishing Guide Service!

Watch Visit Bemidji’s latest fishing report with Dick Beardsley Fishing Guide Service!

Check out Visit Bemidji’s weekly fishing report with Dick Beardsley Fishing Guide Service!

Watch our latest fishing report with Dick Beardsley Fishing Guide Service on our YouTube!

Check out this week’s fishing report on Visit Bemidji’s YouTube channel!

Fishing in the Bemidji area this past week has been pretty much like it has been most of the winter, a pretty good bite one day and not so much the next but that’s fishing! You’ll find perch in 12-18’ and also out on some of the deeper humps. They come in waves most of the day. You’ll find walleyes in those same areas with your best chance of icing some is early and late afternoon into the early evening. The bitterly cold temperatures of late last week helped firm up some of the slush but there is still plenty of it on many of our area lakes so beware of that. If you stay on the plowed roads you should be ok. Last week I took a couple of days and went to Lake of the Woods with my good friend Scot Hanson of the Twin Cities. Scot is one of the best walleye anglers I know. We caught plenty of walleyes and sauger but most were small and we had lots of fun. I was fortunate to catch a hog, a 30 incher that I caught at 2:30 in the afternoon on a Northland Glo-Shot spoon and a minnow head. Biggest walleye I’ve ever caught through the ice. That gal was fat and thick! After pictures I immediately released her.

On Cass lake perch action has been best during the midday hours in Allen’s Bay on Cass and Pike Bay Lake in 22-30’.

On Upper Red some groups this past week did real good while others not so much. The best action is taking place about 10 miles out in 12’ early and late in the day.

On Lake Winnibigoshish the walleye and perch bite slowed a bit the past week but the folks that are mobile and trying to stay on active fish seem to be doing the best. Most of the fish are coming out of 25-32’.

The weather looks decent for the upcoming weekend so get out and enjoy the day! Please remember to practice selective harvesting, by doing so we will continue to have great fishing for years to come!