Minnesota fishing guide Matt Johnson gives his latest Lake Minnetonka fishing report on January 29th, 2025.
Lake Minnetonka Fishing Report: 1-29-25
It was still pretty cold this past week in the Twin Cities area. Even with the cold weather the fishing has continued to be really good. Ice conditions have been great on all lakes in the area. We are finding anywhere from eighteen to twenty-four inches of ice on the lakes in the Twin Cities. Even with the good ice you still need to use common sense and avoid the bridges, neck-down areas, and other areas that tend to have sketchy ice.
Lake Minnetonka Fishing Report: Crappies, Bluegills
Crappies and bluegills can be caught on most lakes in the Metro area. We are still finding a lot of fish relatively shallow. Both bluegills and crappies can be found between six and fifteen feet of water. With the cold weather we’ve been setting up houses and waiting for the fish to come to us.
A 1/32-ounce Clam Pinhead Pro Spoon has been our best bait by far for bluegills and crappies. Multiple colors will work, but white and silver seem to be working well.
A small tungsten Dropkick jig paired with a plastic or wax worm will also catch plenty of fish. This is a one-two punch that will catch panfish all winter long in both the basins and weed lines.
Lake Minnetonka Fishing Report: Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye
Anglers can also catch northern pike, largemouth bass, and walleyes while fishing for panfish in the weeds. It seems like the bigger predatory fish are relating direction to the schools of panfish. Tip-ups have been a great way to catch them during the day. Medium sized sucker minnows or shiners have been the best live bait options for pike, bass, and walleyes.
For those anglers looking to specifically target walleyes focus on main lake points, humps, and weed lines. 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. The best bite is during primetime hours late into the evening and after dark.
