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to our fishing reports by emailing us at jeff@doschguides.com
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Ive had a little trouble keeping up on fishing reports lately. The time change keeps us out on the lake late and it doesnt leave much time for reports. March weather is finally here and that means stable weather. This is the weather we have been waiting for and it has really helped. Walleye and pike fishing has been incredible. We have been on one of the best walleye bites that I can ever remember. Limits are happeneing almost daily and the size of the walleyes is just incredible. Most of the fish have been between17-23 inches and a lot of walleyes over 25". The best bite has been in the eraly morning hours and we are fishing extemely shallow water of 3-6 ft. The pike fishing is as good as it has been all winter. Many days we are still catching between 50-75 pike per day and the average size is 3-8 pds. On saturday my brother was out with us and landed a 40" pike weighing in at 18pds. CONGRATULATIONS STEVE! The best news this week is that the perch bite is on! Today we had a couple of groups limit out on 10-14" Jumbo perch. Stable weather is here and the fish are biting, what are you waiting for?
See you on the ice!
Jeff
- Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 20:09:35 (CDT)
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jeff
- Monday, March 17, 2008 at 13:07:30 (CDT)
Snow conditons have made travel on the lake somewhat difficult but if you travel in pairs and have a good rope its not that bad. We are over the halfway point of February and hopefully warmer temps are on the way to help settle some of this snow. Perch fishing remains spotty but when we have stable weather the bite has been consistent and the size of the perch is great. We have been getting a lot of 10-13 inchers mixed in with a lot of smaller fish. When the bite gets tough, minnow heads on a genz worm has been working well and a lot of the bigger fish have been coming on a small minnow under a bobber. Walleye fishing has really improved over the last couple of days. Both deep and shallow water have been producing some nice catches of 13-15 inch walleyes. Buckshots and jigging shad raps tipped with minnow heads have been working the best. When we get a cold front and times are tough we have been changing gears and going pike fishng. The only way I can describe the action is INCREDIBLE! We have had many days when we have had groups catch weel over 100 pike. Last week I had a group of 3 catch and release 142 PIKE! They caught them all jigging and had the time of their lives. So even under the worst conditions we are still catching fish and the best time of the year is just getting under way. Remember that the walleye season doesnt close in North Dakota and we do still have some openings in March. Therte is still time to get one more ice fishng trip in this year. We hope to hear from you!
Jeff
- Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 19:28:36 (CST)
Its been a while since my last report but we have been very busy and we have been fishing walleyes until dark almost every night. The best news I have is that when we have had stable weather the fishing has been great. We had a tough week or so when the weather kept changing but now that we have had more stable weather we are right back on track. Thursday and Friday of this week we had an excellent perch bite with many groups coming very close to their limits of nice 9-13 inch jumbo perch. Along with the perch the walleyes have also picked up, and we are starting to see excellent numbers of smaller fish (13-16") with some bigger fish mixed in with them. Firay we had a group catch a nice limit of 16-20" walleyes and they released a 24 and a 26 walleye. GREAT JOB GUYS! Even if we do have a weather pattern move in we have the pike fishing to fall back on. Today I had a group of 3 limit out on 3-10 pd pike in just under 3 hrs. They figure they released at least 20 pike that were a bit smaller. Warmer and more stable weather is on the way, dont miss out on the rest of the season.
Jeff
- Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 19:38:50 (CST)
Weather patterns have been changing daily and along with it, so has the fishing. Its frustrating when you get-em real good one day and go back the next and see fish that just want to chase your bait all day but wont bite. Saturday we had a group do real well on perch and we went back the following day and marked fish that just wouldn't bite. But the promising news is that February will bring more stable weather and the best news of all is that we are finding perch in all areas across the lake. Its been a long time since I can remember so many locations that have large schools of perch. Once we have some stable weather, I think we are going to have one of our best seasons ever. Our schedule is filling in fast and February is getting limited for space. If you are thinking about making a trip, now is the time to call and make reservations. We hope to hear from you, Jeff
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 15:28:03 (CST)
Fishing has started to pick up in the last week. The cold weather was a struggle for everyone but we made it through and it looks like warmer temps are finally here and hopefully we are out of the deep freeze for the season. We spent the last three days filming with In-Fishermen and things went really great. I would like to thank Chip Leer and his camera man,Ross for doing such a great job. There a several different places on the lake that we have been catching perch. Some of our best days most of the perch ahve been coming off a plain hook and minnow. Walleyes were tough to find a week ago but now they seem to be showing up everywhere. Shallow water and deep structure have both been good. Good luck to everyone in the ice fishing tournament this weekend.
Jeff
- Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 17:55:36 (CST)
Well, where do I start. First of all, sorry its been so long since the last report. We had a little trouble with our fishing report page but we are back in action.
The last couple of weeks we have been very busy with fishermen and the schedule for the season is starting to fill up fast. We've had some great people on the ice so far this season and we are looking forward to the remainder of the season. Some of our guests are already looking at coming back again this season.
We finally got what we have been asking for and that was cold weather. Most areas of the lake have at least 12-14 inches and with this upcoming artic front moving in we should easily make an inch a day. The weather patterns have been swinging back and forth all week and along with it, so has the fishing. When we do have a short period of stable weather the perch have been aggressive and the size of the perch this year has been great. We have had many days with many perch in the bucket from 10-13 inches. Most of the perch have moved into deeper water now (32-45ft) and halis, genz worms, and frostees tipped with waxworms or spikes have been working. The best thing this year is that we are finding many large schools of perch and if one school isn't biting we just pack up and move on to the next.
Great walleye reports are coming in from across the lake and from all depths of water. Along the flooded trees in 6-15 ft or on deep rocky structures (15-30ft). Buckshots tipped with minnow heads have been working great and the best times of day have been early morning and evening hours. If its an overcast day don't be scared to sit on those walleyes all day. Some of our best walleye bites this year have come in the middle of the day. THE FISH ARE BITING, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 21:26:28 (CST)
We fished the weekend with mixed results. Saturday we had a great day of perch fishing
and at the end of the day we ended up with a 5 gallon bucket full. Sunday was a little different story. After the cold front moved in the fish almost completely shut down. If you down sized your bait and were patient, you were able to get a few to bite but it was tough.
We all know how the weather can affect the fishing. The great news is that the perch are
biting and we are finding perch in many different areas of the lake. Now we just need some cold weather to make enough ice so we can start to drive. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and we hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Monday, December 24, 2007 at 15:12:46 (CST)
Ice conditions on Devils Lake are steadily improving. Most of the smaller bays have close to 12" of ice. The main lake, which was last to freeze has spots where we are still finding 5" of ice. It will be a while before we can drive vehicles but it is no problem getting around with an ATV. Many good reports are coming in from around the lake on perch. We have been having our best luck in 30-36 ft using waxworms on Halis or Genz worms. Walleye fishing has been spotty but if your on the right spot there has been some really nice fish coming in lately. Best times have been sunrise and just before sunset. Go Demons and Buckshots tipped with minnow heads have been working best. Pike fishing continues to be excellent in the shallow bays along the flooded timber and flooded roads.
Jeff Dosch
www.doschguides.com
Jeff
- Sunday, December 16, 2007 at 21:01:31 (CST)
We spent the last couple of days on the ice and conditions are improving. Ice conditions vary from 5" on the larger bays and the main lake to 10" in the smaller more sheltered bays. Some people are starting to drive on some of the bays but we do not recommend this. Ice conditions can change in very short distances. In the areas we have been fishing this week we have been finding perch and walleyes and both have been biting. The walleyes have been in depths from 8-2o ft along weed lines and gravel points. We have been finding some perch mixed in with the walleyes but the larger numbers of perch have been coming from 25 ft or more. Also a lot of huge northern pike have been coming from the flooded timber using smelt or herring on tip ups. Don't miss out on the excellent season ahead and give us a call to set up your package.
Jeff
- Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 20:07:46 (CST)
We were out this morning and put the first fish of the season on the ice. A mixed bag of 14-18 inch walleyes along with 12 nice 10-12 inch jumbo perch. We were only out for a few hours but it was great to feel that tug at the end of the line again. You really forget how big those Jumbos are until you hold one in your hand again. When we came off the ice, we talked to a couple of guys that were Northern Pike fishing and they said they had a lot of flags but only managed to land three. One of the pike they had on the ice would easily go 12 lbs. It was really short but it looked like it just swallowed a football. Ice conditions are rapidly improving. All of the areas that we checked had 5-7 inches and I have heard reports of some of the more sheltered bays having over 9 inches. Were making ice and the fish are biting, it just doesn't get any better than this!
Jeff
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at 20:17:14 (CST)
The first winter storm of the season has made its way through North Dakota, and we very very lucky to only get a couple of inches. The southern part of the state all the way through Minnesota, could expect 8-10 inches before things are over. The entire lake is froze over now and it looks good for making ice in the 10 day forecast. Lows near zero and highs only around 10 degrees we should be well on our way to be traveling by ATV by next weekend. I talked to a few fishermen that were out tonight on one of the smaller bays and they said they were fishing on 5 inches of ice. When I talked to them they had a couple walleyes and a few perch and were very excited to be back on the ice. I'll be making it out on the ice by the middle of the week and I'll keep you posted on ice conditions and how the bite is going.
Jeff
- Saturday, December 01, 2007 at 22:26:55 (CST)
10 degrees below zero no wind and MAKING ICE! The entire lake has a sheet of ice on it. Temps are not expected to reach above 10 degrees for the next 10 day so the new season is officially under way. We should be able to walk out on the smaller bays by this weekend and people are already pike fishing on some of the smaller area lakes connected to devils lake and the reports are that the pike are biting. Our first days of guiding will start the 15th of December and if your looking for some early ice fishing, now is the time to call. Early ice can be some of the best fishing of the season because everything is still shallow and often times you can catch perch,walleye and pike in the same areas. ITS FINALLY HERE!
Jeff <jeff@doschguides.com>
- Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 09:51:45 (CST)
Ice has finally covered the smaller lakes in the area and it wont be long before people are out on the smaller lakes pike fishing. I bet there are a few people out by next weekend. Yesterday morning the temp dropped to 9 degrees and half of creel bay was froze over until the wind blew it off. The local forecast is calling for lows around zero or even dipping below zero by thursday morning. With the great perch fishing we had last season and all the people that were catching fish in the boats this fall,everyone cant wait to get back out onto the ice. Make sure you check out our site on Monday afternoon. We will have some new photos of a couple groups we had last season with perch that were only a couple ounces shy of 2 lbs. I've been fishing Devils Lake all my life and you still never really realize how big a 2 pd perch is. Get ready,Its almost time!
Jeff <jeff@doschguides.com>
- Friday, November 23, 2007 at 21:25:07 (CST)
Colder temps are on the way! The last couple of years the weather has been the same way. It seems like its not until that last week of deer hunting until the weather starts turning colder. Most of the small ponds are all froze over and by the end of the week some of the bigger bodies of water will start to freeze. There are still a lot of ducks and geese in the area but things are starting to move through quicker everyday. We are starting to get a lot of call for the coming season. The great perch bite we had at the end of the season really has people excited. Were all patiently waiting for that first day to get back on the ice and see that first Jumbo come through the hole! We got some great news from the people at AAA Travel in Devils lake. The Amtrak rates this year are unbelievable! If your thinking of making the trip and have never traveled by train, you should really consider giving this a try. You don't have to worry about driving and your fully rested by the time you arrive in Devils Lake and we pick you up at the train depot. It really eliminates all the stress from worrying about driving in winter weather. Check out our Amtrak rates because it wont be long and you don't want to miss out on the upcoming season!
Jeff <jeff@doschguides.com>
- Monday, November 19, 2007 at 17:13:39 (CST)
Colder temps are moving in and pushing the snow geese in along with it. More and more birds are moving in daily and hopefully the weather will hold and the geese will be here for a few weeks. Colder temps have also got more people thinking of ice fishing. Last year we got on the ice the first part of Dec., so the season is only about a month away. There have been a few still braving the cold and heading out onto the water. They have been having fairly good success on perch and walleye. Perch catches have been good all fall so the outlook for the winter is very good. We will be at the Minneapolis sport show the 16-18th of this month. If you have any questions about Devils Lake or would like to book a trip, please stop by our booth. We are currently in the process of getting a new computer, if you have any questions or would like to book a trip please give us a call instead of sending an email. We should be back up and running by the end of the week. Thank You
Jeff
- Monday, November 05, 2007 at 16:07:17 (CST)
The snow goose migration is slowly starting to take place. More and more birds are making their way into the area daily and with temps expected to change this week, I would expect the big push should start happening next weekend. Most of the people that I have talked to that have been walleye fishing is things have really slowed down. Pike fishermen are still catching huge numbers of fish in the coulees north of Devils Lake. Last year we were on the ice the first week of December, so its not that far away anymore. We have started taking reservations for the upcoming season. We will also be at the Minneapolis Sports Show, Nov 16-18th. If you plan on attending the show and have any questions on Devils Lake or Dosch's Guide Service please stop by our booth. Think Ice!
Jeff
- Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 19:18:00 (CDT)
The annual young of the year gill netting survey has been completed and young of the year perch, walleye and white bass are at their highest levels in several years.
According to Randy Hiltner, northeastern district fisheries supervisor for Game and Fish in Devils Lake, the annual young of the year fall gill netting survey produced a stunning 101 fish per net.
That's the highest cumulative catch since 1991. Hiltner said, and considerable higher than the 16-year average of 38 fish per net. Walleye and perch were both at their highest levels since 2001.
After last seasons excellent perch and walleye fishing I think we really have a great season ahead of us!
Cold weather is just around the corner. Its time to think about ice!
Jeff
- Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 20:21:15 (CDT)
With hunting season in full swing, there hasn't been to many people on the water fishing. The people that have been going out have been reporting fair success in and around the flooded trees. Colder temps the last couple of weeks have gotten more people thinking about ice fishing. We have started taking reservations for the upcoming season, and it looks to be another great one. Last season the perch really came back strong and the test netting results from the Game and Fish Dept. also say that we should be looking at an excellent season for all three species. Walleyes in the morning and evening and perch during the day, and if a cold front moves in, the pike are always biting. There is something for everyone on Devils Lake and now is the time to start thinking about making your reservations. If you have any questions please give us a call or send an email and hopefully we sill see you on the ice. Its not that far away!
Jeff
- Sunday, October 07, 2007 at 21:58:17 (CDT)
Spring is finally here and there are a million things to do. Its hard to believe but some people are still ice fishing and from the reports I have been hearing they have been doing rather well. Most people have put away the ice fishing rods and brought out the summer tackle. The channels are all flowing and the pike bite has been really good this week. You can catch pike almost anywhere you find some running water. The walleyes have started to make their way into the channel but we would really like to everyone release the walleyes and keep a limit of northerns if your looking for a great meal. If you want to see how to clean pike boneless, log onto edsbaitshop.com and click on the pike fishing video. A lot of guys are still out in the fields chasing snow geese and most are still have fair success. In the last couple of days I have seen quite a few still moving through the area. Ten days from now all the ice should be off the lake and a new season will be under way. Good Luck everyone!
Jeff
- Sunday, April 15, 2007 at 20:05:00 (CDT)
A few people are still venturing out onto the ice but it is down to foot travel only now. With all the rain we have had the last couple of days it wont take long until the ice is off the lake. I would like to thank everyone that chose Dosch's Guide Service this winter for their trip to Devils Lake. We had our busiest season so far, and with the fishing being so great this winter, next year should be even busier. As you could see by looking at our reports the fishing on Devils Lake this winter was excellent. The walleye and northern bite was steady all winter but the Perch is what made the winter so great. We were able to find perch in numerous areas this winter, and they were there in both numbers and size. Next year is going to be a year that nobody is going to want to miss!
The Spring snow goose season is under way and there are many birds in the area. It looked like the warm weather was going to send the birds through in a hurry but this recent cold weather has pushed a lot of birds back down from Canada. Hopefully the Geese will hold in the area for a couple of more weeks.
Open water season is just around the corner and most of the bride areas have started to open up and the coulees will soon be running. The spring season can be some of the best walleye and northern pike fishing of the season, but we urge everyone to practice catch and release when you catch those big females full of eggs.
Again, I would like to thank everyone that chose Dosch's Guide Service this winter and we hope you have a great summer!
Jeff
- Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 12:00:14 (CDT)
That late ice that everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived. Longer days and warmer temps bring some of the best fishing of the winter season. Walleyes are moving into the spawning areas and the bite is definitely on! Shallow water is the key and the best times have been at sun up and just before dark until about a half an hour after. This time of year walleyes are very aggressive and this is the time of year to get that haw over 10 lbs.
Perch fishing picked up as soon as the temperature rose and with stable weather in the forecast the bite should continue. Several excellent bites are going on now. Most of the perch are still holding in deep water but are becoming more aggressive. The better perch areas we have been fishing we are seeing more and more perch everyday. This is a good sign that they are getting concentrated in one area. We still have opening is March, if your looking for that last chance to ice fish and want to get in on some great action, give us a call before you miss out!
Jeff
- Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 21:12:43 (CST)
Longer days and warmer weather means spring is just around the corner. But before we think about spring we have one of the best months of ice fishing ahead of us. March is known for wall hanging walleyes and gigantic schools of perch making their way to their spawning areas. The month of March more whopper walleyes are caught than any other time in the ice fishing season.
The last couple of days we have gotten around 4-6 inches of snow making getting around on the lake a little more challenging but still no problem with a 4 wheel drive. Walleye fishing the past week has been excellent in a number of areas. We have been finding walleyes in 18-25 ft off of structure and in 4-10 ft along the shore lines. Some walleyes are starting to make their way to pre spawn areas. Perch have been showing up in several different areas of the lake and many good reports have been coming in. With the many different fronts we have been having move in if you get on fish before a front moves in you can do really well. Pike fishing remains excellent around the entire lake. We have been catching pike from 4-20 lbs in a number of areas. Some areas we have taken 20 pike in less than 3 hrs. Don't miss out on the March bite and we hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Sunday, February 25, 2007 at 19:38:01 (CST)
Warm weather is finally on the way! Starting this weekend the temps are going to be in the 20's and its going to feel like a heat wave. Last week we had some of the best perch fishing of the season. This week started out slow, with weather patterns changing and extreme cold weather. Today the perch fishing picked back up and the fish are starting to get aggressive again. Most of the perch have been in 35-45 ft of water and have been mixed in with some big white bass. We are still finding big walleyes in very shallow leading to deep water. Some of our better spots have been shallow flats with deep drops less than 50 yards away. Some of the best walleye and perch fishing of the season is right around the corner. With the excellent perch fishing that we have had this winter I would expect that March is going to be great. We have been checking some the areas that walleyes stage in before they spawn and they are already starting to hold fish. We still have openings in March and with close to 3 ft of ice I would expect we will be driving on the ice late into march or even early April. If your thinking of booing a trip give me a call because the schedule is filling in fast. We have some new pictures coming early next week of the perch we caught last week. Wait till you see these JUMBOS! Give us a call, lets go fishing!
Jeff
- Thursday, February 15, 2007 at 21:35:40 (CST)
The cold weather is finally coming to an end and the perch fishing has really taken off! The last two days we have had many limits of 9-13 inch perch. Today we had 9 people out and we all limited out by 2:00. Excellent reports keep coming in from many areas of the lake and things should just keep getting better as the season moves along. Its been a few years since I have seen perch fishing this good. We are still finding aggressive walleyes in shallow water (5-15 ft.) Early morning and evening have been the best times for walleyes. Most of our perch are coming out of deep water and when the bite is on there is times when you have 2-3 ft of fish underneath you. Halis,genz worms and forage minnows have all been working tipped with waxworms or spikes. Some of the bigger perch have been coming of a plain hook and a minnow. Pike fishing remains to be excellent! Don't miss out on the bite!
Jeff
- Thursday, February 08, 2007 at 19:51:05 (CST)
The perch bite continues to be excellent across Devils Lake and continues to improve as the winter moves along. We are starting to find larger and larger schools of perch and that means more aggressive fish. Walleye fishing continues to be great in the early morning and late evening hours. Larger fish have been coming in shallow water near structure and smaller eater fish are coming from deeper basin areas. Pike fishing remains steady and some huge pike in the 40-44 inch range have been coming in. We still have openings in Feb. and March!
Jeff
- Monday, January 29, 2007 at 16:42:22 (CST)
Excellent perch and walleye bite the last week. Today we had a large group limit out on walleyes and two other groups limit out on perch. At times the perch were 3ft deep and coming up 5 ft off the bottom to meet your jig. It didn't matter what you put down the bite was that great. The walleyes ranged from 15-24 inches and the perch were 3/4 pd to 1 1/2 lbs. There at least five places that I heard of today that people were getting limits of perch. Check out our great packages and don't miss out on the incredible bite going on Devils Lake.
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 17, 2007 at 18:28:49 (CST)
Sorry there hasn't been any reports for the last week. We have been fishing walleyes late and the time has slipped bye. Extremely cold temps have kept most anglers off the lake and has made mobility a challenge but we have been able to stay on top of a steady bite. We have been finding walleyes anywhere from 6-25 ft of water and dead sticking has been more productive than jigging. The perch bite has been steady this week with the best bite coming from 35-46 ft of water. Halis,forage minnows and small buckshots tipped with minnow heads have been working the best. Some of the biggest perch we have seen in years have been caught this season. Walleyes seem to be almost everywhere we look ranging in size from 13"-27". Ice conditions range from 20-24 inches and with no snow cover we are still making ice fast. It looks to be one of the best ice fishing seasons we have had for years.
Jeff
- Monday, January 15, 2007 at 10:16:17 (CST)
The snow cover we had on the lake is al most gone from the warm weather we had in the beginning of the week. This next week it looks like temps are going to be back like a normal January and dip below 0. The fishing this week was great. A lot of perch and some really nice walleyes. We've had walleyes caught this week up to 7.6 lbs and many 2-3 pd fish. We have found several different areas that have been great for perch. Some of the best areas have been in the flooded timber in shallow water. This is the best perch fishing I have seen in a number of years for numbers of fish and for the size of the perch. Don't miss out on the great bite! I will have some pictures on the site by the middle of the week.
Jeff
- Sunday, January 07, 2007 at 19:45:21 (CST)
Good perch reports continue to come in from  across the lake. We have found several large schools of perch and the key has been mobility to stay on active feeding fish. I have seen some of the biggest perch I have seen in years this past week. Most of the perch we have been finding now have been coming from deeper water(30-40ft). The bite has been changing daily switching from minnows one day to waxworms the next. Walleye fishing continues to be excellent and we have had some excellent days pike fishing. Our average size pike have been 4-8 lbs and a few big pike over 12 lbs. Check out our packages and don't miss out on the great bite!
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 02, 2007 at 18:19:23 (CST)
Incredible perch bite the last three days. Six of us limited out on perch by 2 o'clock today and when we left the bite was still going strong. The most aggressive fish today were in 36 ft and halis with wax worms were working best. At times when the bite was at the best we had 2-3 ft of perch below us. Its unbelievable how things can change from one winter to the next. This is one of the best perch bites I have seen in years!
Jeff
- Thursday, December 28, 2006 at 21:02:16 (CST)
Excellent perch and walleye bite again today. We have already had a way better season on perch than we did all of last year. Today the perch and walleye were mixed together and at times very aggressive. The best bite was from 8-11 and again from 3-5. I had a couple of guys get there limit of perch with some nice eater walleyes in the bucket. Today I received several good walleye reports from area locals. Ice conditions range from 12-16 inches on the lake with no snow cover. We have some cold weather moving in for the weekend and this will help to make more ice fast.
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 27, 2006 at 20:37:05 (CST)
Merry Christmas! We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.
Jeff
- Sunday, December 24, 2006 at 13:36:24 (CST)
The last couple of days the perch and walleye bite has been excellent. Walleyes are biting across the lake and some good size fish have been coming in. Most of the walleyes have been ranging in size from 14-20 inches and there has been a 10.6 and 11.6 whoppers weighed in at Ed's Bait Shop this week.
Excellent perch reports continue to come in from different areas of the lake. Most of the perch are coming in shallow water and are hitting spikes, waxworms and minnows. The perch bite is already better than it was all last year.
If fast action and big fish is what your looking for, try jigging or tip ups for northern pike. The action has been fast and the average size has been from 3-8 lbs with many fish over 10 lbs. Herring or smelt have been working the best or try jigging a spoon tipped with a minnow head.
This is going to be a great season on Devils Lake. Give us a call and let us share some of the best fishing in the midwest with you.
Merry Christmas!
Jeff
- Friday, December 22, 2006 at 22:03:51 (CST)
More and more ice fishermen are starting to hit the ice this past week. A lot of good walleye reports have been coming in from several locations on the lake. The best news of the winter is that people are catching some perch. Hopefully this is good signs of what is to happen this winter. So far all the perch reports have come in shallow water in or around the flooded timber. Pike fishing remains to be excellent and so far this early ice we have had some big pike on the ice. The biggest so far this season is 15 lbs. With no snow ice is forming fast. Some of the smaller bays have between 12-14 inches and some people are starting to drive. The areas on the main lake we have been fishing have had between 10-12 inches. The next couple of nights are supposed to be in the single digits we should gain at least a half an inch a night.
Jeff
- Monday, December 18, 2006 at 20:42:29 (CST)
Perch fishing is already better than it was last year. Almost every spot we find walleyes the perch are mixed in with them. Last night we got on the ice at 3:30 for the walleye bite and we had 10 nice jumbos in the bucket before we caught one walleye. We ended up catching some 14-17 inch walleyes before dark so it was a great night of fishing. This morning I was out pike fishing and the flags were flying at a steady pace. We had 8 pike in 3 hrs with the biggest around 8 lbs. Beautiful day to be on the ice!
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 12:36:39 (CST)
Early ice is living up to everything we expect it too. Walleye fishing on Devils Lake has been incredible. Shallow water sandbars (5-14 ft) have been producing constant action in the evening and early morning hours. During the afternoon we have been moving to a little deeper water and finding walleyes that are aggressive all day. The thing that has surprised us the most is the number of perch we have been picking up in the shallow water. The perch have been very aggressive hitting walleye tackle and until after the sun has went down. Yesterday we had a couple guys get some real nice 13 inch jumbos.
I have fished several different areas on the lake now and ice conditions have been a steady 8-10 inches. Most people are traveling by ATV's and a few people are starting to drive on some of the smaller bays that have 12 inches of ice or more. We do not recommend that people start driving yet. We are making ice every night and in a couple of weeks the entire lake will be safe.
Jeff Dosch <jeff@doschguides.com>
Devils Lake, ND USA - Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 16:13:11 (CST)
We have started using ATV's this weekend. The areas we have been fishing we have been seeing ice thickness from 8-10 inches. The walleye bite this week has been excellent and we are catching a lot of perch mixed in with the walleyes. Early morning and late evening have been best for walleyes and perch with a few perch mixed in throughout the day. More and more fishermen have been hitting the ice this week and everybody is reporting excellent walleye fishing. Don't miss out! See you on the ice.
Jeff
- Saturday, December 09, 2006 at 12:57:13 (CST)
Check out the new Hot Spot Outdoors pike fishing video on www.fishingminnesota.com. It gets you in the mood to start chasing after flags! The best thing about pike fishing is that you never now if your next flag is going to be a 5 lb pike or that 20 lb monster you've been waiting for. FLAG UP!
Jeff
- Wednesday, December 06, 2006 at 13:08:48 (CST)
WOW! What a great feeling to be back out on the ice. Ice is forming fast and the fishing is excellent. We did real well on walleyes tonight ranging in size from 14-22 inches and we picked up some real nice perch from 10-13 inches. Ice conditions are from 4-6 inches on the small bays and we should be able to venture out farther by the middle of the week. Early ice is great because you can find every species in the shallow water. It felt great having that first walleye come in and just hammer your jig. Get ready, ice fishing is in full swing!
Jeff
- Sunday, December 03, 2006 at 18:06:23 (CST)
People are starting to hit the ice on the smaller bodies of water around Devils Lake. Ice conditions range from 4-10 inches depending on who you talk to. Some of the smaller lakes have been frozen for over a month now. Ice is forming on Devils Lake and the smaller bays have all iced over. We need some calm nights and we could get a sheet of ice over the entire lake. Temps are expected to be around zero for lows and only the single digits for highs the next couple of days. We should be able to get out on some of the bays by this weekend. Don't miss out on an incredible season of ice fishing. Check out our packages and if you don't see one that fits your needs give us a call and we sill customize one for you.
Jeff
- Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 08:19:38 (CST)
ICE IS ON THE WAY!
Starting Thursday night the weather is forecasted to make a dramatic change. The forecast calls for temps in the high teen and lows in the single digits by the middle of next week. Some of the smaller bays like six mile and new mill have had ice for about a week now. The smaller lakes like Sweetwater,morrison and Pelican have had ice for over a week. I talked to some deer hunter that were hunting around Pelican lake and said there was about 3-4 inches of ice on Sunday. Hopefully the forecast will hold and we will be out by the first week in Dec.. Happy Thanksgiving
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 18:42:59 (CST)
Deer hunting is on the minds of almost everyone but the warmer weather has gotten a few more anglers back on the water. The bridge areas and some of the smaller bays have been the best for walleyes and Northern Pike. A few reports of some decent perch catches have been reported. Everybody waiting for that big cold front to finally move in so we can get back out on the ice.
Still quite a few snow geese and canada geese left around the area. Most of the geese that I have seen have been coming off the flats and feeding to the southwest. There are still a lot of mallards and diver ducks on the big lake. When we have been deer hunting we have seen thousands of mallards coming off of the main lake.
Now is the time to make your plans for this years fishing trips. We have some excellent packages available and if you don't see what you are looking for we will customize a package to fit your needs. The summer fishing on Devils Lake this year was the best it probably ever has been, and with perch up 30% from last year and the addition of crappies this looks to be an excellent season ahead of us. Give us a call if you have any questions!
Jeff
- Friday, November 17, 2006 at 14:10:12 (CST)
Cold windy conditions has moved a lot of the snow geese and mallards into the area. With about 3-5 inches of snow on the ground who know how long the birds will stick around. If the snow geese do leave we will still have some excellent duck shooting until the big lake freezes.
Windy conditions have kept most fishermen off the lake but before this cold front moved in the walleyes were on the bite in the shallows. After today we should be able to get back out on the water and start pitching cranks in the shallows. Lows down to around 10 degrees tonight and tomorrow should freeze some of the smaller lakes if the wind dies down. If things stay like this we could be ice fishing some of the smaller lakes during deer season. Now's the time to book your trip for the ice fishing season!
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 01, 2006 at 17:44:59 (CST)
This is a busy time of year for all of us that hunt and fish. Its hard to decide to get out in the boat for the last time or to be out in the field. By the looks of most of the boat landings most people have decided to be out in the field.
The people that have put the boat in the water and braved the cold have been having excellent success. Jigging in rocky structures and areas with moving water especially around the bridges have been the key areas the last couple of weeks. Pink/white and chartreuse jigs tipped with large minnows have been the hot presentation. Some anglers are still picking up some nice fish cranking along the rip rap along the roads.
The snow goose migration is under way and tens of thousands of birds are showing up daily. Several areas around Devils Lake have between 50-75,000 snow geese. The larger bodies of water are holding a lot of mallards but we haven't seen the big push of northern mallards yet. The big lake is starting to fill up with diver ducks and by the sounds of it there isn't much hunting pressure on the big lake. A lot of the corn is starting to come off and this usually means some of the best hunting of the season. THINK ICE!!
Jeff
- Friday, October 27, 2006 at 22:08:14 (CDT)
Walleyes are on the bite if you can find time between the wind and the rain. Every other day the wind has been blowing and along with it, it has brought rain and snow. The moving water around most of the bridges has been the best this last week. Jigging in 15-25 ft using bigger minnows has been by far the best. It doesn't seem to matter what time of day it is, if you find the area just outside the current your going to have some fantastic fishing. This cold weather has pushed more and more snow geese into the area. Different areas around Devils Lake and to the North and west are reporting more geese arriving daily. Some of the smaller sloughs have frozen over and have moved most of the ducks onto the larger bodies of water. This cold weather is expected to last and this should help to bring the major push of snow geese into the area.
Jeff
- Tuesday, October 17, 2006 at 14:55:33 (CDT)
Weather change is on the way with temps expected to be only in the high 30s and overnight lows in the 20s by mid week. Hopefully this will bring down the snow geese and ducks that have been staging up across the Canadian Border. Walleyes are still being picked up in shallow water on crank baits and slip bobbers. And reports of good perch catches have been coming in along weed lines using slip bobbers in 15-20 ft. We are starting to get all geared up for the upcoming ice fishing season and have already starting taking reservations. This year we have a new sponsor for our fish houses with Team Otter. These are top of the line fish houses which will make the experience better for comfort and mobility. The Game and FIsh Dept. says perch numbers are up by 30 percent from last year and we are already seeing the difference this fall. Walleye and pike numbers are at an all time high and you throw crappies into the mix and you have the potential for an unforgettable ice fishing trip.
Jeff
- Saturday, October 07, 2006 at 21:16:33 (CDT)
I was out this morning with a couple of friends and their kids for the youth hunt opener. I was in charge of the video camera, and boy is it hard to sit and watch those ducks come in and not be able to shoot. We had close to 3-4 thousand ducks in the area and the kids had a great time. Looks like fall isn't wasting any time to get here this year. Temps are expected to be in the high 40s for sunday and most of the week next week.
For the guys still looking for that last great day on the lake it sounds like things are really getting good. Crank baits or bottom bouncers in 5-15 ft have been producing some real nice fish. And the bridges are really starting to pick up for all the shore fishermen. Good luck to all the kids out for the youth hunt this week and only 6 more days until we can all get out there.
Jeff
- Saturday, September 16, 2006 at 22:00:07 (CDT)
Early Canada Goose season is under way and it looks like its going to be another great season. I've been working on the road a lot this summer and everywhere I went there were geese. Dry conditions have dried up some of the smaller sloughs but conditions aren't that bad. It seems early to be getting ready for goose hunting but the cool weather really helps you get in the mood. Even though goose hunting is hear don't give up on fishing just yet. This can be one of the better times of the open water season to get in on some great action. Cooler temps will move fish shallow again and most people have put their boats away which means no crowds. The Flats, Golden Highway, trees at Grahams Island, Bud Bay and the north end of Six Mile Bay have all been producing some excellent catches this week. Good Luck
Jeff
- Friday, September 01, 2006 at 21:27:39 (CDT)
Ice conditions are slowly getting worse. We should be able to get out with atv's for about another two weeks. Fishing the last two weeks has been the best it has been all year long. Walleyes are moving into shallow water and are very aggressive in the morning and evening hours. On cloudy days the bite has lasted throughout the entire day. Perch fishing has picked up this last month and the perch are great in size. A lot of perch from 11-13 inches have been being caught. The perch are still in fairly deep water(25-35ft) but are really starting to school up. Some really nice walleyes have been coming when we are perch fishing. Crappie fishing has also picked up and it should keep getting better until we cant make it out on the ice anymore. Pike are getting ready to spawn so now is a great time to get out there and try for that pike over 20 lbs.
More and more snow geese are moving into the area everyday and with the snow cover they have to the North of us they should hold in the area for a while. Its common for us to have close to 1 million birds in the area for about a week or two if the conditions are right. Thanks to everyone that fished with us this winter and we hope to see you back next ice fishing season. We will try to keep you posted on the summer bite. Good Luck Fishing!
Jeff
- Saturday, April 01, 2006 at 11:59:19 (CST)
The last cold snap that we had really helped to improve ice conditions. We now have about 28-32 inches of ice. Some good perch reports have been coming in but they are very scattered and don't last more than a couple of days. The best perch fishing we have been having lately is with the walleyes in shallow water. The perch have been feeding with the walleyes and the best times are the early morning hours and late evenings. The days are getting longer and this is the time of year we all wait for as far as walleye fishing goes. This time of year is great because you can fish all three species of fish in the same shallow bays. This is the time of year everything goes on the bite and a lot of the bigger fish of the season are caught. We still have openings in March so give us a call and don't miss out.
Jeff
- Thursday, February 23, 2006 at 16:52:30 (CST)
More and more good perch reports are coming in all the time. Its hard to say what is better shallow or deep because reports have been coming in on both. Minnow heads really seem to be the key bait under a hali or a forage minnow. Glow colors have been the best by far. Walleye fishing was quiet for about a week but things have picked up over the weekend. This colder weather that moved in has seemed to push the walleyes a little deeper. Pike fishing remains excellent and more bigger fish over 10 lbs are showing up. The later in the season we get,especially in March, the big females move into the shallows and put the feed bag on and really get aggressive, that's when your chances of getting that pike over 20 lbs are at its best. We are forecasted to have another cold spell move in at the end of the week and highs are only expected to reach the single digits. We already have 2 ft of ice and this cold weather is really going to help stretch out our March fishing. We still have openings in Feb.. and a few in March so give us a call and don't miss out on the late season bite.
Jeff
- Sunday, February 12, 2006 at 20:14:33 (CST)
Ice conditions on Devils Lake range from 18-24 inches! Sorry about the mix up below.
jeff
USA - Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 19:53:54 (CST)
Ice conditions across the lake range from 18-14 inches and we are driving across the entire lake. We have about 4 inches of snow on the lake and the forecast is for lows this weekend around the zero mark which will help make even more ice. Perch fishing is finally starting to pick up. We are starting to find larger schools of perch and if your willing to work at them the payoff has been great. The overall size of the perch coming in this year is very good. Walleye fishing continues to be good in the morning and evening hours in 8-24 ft. Flooded timber,shallow flats and points with deep drops have been seeing the best fishing. Pike fishing continues to be AWESOME!. This weekend I had a group of ten out and we got 49 pike in less than 6 hrs of fishing both days. I don't know how many flags we had go off those two days but it was none stop action the whole time. That's the nice thing about Devils Lake is that there is always something that will be biting. Don't miss out on the action and give us a call!
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 19:51:11 (CST)
Better Perch reports are coming in all the time but walleye and pike continue to steal the show. Several places have been producing fantastic walleye fishing this week in a variety of depths. Areas of 15-25 ft have been producing more fish but in the flooded trees in shallow 3-10 ft have been producing the bigger fish. Perch have been mixed in with the walleyes and the size of the perch has been great. This week we did get in on a good bite and the perch were averaging 9-13 inches. Pike fishing continues to be the fastest action around. Its hard to believe that there are that many pike that you can fish the same areas day after day and catch limits of fish every time you go. Pike are the one fish that weather doesn't seem to affect. Good luck to everyone in the tournament this weekend!
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 21:38:29 (CST)
Brian Klawitter <bklawitter@comcast.net>
MN - Monday, January 16, 2006 at 19:58:14 (CST)
Hi Jeff
Thanks for your hard work, I enjoyed spending time with you.
Good Luck, and I'll send on a picture of Al and his big pike.
Dan Keith
MWO TV.
Jeff
USA - Monday, January 16, 2006 at 19:27:48 (CST)
Ice conditions on Devils Lake range from 12-18 inches and with this cold weather now they are improving fast. Pike and walleye continue to be the main draw for people right now but more and more perch reports are coming in all the time. Everybody was looking way to deep for perch. Some of the best perch catches have been in 10-15 ft. Walleye fishing continues to be very good in the morning and evening with most fish from 14-20 inches. Pike fishing has been incredible and shows no signs of slowing down. Some monster pike have been coming in these 1st two weeks. The average size is 4-8 lbs but we have had fish over 15 lbs Its a great time to fish Devils Lake now because of the limited people and you can sit on a school of fish for a long time.
Jeff
- Monday, January 16, 2006 at 19:21:01 (CST)
We were out filming Midwest Outdoors today and got into some really nice Jumbos and some monster pike. Pike ranged in size from 6-13 lbs and all came off tip ups with herring. Perch were the most aggressive when the sun would peek out at times. Minnows on a plain hook and a genz worm with wax worms. Hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Thursday, January 12, 2006 at 21:35:28 (CST)
Great news for everybody that's been waiting to hear of the first good perch report. Two of our guides really got into the Jumbos today. All together the two of them had 45 perch ranging in size from 3/4 lb-1.5 lbs. Some really nice JUMBOS! We have to start fishing shallow in the trees!
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 17:39:39 (CST)
Pike fishing remains to be the main attraction this winter. Pike numbers seem to be at an all time high and the action is very fast paced. Walleye action remains good and the perch we are finding are mixed in with the walleye. There are areas that we are picking up perch but the numbers are low and the size is very good. Most perch being caught are over 1 lb. Pike are running from 3-8 lbs with a few fish over 10 lbs. There was one weighed in just the other day that tipped the scales at 24 lbs. Yesterday we had a group out and landed 35 pike in just under 4 hrs. To get in on some great action give us a call.
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 09:34:59 (CST)
Pike and walleye continue to be on an excellent bite this past week. More and more people are driving on the lake now and there has been some reports of people getting into the perch. We have been spending most of our time fishing pike and walleye since the bite has been so good. We are picking up some nice big Jumbos when we are walleye fishing. We should be driving across the entire lake be next week and more and more people will be fishing. Yesterday we limited out in pike in 3 hrs and they ranged in size from 3-6pds. A few fish have come in this last week over the 20 lb mark. Walleyes have been averaging from 1-4 lbs and mornings and evenings have been the best.
Jeff
- Thursday, January 05, 2006 at 20:16:56 (CST)
A lot of people are driving on the lake now and most areas have 12 inches or better. Walleye and pike fishing continue to be excellent and perch fishing is picking up. Many areas across the lake have been good for walleyes from 10-25 ft and buckshots,forage minnows,glow demons and raps tipped with minnow heads have been working the best. Pike action in the smaller shallower bays has been constant action and pike have been ranging in size from 4-15 lbs. Herring and smelt on a tip up have been working best and jigging larger spoons with full minnows have also been working. More and more people are starting to pick up a few perch since we are driving and can cover more area. Good Luck
Jeff
- Monday, January 02, 2006 at 10:41:02 (CST)
Pike and walleye fishing continues to be excellent. Several different areas are producing walleyes and early morning and late evening have been the best. Some perch are starting to show up and the ones we are getting the size is great. Pike fishing has just been unbelievable. This cold weather moving in will help to make a little more ice and we should be driving soon.
Jeff
- Thursday, December 29, 2005 at 17:19:41 (CST)
Nice weather has made for some incredible early ice fishing this December. Walleye and Pike fishing has continued to be excellent and several reports of good perch catches have been reported. We are picking up many Jumbo perch when we are walleye fishing in the early morning and evening. Several different areas have been good for perch and with hardly any pressure fishing will continue to be excellent. Some people are starting to drive out on the smaller bays but we do not recommend this yet. Ice conditions are getting close and we should be driving by the first of the year. Have a Merry Christmas and we hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Friday, December 23, 2005 at 20:06:08 (CST)
We got into some real jumbo perch at the end of last week. We didn't have a lot for numbers but the size was excellent. All the fish we caught were 3/4-1 3/4pds. The group of guys next to us had a real good day and they also had a lot of perch over 1.5pds. Walleye and pike fishing has been excellent this past week. Pike are hitting in several different areas of the lake and the walleyes are hitting best in the flooded timber. Ice conditions in the smaller bays is about 10-12 inches and the main lake has around 8-10 inches. There isn't a lot of snow on the lake and we are making ice fast. Hopefully we can get a good cold spell and we can start driving.
Jeff
- Sunday, December 18, 2005 at 19:07:16 (CST)
Walleye fishing this week has been excellent. A lot of 15-20 inch walleyes have been coming out of the flooded timber in the smaller bays. Most of the smaller bays have around 7-10 inches of ice. Walleyes have been hitting buckshots,castmasters and raps tipped with minnow heads. Best times have been early morning and late evening and we have been picking up a few perch along with the walleyes. Pike fishing tomorrow and hopefully the rest of the week chasing perch. There is no snow on the ice so this next cold snap this weekend should make some ice fast.
Jeff
- Monday, December 12, 2005 at 18:27:06 (CST)
Just got back from the St. Paul Ice Fishing Show and I'm ready to hit the ice. Sounds like a few guys were out this weekend and I know of two groups who did real well on PERCH! That's right perch. A few guys got into some walleyes and pike, so it sounds like were off to a good start. Most of the lake has at least 4" and some of the bays have close to 8". Sounds like early ice is going to be great. See you on the ice!
Jeff
- Monday, December 05, 2005 at 16:57:09 (CST)
The entire lake has a sheet of ice on it now. Some people are starting to walk out and we suggest people wait at least another week. With the cold temps predicted it wont take long to make a lot of ice. We will be at the St. Paul Sport Show this weekend and if your in the area stop by and say high and hopefully we can answer any questions you have on Devils Lake. With the walleye and Pike fishing being so great this summer and the good perch bite this late fall it looks to be another great ice fishing season on Devils Lake.
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 30, 2005 at 18:46:17 (CST)
Some of the smaller lakes around the area have fishable ice and a few people have been venturing out and have been having some success pike fishing. Temps are predicted to drop to around the zero mark this next week for lows and if we can get some calm nights we should be able to get some of the smaller bays froze over. We will be heading to the St. Paul ice fishing show next week(Thurs. - Sat.) and if your in that area please stop by and let us answer any questions you have on Devils Lake. We will be sharing the booth(#443) with the Great American Inn and Suites and we will be promoting our packages. Ice will be here soon, its time to think ice fishing!
Jeff
- Saturday, November 26, 2005 at 16:31:50 (CST)
Cold weather has finally arrived and in a big way. Temps are supposed to drop below zero tonight and that should freeze over some of the smaller lakes and ponds. It will be a while for the big lake but the steam has really been coming off and it wont take long now.
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 19:13:35 (CST)
Winter is finally here! Snow and cold has hit the Devils Lake area and it looks like it is here to stay. High winds and all the snow should help to bring water temps down in a hurry and tomorrow the high is only 18 degrees. Hopefully it will stay cold now and we will be on the ice soon.
Jeff
- Tuesday, November 15, 2005 at 09:32:21 (CST)
Snow geese are moving in daily now and a strong cold front is moving in for the weekend and should bring a lot of birds into the area. Its almost time to start thinking ice fishing and we have put together some great package deals for this winter. Last season we were out the first week in Dec. so it wont be long now. We have had some reports of fishermen doing quite well on perch this month and this usually means a good bite at early ice. Think Ice!
Jeff
- Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 19:25:39 (CDT)
Duck numbers are still high and the snow geese are just starting to make their way here. I would say in a week or two the big push of snow geese should be coming through. We are going to be updating our website this week with new pictures and some new packages that we have put together. Its time to start thinking about that ice fishing getaway!
Jeff
- Tuesday, October 18, 2005 at 17:25:10 (CDT)
Anybody else thinking ice fishing? All this snow on the ground sure makes it feel like December and not October. By mid afternoon today most of the snow was melted off the roads already and I'm sure by the weekend most, if not all of it will be gone. Most of us that have been out shooting birds have had excellent success and we are seeing good numbers of birds. Most of the teal and some of the less hardy birds will also leave but the numbers of mallards is still high. Some snow geese have started to make their way down and it wont be long before the big wave makes its way here. It seems that the best snow geese hunting is always about the first week of deer season and its always a tough decision. I'm heading south for pheasant opener this weekend and I will keep you posted how things are shaping up around here.
Good Luck
Jeff
- Thursday, October 06, 2005 at 17:43:45 (CDT)
Walleye fishing continues to be excellent across the lake and a number of presentations have been working. Slip bobbers in the trees are still producing a lot of smaller walleyes. Bottom bouncers and spinners and trolling cranks in the deeper water are producing larger fish but less numbers. A few perch are being caught in creel bay and along the Camp Grafton shore line.
Swarms of ducks are starting to show up along the country side along with a lot of Canada Geese. This season looks to be another great year for waterfowl in the lake region.
jeff
- Tuesday, August 30, 2005 at 20:54:34 (CDT)
Walleye fishing continues to be excellent across the entire lake. Throwing crank baits in the shallows and slip bobbers in the trees are still producing the most fish. Slip bobbers in the evening with a leach will keep you busy for many hours and most nights its hard to keep two lines in the water. Leaches and night crawlers are both catching a lot of fish. White Bass are still being caught along highway 19 and at the north end of 6 mile bay. If you plan on throwing crank baits plan on catching your share of northerns because they seem to be everywhere. Good Luck
Jeff
- Sunday, June 26, 2005 at 16:00:52 (CDT)
Rainy windy weather has kept a lot of people off the lake but the few nice days we have had the fishing has been excellent. The warmer weather has really helped to turn the walleye bite on! Crank baits in the shallows(1-10ft) or slip bobbers in the trees or jigging in front of the bridges have all been producing excellent walleye bites. The best times have been in the early morning and evening hours. Pike fishing continues to be excellent across the entire lake and the white bass are just starting to get aggressive. Good luck! We do offer lodging in the summer.
701-662-4659
jeff
- Tuesday, May 31, 2005 at 21:37:00 (CDT)
Walleye fishing is in full swing and with temps expected to be in the upper 40's this week, ice fishing will be coming to an end. This past week the perch finally went on a good bite and we got into some excellent crappie fishing. We saw a lot of crappie over 1 lb and some pushing the 2 lb range. Walleye fishing has been excellent in shallow water up next to the trees at early morning and late evening. Many fish over 8 lbs have been coming in this week. The pike action on Devils Lake this winter was incredible and this late ice things haven't changed one bit except for the numbers of monster pike. In the last 2 weeks there have been 10 pike over 20 lbs and the latest monster to be weighed in at Ed's Bait Shop on friday tipped the scales at 29 lbs 4 oz. It wont be long before the spring run off gets the coulees flowing and the walleye and pike fishing just gets better. Steady streams of snow geese have been going over all day so I think its safe to say spring is finally here. Just want to remind everybody that we do offer lodging throughout the summer and fall and you can give us a call for any information. I would like to thanks everybody that fished with us during the ice fishing season and we hope to see you again. Thanks
jeff
- Sunday, March 27, 2005 at 20:08:17 (CST)
Sorry we haven't had any reports for a while. We have been walleye fishing most nights and I just seem to run out of time. Perch fishing continues to be hit and miss but more and more good reports have started to come in. Last week we had a couple of days where three of us caught 60 nice perch. So things are slowly starting to improve. Walleye fishing this past week was hit and miss and the people who stayed out until a little after dark are having the best success. Pike fishing continues to be excellent across the lake and a lot of monster pike have been caught in the last two weeks. I know of seven pike over 20lbs and it sounds like the new lake record was caught about ten days ago. 29 lbs 2 0z what a hawg! We still have plenty of ice and the season should go well into april. Hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Sunday, March 13, 2005 at 20:28:15 (CST)
Perch fishing remains slow but the numbers have been picking up this past week.
The Walleye fishing has remained steady all week in the morning and evening hours. The Walleye bite/times has been the same in all areas of the lake.
The Northern Pike have been the most active of any species all week. The Pike reports continue to be excellent with numerous people catching their limit daily.
For all of you perch fans, stable and warmer weather will be a key factor in the up coming days. Hopefully we will start seeing some of those "Jumbo's" in the next few days! Keep Jigging!!!
Jeff Dosch <jeff@doschguides.com>
Devils Lake, ND USA - Thursday, February 24, 2005 at 23:15:52 (CST)
Perch fishing this week has been the best I've seen all winter. Three of us filled a 6 gallon pail in about 4 hours and the group next to us had close to 40. Most of the perch were nice jumbos, 10-13 inches. Maybe all we needed was a little stable weather and some warmer temps. Gold genz worms were working best with either spikes or waxworms in 30 feet of water. Walleye and pike fishing continues to be excellent in most parts of the lake. FInally perch fishing is heating up!
Jeff
- Thursday, February 03, 2005 at 17:57:13 (CST)
The fishing tournament went well this weekend with a record number of perch caught during the tournament. Six mile Bay isn't known for its perch fishing but this year anything can happen. Warmer temps the past couple of days has helped the perch bite across the entire lake. With steady temps forecasted for the next 10 days perch fishing should really pick up. Several places on the lake are producing some nice perch catches and a few people have been coming in with limits of perch.
Walleye action continues to be excellent in the morning and evening hours in the shallow water. Buckshots,castmasters,rapalas and sonars have all been working well. Pike fishing on some of the smaller lakes connected to Devils Lake has been excellent as well. Tip ups with smelt or herring have been working best.
jeff
- Sunday, January 30, 2005 at 18:27:14 (CST)
Perch fishing has been picking up this past week. Several areas are producing good numbers of perch. Warmer and more stable weather patterns will help improve the perch fishing. Things have slowly been improving and the numbers of perch coming in every day are getting better and better.
Walleye and pike fishing continue to be excellent. Pike fishing has been really fast this past week. There has been days when we've had 20 pike on the ice in less than 3 hrs.
Jeff
- Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at 18:59:53 (CST)
Perch fishing this week continues to be slow. We are picking up some nice Jumbos while we are fishing for walleyes. The best thing this year has been the walleye and pike fishing and this week they continue to be excellent. There is hardly any fishing pressure on Devils Lake and it is easy to keep a walleye spot for several days. The days are getting longer and the bite has been lasting longer each week. Pie fishing has continued to be excellent. Some days we have had our people limit out in just a couple of hours with 4-6 pd fish. There's never a wasted day on Devils Lake if you are willing to go after whatever is on the bite. Perch fishing is going to pick up as the winter goes on, it always does! Its really nice to have walleye and pike to fall back on until they do.
JEFF
- Thursday, January 20, 2005 at 21:26:12 (CST)
The perch fishing on Devils Lake is really starting to pick up this week. Each day this week our number of perch in the buckets increased and you can really tell that the fish are becoming more aggressive. Today the best lures were halis tipped with minnow heads or waxworms. Most of the fish this week were in 25-35 ft. Warmer weather this week should help the bite even more and it should be a great week of perch fishing. Walleye fishing continues to be excellent in both the shallow water and deep. There has been a good bite going on for about a week in 31 ft of water. Buckshots,Angel Eyes,rocker minnows and sonars have been working the best.
Jeff
- Sunday, January 16, 2005 at 21:52:35 (CST)
The perch bite is finally starting. I got into some really good action today for a few hours and managed 23 nice perch. Silver hali tipped with spikes was working best in 34ft of water. Walleye fishing continues to be excellent. This morning 4 of us limited out in just under a hour. Fish ranged in size from 1-2.5 lbs.
Jeff
- Sunday, January 09, 2005 at 19:14:28 (CST)
This is probable the best walleye bite I have seen on Devils Lake in the winter. The last two days we had a group of six and limited out on walleyes both days. Best time was about an hour before dark but the bigger fish came in the morning hours. 10-15 ft of water using Buckshots,castmasters,Sonars and Forage Minnows tipped with minnow heads. We did spend some time looking for perch and found most of our fish in deeper water (44ft) and Halis with spikes were working the best.
Jeff
- Thursday, January 06, 2005 at 21:33:45 (CST)
Cold weather has moved into Devils Lake this week and has really improved ice conditions. Most of us are driving across the lake now and most areas have at least 15" of ice. This last snow storm left about 6" of snow on the ice and it is still very easy to get around on the lake. We needed a little snow to bank up the fish houses.
Walleye fishing continues to be excellent in several different areas on the lake. Most walleyes have been shallow from 6-15 ft along flooded brush and old road beds. Since we have started driving we have been finding more perch and is easier to stay on top the schools. Pike fishing has been steady all week but the walleye fishing has really been stealing the show. Most of the walleye have been nice eaters(1-3lbs) but we have been getting into some really nice fish over 5 lbs.
Hope to see you on the ice!
Jeff
- Monday, January 03, 2005 at 19:54:05 (CST)
Just got off the lake and it was a cold and windy day. Spent most of the day walleye fishing in the trees just to get out of the wind. The walleye bite the last 3 days has been excellent. Shallow water (8-16ft) has been the best with buckshots,rapalas and forage minnows working the best. The last 4 nights we have averaged 18 walleyes each night between 4 of us and they have ranged in size from 1-5lbs.
Several different areas of the lake are producing some nice perch. More and more people are driving out now and are covering a lot more area. I talked to some guys in the bait shop tonight that had a pail full of perch and they said they were in shallow water and halis were working the best.
Ice conditions across the lake are a nearly steady 12" or better. Highs in the single digits this weekend should make a couple of inches and we should be driving out by early next week.
jeff
- Thursday, December 30, 2004 at 17:57:40 (CST)
Merry Christmas! Perch fishing is starting to pick up this past week. There has been a lot more fishermen out on the ice covering more areas and we have been getting in on some good action. Cold weather has really improved ice conditions this past week. Most of the bays have 10" or better and the big lake has up to 9". Walleye and pike fishing continues to be excellent in the flooded timber in shallow water. Jeff
jeff
- Friday, December 24, 2004 at 11:13:06 (CST)
Cold windy weather has kept most fishermen off the lake this last week. Below zero temps and 30+ mph winds have made conditions tough to say the least. This cold snap is suppose to break by christmas day and by then we should have a solid 8" across the lake. Some of the smaller bays will have closer to 10". Walleye and pike continue to bite at early morning and late evening in shallow water. Buckshots and castmasters tipped with minnow heads have been working the best. Some fishermen are starting to venture out into the deeper water for perch and are reporting some success. I did talk to one group that had very good success in East Bay. It will be nice to finally be able to cover some ground and get after some perch.
3 day fully guided trip/3 nights lodging for $405
jeff
- Tuesday, December 21, 2004 at 13:35:11 (CST)
The Walleye and Pike bite continues to be excellent this week. Most people are having success along the flooded trees for walleyes in 10-18ft using Buckshots tipped with minnow heads. Pike continue to bite in several bays and the best bait has been herring on tip-ups.
Ice conditions have improved over the last couple of days even though it hasn't been that cold. Most of the smaller bays have 6" and areas in East Bay we found 8". Cold temps of -10 are forecasted for this weekend and it wont be long before we are out on ATV's.
Jeff
- Thursday, December 16, 2004 at 14:00:48 (CST)
The entire lake is froze over now and some of the smaller bays we are finding as much as 6". Friday I was out checking ice conditions and managed to get some walleye fishing in and had great success. Two of us caught 7 nice walleyes ranging from 1.5 lbs to 4.5. lbs. Saturday we had our first group of fishermen and the walleyes didn't cooperate but the pike action saved the day. We ended up catching 17 pike ranging from 3lbs to 6lbs and we had one monster tip the scales at 20 lbs.(44 1/2") Most of the pike were caught on tip-ups and a few jigging Buckshots. We are going to try a different spot for walleyes in the morning and I will keep you posted.
Jeff
- Saturday, December 11, 2004 at 19:10:06 (CST)
Ice conditions are starting to improve across the lake this week. We ventured out onto some of the smaller bays by Black Tiger and found most places had 4-5 inches. The north end of six mile bay has close to 6" of ice at the north end. There is very little snow cover on the lake so we should continue to make ice daily. Highs are expected in the 20's and lows in the teens so it wont be long before we can venture out onto more of the bays. I went out tonight after walleyes and fished a flooded road. I marked a lot of fish but caught 3 keepers. It feels good to be back on the ice!
Jeff
- Tuesday, December 07, 2004 at 21:55:50 (CST)
People are starting to venture out onto some of the smaller bays on Devils Lake now. We have been receiving reports of 2-4 inches in most bays and conditions will be improving this week. Temps are forecasted for highs in the upper teens to low twenties and lows in the single digits. Today we got 3" of snow so that should help to keep the temps down. Fishermen that have been pike fishing on Morrison lake have had excellent success. Most pike are ranging in size from 3-5 lbs. We will be going out on tuesday after perch and we will keep you posted!
Jeff
- Sunday, December 05, 2004 at 13:53:40 (CST)
Sweetwater and Morrison lakes have fishable ice! I talked to fishermen that were out on Morrison yesterday and they reported 3" of ice and they were picking up some pike.
Yesterday I drove down to Black TIger Bay and Deadcow bay and Matson's bay were both covered with ice. There were a couple of spots where you could see open water but they should have froze last night. Temps this week are expected to be in the low teens at night and daytime highs of only mid 20's so we should be making ice every day now. Hopefully we can be out on the ice chasing perch in the next 7-10 days.
We might be going out after pike this week and I'll keep you posted.
Jeff
- Sunday, November 28, 2004 at 12:56:35 (CST)
Some of the smaller lakes that are connected to Devils Lake have started to freeze over. Some of these lakes only have small open spots that the ducks are keeping open. A couple of the smaller bays on Devils Lake have started to freeze over. Most bays have ice out about 20 or 30 yards and with temps to be in the 10's at night and daytime highs of only upper 20's, we should start making ice. Hopefully we can be out on some of the smaller bays by the first week in Dec.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Jeff
Jeff
- Wednesday, November 24, 2004 at 21:33:32 (CST)
Cold weather is on the way! Lows this week are expected to be in the single digits and highs only in the 20s. If we can get some calm nights some of the smaller lakes connecting to Devils Lake will freeze and hopefully some of the smaller bays will ice over. If we can just get that first sheet on we could be out by the first week in Dec. Think Ice!
Jeff
- Sunday, November 21, 2004 at 17:01:31 (CST)
Monday is the first of November and that means ice fishing is just around the corner. If the fishing this winter is anything like this summer and fall it will be a great season. Fishermen that have been going out the last couple of weeks are still reporting nice catches of walleye and perch.
Last season early ice was the best I have ever seen and if we wouldn't of had all the snow to deal with I think the entire season would have been great. The perch bite was good the whole winter you just couldn't stay on top of them because of lack of mobility.
This year we have two rental houses that we will be using for lodging along with a number of different motels. The rental houses are perfect for the fishermen who like to cook their own meals and like to feel right at home. We have 3day guided/3night lodging packages starting at $ 405 per person. This should be an affordable package that everyone can enjoy.
I will keep you posted on ice conditions as soon as we have the first sheet on the lake. Until then, have a safe deer season and think Ice!!!
Jeff
- Saturday, October 30, 2004 at 11:03:26 (CDT)
Ice conditions on the big lake haven't improved over the last couple of days.
Most access points have been closed all together and the trails that we have
plowed are filling up with water and are constantly blowing shut. Fishermen that
are using snowmobiles are reporting good success but are still running into areas
where even the sleds are sinking threw the snow and sitting in water. The only
bright spot is that the walleye and pike fishing has been excellent. Most pike
and walleye spots this time of year are close to the roads and are easy to get
to. Some of these areas you will pick up some nice Jumbos but you wont get into
the big schools. We are going out tomorrow to make one last effort to try to
get out after the perch and hopefully we can come up with something to make the
season last a couple more weeks. If you have any other questions send me an e-mail
and hopefully I can help.
jeff
- Thursday, March 04, 2004 at 22:12:23 (CST)
Perch and walleye fishing has really been picking up this weekend. Most perch have been found in 36+ and have been aggressive all day. Several different areas of the lake have been producing excellent perch bites. Walleyes have been most aggressive in the evening hours and have been hitting on almost everything. Last night we fished shallow in the trees and limited out on 1.5-3pdrs and had one 26" release. Warmer temps this week have helped to settle some of the snow and travel conditions are improving. Most areas of the lake you can get off the plowed trails. Warm temps are forecasted for the next ten days and things should continue to improve. We still have openings for March, so give us a call and don't miss out on the late ice bite. Hope to see you on the ice!
jeff
- Saturday, February 21, 2004 at 10:27:13 (CST)
Cold temps this past weekend and high winds made fishing tough to say the least. Mobility was slow due to the trails constantly blowing in. Sunday we hit the sleds and managed to get on a big school of active perch in 35ft. Warm temps are forecasted for all this week and hopefully we can melt some of this snow so it is a little easier to get around. Walleyes and pike have been very aggressive the last three days. Some of the smaller coulees and lakes that connect Devils Lake have been producing some fast action for pike in the 2-6pd range. Tip-ups with smelt or herring have been working best. Early morning and late evenings in the trees in 15-20ft have been the best spots for walleyes. Buckshots,castmasters,rocker minnows and sonars have all been working. With the warmer weather moving in the perch bite is going to get better every day. Good Luck
Jeff
- Monday, February 16, 2004 at 20:39:14 (CST)
We have hired a plow to keep trails open and they are open for everyone to use. The only thing we ask is that you don't fish right on the trails so nobody else can get by. Perch fishing has been up and down this last week due to the changing weather patterns that have been moving in dails. The success we have been having has been in deep water 35-44ft. Walleyes were really hitting the last couple days but really shut down yesterday when this storm front moved in. When perch and walleye fishing has slowed down we have been chasing pike and have been having very good success. Pike have started moving into the shallow water channels that run into Devils Lake. Some of the smaller lakes that are connected to Devils Lake have also been producing some nice fish. Tip-ups with herring or smelt have been working the best. Good luck!
jeff
- Wednesday, February 11, 2004 at 09:42:30 (CST)
Travel is getting better on the lake and the temps are
starting to improve. Most areas of the lake now have trails but the
problem is getting of the trails to fish. We've been parking on the
trails and walking out from there. You cant cover a lot of ground
this way but you can really work an area well. Perch fishing has been
hit and miss the last couple of days with most of our fish coming
from 28-40 ft. Walleyes have been aggressive the last two nights with
most of the fish being between 13-17 inches and tonight the group
next to us brought over a 28" hawg for us to take a picture for them.
Buckshots,sonars a plain hook and a minnow have been producing the
best. Pike action is still excellent with a lot of guys having no
problem limiting out in just a couple of hours. Hope to see you on
the ice.
Jeff
- Sunday, February 01, 2004 at 20:10:29 (CST)
Heavy snow this past weekend has kept most fishermen off
the lake Sunday and today but they have started plowing trails today
and we will soon be back in action. Perch fishing before the storm
was very good. Several groups brought in limits of perch to the bait
shop. Most people who are having success are fishing in deep water(35+).
Glow colored halis and glow genz worms on a dropper rig have been
working best. There seems to be a lot of interest in pike fishing
since the action has been so good. Many days there has been no problem
limiting out with fish in the 3-8 pd range. Good Luck
jeff
- Monday, January 26, 2004 at 19:06:17 (CST)
Cold temps and strong winds have kept most fishermen off the lake but those of us that have been out there have been doing well. Perch are moving into the deeper mud flats now and are starting to concentrate into large schools. Best bite times have been early morning and late afternoon. Best lures have been dropper rigs with genz worms or ratsos and rat finkys tipped with spikes or wax worms. Halis have also been working in the glow colors. Walleye action has been picking up this week with the best bite times being just before dark until about an hour after dark. Good luck
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 17:29:06 (CST)
Perch fishing the last week has slowed down from what we have been used to this year. Cold front after cold front has turned the perch very finicky. Forecast has stable weather moving in at the end of the week and the perch bite should be back on. We have had the best early bite that we have had in many years and most of this is due to the low numbers of fresh water shrimp. This time of year perch generally starting schooling up in the deep mud flats. Some of the best perch fishing of the year is right around the corner. Ice conditions will be improving this week as lows are predicted to be 10-20 below and highs only in the single digits.
jeff
- Sunday, January 18, 2004 at 21:19:06 (CST)
Saturday the bite bite was really on in shallow water and almost everybody in the area we were fishing had no problem picking up a lot of fish. We were fishing in 14-22 ft and perch were very aggressive. Sunday a small cold front moved in and the perch got really finicky. Today we found a lot of fish in 36 ft but they wouldn't hit anything but a minnow on a plain hook. We did manage to get 42 between the two of us and the average size was about 9-10". Moved in shallow this evening (10ft) for walleyes and caught 4 nice eaters and one that was about 3 1/2pds. We will be back out tomorrow and I will keep you posted.
jeff
- Monday, January 12, 2004 at 21:31:40 (CST)
Warmer weather is on the way for the end of the week and weekend. Temps should be near 30 degrees and we should be able to drive all across the lake now. We have added two apartments and one house as options for lodging this year. If your looking for a place to cook a few meals and feel like your right at home these are just the place for you. Our rates start as low as $15 night per person. Give us a call on the many different options we have for lodging. We will be out again tomorrow chasing perch and walleyes and I will keep you posted on ice conditions, access points and of course fishing reports. Good Luck
jeff
- Tuesday, January 06, 2004 at 17:56:51 (CST)
Much needed cold weather has set in for a couple of days. Lows down to -28 and highs only reaching -10 are forecasted for the entire week. We will have no problem driving anywhere on the lake after this week. With this cold front that moved in the perch fishing has slowed down a bit. We have been on a lot of fish the last couple of days and couldn't get many to bite until we switched to minnows and a plain hook and started catching fish. Cold front hasn't affected the walleye bite as muck and we are still picking up some really nice eaters and an occasional fish going over 25". Good Luck
jeff
- Sunday, January 04, 2004 at 17:29:47 (CST)
Fish On!!! Walleyes have started to turn on. We've been picking up some nice 16-20" walleyes the last couple of days and have had a couple of 26" releases. Buckshots and Sonars have been the lure of choice the last couple of days. Perch are moving into deeper water and have started to school up a little more now. Hali's and rocker minnows tipped with spikes and waxworms have been working best. Good Luck
jeff
- Monday, December 29, 2003 at 19:07:25 (CST)
First of all I would like to apologize for some of the posts that are being left on the report page. We are trying to solve the problem and hopefully can get this taken care of by the fri st of next week.
Perch fishing was hot again today if you were willing to work for them. Fishermen that were using spikes and wax worms were having limited success while people using minnows on a plain hook were having no trouble filling there limit. Moved in shallow this evening looking for walleyes and stumbled on more perch in 8' of water. Shallow water perch were very aggressive hitting on a buckshot tipped with a minnow head. Storm moving in tomorrow and the perch bite should be excellent. Jeff
jeff
- Friday, December 26, 2003 at 21:12:12 (CST)
Hey,
U guys have a great site! Thanks for the pleasure of surfer onto it.
Veal <veal@bopmail.com>
Sydney, NT Australia - Friday, December 26, 2003 at 13:58:24 (CST)
Merry Christmas,
Perch fishing hasn't slowed down a bit the last week or so. We have had to drill a few more holes the last couple of days though. It seems that the perch haven't concentrated into larger schools yet and it can be tuff to stay on one school of fish for a long time. We haven't had any problems finding many active schools of perch in one day.
Forecast this weekend is calling for a storm on saturday and running into monday morning. Weather channel is calling for 3-6inches in the Devils Lake area. Hopefully this storm will miss us, we really don't need that much snow on top of 12" of ice.
I will be chasing walleyes in the morning and perch in the afternoon tomorrow and I will keep you posted on the fishing and ice conditions. Hope to see you on the ice,Jeff
jeff
- Thursday, December 25, 2003 at 19:33:53 (CST)
Perch fishing this week continued to be excellent. We
had a group of four on tuesday and wednesday that limited out both
days. The last two days the perch have gotten a little finicky but
if you have patience you can still have a good day. Walleye fishing
has been hit and miss. One night you'll get into them really good
and go back the next morning and wont mark a fish. Pike fishing continues
to be excellent. Many areas of the lake have been producing large
numbers of pike. Most people are starting to drive now, but we are
still finding areas that have around 10 inches of ice. good luck,Jeff
jeff
- Friday, December 19, 2003 at 18:12:54 (CST)
This has been the best early ice perch fishing that I have seen for a number of years. I think the biggest reason is that we are not seeing hardly any fresh water shrimp. Perch are still holding in shallow water but are starting to move a little deeper. Perch in this shallow water have been very aggressive chasing everything from genz worms to buckshots. Ice conditions are improving slowly. The areas we have been fishing have between 10-13 inches. Hope to see you on the ice, Jeff
jeff
- Monday, December 15, 2003 at 20:51:49 (CST)
Early morning and late evening hours have been excellent for walleyes
this week. Evening bite has only been lasting for about an hour but
they have been very aggressive. We've been catching mostly 2lb walleyes
but have released fish up to 7 1/2lbs. Buckshots and sonars have been
producing the most fish. Several different areas have been producing
good catches of perch this week. Four of us yesterday had 95 perch
on the ice in about 5 hrs. Perch are still holding in shallow water
anywhere from 10-25 ft. Halis and forage minnows tipped with spikes
have been the hot lures. Ice conditions are improving daily with temps
reaching 10 below tonight and highs only reaching the low 20s into
the weekend. Most areas we have been fishing have at least 9 inches
of ice. We will be out again tomorrow and we'll keep you posted.
jeff
- Wednesday, December 10, 2003 at 19:28:53 (CST)
We just returned from the St. Paul Ice FIshing Show and would like to thank everyone that stopped at our booth and hope to hear back from you in the coming weeks. While we were gone it sounds like the perch bite continued to be excellent and the walleyes have started to turn on. Pike action around the lake sounds to still be fast and furious with about a 5 pound average.
Ice conditions are going to improve considerably this week with high temps in the single digits and lows below zero. We will be on the main lake tomorrow trying to chase down some walleyes in the morning and I will keep you posted on ice conditions.
Remember to give us a call and get in on some of this great early ice action.
jeff
- Monday, December 08, 2003 at 19:21:46 (CST)
Most of the lake has fishable ice now. We've been out
on the lake for a week now and have found ice conditions from 3" to
9 inches. Ice conditions in some areas change fast so please use caution
on the ice. Perch bite this week has been excellent. Most of the perch
we are finding are in 15' of water or less. Best times have been early
morning and just before dark. Minnow head on a forage minnow or Hali
have been producing the best. Pike action earlier this week was excellent
also with pike ranging from 4-13pds. Hope to see you on the ice, Jeff
jeff
- Saturday, November 29, 2003 at 18:03:52 (CST)
Cold temps have froze the lake over for the second time. East bay is totally froze over again and the main lake is mostly froze over. People have been walking out onto parts of Black Tiger Bay but we do not recommend it yet. Small lakes connected to Devils Lake have been producing some excellent pike action. Limits of pike have been reported and ice thickness ranges from 6-10 inches. Highs in the low 20s and lows in the single digits should help us get some fishable ice on Devils Lake by the end of next week. We will be out chasing pike tomorrow and we will keep you posted. We are running a package special where you could get paid to fish Devils Lake. Give me a call for details. Jeff
JEFF
- Sunday, November 23, 2003 at 15:54:30 (CST)
Most portions of Devils Lake have ice, except the main lake. People have been venturing out onto Black TIger Bay and are reporting only about 3" of ice. If a person has the itch bad enough to get out onto the ice, you could head up to Morrison or Sweetwater lakes and go pike fishing. Reports from up there is that there is 6-7 inches and the pike are biting. New lake record walleye was caught last week out on the main lake 12lbs-14ozs, what a pig. Cold temps are expected by the weekend, hopefully we can keep the ice we have until then. Cant wait to get out there! I'll keep you posted, Jeff
jeff
- Monday, November 17, 2003 at 20:03:49 (CST)
Some areas of Devils Lake have ice. Minnewaukan Flats has been froze over for about a week, Black tiger Bay has ice, and East Bay froze over two nights ago. A few people have been out on Black Tiger Bay but we do not recommend it. I haven't been out there myself but have heard that there is only 3 inches of ice. If you have to get out onto the ice, go up to Morrison lake and go pike fishing. Reports from Morrison say there is 6-7 inches. Hopefully it will cool down again soon so we can get some safe ice on Devils Lake. I'll keep you posted on ice conditions. Jeff
jeff
- Saturday, November 15, 2003 at 20:22:52 (CST)
We have ice! Its been a long wait but we finally have ice again. Devils Lake itself hasn't frozen over yet but a lot of the smaller lakes connected to it have. Both morrison and Sweetwater lakes have been frozen for about a week and the long term forecast looks very promising. With highs expected in the mid to high teens and lows in the single digits to low teens we should have no problem being on the ice in a couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted on ice conditions and hopefully be able to get out on the ice for some early ice pike fishing and start posting reports.
JEFF
- Tuesday, November 04, 2003 at 19:46:33 (CST)
Jeff and Wade, we just wanted to thank you for
a great day of fishing. We had extremely tough conditions with the
20 below temps and you guys still put us on fish. With as cold as
it was you guys made sure we were comfortable and we brought home
a bunch of fish. Thanks to you guys I caught the biggest perch of
my life and we had a blast. My brothers and I will be back next year.
Thanks again from Brian, Lyle and Tim.
Brain Hildebrand <brian_hildebrand@wixon.com>
Milwaukee, WI USA - Monday, March 10, 2003 at 08:27:33 (CST)
March madness is in full swing. Perch,walleyes and pike have all
been hitting the last week or so. Perch are starting to bite pretty
steady and the size of the fish has really increased. A couple of
days we had over one hundred perch and over half were a pound or better.
Still finding most of perch in deep water and halis have still been
the lure of choice. Walleyes have been hitting in the trees and shallow
rock piles. A lot of nice eaters have been coming and the big females
are starting to hit. A number of big fish have been weighed in the
last two weeks. Pike fishing has really picked up. Several areas on
the lake where the action is unbelievable. We had 4 guys out two days
in a row and fished pike in the afternoons and both days limited out
in less than 3 hours. Average size was from 3-9pds. Hope to see you
out on the lake. We do have several openings in March if you would
like to get in on some of the action,give me a call at 701-739-3158.
Should have some new pictures up by the beginning of next week. Good
luck, Jeff
jeff
- Saturday, March 08, 2003 at 20:06:52 (CST)
 Thank
you Jeff and Wade. You guys have given us the best fishing experience
we have ever had. Dad and I have wanted to take this trip for three
years and it was worth every penny. Not only were you guys professionals
but you were fun to be with. Our trip was First Class all the way.
And, on top of that we caught a lot of fish, so many that we ran out
of cooler space. I've already got people saying they want to go with
me next year. We stayed at Lakeview Lodge and that too was top notch.
John and Maria went out of their way to take care of us. Take care
and see you next year. Joe and Joe Perez
Joe & Joe Perez <jperez@stepan.com>
Griffith, IN USA - Saturday, March 08, 2003 at 20:01:41 (CST)
Recent cold snap has kept most fishermen off the ice. Fishing has
been slow the last week or so, but in the last couple of days has
really picked up. We're still picking up most of our perch in deep
water(35plus). Halis continue to be the lure of choice but when perch
get finicky we've been getting a lot of action off of ratsos and rat
finkys under a dropper rig. Excellent walleye reports have been coming
in the last 3 days in 20-25 ft just outside the flooded timber lines
on the old shore line. More catches of larger Jumbos have been coming
in the last week or so and generally does happen in Late Feb. and
March. Perch are starting to school up in large numbers and are starting
to feed aggressively. Temps are expected to ben in the high teens to
mid twenty's for the next 10 days and stable weather means great perch
fishing. This is the weather we've been waiting for all year. Unless
temps start to soar we have plenty of ice and should be fishing well
into April. Hope to see you on the ice, Jeff
jeff
- Tuesday, February 25, 2003 at 17:08:33 (CST)
A lot of big Jumbos coming in this week. This is the time of year
perch start getting in those big schools and start putting on the
feed bag. We've had steady weather the last couple of days and the
fish have gotten more aggressive. Halis have still been the number
on lure but when the perch have gotten aggressive they've been hitting
rapalas,castmasters, and at time small buckshots tipped with minnow
heads. Several different locations have been producing nice catches
this week. This is the time of year most of us wait for the entire
season. Steady temps and weather patterns and big Jumbos with big
appetites. Hope to see you on the ice! If you have any questions about
our different packages please give me a call. daytime cell 701-739-3158
Jeff
- Wednesday, February 12, 2003 at 20:58:12 (CST)
 Sorry
no reports for the last couple of days. We've been fishing perch all
day and and chasing those big walleyes until dark, so I haven't had
much time to write reports. Perch fishing has been steady and at times
has been real hot, if you are willing to drill some holes and get
away from the crowds. Most of the times the crowds of people are sitting
on spots that are days old. If a guide service isn't the thing for
you, grab your auger and start punching holes until you find them.
Don't just be happy sitting in a clump of people hoping to get some
fish. We have been picking up perch in different depths almost everyday.
This time of year perch don't hold in one area for very long but most
times wont move far. Biggest schools of fish have been in the deeper
water (30-45ft) and seem to prefer smaller lures like genz worms and
fat boys tipped with spikes or wax worms. Most of the bigger perch
in that 1 1/2pd and bigger range have been coming with the walleyes
in (10-20ft) and have been hitting buckshots and dead stick rigs.
Walleye action most nights is short lived but for that half hour before
dark the action is fast. A lot of 1-3pders and we've been getting
into some real nice catch and releases(5-10pds). Pike action is hit
and miss. One day you'll go out and have flags go off all day and
the next day go back to the same spot and only have a couple of flags.
Good luck, Jeff
If your thinking of hiring our guide service please call soon because
Feb. and march are starting to fill up fast. Don't miss out on the
fantastic fishing late Feb. and march has to offer.
Jeff
- Monday, February 03, 2003 at 20:55:50 (CST)
NICE REPORTS JEFF!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, ALL US FISHER-WOMEN
IN WISCONSON ARE KEEPING A CLOSE WATCH ON YOU!!! GOOD LUCK!!! SEE
YA SOON!
BLONDE
- Monday, February 03, 2003 at 13:54:02 (CST)
Perch fishing continues to be hot even though weather patterns
have been changing daily. We use to think all cold fronts were a sure
sign that fishing was going to be slow the following day. Some cold
fronts actually turn some schools of perch more aggressive. Most times
after a severe cold front, if you move into deeper water you will
find fish less affected by changing weather patterns.The trick is
to know when to sit and pick away at a school and hope they get aggressive
and when to pick up and find a more active school. Several different
colors and lures have been producing this week. Blue glow,green and
gold, and silver halis tipped with spikes or wax worms have been the
best this week. When fish get finicky forage minnows tipped with minnow
heads have been producing some nice fish. Walleyes are hitting in
a number of different areas on the lake. Most of the 1-3 pounders
are coming in shallow water (8-15ft) along the flooded timber. Most
of the bigger (5-10pds) have been coming in deeper water(15-25) on
sunken rock piles and flooded roads. Buckshots and sonars are still
producing the most fish. Good Luck,Jeff
jeff
- Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 19:35:02 (CST)
Excellent bite over the weekend. Saturday the perch were very aggressive
and many fishermen had no problem limiting out. Sunday the fish were
less aggressive but the average size was a pound or better. Best lures
this weekend were blue and silver halis lipped with spikes or perch
eyes, and trout colored forage minnows tipped with minnow heads. Good
walleye reports have been coming in from several different areas and
all are reporting catching most of the fish in 15 to 25 ft. Buckshots
and rocker minnows tipped with minnow heads have been working the best.
Looked back on our log we kept from last year and this is the same
time fishing really started to pick up last year to. Good luck, Jeff
jeff
- Monday, January 20, 2003 at 10:50:04 (CST)
Jeff, just wondering how deep people are fishing for the walleyes.
I am coming up in the morning and would like to try for them in the
afternoon. Also, I saw a road that people were driving on by Bud Bay,
how do you get to that road? I know there is the Woodland Road and
then the Youth Camp Road that brings you farther South on Creel Bay.
I'm assuming it is a gravel road, could you tell me how to get there?
I want to go to Rocky Point. I would like to know the quickest way
to get there. Any info would be great! Thank you for your time! Jen
Jennifer <jmhock9@aol.com>
FARGO, ND USA - Friday, January 17, 2003 at 08:02:59 (CST)
Perch and walleye have been hitting hard the last couple of days.
Most of the more aggressive perch have been coming in 40 plus feet.
Glow halis and glow Genz worms tipped with spikes have been the hottest
lures this week. Most of the fish we've been finding have started
out really slow and you had to work to get them aggressive. One of
the things we've been doing to turn perch aggressive is by keeping
your lure at least 2 ft from the bottom. Give your rod tip a couple
snaps and hold it steady and keep repeating this until eventually
you'll get a few to break from the bottom. If you can get a couple
to come up and investigate 90% of the time your going to get one to
bite and most of the time gets the rest of the fish in the school
aggressive. Walleye bite lately has been mostly in the evenings, usually
starting at 4:00 and lasting an hour and a half. Most have been from
1 1/2 to 3pds with a few larger fish mixed in. Best presentation has
been Buckshots tipped with minnow heads and Sonars. Hope to see you
on the ice, Jeff
jeff
- Thursday, January 16, 2003 at 20:33:19 (CST)
Fifteen below zero is the expected low for the next week, with
highs only reaching the single digits. Most areas that we have found
have at least a foot and with these cold temps should have at least
15 inches across the entire lake by mid next week. Perch fishing has
been steady this week. We started the week shallow and as the colder
temps started to move in we found more fish out deep. Best colors
these last couple of days has been firetiger and gold and black. Ca
ught a lot of fish on spikes and waxworms, but the biggest fish have
been coming in on minnows. Spent the day fishing pike on a smaller
lake connected to Devils Lake and all day it was hand to hand combat.
We had 18 fish on the ice in 4 hrs and we missed at least that many.
Good luck, Jeff
Jeff
- Friday, January 10, 2003 at 21:04:10 (CST)
Jeff, do you think that this extreme drop in temperature and the
cold front that has just showed up will slow the fish down for this
weekend? Just wondering if it's worth trying to handle the 10-20mph
wind with a fish trap out there and only one person in it (gets away
from you pretty easy in wind) and it's going to be too cold to fish
outside. Maybe there'll be enough ice to fish out of the pickup though.
Any ideas of the ice thickness on the south side of Black Tiger or
near the sunken road out off the old L&M boat landing?
rb
- Friday, January 10, 2003 at 10:28:51 (CST)
Ice conditions are improving everyday. Most of the bays have between
12 and 15 inches. Most people are putting away the 4-wheelers and
starting to drive. Cold front moving in tomorrow and temps are expected
to be well below zero. We should be driving across the entire lake
by late next week. Steady weather patterns this last week has really
turned the perch on. Reports of limit catches are coming in from across
the lake. We've been finding most of our big jumbos in 20-30 ft and
are most active during the morning hours. Gold fat boys and genz worms
have been the hot lures this last week. most of the walleye action
has come in a little deeper water than what we've been seeing lately.
!5 to 25 ft is where we've been finding our most aggressive walleyes
and buckshots tipped with minnow heads has been the hot lure. If you
have any questions on our fully guided or our tag along packages please
give us a call and let us answer and questions you may have. Good
luck, jeff
jeff
- Tuesday, January 07, 2003 at 20:28:12 (CST)
NICE SITE GOOD INFO ON WHAT TO USE ON THOSE JUMBO'S SAY AN OLD
FRIEND IS OUT THERE ON DEVIL'S LAKE PULLING AROUND THAT GOOFY LOOKING
SHACK WITH THE TENT,HE LIVES ON THE ICE FOR A COUPLE MONTHS,GO SAY
HI AND TELL HIM I'LL SEE HIM IN MARCH,GOOD LUCK THE REST OF THE WINTER...DAVE
DAVE LASKOWSKI <longball@charter.net>
Wisconsin Rapids, WI USA - Sunday, January 05, 2003 at 23:54:25 (CST)
Ice conditions on the lake are improving. Most places are between
10-13 inches and are improving everyday. Lows the last couple of days
have been below zero and highs have been in the mid teens. Some are
starting to drive out but we do not recommend it yet, Hopefully by
next weekend. Perch fishing the last week or so has been fairly good.
MOst of the bigger perch have been coming in shallow water using castmasters
tipped with minnow heads. We have been finding larger schools of fish
in deeper water and they seem to more of a mixed bag, a lot of 1/2lb
fish mixed in with the big jumbos. Best presentation this last week
was the smaller jigs like fat boys and genz worms tipped with waxies.
Good Luck, Jeff
Jeff
- Wednesday, January 01, 2003 at 11:13:59 (CST)
would like to know your guiding rates and any openings in late
February or early march
tim stein <tstn@up.net>
Powers, mi usa - Friday, December 27, 2002 at 09:18:48 (CST)
Heavy snow and 35 mph winds have kept most fishermen off the lake
the last couple of days but if you were willing to brave the cold
temps it really paid off. Perch bite has been very aggressive the
last couple of weeks and the average size is nice, between 3/4pd and
1 1/4. Most of the perch this week were caught on halis tipped with
spikes and the bigger fish on teardrops with minnows. Ice conditions
vary on the lake from 12" in spots to 8" in others. This weekend temps
are forecasted for the single digits and night time lows of 5 below.
Hopefully we can be driving in a couple of weeks. Good luck,
jeff
- Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 18:08:26 (CST)
just wonderin how the fishin is? have you been out? like to hear
a report soon....thanks
jake
- Friday, December 20, 2002 at 19:24:14 (CST)
Finally got back from the sport shows and couldn't wait to get
out on the ice. Fished all day monday and the perch bit all day. Talked
to 3 or 4 different groups and they said the same thing. Most of the
fish we caught were on the two tone green hali and the black and gold
tipped with waxworms. Fished most of our day in 36 ft and at times
we had 3 ft of fish below us. Drilled a lot of holes during the day
and hardly seen any fresh water shrimp. Must be the reason the fish
are so aggressive. Ice conditions range from 6" to 12inches. Colder
temps are forecasted for this weekend and with very little snow cover
on the lake it should make ice fast. We did hit some walleyes this
morning in 15 ft on the edge of the trees using Buckshots and Rocker
minnows. Low numbers of fresh water shrimp have everybody excited and
it should be a great year for perch fishing. good luck, jeff
jeff
- Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 14:27:06 (CST)
Cold temps this last week have got everybody thinking its time
to start drilling holes. Fishermen that have been fishing the bay
areas are reporting ice thickness from 6-9 inches but there are still
pockets that have less. Nobody has ventured out onto the main lake
area yet and I expect the ice is barely over 2" thick. Fishermen in
the bays are reporting nice catches of perch in 15-20 ft. We've been
using mostly genz worms, forage minnows, and hali's. Best walleye
action has been in the 12-15 ft range and buckshots tipped with a
minnow head have been producing the best. We will be in St. Paul this
weekend and Madison the next weekend for the winter ice fishing shows.
If you have any questions about booking a trip or just questions about
Devils Lake in general stop by the show. If your thinking about booking
a trip and thinking about taking the Amtrak please give us a call
about discounted rates and if you purchase your ticket by Dec. 13th
Amtrak will take off another 30%. If you have any questions please
give us a call. 1-877-273-8669
jeff
- Wednesday, December 04, 2002 at 21:47:52 (CST)
Fished walleyes this evening and had excellent luck. Three of us
fished from 3-5 and iced 11 nice 1lb-1 1/2 lb eaters. Fished mostly
in flooded timber using Perch colored Buckshots and Glow white Nils
Masters tipped with minnows. We only ventured out about 100 yards
but the ice ranged from 3-5 inches. Good Luck
jeff
- Saturday, November 30, 2002 at 19:22:19 (CST)
A few people are starting to venture out onto the ice in some of
the smaller bays on Devils Lake. Most fishermen are coming in with
reports of 3-5 inches of ice in most of the bays. Foot travel has
been very limited but some fishermen have been reporting some nice
catches of perch. Most have been fishing in 20 to 25ft and have been
having the most luck on Gold Genz worms and Blue and White Halis tipped
with Waxworms. Pike action has been hot on smaller lakes and in the
shallows in the smaller bays. Tip-ups with smelt or herring have been
working the best. Good luck fishing
j |
