September 19th, 2023

***Fishing Report***

Walleye - Fall walleye anglers struggled a little this last weekend. Anglers were largely unable to find walleyes in their traditional fall locations, but not all struggled. Anglers catching walleyes we’re finding them in very skinny water. 7-9 feet of water was the most commonly heard depth, but great reports as shallow as 4 feet of water are still being reported by successful anglers. Minnows continue to be the bait of choice for successful anglers. These anglers have been using lindy rigs or a simple jig tipped with minnow and worked over shallow rock and weedbeds. Pink, blue and orange/chartreuse remain top colors. 

Smallmouth - Smallmouth bass continue to transition out to sunken islands. Anglers have been using sucker minnows, on a lindy rig, to target the big smallies out there. Best depth out here has been 15-25 feet of water. Not all smallies have left the shorelines yet, so anglers can still find smallies on shorelines with topwater baits, Ned rigs and wacky worms. 

Pike - As water temps continue to drop, big pike (30+ inch) continue to show up in anglers catches. Anglers targeting them have been having great success throwing large spoons, in-line spinners, and fishing large suckers under a bobber. Areas to target are going to be river mouths, mouths of shallow bays, and rocky main lake points. 

Panfish - Crappies continue to be a popular target, for good reason. Anglers have been catching good numbers of crappies with jig/twisters, beetle spins and crappie minnows under a bobber. Anglers are starting to find crappies increasingly near deeper holes, but still close to cabbage beds. Evening hours near weedbeds has been especially good. 

What a beauty! This proud angler from Ely, MN holds up a hefty smallmouth bass caught on September 19th, 2023, straight from a scenic BWCA-connected lake. He's in the boat under a dramatic cloudy sunset sky, wearin' a camo Simms cap, dark sunglasses, and dark shirt—grinnin' wide while grippin' the bronzeback by the lip. The fish is a tank: deep-bodied, dark green-bronze scales shinin', red eye glarin', fins flared after a solid fight. Calm lake water reflects the orange-blue clouds, with distant pine forests and rocky shores frammin' the classic Boundary Waters scene. Late September smallies were crushin' near structure with crankbaits, tubes, or spinnerbaits as they chase baitfish in cooling waters—prime Ely action for these hard-pulling fighters. At Arrowhead Outdoors, stock up on top fishing tackle for smallmouth success, plus hunting gear and camping gear to gear up your full Northwoods adventures. Come see us for the best lures and tips!