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Cass Lake, Centrally located in Northern Minnesota’s “Big Water”
territory is the smallest among a group of “Mega Walleye Factory
Lakes”. Like it’s larger cousins Lake Winnibigoshish, Leech and Red
Lakes, Cass Lake offers top notch Walleye fishing with a strong
supporting cast of Muskies, Jumbo Perch and Panfish. At roughly 16,000
Acres, Cass offers plenty of room to move around, but with islands,
small bays and connecting lakes, this big lake can be more inviting,
even friendly compared to it’s larger cousins. Star Island even
contains it’s own little lake called Windigo. Connecting to Lakes
Kitchi, Andrusia and Pike Bay, this chain of lakes appeals to folks
who like to explore new territory.
The makeup of Cass Lake is quite different from most of the other
major Walleye waters in that there can be good fishing on structure
that varies from a few feet of water to habitat as deep as 70 feet,
maybe even deeper. There are several large, shallow sand flats that
separate one basin from another and as you move across each flat and
into the next deeper hole, it’s like moving to another new lake. Each
of these smaller basins has it’s own structure along with it’s own
“local” population of fish. It’s not uncommon to find Walleye using 12
feet of water in one section while they are using 40 feet of water in
another section. Clever fishing parties check a variety of locations
and try several techniques in each area.
Spring: Walleyes on Cass Lake migrate toward a variety of current
areas during the spring spawning season. One obvious area is the inlet
of the Mississippi River from Lake Andrusia and another is the outlet
at the Knutson Dam. There are however, many areas where current is
produced by narrows between islands, points or the connecting passages
between lakes. After the spawning season passes, fish will linger in
these areas to feed in the shallow water and remain until fishing
pressure and predators drive them into heavier cover and/or deeper
water. During the early season, fishing many of the lakes shoreline
related points that extend into deeper water are good starting spots
as are the shoreline drop off areas where new weeds are “greening up”.
Many of these areas will consist of shallow water flats that suddenly
break into deeper water. This makes Cass Lake a good choice for folks
who like to position the boat within cast distance of these structures
and walk a jig and minnow combination down the point and into deeper
portions of the structure. Walleye will typically gather on small
portions of the structure, so this position casting can work better
than trolling or drifting.
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During summer, Walleye tend to scatter. Some fish will remain in the
shallow weeds, some move onto mid-lake structures and still others
make use of deep points and inside corners located along the lakes
steep shelves. Many anglers agree that Muskies play a role in
determining Walleye locations. During periods of high Musky activity,
I like to look in deeper water for Walleye. When Musky reports are
slow, I tend to fish shallower spots more often. Presentations during
this warm water period favor live bait rigs or spinners with Night
Crawlers or large minnows. Creek Chubs, Redtails and big Rainbows work
well and for all around reliability, Night Crawlers are tough to beat.
In fact, I’ve seen folks using crawlers and catching fish well into
the fall when most other lakes are back onto the jig and minnow bite.
I would never show up at Cass Lake without Crawlers in my arsenal.
Late summer and early fall Walleye action will intensify in the
depths. Water depths of 70 feet and more can and do hold large numbers
of fish. At first it seems impossible to zero in on these deep water
fish, but with practice, you’ll learn that slowly cruising the deep
breakline and watching your electronics for any sign of life will help
get you started. More often than not, finding a school of baitfish on
one of the deep points or inside corners is the key to locating
feeding fish. With good boat control and ideal wind conditions, you
could fish these spots with live bait rigs, but most often a jig and
minnow fished vertically below the boat is the most effective way to
stay with these deep fish.
Known also for its Jumbo Perch fishing, Cass Lake has turned out some
really great catches of Perch. The better Perch fishing is usually
found in fairly shallow water and occasionally in the super shallow
water right up on top of the sand flats. Small patches of weeds or
mixed gravel/rock will help keep Perch locked in an area. It’s common
to locate small groups of fish in these shallow locations by cruising
the shallow water on a calm day and spotting fish as they move away
from the boat. Most folks like to anchor the boat and fish with small
jig & minnow combinations. At times, you’ll find Perch in and around
heavier weed cover in the 10 to 16 foot ranges as well. This is
particularly true in the bays and shallower portions of the lake.
Muskies are probably as big a draw to Cass Lake as the Walleye are. At
times, most of the fishing traffic you see on the lake will consist of
Musky rigs and anglers in search of “Mr. Big”. This is a great Musky
fishery and there is a loyal group of Musky enthusiasts to go along
with it.
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Traditional thinking is to find and fish the heavier weeds patches,
but don’t overlook the sand breaks adjacent to the deep holes. Long
casts high onto the shallow sand flats trigger Muskies as the bait
passes over the sharp break where these fish can be intercepted as
they cruise from one area to another. Top water baits are perfect for
this as are the more traditional bucktails.
When Muskies go on a feeding binge, they are generally located in
deeper, open-water where the forage suits their needs. Whitefish,
Tulibee and Suckers provide a nice one gulp meal. Trolling over open
water with large deep diving crankbaits will trigger these aggressive
feeders. Try using some of the high quality Musky baits in Salmo’s
lineup. The Whitefish is a favorite of mine, but you’ll find lots of
excellent running baits to choose from.
Panfish and Bass are available in decent numbers although you seldom
hear about folks targeting them. We have frequently located both
Bluegill and Largemouth Bass by accident while fishing the weed edges
with night crawlers for Walleye. A simple switch over to small jigs
tipped with pieces of cut crawler or smaller worms would easily
transform these moments into productive panfishing sessions.
During most of the summer, a reliable approach for Bass fishing would
be to target the Bulrush patches that are found adjacent to deeper
water. Avoid the patches you find that are way up on top of the
shallow flats and seek out the patches that are located closer to the
drop off edges where the fish have a deep escape route. Spinnerbaits
and soft plastics are good all around presentations in these areas.
There’s a lot more to be said about fishing this great Northern
Minnesota gem. From it’s wonderful sand beaches, clear water and great
fishing to it’s convenient location and wide array of lodging options,
Cass Lake is one that deserves a close look for your next fishing
getaway.
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