May 15th Fishing Report

May 15, 2026

We are trending in the right direction. The weather is warming and fishing opportunities are expanding. The walleye bite on Winnie has continued to remain strong. Lots of fish being reported in the slot but the bite has been great. 6-10 ft seems to be the magical depths. Fatheads and 1/8 ounce jigs are all that is needed. Utilizing fatheads will also produce a few more quality perch bites as well. The perch are inside of the walleyes. From what I’m seeing they are inhabiting that 3-5ft of water and can be a little spooky. Pitching up shallow has worked well. Report and photo courtesy Captain Jeff Johnson of Northern Drift Outfitters. Your Lake Winnie fishing guide.

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May 11th Fishing Report

What a memorable weekend. Battling the cold and wind on the big lake made it feel like a traditional old-school fishing opener. Water temperatures were in the mid to upper 40s, and for the most part, fish were holding shallow. Depths of 6–9 feet produced plenty of bites, including both quality fish and eater-sized keepers. Traditional shallow rocky areas along the north shore, as well as up into Third River, produced great action. Tamarack Bay extending back into Plughat also offered consistent fishing opportunities throughout the weekend. The bite will only continue to improve as spring progresses. Expect this upcoming weekend to provide some excellent fishing opportunities across the lake. Report courtesy of Captain Jeff Johnson with Northern Drift Outfitters — your Lake Winnie fishing guide.

March 2nd Fishing Report

Perch are firing on mid lake and along weed line structure look for sharp breaks alongside shallow flats. Photo courtesy of lyle Unger with Grand Rapids guide service and guided ice fishing Minnesota.

February 13th Fishing Report

It’s definitely perch season in the north. Look for shallow flats in the 6-8 ft region off of main lake points across the big lake. Often these perch will be shallower than most anticipate. As they day wears on it is very noticeable that most of these fish are pulling out into 12-18ft holes and funnel areas off of these larger flats. Utilizing your imaging to track these fish down is very effective. You’ll find that they are using a much smaller area than you would think. Utilizing 2 rods is important as well. Active jigging spoons to call fish along with set lines really help increase the catch. Good luck this weekend and enjoy the warm up. Photo and report courtesy of Captain Jeff Johnson with Northern Drift Outfitters and Guided Ice Fishing MN.

February 9th Fishing Report

Set and get perch. Jigging spoons tipped with minnows and larger fatheads on a split shot and plain hook worked the best. 15-18 ft holes off of shallow 6-8 ft flats off the shoreline are holding good number of fish. For fish house guys that don’t want to move around a lot, finding deeper holes off the flats works best. Making the most out of bite windows helps produce bigger numbers of fish. Photo courtesy Captain Jeff Johnson of Northern Drift Outfitters and Guided Ice Fishing MN. Your Lake Winnie area fishing guide.

February 2nd Fishing Report

Perch are biting. Temps are warming and fishing should only be getting better as the month of February wears on. 15-20 ft off of main lake bars and points was the best. Photo courtesy Captain Jeff Johnson of Northern Drift Outfitters. Staying mobile is also key on bigger perch. When they move on you should too.

January 26th Fishing Report

Bluegills and crappies are reliable during extreme cold fronts like we are experiencing in the northland. Mccavity bay on Cutfoot Sioux always produces great bluegill fishing. The days of the giant schools of crappies has changed a bit but they are still many left. Anglers can focus on the great bluegill action and have the surprising crappies that add to the taking. Mallard and Ravens point on Winnie are producing good perch numbers. Keep in mind big jumbos do move. Ice trolling and staying mobile on Winnie is the ticket for the bigger perch. The weather is looking better over the course of the next week and perch are back on the ticket. Photo courtesy of Lake Winnie fishing guide Captain Jeff Johnson of Northern Drift Outfitters Guide Service.