Detroit Lakes Fishing Report: Extended Edition (10/6/26)
It's been a slower week on the water, and a consistent walleye bite still hasn't shown up. This time of year, turnover gets the blame for almost every slow day. It happens when the surface water cools to match the water underneath and the lake mixes from top to bottom, and fish can scatter while that's going on. A fall transition may be contributing to what we're seeing right now, but I don't have enough evidence yet to pin the slowdown on turnover, so I'm not calling it. Every lake is different too. You won't know unless you get out on the water!
Crappies have abandoned the weedlines. You'll find them adjacent to deep holes on area lakes, so pull up a lake map, find the deep holes, and work the edges around them instead of the weeds.
Big sunfish are schooled up and suspended in 20 to 40 feet of water, and they're an easy bite once you find them. Suspended means they're up off the bottom, so watch your electronics for the school and put your bait at their level instead of dropping it all the way down.
On my guided trips I add one more piece to how I fish these suspended schools, and it makes a real difference. You'll have to come out on the boat to see that one.
Good luck to all of you still fishing this fall!
Join me on the water! Click here to book online in under 5 minutes.
Comments