Pathfinder Reservoir Fishing Report

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

A lot of walleye are being caught using new technologies, cutting down the time it takes to locate them. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is assisting anglers, fishing from a boat, to locate fish. Fishing is better as anglers can focus on areas with good numbers of fish. This is true for either trolling or casting. Anglers fishing from the bank still have to search the old fashion way, via test casting, until a school is located.

SUMMER. Summer walleye move deeper during daylight hours, holding along submerged points, humps, and channel edges. Early mornings, evenings, and after dark offer the most consistent action. Water temperatures rise notably in Summer, and walleye fishing is good if you can get your bait deep enough. Early mornings, walleye tend to concentrate in 10 to 20 feet of water. As the day warms they descend in deeper water, around 20 to 40 feet deep. Throughout Summer, early in the morning, and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye a little shallower. At those times they move slightly shallower to feed in low-light conditions. Night fishing is often good in Summer, as well. When the bite is slow, grubs and nightcrawlers, fished just off the bottom typically catch walleye.

FALL. Cooling water brings walleye onto shallower structure where they feed heavily before winter. Jigging and trolling become especially productive. Fall brings cooler temperatures to shallow water, drawing walleye and baitfish into coves and bays. Walleye continue to be a major draw for anglers, even as the weather cools. This is a prime time to catch some of the bigger fish, and the fishing is generally good. Locals report catching nice walleye on long points, flats along the river and creek channels, and on structure off shore. Early Fall anglers report good results fishing deep weed edges and rocky points in 10 to 25 feet of water. Jigs, swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are all historically good for catching walleye this time of year. In late Fall they hold 10 to 20 feet deep. Dragging jigs, bottom bouncers, or worm harnesses with nightcrawlers or leeches, around ledge drop-offs catches walleye fairly consistently. Watch for the bigger walleye to be slightly deeper than the majority of the school.

WINTER. Winter provides excellent ice fishing when conditions are safe. Walleye remain active around rocky structure, channel edges, and submerged points, especially during dawn and dusk. Pathfinder Reservoir regularly offers excellent ice fishing, with safe conditions typically developing from late December through February, depending on winter weather and ice thickness. Always verify local ice conditions before venturing onto the ice. Last Winter, fishing for walleye was pretty good, as it has been for the last few years. Before, and during early ice, anglers report catching them in the main basin area, in 15 to 35 feet of water, along deep creek channel edges, rocky humps and ledges. Popular areas include weed edges, next to rock piles, along northern and central basin drop-offs. Steep drops in the area toward the dam are also producing during these cold months. These same areas in 15 to 30 feet of water are classic spots during the middle of ice fishing season. Tip-ups with minnows work well when ice fishing is safe. Walleye primarily feed on small fish, staying close to the bottom. After ice-out blade baits, jigs, swimbaits, spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners, all work while deep trolling or drifting.

SPRING. Spring is the premier walleye season. Fish stage on rocky structure before moving shallow to spawn. Immediately after spawning, hungry fish remain near points and gravel bars. Early Spring begins warming water in the shallows, and draws walleye to feed, especially rocky areas and inlet channels. They are usually caught 10 to 20 feet deep on points, drop offs, submerged structure, rock ledges, and wind-blown flats adjacent to deeper water. The upriver end of the lake, or on in-lake gravel bars and rip rap, is where many walleye spawn, starting in late February. Here, in 2 to 10 feet deep, they will spawn once the water warms to the mid to high 40's. When they are shallow, bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers typically catch them. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits also work when walleye are up shallow. Afterwards, they move to 8 to 18 feet deep around points, flats, shoals and ledges, nearby shore, often staying in close proximity to their spawning locations. Main lake drop offs tend to produce some nice fish.

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

The use of new technology is helping anglers catch more rainbow trout in lakes. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is currently the best way to locate trout, especially when they school in deep water. Rainbows are caught trolling, casting or jigging, once located on these sophisticated fish finders. Fly fishing is not covered in this website, but rainbow trout are being caught on plenty of other lures and bait.

SUMMER. As surface temperatures warm, rainbow trout seek cooler, oxygen-rich water over deep basins and along steep drop-offs. Trolling with downriggers or lead-core line is highly productive. Once Summer arrived, the warmer water has driven rainbow deeper, 25 to 50 feet deep during midday. Trolling the main basin with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. Later in the Summer they hang out cooler zones, around 35 to 50 feet deep. Trout commonly suspend above the thermocline, over humps, deep channel edges and mid-lake structure. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Early and late in the day they feed in 10 to 25 feet of water. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with fairly heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits into deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water allows trout to spread throughout the reservoir. Fish actively feed along shorelines, points, and rocky structure, making both trolling and casting productive. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, again draw rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Early in the season, anglers catch them 8 to 25 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points, and flats in the upper regions of the lake. Rainbows also feed on deeper rocky structure, humps, and ledges, anywhere baitfish gather. By Fall, these trout have had a full season to grow, and there are typically some nice size rainbow to be caught. Small spinners, spoons, jigs, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are good choices, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits. Later in Autumn, they move into 5 to 15 feet of water.