Articles

Paul Nelson column for June 26: Walleyes spread out as summer arrives

The hot weather this past week caused a spike in surface water temperatures in Bemidji area lakes, which quickly moved bass, crappies and sunfish into the shallows to spawn.

Water temperatures likely near their peak for the season

Surface water temperatures in the Bemidji area are holding steady in the low to mid 70s, which is near the high point for the summer in most lakes.

Eelpout Festival to be held on Leech Lake this weekend

It takes some imagination to see signs of spring when temperatures are below zero, the woods are full of snow and the lakes are covered with more than 20 inches of ice.

Panfish action hot as area lakes begin to melt

Spring arrived this week and many anglers have given up on ice fishing for the season, but there are still a few die hard anglers out on the lakes enjoying some great late season ice fishing.

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March comes in like a lion

The 2006-07 fishing and shelter licenses expired on Thursday, so anglers will need to buy new fishing and shelter licenses to continue ice fishing in Minnesota waters.

Fish move to wintering areas

October arrives on Sunday, with peak fall colors in most of northern Minnesota expected this week.

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Wind big factor in fall fishing

Fall was in the air this week as some areas got nipped by frost for the first time this season. There hasn’t been a killing frost yet, but some of the leaves on the trees are starting to change colors anyway because of the dry conditions.

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Low water levels creating hazards on area lakes

Classes are now in session in schools and colleges across Minnesota and the summer tourist season is over in the Bemidji area.

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Busy weekend ahead for lakes in the Bemidji area

Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of the summer tourist season in the Bemidji area. Some summer residents will begin to pack out their cabins and take out their docks this weekend in preparation for fall.

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Fall cooldown means new patterns for fish

The fall cooldown has begun on area lakes and some fish have started to move into their fall patterns. Each morning there is another layer of dead algae on the lakes from the cool overnight temperatures. The water in the lakes will get progressively clearer as the algae dies, which increases visibility for the fish.

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Columns

Paul Nelson fishing column for March 19: Ice fishing season is nearing the end

The ice fishing season is on borrowed time, especially for anglers trying to use vehicles to access area lakes. Anglers will still be able to use ATVs to access most lakes for a little while longer, but the ice fishing season is going to be over soon, unless temperatures get considerably colder in the near future.

Paul Nelson fishing column for March 12: Warm weather and rain create quick melt

Lakes in the Bemidji area did a considerable amount of melting this past week. Most lakes are wet and sloppy, with the accesses and other high traffic areas covered with water.

Paul Nelson column for March 5: Focus turns to panfish as gamefish season ends

The gamefish season is over for the inland waters of Minnesota, but that does not mean the ice fishing season is over.

Paul Nelson fishing column for Feb. 26: Last chance to go after gamefish this weekend

The season closes for walleyes, northern pike and other gamefish species q5 midnight Sunday night. Anglers are allowed to fish for crappies, sunfish, perch and rough fish species like whitefish and eelpout continuously in Minnesota.

Paul Nelson column for Feb. 12: Deep snow tough on anglers, great for snowmobilers

The average snow depth in the Bemidji area is about 16 inches, with more light snow possible this weekend. The conditions have been excellent for snowmobiling, with many miles of groomed trails and numerous lakes covered with snow available for riding.

Paul Nelson column for Feb. 5: Fish more active as days grow longer

The days are getting longer by almost three minutes per day and the average daily temperatures are slowly beginning to increase across the north country.

Paul Nelson column for Jan. 29: Snowdrifts limit anglers’ access to the lakes

Last weekend most of the snow on the lakes had melted and anglers were briefly able to drive just about anywhere they wanted to on the ice. Now there is more snow on the lakes and bitter cold temperatures have returned to the Bemidji area.

Paul Nelson column for Jan. 22: Anglers switch to panfish when walleyes slow down

The mid-January thaw helped compact the snow on area lakes, which should make it easier for anglers to get around on the ice, at least until more snow falls.

Paul Nelson fishing column for Jan. 15: Mid-January thaw improves walleye bite in area

Ice conditions continue to improve on the larger walleye lakes in the Bemidji area, but there are still some slush problems on many of the smaller panfish lakes.

Paul Nelson column for Jan. 8: Bitter cold helps improve ice conditions

The big snowstorm that hit the Bemidji area over Christmas holidays could have been really bad news for the ice conditions, but the area has been locked into the deep freeze ever since the snowstorm passed, and that helped minimize the slush problems on many lakes.