Minnesota guide Matt Johnson gives his latest Minneapolis fishing report on February 12th, 2024.
Minneapolis Fishing Report: 2-12-2024
This past week we had warm temperatures and a decent amount of rain. Overall our ice conditions are still fairly decent.
We didn’t lose a ton of ice last week, although some of the shorelines have started to pull away on some lakes.
If you do plan on heading out onto the ice make sure practice ice safety. Every lake is different and you absolutely have to check as you go.
Crappies: Minneapolis Fishing Report
The crappies have been biting well, but they have been on the move.
You really need to stay on the move in order to stay on top of the fish.
We’ve been finding a lot of crappies on the edge of the deep basins. Focus on depths between thirteen and twenty feet of water.
Spoons and jigs paired with plastics continue to be the best presentations.
We have been using slightly heavier jigs and spoons than we normally would, because it allows us to get our baits down faster.
Walleyes: Minneapolis Fishing Report
Most anglers seem to be targeting other species but a few walleyes can be caught in the Metro area.
The best times have been after dark and during primetime hours early in the morning and late in the evening.
Focus on main lake points points and weed lines near deep water.
Set lines paired with a minnow seem to be the best options, but a few fish can also be caught on jigging spoons tipped with a minnow head.
Largemouth Bass: Minneapolis Fishing Report
Largemouth bass continue to be found in the shallow weed beds on most lakes in the Metro area.
Focus on those weed beds in less than fifteen feet of water.
Minnows on a set line has been a great way to target them. You can also catch them jigging Clam Tikka Mino’s and the Clam Tikka Flash.
You can expect to find bluegills near by.
Bluegills
Bluegills can be caught on the edge of the basins and in the shallow weed beds. Look for those basin fish in fifteen to twenty feet of water.
Small jigs paired with plastics have worked great.
If you do plan on targeting the fish in the shallow weed beds, you need to do your best to make as little noise as possible because the fish are skittish.
Northern Pike
Tip-ups paired with medium sized sucker minnows continue to produce northern pike.
Look for large weed beds with standing, green weeds.
The same areas that are holding bluegills and largemouth bass are also holding northern pike.
