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Upper Red Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The comeback of comebacks: tribal-state cooperation resurrected Red Lake's walleye, and the ice city that followed became Minnesota legend.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
63 / 65 F
Wind
ENE 5 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Upper Red Lake offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings cloud cover, wind ENE around 5 mph, falling pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 65. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassFair

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 68 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp63 F
High / Low65 / 58 F
WindENE 5-7 mph
Pressure1013.1 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 60%
Sunrise / Sunset06:41 / 19:54
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 65/58 F, wind 18 mph, rain 60%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Upper Red Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Upper Red Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Upper Red Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 69 F, wind to 20 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 12 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 25 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Walleye led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 25 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Minnesota requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Minnesota license. Walleye: URL-specific slot/limits: check DNR current. Tribal waters closed: boundary GPS essential.

Access

East-shore accesses off MN-72 (Rogers', West Wind, public ramps); winter resort road systems.

About this water

48,000 state-water acres of the great shallow lake, Beltrami County, MN. The walleye resurrection.

Fishing Upper Red Lake: the full guide

The resurrection

Upper Red Lake's walleye collapsed in the 1990s: overharvest emptied Minnesota's great shallow sea: and the recovery that followed (Red Lake Nation and state co-management, a decade of closure and discipline) became North America's model fishery restoration. Today's abundance: fast limits of eater walleye: is a monument to restraint.

The ice city

Winter made URL famous again: the lake's shallow bowl (average 15 feet) caps early and safe, and December's wheelhouse city: thousands of shacks, plowed road grids, rental sleepers by the fleet: is Minnesota's hard-water Mardi Gras. Jigging spoons and setlines over 8-12 feet: the bite is legitimate and the culture is the point.

Open-water rhythm

May's opener crowds the state's east half (the west is tribal water: respect the line absolutely), summer scatters fish across the featureless flats (trolled cranks and spinners cover water: the lake fishes like a stained inland sea), and fall re-stacks the shore breaks. Crappie booms cycle through (the famous 2000s run may echo): when they hit, the lake doubles its pilgrims.

URL practicalities

Access concentrates at the east shore (Rogers', West Wind, the public accesses off Highway 72): the tribal boundary (western two-thirds) is closed to non-band anglers: GPS discipline: and the shallow bowl means wind writes the day: whitecaps come fast and brown. Winter roads follow the resorts' plowing: pay the access, follow the grid.

Common questions

Why is Upper Red Lake famous?

The walleye collapse and recovery: co-management resurrected the fishery inside 15 years: and the winter wheelhouse city that celebrates it. Fast eater-walleye limits are the daily proof.

Can I fish the whole of Upper Red Lake?

No: the western two-thirds is Red Lake Nation water, closed to non-members. The state's eastern portion holds the public fishery: know the boundary line cold.

Is fishing good at Upper Red Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake Bemidji42 miCass Lake49 miLake Winnibigoshish52 miLake of the Woods66 miRainy Lake81 miKabetogama Lake83 mi
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