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 4-3-18
Only a handful of fishermen out lately with the cold and snowy weather. Anglers have been spotted on Willmar Lake, Foot Lake and Elkhorn Lake. ATV’s and walking should still be safe on the ice, but always check for current ice conditions. Lakes with aeration are opening up, but the others aren’t. Don’t forget to head to your local bait shop and purchase your 2018 fishing license.
Fishing Report for 3-27-18
Fewer fishermen are heading out on the lakes lately. Area lakes that have accesses on the northern end or western end of the lake are in rough condition as the ice is breaking away from the shore. Anglers are still having success catching sunfish and crappie on George Lake, Lake Andrew, and Point Lake. The north shore is the most active for Nest Lake lately as well as the southeastern end of Diamond Lake. Check ice often as it varies greatly from one area of a lake to another.
Fishing Report for 3-20-18
The best panfishing of the season is happening right now in the Willmar Lakes Area. Anglers reported active fish on the south end of George Lake, the east end of the big island on Nest Lake and in various locations on Elkhorn, Diamond, Willmar and Foot Lakes. Be careful on any lake with aeration as there are open spots around the moving water. Otherwise most area lakes are still sitting in the range of 24-30 inches of ice.
Fishing Report for 3-13-18
Fishing has been good in the Willmar Lakes Area with nice sized perch being pulled from Lake Lillian and crappie and sunfish being pulled from Willmar and Foot Lakes. Other great lakes to check out for late winter fishing are Diamond, Eagle, Elkhorn and George lakes. While the ice remains thick on most lakes, anglers are advised that warm temperatures are taking a toll on ice conditions. According to the Minnesota DNR, ice that has thawed and refrozen is only half as strong as new ice. The DNR recommends checking…
Fishing Report for 3-6-18
Anglers were required to have their fish houses off the lakes as of yesterday in the Willmar Lakes Area. The walleye, northern pike and bass season came to an abrupt end with a snow storm. Many lakes have standing water from the rainfall on Sunday or are full of snow from the storm yesterday. Those that were able to fish in the last week found active perch on Big Kandiyohi Lake and crappie on Willmar and Foot Lakes. Just a reminder to purchase your 2018 fishing license at a local…
Fishing Report for 2-27-18
Few anglers were out this past weekend due to the snow storm. Those that were out before the storm hit reported lots of crappie action on Willmar and Foot Lakes during the day. And as evening fell, even the sunfish and walleye started to bite. Average crappie size was between 10-12 inches. Crappie and sunfish were also pulled from George Lake, Ringo Lake, Solomon Lake and Elkhorn Lake. Currently there’s roughly four or more inches of snow on the area lakes. Just a reminder that all fish houses need to…
Fishing Report for 2-20-18
It was a great weekend to get out on the lakes. Foot Lake proved to be the most popular with many ice houses on it. The daytime bite was the best for crappie and sunfish and a few small walleye. Others had luck on Eagle Lake with walleye and crappie while the northern pike bite picked up on Lake Florida and Lake Andrew. Some lakes are starting to open up around aeration points so caution needs to be taken. If you stay away from the moving water, the ice thickness…
Fishing Report for 2-13-18
Anglers have had some success this past week, even with the cold temperatures. The daytime bite has been good on Willmar Lake and Foot Lake especially near the golf course. Some good sized perch have been pulled from Big Kandiyohi Lake and Lake Lillian in the past week. Lake Kasota has been putting out some walleye in the early evenings. The middle of Eagle Lake and the northern end have been popular for those searching for crappie. The accesses on Green Lake are in rough shape so be extra careful…
Fishing Report for 2-6-18
It was a quiet weekend in the Willmar Lakes Area with the Super Bowl and the cold weather. Anglers brave enough to go out were catching sunfish, crappie and walleye on Diamond Lake and the northern end of Eagle Lake. The early morning and evening hours continue to be the best time to fish. Other active lakes were Big Kandiyohi, Lake Lillian, Lake Kasota and Minnetaga Lake.
Fishing Report for 1-30-18
Another great weekend was had in the Willmar Lakes Area! Crappie and walleye were active on most area lakes; however, Big Kandiyohi Lake and Ringo Lake were the most active. Lately the sunfish, crappie and perch bite has been on throughout the county. So pick a lake and have fun! Most area lakes have at least 24 inches of ice on them; however, there are still quite a few ice heaves so be careful and drive around them. Another vehicle went through the ice on Green Lake this past Saturday.
Fishing Report for 1-23-18
What a great weekend to be out ice fishing in the Willmar Lakes Area! Every lake was busy with anglers hoping to catch the big one! Big Kandiyohi Lake was the most successful putting out perch and some small walleye. Anglers were catching crappie, small sunfish and walleye by the aeration on Foot Lake and by the peninsula off of Robbins Island. Other popular lakes were Point Lake, Nest Lake, Green Lake and Norway Lake. The ice averages between 18-24 inches on the area lakes. However, two vehicles did break…
Fishing Report for 1-16-18
A lot of folks were out ice fishing this past weekend in the Willmar Lakes Area. The average ice thickness is 16-20 inches as of Monday. There are still quite a few ice heaves on many lakes so be careful when heading out. The lakes that put out the most fish were Lake Lillian, Big Kandiyohi Lake, Eagle Lake, and Nest Lake. The snow on Sunday turned on the bite on Green Lake as well. Many anglers report finding fish on their depth finder, but they’re not biting on some…