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 9-27-22
The lakes have cooled in the Willmar Lakes Area and the fish are biting! Active walleye are being pulled from Ringo, Norway and Solomon lakes around the ten foot depth and near the green weedlines. With the cooler temperatures, this would be the week to switch over to jigs or live bait rigs tipped with creek chubs or larger minnows as they have been the most successful. Northern pike have also been eager to bite in the 5-10 foot depths and along the weedlines. The bass are holding in the…
Fishing Report for 9-20-22
The water temperatures have started to drop with this fall-like weather moving into the area making the fish more eager to bite. Lake Florida has been pretty active lately with walleye, northern pike and panfish biting by the dam. A variety of baits and techniques are working well for walleye anglers but it won’t be long until jigs and minnows are the most effective presentation. The walleye and panfish have also been active in the early evenings on Andrew and Norway lakes with panfish responding well to crappie minnows. Eagle…
Fishing Report for 9-6-22
Fishing is sure heating up in the Willmar Lakes Area as the water temperatures start to cool. Walleye have been active in the early evenings on Long, Ringo, Big Kandiyohi, and Green lakes in the 18-25′ depths. Jigs and rigs tipped with minnows and night crawlers as well as flicker shads are turning the majority of fish. Crappie are biting on Long Lake in 15 feet of water and on Norway Lake in the morning hours. Anglers have been catching sunfish in 12-18 feet of water on Lake Andrew and…
Fishing Report for 8-30-22
Enjoy some excellent late summer fishing in the Willmar Lakes Area! Panfish are still quite active on most area lakes. Northern, crappie and sunfish are being pulled from Diamond, Norway, Eagle and Nest lakes in the shallows. Green Lake has produced some nice sized sunfish in the shallows and walleye in the 25-35 foot depths. Trolling in the early evening seems to work best. Anglers have found active walleye in six feet of water in Long Lake as well. Other lakes to try for walleye this time of year are…
Fishing Report for 8-23-22
While the walleye bite has slowed a bit, nice numbers of fish are being taken during the first two hours and last two hours of the day. Trolling shad raps and dragging lindy rigs tipped with crawlers or minnows has worked well for many anglers. Walleye are being pulled from a depth of 15-25 feet from Green Lake near the Castle flats. Other lakes to try for walleye would be Eagle, Foot, Elkhorn, Ringo and South Long in the 10-20 foot depths. Northern pike are being caught by anglers casting…
Fishing Report for 8-10-22
Summer fishing patterns are holding strong for many species of fish in the Willmar Lakes Area. As water temperatures begin to drop, the bite should heat up. For now, concentrate on the weedlines to find the most active fish. Anglers utilizing a small jig or spinner rig tipped with a night crawler in 10-15 feet of water are seeing the most action. Stay on the move until you locate fish. Many walleye are also being caught at night while trolling in 18-35 feet in Green, Eagle, and Diamond lakes. The…
Fishing Report for 8-2-22
The weather is perfect for a day, a night, or a weekend of fishing in the Willmar Lakes Area! Green Lake is giving up walleye in the 20-35 foot range in the early morning and evening hours and sunfish in the 4-10 foot range. Eagle and Diamond Lake are also producing active walleye and bass in the 6-15 foot range. Spinner rigs and live bait rigs with leeches or crawlers seem to be working best but a few walleye are also being taken on jigs and minnows. Crappie action has…
Fishing Report for 7-26-22
Many anglers are reporting a variety of fish being pulled from the shallows this week. Anglers with the most success are using live bait rigs, plastic jigs and “moving baits” like topwater lures. Eagle Lake and Sunburg Lake have had active walleye and bass in 10-15 feet of water, while Diamond Lake has seen more active walleye and northern pike around the 20 foot depth. Walleye anglers should also try Andrew, Green, and Solomon lakes while using leeches, crawlers and chubs. Panfish are active on most area lakes especially in…
Fishing Report for 7-12-22
The fish have moved into their summer locations by now so anglers are encouraged to stay mobile until a group of fish is located. Crawlers and leeches on live bait rigs are turning the majority of fish in waters ranging from 8-20 feet deep. Crappies can be found suspended over deep water and along the weedlines. Large bass are coming from the shady areas under docks and overhanging trees and along the deep weedlines. Anglers have found walleye in the shallows while pulling plugs in the evenings on Green Lake…
How to Catch Walleye, Minnesota’s State Fish
Joe Albert, from Explore Minnesota, has written a great article about how to catch walleye in Minnesota. It goes over how widespread walleyes are across the state and how they’re not always that easy to catch. He shares a little bit about the seasonal patterns of the walleye and then he gives a variety of tips and tactics for catching walleye. At the end he shares the best lakes in Minnesota to catch walleye including Green Lake in Spicer. Click here to read the full article on the Explore Minnesota…
Fishing Report for 6-28-22
We are looking forward to a great 4th of July weekend full of fishing and lots of fun community events! Go to our Community Calendar to find out what’s all happening this weekend! As far as fishing goes, it’s a great time to catch that summer meal of fish! Fish are moving out of the shallows and transitioning to early summer patterns. Look towards the deep weed edges for panfish as they like to hide in structure. Fish near weeds are susceptible to jig minnow combinations and leeches under a…
“No wake zone” lifted from Lake George 6-21-22
The final “no wake” restriction in Kandiyohi County has been lifted. Restrictions were placed on several lakes after heavy rains in May raised lake and stream levels. The restrictions were lifted on all but Lake George last week, and now that restriction has been lifted by Kandiyohi County Sheriff Eric Holien.