Looking For Walleye Fishing Destination

[arw]

I fish with a group of 12 guys that have fished the west end of Vermilion for the last 20 years. Just returned from our annual trip and were only able to keep two walleyes for 12 guys fishing 9-10 hours/day for the last week. We are used to having a couple meals of fish and taking limits home for everyone and haven't been able to do that for 3 or 4 years due to slot limits and limited catch success. We are thinking about moving to a different lake and I'm looking for somewhere I can find a ranking of MN walleye lakes. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[james_walleye]

Just move to the east end. My kids and I had 9 in the livewell yesterday in just a few hours of fishing(would have been 12 but they insisted in netting the fish and we lost 6 keepers boatside). Friday night my daughter and I went out for 45 minutes and we had 5for supper. The east end is a totally different body of water.

[harvey lee]

I would truely look at Rainy Lake and stay at Woody's resort.

Woody can get you on fish.

I go there every year once or twice and have always had 100 plus days for walleyes and enough for numerous fish fry's and a limit to go home with. This is the highlight trip of my open water seasoin every year as I would not miss this trip to Woody's.

Along with the eyes, some great northern can be boated and some smallies to boot. If one wants to try for crappie, there ar4e some dandies there but that will take some searching.

This past weeknd in 2.5 hours we boated approx 75-85 eyes for 2 of us one morning. I have in the past had 100 plus fish days with no problem. Then oine wil, also through some pike and some nice ones along with smallies in the mix also.

Take a moment and check out Woody's resort. It would be well worth you time that I can promise a good time at Woody's resort will be had. I believ Woody has been guiding on Rainy for just over 40 years so he does know the lake very well.

Thier rates are very good also.

[fishersofmen]

Dang sounds like a fun weekend Harvey. I need a weekend like that after fishing around the metro.

[harvey lee]

Every trip I have made to Woody's resort and fishing Rainy Lake has been a success for eyes, pike and smallies. I have not put in the time to really find the crappie but there are some dandies there if you look for them.

My down year was last Memorial weekend but we still had a meal of fish and brought home a limit. We did not slay them like usual but we still enjoyes some good fishing.

[fiskyknut]

Well if you're talking MN Walleye lake 'rankings' I'm quite certain that Lake of the Woods would rank right up near the top. Limits of Walleye come to most folks pretty easy and quite regular up here!

fiskyknut

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Both great suggestions, but you will need big boats for Rainy and LOW. There is also a group camp on Rainy. I've heard nothing but good about Woody's. I have a friend that goes there every year with execellent results.

[zzammon]

BWCA

[JohnMickish]

If it were me, with a group that size I would head to either Devils Lake in ND or Oahe in SD. Either lake right now will is able to go walleye to walleye with the best lake in MN, and ND has NO slots, and SD has a 1 over 20" rule. Both states have a much looser possession limit too.

[tunrevir]

LOW, Rainy, Kab, Winnie, Cass, Mille lacs. You could also stay in Duluth and fish the mouth of the St. Louis and go for trout and salmonoids if weather permits. Look into Ely and the Gunflint for alot of smaller lakes with access to cabins and or great fishing. There are plenty of lakes that put out fish here in the metro as well if you want to work a bit harder then the average guy. Leech is solid so the areas you fish might have been a bit off this year but it is up to you as an angler to adjust to the conditions and change tactics rather then wait out the fish. If you did so, and still came up with less then expected results, then I applaud you, and maybe it is time to work another lake.

Tunrevir~

[jjz]

+1 for Cass. My expierance is july and august. Easy place to pull full 6 fish limits morning and evening with cranks, plus nice perch and pike. lodging is easy to find, the lake is small enough to fish in rough stuff but big enough to find your own spot. Plus not to far of a drive from most places in MN. I think Cass has no special regulations either. Fish are not huge, but a average limit for me has always been 16 to 20 inchers. Plus it is pretty cheap and even a average fisherman has good luck pulling plugs.

[Fish Head]

I don't know if you want to go that far, but you should consider Lac Suel. It's walleye fishing is in a league of its own.

[JohnMickish]

You guys really need to get out of the state and fish some other lakes. If a person or group is willing to do a little traveling, there are lakes out there that are truly unbelievable. It is not uncommon for two guys in a boat to catch 100 eater size Walleyes a day on a few of these lakes. 2 guys better have two flats of crawlers for a week of fishing or you will run out of bait!

I'm not kidding.