The walleye fishing is very good up here. There are good numbers of walleye in most of the lakes in this area and the lakes are more rocks than weeds, which makes it a little easier to fish for walleye. Just break out the jigs and minnows and fish the points, rocky shorelines and offshore structure. You can catch walleye many different ways, but you will most likely be fishing rocks. With the murky water, you can get away with using a little heavier line or at least a heavier leader to avoid the pike bite-offs.
Crane Lake
Crane Lake is mostly known for its walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass and northern pike fishing. Anglers do well here for walleye and sauger and for those who target northern pike, you can catch some big fish if you put in the time. Some quality crappie and perch are available. Smallmouth bass are here in good numbers too.
Crane Lake Minnesota DNR Report
Sand Point Lake
Sand Point Lake is located on the border between Minnesota and the Province of Ontario and is part of the Namakan Reservoir, which also consists of Crane Lake, Kabetogama Lake, Little Vermilion Lake and Sand Point Lake. There is no road access to several of the lakes. Thus, anglers gain access by traveling by boat from road access points located on Crane or Kabetogama lakes.
Walleye are abundant in Sand Point Lake with a lot of nice eater-sized fish available. You can also find some very big northern pike in this lake with fish over 40 inches a possibility on this lake. Smallmouth bass, sauger, crappie, rock bass and perch are also available.
Namakan Lake
Namakan Lake is located on the border between Minnesota and the Province of Ontario and is part of the Namakan Reservoir, which also consists of Crane Lake, Kabetogama Lake, Little Vermilion Lake and Sand Point Lake. There is no road access to several of the lakes. Thus, anglers gain access by traveling by boat from road access points located on Crane or Kabetogama lakes.
The fishing is very good on Namakan Lake for a variety of fish. Walleye are abundant in the lake with a lot of good eater-sized fish. Northern pike are here as well and there are some very nice fish in Namakan Lake. Pike over 40 inches are possible on this lake. Some of the other fish include smallmouth bass, sauger, crappie, rock bass and perch.
Best Baits for Walleye
Walleye eat a variety of different baits, however, when push comes to shove, it is much easier to catch them with live baits. Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches are definitely the best live baits for walleye.
While most anglers will just use live baits, many anglers will also target walleye with lures as well. Crankbaits and soft plastics are the best lures for walleye, however, you can catch walleye with a variety of different lures.
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Best Rigs for Walleye
When targeting walleye, there are many different rigs that you can use to catch them. While most anglers will keep it super simple and just use a simple jighead, many anglers will use a variety of rigs such as spinner rigs, 3 way rigs, bottom bouncers, drop shot rigs and many others.
To learn more, take a look at our best rigs for walleye page.
Best Techniques for Walleye
Jigging is by far the most popular technique for walleye fishing, however, you can catch them a variety of different ways. Casting, trolling and drifting are some of the other awesome techniques that anglers use.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for walleye page.
Learn More About Walleye
Our walleye fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our walleye fishing website to learn more.
