Detroit Lakes Fishing Report: Extended Edition (9/8/26)

Welcome to the Extended Edition of this week's Detroit Lakes fishing report — this version contains the depths, presentations, and other tips you won't find anywhere else. Thanks for reading!

The wind has been rocking the boat this week — and it's rocked the bite right along with it, pun intended. Shifting winds have put a damper on things across the 412, and honestly, unless you can get out within an hour of sunrise or sunset, you're fighting an uphill battle. Pick your window and make it count.

Walleyes are running deep, as far down as 30'+, but I'd encourage you to stay at 25' or less. Fish pulled up from past 30' often show signs of barotrauma — the swim bladder gets damaged on the way up, and even the ones that kick off strong and disappear will often die anyway. You don't see it happen, but it happens. Crawlers have been the bait of choice by a wide margin, with small minnows the next best option if the crawlers aren't getting looks.

The fishing between 20' and 25' has been good, and  it's a genuine smorgasbord.

Smallmouth bass and big bluegill are eating crawlers out deep right alongside the walleyes, so one bait covers the whole menu. The drop shot rig has been the most efficient way to work all of it — walleyes, big smallies, and some jumbo sunfish have all come on it this week. Keep your hook 12"-18" above the weight, which is standard practice, but when applied to our lakes, it also keeps the hook out of the weeds.

The most fun fishing has been the big pike and bass bite. They've been the most active fish in the lake and an absolute blast on the end of the line. We've been running huge redtails under a bobber for pike, and when you're sitting on the right spot, that bobber doesn't float — it disappears almost the second it hits the water. Hard to beat that.  For smallmouth and largemouth, pull out the drop shot I mentioned.  Plastics and live crawlers are where it’s at for big, deep bass!

Speaking of the right spot: location is doing most of the heavy lifting this week. The deep tips of underwater bars have been especially productive, and they get better the closer they sit to a sharp drop-off. This is the time of year to let your mapping earn its keep. Scroll around before you ever drop the trolling motor, and when a spot looks good by that standard — deep bar tip, adjacent break — stop and scope it, or stop and cast it. Don't just idle past it because it isn't a waypoint you've fished before. Some of the best spots this week were ones nobody had marked.

Good luck out there, and tight lines!

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