Well, here we are. Leech Lake Walleye Opener, 2025. It managed to sneak out from underneath the frigid cold and glacial thick layer of ice that covered our Walleye-infested waters. It’s hard to believe how quickly the ice went out once Mother Nature decided it was time. Since ice-out in late April (I’m not sure of the official day) we have been greeted with sunshine, sunshine, and more sunshine. It’s been a stark contrast from recent years’ openings. I remember the not-too-distant past when we had snow flurries, something that areas to the north of us will potentially deal with this coming weekend.
Pictured below from L to R: Mike, John, Paul, and Larry from the Stillwater area – with a Crappie Walleye mix, these guys have it figured out! Dan and Loren Becker from Cedar Rapids, IA, with a couple of dandy Walleye.
Calm, warm days led to bountiful Spot-Tail Shiner harvests for minnow trappers. Their success has led to bait shops and resorts like ours having plenty of our favorite early-season bait. Anglers bought them by the dozen. They tied on their jigs and tipped them with Shiners and headed out onto the pristine waters of Leech in search of a few for the frying pan. Anglers targeted many areas of the lake to start. Follow the wind early on. Where the wind blows the bait fish, the bigger fish follow!
Pictured below from L to R: The Suchy family – Steve, Chuck, and Matthew from Minneapolis, MN, with a beautiful batch of Leech Lake Crappie. It’s making me jealous.
Walleye is definitely the main attraction for opener, but with a year like this, many anglers end up with crappie things on their minds. Areas on the Northern end of Sucker Bay were exactly what many fisherman hope for. Stacked Crappies willing to grab onto your bait. Just as fast as it starts it often ends, more than likely with a limit of slab Crappies in the live well.
The last couple of days have been unique for us. Highs pushing into the upper 80s and lower 90s with winds pushing hard from the South. Gusty winds from 25-40+ mph have made things an adventure on the big side of the lake. On top of the winds, we are dealing with extreme dry conditions and multiple forest fires to the Northeast of us.
Everyone here at Big Rock is super excited to start another season. We cannot wait to see everyone, from long-time guests to all the new faces scheduled to stay with us. Cheers to 2025!
The featured image up top is of Dan Becker from Cedar Rapids, IA
Thanks for reading
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Ray
