Fishing is a great opportunity for recreation in Kandiyohi County for locals and visitors alike. With so many lakes, ponds, streams and the Crow River, the opportunities for angling enthusiasts are nearly endless.
Game fish found in Kandiyohi County Lakes include Sunfish, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye and Northern Pike making the Willmar Lakes Area a popular Minnesota fishing destination.
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Fishing Reports
Fishing Report for 1-22-19
Now’s the time to go ice fishing in the Willmar Lakes Area! Reports are coming in that the fish are biting on just about every lake. Diamond Lake is giving up 13″ crappie in the morning and evening hours while Eagle Lake and Lake Florida are giving up northern pike. If it’s walleye you’re looking for, then head to Long, Wakanda, Kasota, Lillian, Minnetaga, Willmar and Foot lakes for the most active fish. Active perch have been found on Big Kandiyohi Lake. All area lakes have at least 15-17 inches…
Fishing Report for 1-15-19
The ice is on average 16 inches thick on most area lakes and growing with this week’s cold spell. The big crappie bite that brought over 500 fish houses on Diamond Lake this past week has slowed down a bit as well as the jumbo perch bite on Big Kandiyohi Lake. In the evenings, anglers are still pulling crappie and walleye from Willmar and Foot lakes and Northern pike and perch from Eagle Lake. Crappie minnows continue to be the bait of choice in the area when searching for crappie…
Fishing Report for 1-8-19
Area lakes have roughly 12-14 inches of ice on them. Extra caution should be taken as last week’s warmer temperatures could have created weaker ice. Make sure to check the depth often as you move around the lake. The bite has picked up on Norway Lake for walleye and continues to be good on Diamond Lake for crappie and walleye. If it’s perch you’re looking for, head over to Big Kandiyohi Lake as they have been quite active there lately.
Fishing Report for 1-2-19
Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a chance to get out and do some ice fishing over the holidays. Area lakes have anywhere from 10-14 inches of ice on them. Anglers are pulling crappie, walleye and northern pike from Green, Diamond, Wagonga and Kasota lakes. Big Kandiyohi has been one of the most popular lakes in the past week as many perch have been caught as well as walleye. Please note that city aerators have been turned on already and the county ones will be turned on this…
Fishing Report for 12-27-18
Extreme caution must be used by ice anglers, especially due to deteriorating ice conditions and snowfall concealing cracks and areas of thin ice. Anyone planning to head out should first consult with a local bait shop, resort or guide service for the most current ice conditions. Whenever possible, stay on maintained ice roads and trails. The DNR encourages anglers to wear a life jacket out on the ice, especially under current conditions. Bring along some rope, ice picks, an ice chisel and tape measure, and always tell someone where you…
Fishing Report for 12-18-18
The ice thickness is varying greatly in the Willmar Lakes Area as some lakes only have four inches while other have 12. But even though a lake might measure 12 inches in one part of the lake it can vary greatly in a different part of the same lake. Eagle Lake has even opened up on the west side due to the warm temperatures we’ve had lately. Be extra cautious heading out onto the lakes right now and we do not recommend driving any trucks or heavy fish houses out…
Fishing Report for 12-11-18
The winter bite has kicked in and anglers are taking full advantage on our area lakes. The two most popular lakes this past week were Lake Kasota and Minnetaga Lake in the southern part of the county, where many anglers reported catching walleye. If you’re looking for larger than average walleye, hit up South Long Lake as the rumor stands that many large walleye have been caught. Other walleye lakes that have been active are Big Kandiyohi, Lillian, east Solomon, Ringo, the west side of Norway, Willmar, and Foot Lake….
Fishing Report for 12-4-18
After a windy weekend we are finally making ice again. The small prairie lakes are still in that 4-8 inches range while Eagle Lake and Green Lake are between 2-5 inches along the shoreline. Willmar, Foot, Eagle, Green and Diamond lakes all still have open water in the middle. Beware of lakes with running water as those areas will have less ice as well. Popular fishing lakes this past week included Norway, Nest, East Solomon, South Long, Ringo, Willmar, Foot, Waganda, Minnetaga, Big Kandiyohi and Lake Lillian. Most lakes are…
Fishing Report for 11-27-18
As of Monday there was 4-8 inches of ice on the smaller area lakes such as Minnetaga, Elizabeth, Lillian, Big Kandiyohi, Solomon, Long, and Ringo Lake. For safety we wouldn’t recommend using ATVs of any kind yet. Walleye and crappie are being pulled from Solomon, South Long, Willmar, Foot, and Ringo Lake. While walleye and perch are being caught on Big Kandiyohi Lake and Lake Lillian. Norway Lake is putting out some good sized walleye along the flats on the western edge of the lake. Eagle Lake and Diamond Lake…
Fishing Report for 11-20-18
The smaller area lakes have 3-5 inches of ice on them. However, the weather is warming up for the next two days so be extra careful if heading out on the lakes. By this weekend, the cold weather should be back and we should continue to make some good ice. Those that have been out fishing this past week have pulled perch and walleye from Big Kandiyohi, Lillian, and Minnetaga lakes as well as crappie and walleye from Willmar, Foot and Ringo lakes. Most of the larger lakes still have…
Fishing Report for 11-13-18
Ice has started to form on many of the smaller lakes including Minnetaga, Solomon, Ringo, and Long lakes. However, with the upcoming warming trend we wouldn’t recommend walking on the lakes just yet. Let’s give the ice another week or two to become more solid and safe before doing some ice fishing.
Fishing Report for 10-23-18
Anglers that continue to venture out are enjoying a great bite. Jigs or spinners tipped with a sucker minnow or a fathead should catch the most fish. Walleye anglers are finding walleye in the shallows during low light hours and at night on Minnetaga Lake, Big Kandiyohi Lake and Lake Lillian. Shore anglers are having success after dark when using shallow-running stick baits. Slow presentations are the key this time of year. Other lakes to try this week would be Green, Willmar, Foot, and Ringo lakes. Remember that water temperatures…