Leech Lake is known for its legendary musky fishing. Toby Kvalevog breaks down where you should targeting Leech Lake musky depending on the time of year.
Leech Lake Musky: Destination
Leech Lake is a world class musky destination for the size and number of fish. After ice out and the water temperatures warm up a bit the spawn begins for the leech lake muskies.
As soon as wrap up spawning they begin to start feeding and they stay in shallow. This happens right around the first week of June, usually right around the Minnesota musky opener.
Anglers will throw smaller bladed bucktails, beaver baits, and small crankbaits for these fish. Look for emerging weed beds and schools of bait.
A few weeks after that usually around the second or third week of June a decent amount of adult fish move out to the deeper water in Walker Bay, Kabekona Bay and the main lake basin. If you find the bait you’ll be able to find the muskies. These muskies are suspended out in that deep water feeding on ciscos and other baitfish.
Casting rubber baits or trolling crankbaits are going to be your best way to target those fish.
They will stay out there suspend over the deep water for a couple weeks and then will start a move back towards the shallows in early July.
Main like points, rock humps, and shallow weed beds will all hold leech lake musky. Those fish will stay there through July and into August. This is when anglers will be burning bucktails and fishing topwater.
As the water temps slowly begin to drop towards the end of August and into September those muskies begin to move towards the shallow sand.
As the water temperatures continue to drop and we move into fall the musky will move to the deeper weed lines and towards deeper rocks and the cisco spawning areas.
Big rubber baits, live suckers or big crankbaits are going to be the best baits this time of year. That bite will continue to the end of musky season here on leech.
That is a full cycle of fishing for Leech lake musky. Plan a trip to Leech and enjoy one of the best musky destinations in Minnesota.