Detroit Lakes Fishing Report (5/14/25)

The 2025 opener delivered mixed results—and a whole lot of wind! Water temps ranged from 55° to 62°, which is cool but typical for this time of year. Once temps hit the upper 60s, the walleye bite should really take off. Walleyes were caught in depths ranging from 3’ to 12’, so be ready to move around and explore using your electronics. Live bait is producing best right now, and the shiner bite should stay strong for the next few weeks.  Aggressive pike are cruising in 8’-10’ and hitting just about anything you throw. When the fishing is tough, they're fun for a tug! 🎣

Bass—both smallmouth and largemouth—are fired up in shallow water, from 2’-4’. Chatterbaits, lipless cranks, and jig/minnow combos are all turning heads, but there are a hundred other presentations that will also land you a lunker! My tip is to use the lure you are most comfortable with to start, and branch out from there once you start catching fish. It's good science! The panfish bite is excellent in shallow water too.  In fact, the big bluegill bite might be the best of all right now—and it’s only going to get better over the next month.  Thanks for reading, and good luck out there this week.  Don’t forget to bring a coat!

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