Leech Lake is an early season hotspot, whether you’re targeting walleye on Fishing Opener and throughout the rest of the spring, or you’re looking for big crappies and bluegills. Leech most certainly has some dandies!

Northern Minnesota guide Brian Brosdahl has been keeping tabs on the Leech Lake spring bite and has some excellent tips and advice that will help you catch more walleye and panfish next time you hit the water:

“Over the weekend, some of the walleyes were spawned out and recuperating, and they weren’t biting. The early spawners were showing up on some of the spots. Hard bottom areas with chara and rocks mixed were really good. Main lake points that have these features in 8-12 feet of water were producing fish.

“I’m using a Northland Long Shank Fire-Ball jig. This is Leech Lake candy for big walleyes. I like the Stand Up Fire-Ball jig sometimes, too. It works really good because it has a little bit of wobble going through the water.

“Crappies and bluegills are biting in 6-10 feet of water right now. They are going to move up and get ready to spawn. Crappies: when the water temperatures are unilaterally in the 60’s. Bluegills: a little later in the 70’s.

“Right now, there’s not a lot of weed growth, so looking and finding cabbage or any type of vegetation can be really good and conducive to catching fish.”

That’s some great info from Brian Brosdahl on the Leech Lake spring bite. Many walleye anglers avoid weeds and head straight to the first break this time of year. That’s a huge mistake, as weeds can hold loads of aggressive walleyes this time of year. You’ll also notice on average that most of the walleyes you’ll catch in the weeds will be bigger.