Spirit Lake Fishing Reports

[iowaperch44]

I am planning on taking my girlfriend over to spirit lake fishing this weekend. I have been hearing that the perch bite is pretty good. I was just wondering what has been working and where at. I have a problem i just sent my fish finder to humminbird to get fixed so i will be with out that. I would just like to catch some fish i have been fishing clear lake all summer and it is pretty much depressing. How has the walleye bite been on spirit, i can buy a keeper out of clear lake. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[foxhunter]

you can catch perch anywhere it seems. we caught em in the middle trolling leadcore for walleyes with cranks,we caught em longline trolling cranks in 12 to 14 foot and we caught em anchored up jigging for them. fish the south end or along the west side from templers to marble in 14 foot of water.

[Learning2Fish]

The last time we went fishing down at spirit lake the boats were piled together on marble beach and a couple other locations. The size of them that we seen were not so impressive in the 8 inch range. Schools were very large and it was tough landing them. I was messing around with a 3/8 head with 3" white twister and just had about a hundred bites before deciding to move onto walleyes. Pretty sure if you toss down a wiggler or anything in the school you'll be able to get bites. Good luck and have fun

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

Do you have a Vexilar? If so here is something that works great if it is calm or if you can move real slow, heck you can anchor as well. Take it out in the boat, and get it set up so you are jigging under the cone and watch it just like ice fishing. We do this all summer long fishign for crappies or basicalyl anything, with jigging raps and we hammer them. I am sure it will work for perch as well.

[Rip_Some_Lip]

Brandon, I am taking the family back to Okoboji next weekend for a week again. We will be staying on the NW Shore of West Okoboji. We are going from the 22nd to the 29th. Have Matt give me a call before than and we can do some fishing sometime that week.

[scoutWBL]

I (finally) have a weekend to make it back down to the cabin. The wife and I are heading down to Spirit on Friday (19th). How's conditions on the lake sounds like the snow has made travel tough this season. I will be looking to hook up with some eyes in the mornings/night. Any info would be great.

Thanks

[NWBuck]

Haven't been up there for awhile, but we've had several rounds of "a few inches" here in the last couple of weeks. Prior to that, I know that you could drive most anywhere on the lake, as the snow had crusted and frozen over. Probably be a bit tougher now I'm sure.

BTW, you do know that walleye season closes here on the 15th? Might need to change gears and chase the perch population. Good luck.

[Esox_Magnum]

I was riding the sled on East yesterday the fresh powder was fun but not deep enough to make travel to tough with a good 4x4. Couple guys came from Loon Lake across Spirit they said it was a little bumpy but they still maintained a 60-70 mph speed going across so it can't be to bad.

[UMDSportsman]

With a sled or a wheeler you should be able to go most places. If you take a truck, the trails are alright as long as you don't meet anybody coming the other direction. Saw a bunch of people stuck yesterday, but there also was a caravan of trucks that came from the middle of the lake somewhere blazing thier own trail. If you go off the trail hit it hard and don't stop moving.

[Esox_Magnum]

How was the bite and size? Still lots of little fish and lookers?

[Joe]

Bullhead - Good: Use night-crawlers at the Grade under the road at the fish barrier. Northern Pike - Fair: Troll crank baits over the top of growing weed beds in Angler's Bay. Bluegill - Fair: Use a small ice jig tipped with a wax worm below a bobber in Anglers Bay. Crappie - Fair: Use a small jig or minnow and bobber along the bulrush beds in Angler's Bay. Walleye - Good: Troll crankbaits or drift with worms, minnows or leeches. Fish from shore after sunset with a jig or slip bobber with live bait.

[Joe]

Water temperature is 76 degrees. White Bass - Fair: Fish at sunrise or sunset with top-water lures or a jig and minnow near moving water at the Little Spirit Lake outlet, Buffalo Run, the spillway, and the footbridge. Some fish have also been caught on Cottonwood and Big Stoney points. Yellow Perch - Slow: Perch fishing has been hit or miss. Anglers are using small jigs tipped with live bait in 20 to 22 feet of water or around weed beds in 8 to 12 feet along weed beds at sunrise and sunset. Walleye - Slow: Troll crankbaits in the basin at depths of 18 to 22 feet or fish on weed beds with jigs. A few fish have been caught from shore at the spillway on the south shore and up at the Grade in front of the fish barrier.

[Joe]

Water temperature is 74 degrees. White Bass - Good: Fish at sunrise or sunset with top-water lures. Look for surfacing fish on the outside and inside weed edges. Bluegill - Fair: Fish are scattered on the weed beds use small jigs tipped with live bait. A few fish are also being caught at the Grade on the fishing pier using a small bobber and crawler. Smallmouth Bass - Fair: Fish rock bars with jigs during the day or top-water lures at sunset (look for surfacing fish). Largemouth Bass - Fair: Use soft plastics along boat docks and weed beds. Yellow Perch - Fair: Fish with small jigs tipped with wigglers in 18 to 22 feet of water or around weed beds in 8 to 10 feet of water. Walleye - Slow: A few fish have been caught along the edge of weed lines with jigs tipped with live bait. Some fish have been caught from shore on the Grade at the fish barrier with jigs.

[Joe]

Water temperature is 64.5 degrees. Bluegill - Fair: Fish from shore at the grade along the fish barrier or near the lotus pads with small ice jigs tipped with wigglers. Yellow Perch - Fair: Use small jigs tipped with wigglers in the main lake basin or at weed beds in 8 to 12 feet of water. Walleye - Fair: Fish at the Grade along the fish barrier with minnows below a slip bobber or troll crankbaits in the main lake basin.

[Joe]

Ice report: Marble Beach boat ramp 7 inches, Crandall’s Beach 6.5 inches, The Grade 6 inches, North end of Angler's Bay 8 inches, and Hale Slough boat ramp 6 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Look for open holes in the weed beds on the north end of Angler's Bay use small ice jigs tipped with wax worms in 6 to 8 feet of water. Crappie - Fair: Look for open holes in the weed beds on the north end of Angler's Bay or fish in Templar Lagoon around the docks. Use small ice jigs tipped with wax worms or plastics. Yellow Perch - Fair: Fish are being caught on the main lake tipping jigging spoons with a minnow head or a slip bobber with a live minnow. Walleye - Good: Fish rock bars or weed lines at sunrise or sunset with jigging lures tipped with a minnow head and dead sticking with a minnow on a small hook below a split shot.

[Reid G]

How's the ice thickness on Spirit?

[WDH]

6-9in

[Reid G]

Thanks!

[Joe]

Yellow Perch - Fair: Fish are being caught on the main lake using small ice jigs tipped with wigglers near Marble Beach, Buffalo Run, and between Big Stoney and Cottonwood points. Walleye - Good: Fish rock bars or weed lines at sunrise or sunset with jigging lures tipped with a minnow head and dead sticking with a minnow on a small hook below a split shot.

[tspotout]

The walley bite is slow to fair should've been out 2 weeks a go that was a good bite releasing 3 to 4 fish in the slot and a couple bigger. Plus bring 3 home for supper everythig has slowed down for now.

[Esox_Magnum]

I beg to differ but thats just me.

[CONDUCT]

I beg to differ but thats just me.

I agree with you.

[Esox_Magnum]

LOL you might loose your spot tomarrow after I get my limit of perch anyway....

[tspotout]

I should of stated different I Have been out every night for 2 weeks except for 3 nights and they have slowed down to 1 to 2 fish a night little more stubborn to get to hit the jig.Perch are a bonus for me not really fishing for them but have caught a few here and there.Good luck

[Esox_Magnum]

I know a few that are getting their limit of eyes easily. Maybe tomarrow I'll get mine, depends if I limit on perch or not by 3pm. I go all summer without fish to eat time to make up for that