September 27th, 2022
***Fishing Report***
Walleye - Walleye reports have become hard to come by as another stretch of poor weather moved into the area. Still some brave anglers, braved the weather and caught some quality walleyes. Angler reports on locations remain somewhat mixed with some reports of walleyes on shallow rocks, in 5 ft of water. Most reports are still on humos ranging from 20-40 feet of water. With water temps now getting down in the high 50’s to low 60’s, big minnows have become the best way to go to catch walleyes. Pike suckers on a jig and creek chubs on lindy rigs have been very effective. Orange/chartreuse, white and gold have been the top colors.
Smallmouth - Smallies continue to transition to sunken islands, close to deep water and feed heavily. Out here, big active minnows like creek chubs or lite suckers are very hard to beat! Humps that top out from 10-20 feet have been best. Some smallies continue to be found in shallow rocky bays, current areas and around islands. Spinnerbaits and soft plastics have been very effective here.
Pike - With cooler water temps, pike have become very active this last week. Good numbers of pike are being caught with large suckers fished under bobbers, right off docks, shallow bays, river mouths and weedbeds. Anglers also reported catching pike on spoons and spinnerbaits around weedbeds.
Stream Trout - Thanks to cooler water temps, stream trout have started to move shallower and back to within reach of shore anglers. Night crawlers floated off the bottom, small spoons and spinners have been very popular as of late. Anglers fishing from a boat have been reporting that trolling small crankbaits, behind the boat about 100-150 ft, has been very effective for them.
This one's late-summer walleye grit from around the September 27th, 2022 report—capturin' the tough bite amid poor weather in Ely MN's BWCA waters. A proud angler beams while holdin' a prime walleye high in the boat, its golden-yellow sides and dark blotches shinin' in the overcast light, mouth wide open showin' teeth with water drippin' off after a hard fight. The calm lake stretches behind under a gray sky, thick pine forests and rocky shores framin' the horizon—pure Northwoods open-water perseverance on a cloudy day. She's sportin' a maroon hoodie, and that big smile while grippin' the fish carefully, rod rigged nearby for more passes. This shot embodies the late-September grind: walleye reports became hard to come by as another stretch of poor weather moved into the area, with fronts and instability makin' consistent action tough for many anglers. Smallmouth bass reports were mixed but still good in shallow bays, rocky points, and weedlines with topwater lures (Whopper Ploppers, Torpedoes, Pop-R’s), soft plastics via wacky/Ned rigging, and spinnerbaits. Pike pickin' up especially on cloudy/rainy days—suckers under bobbers very popular and effective in shallow bays, river mouths, and weedbeds; large spinnerbaits and spoons excellent choices too. Crappie fishin' remained popular with weedbeds at peak and activity high—weedlines and downed timber the go-to structure, usin' beetle spins, jig/twisters, or crappie minnows under a bobber for easy finds. The image radiates that late-summer persistence: overcast skies, clear water, walleyes still cooperatin' when conditions allow, and a quality catch rewardin' the effort. At Arrowhead Outdoors, we were stocked with Shad Raps, spinner rigs, leeches, crawlers, soft plastics, and tips nonstop that week—same today for BWCA walleye or smallmouth hunters navigatin' weather swings. Swing by 1810 East Sheridan in Ely for live leeches/crawlers, crankbaits, spinner blades, and the latest reports. Subscribe on arrowheadoutdoorselymn.com to stay on the bite—nothin' like pushin' through tough weather for walleyes up here in the Northwoods!