Minnesota guide Matt Johnson of Matt Johnson Outdoors gives his latest Lake Minnetonka fishing report on June 24th, 2024.
Lake Minnetonka Fishing Report: 6-24-24
Lake Minnetonka has been fishing well although some species have slowed down as summer temps arrived. Bass have been biting great and will continue to get better as more weeds emerge.
Water temperatures have heated up a bit more and we are finding areas of the lake that are in the low seventies. Besides the rise in water temperatures the lake conditions and bites haven’t changed much since last week.
Lake Minnetonka Fishing Conditions
The weeds are really thick already and it’s only going to get thicker as we progress into July. The boat launches have been busy and it’s worth getting there early to avoid traffic and make the most out of your day fishing.
Largemouth Bass:
Locations: The matted milfoil has really thickened up to create a wall in that eight to twelve foot depth range. There is also some nice contain emerging around twenty feet of water. Most largemouth bass can be found in between the shallower weed wall and those deeper weeds. We’ve been picking up lots of fish between twelve and twenty feet of water.
Focus on main lake points and inside turns along the weed line. Take advantage of your GPS and contours and look for what stands out. One of our best spots has been the inside turns on the points. Most of our bites have come within a few feet of the bottom.
Bass Baits and Tactics:
Chartreuse head and dark body ned rigs and jig worms have been the ticket this past week for those deeper fish. In order to get down quickly we’ve been using a 1/4-ounce sized jig. Our best colors have been a chartreuse colored jig head with a green pumpkin trailer.
Working it super slow has been also super important. Slowly hop your bait along while occasionally killing it on the bottom. Fish your baits deep, slow, and pay attention for soft bites.
A 1/4 ounce jig and craw is also working. Use a finesse head in a brown, green pumpkin, and watermelon color. This is a great option for when the ned is snagging in those weeds too much. A fifteen pound braid to an eight pound fluorocarbon leader has been the best line combination.
Lake Minnetonka: Walleye
As the summer time patterns continue we decided to shift gears and haven’t been targeting walleyes as much. With that being said there are some fish to be had. Slip bobbers and leeches has been slowing down and something the walleyes have been passing it up. The best presentation has been throwing ned rigs and small paddle tails on a ned head. Using a light jig head and dark trailer to catch these fish. Fishing early and late has been the most productive time to try to get on some walleye.
Lake Minnetonka: Panfish
The crappie and bluegill bite still going strong on Lake Minnetonka and the surrounding Metro area lakes. We’ve been finding those fish cruising on top of the deeper weeds. Some fish can also be found on the shallow weed edges. It’s been tough on the windier days to stay on fish and cast light presentations at them. To help beat this, opt to a bit heavier jig head that can cut the wind. Use a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce head with 2″ swimbait or hair jig.
