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Friday, September 11 2009 The walleye fishing on Devils Lake is still tremendous and the northern pike fishing this past week has been very good as well. We are not doing anything special or different to target the northerns, we just seem to catch them as we are walleye fishing. Some of the nicest walleyes of the summer are being caught trolling crank baits. Both the Rapala jointed number 5 Shad raps and the No. 5 Salmo Hornets are still the baits of choice that are most successful. We do have some of our guides doing very well trolling live bait with bottom bouncers along the weed beds as well. A walleye chop going into the weeds seems to really improve the bite almost to the point of being suicidal. This past week it seems that summer finally arrived. We enjoyed many days in the mid 70s to lower 80s. Despite this summer being cooler than normal it has improved our fishing in many ways. The main reason it kept our fish in shallow water for most of the summer and it has given us longer periods of time to figure spots out because the extended shallow water bite. With fall officially underway the fishing on Devils Lake is as good as it has been all summer. In fact, it is in some ways better as the fish seem to be getting bigger. Take a look below at some of the dandy fish that were brought in this past week. If you are looking to take a fishing trip this fall you will not find better fishing anywhere that's going on right now on Devils Lake. With school beginning and the summer winding down, Mitchell's Guide Service has plenty of room to take your party fishing. We would love to have you! A reminder for all the hunter planning a duck or a goose hunt in October, Mitchell's Guide Service is running the "Hunters Special" This is a 1/2 day guiding fishing (4 hours) in the afternoon after your hunt. The prices are $250.00 for 3 people and $225.00 for 2 people. We started this a couple of years ago and in many cases it has been the highlight of the trip.
Mitchells Guide Service "Hunter's Special"
1/2 day guided fishing (4 hours) after your morning hunt 2 people $225.00 3 people $250.00 All equipment, fish cleaning and packaging included.
Sunday, August 30 2009 A week of change. This past week our methods and presentations have changed a bit going from a live bait bait either on slip bobbers or trolling with bottom bouncers to a much improved trolling crank bait bite. Not too say that we are done using live bait but we have enjoyed some phenomenal results trolling Salmo Hornets and jointed shad raps on flooded road beds and along highway rip rap. The depths we have been successful at are anywhere from 7 to 25 feet of water. Some areas we are trolling with just fire line but other areas we are using lead core. The size of some of the walleyes we caught trolling have been very impressive as you can see in the photos below. So, the troll bite is on! It is a little behind this year compared to most but this past week we have discovered the walleyes to be relating more to the harder bottom as the weed bite began to slow up a bit. We are not catching a lot of northern pike lately but we seem to catch one or two a day. The size of the pike have been pretty decent but we are not catching limits of them. We are not really targeting them but they sure can double the rod back when they hit that crank bait. With school back in session and as we enter fall, we want to remind you that the fishing on Devils Lake with Mitchell's Guide Service is still red hot! Now is the perfect time with the kids back in school to treat yourself to an unbelievable fishing trip to top off the summer. We get a lot of clients in the fall that take advantage of the kids going back to school and take a well deserved vacation. Last fall the fishing was awesome and with all the patterns running behind schedule this season due to the cooler temperatures this bite will last for many weeks to come. Hope to see you yet this season!
Tuesday, August 18 2009 Our apologize for the delayed report. Time flies when your having fun! Fishing on Devils Lake remains excellent on many different types of presentations. We are still catching a lot of fish trolling along the weed beds in 8 to 14 feet of water on many parts of Devils Lake. We are mainly live baiting using bottom bouncers 3 feet of line and a plain hook tipped with either a leech or half of a night crawler. We are also catching a lot of fish slip bobbing the flooded timber and along the weed beds as well. Trolling crank baits have also been very successful along the highway rip rap and the many flooded roads in the lake as well. We have also had some success jigging rock piles on calm days. So not much has changed since our last report. Writing these reports seems like all we talk about is the excellent fishing on Devils Lake but honestly this season has been that outstanding. I don't want to get into statistics here but I would be hard pressed to remember a group this season that did not take their limit of walleyes home with them. That is a pretty darn good sign of success on any lake and it has become normal for us here on Devils Lake. We still have plenty of summer left and the fishing is as good as ever so it is not too late to put a group together and come and fish Devils Lake with Mitchell's Guide Service. We are still running 6 to 8 guides per day and staying plenty busy but we can always find room to fit you in. August is "Iowa Month" and we definitely want send a special welcome to all our Iowa farmers out there who are waiting for harvest to get here. Come on up to Devils Lake and experience some world class walleye fishing. Who knows you may even run into your neighbors! Good Luck Fishing Everybody!
Saturday, August 1 2009 Fishing on Devils Lake has been very good this past week despite some cooler than normal temperatures. Another cold, turbulent week has returned surface water temperatures to the mid 60's. With all of the cool weather, it feels more like early June than early August, if you're into fishing like we are, this is probably more good than bad as the cool water temperatures have helped to extend the active bite in the 10 to 15 foot range. The walleye fishing has really picked up on the humps and bars on the main lake and in the flats and there are we are still catching plenty of fish on the edges of the weed lines and in the flooded timber. Not a whole lot has changed since the last report. We are still bringing our lunch box to work everyday and having a great time helping our customers experience world class walleye fishing on Devils Lake. We have enjoyed a great summer so far and it is by no means over with. There is still plenty of good fishing ahead and it is still a great time for you to gather up your family, friends, co-workers, who ever you can find and book a fishing adventure with Mitchell's Guide Service. It will be the highlight of your summer. Good Luck Fishing this week!
Monday, July 20 2009 And the beat goes on! Walleye fishing on Devils Lake continues to be very good despite some pretty tough conditions this past week. The wind has made our lives interesting. It seems to blow 30 plus miles an hour or not enough to make a ripple. We have had some pretty hard core groups that wanted to go fishing anyway and we went to the calmest water we could find and guess what we still have been able to scratch out a nice limit of walleyes. So, how do you like to catch fish? This is the question we are asking our customers every morning. The neat story on Devils Lake right now is that there are so many different methods and right now they all seem to be successful. From jigging rock piles, live bait rigging, and slip bobbering on calm days to trolling crank baits in 8 to 12 feet of water to trolling with lead core in 18 to 25 feet of water, and pitching crank baits around weed beds in the shallows. Some days its fun to try a little bit of everything and put on a crash course in walleye fishing tactics. We have heard a lot of nice comments from customers about how they appreciated fishing so many different methods and how much they learned over the course of a two or three day fishing trip. So there is something for everyone that is for sure. We haven't been catching a lot of northern pike lately. Every once and a while we stubble into a couple of them but we haven't really been targeting them either. The white bass have taken over the shallows. Pitching crank baits on wind swept shorelines or along the highway rip rap is just about a guarantee for successful white bass fishing. This has been by far one of our busiest and best summers in the the history of Mitchell's Guide Service and it is by no means over with. We still have 10 days of July left and August is right around the corner. The walleye fishing will still be as good then as it is now so, if you are still thinking about a trip to Devils Lake it is not too late there is still plenty of prime time walleye fishing left and we will do our best to get your party scheduled in.
Good luck fishing everybody!
Thursday, July 9 2009 Fishing on Devils Lake is still very good, although some of the methods and presentations have started to change into the typical mid summer patterns. We are finding more walleyes in the 8 to 12 foot range this past week and we have been spending a lot of time trolling bottom bouncers with either spinners or Lindy rigs tipped with night crawlers. We are also still catching a lot of walleyes slip bobbering with leeches but have been concentrating more on the flooded timber as of late. Ptiching crank baits is still happenning but the weeds have really grown in the shallow water, infact in a lot of places the weeds in 6 to 7 feet of water the weeds are now too thick. Again, our methods have changed a little. We are now keeping our boat in that 10 foot range and pitching crank baits that dive deeper. The Rapala Shad Rap number 7's and the jointed Shad Raps number 5's are excellent choices. Of course we are still doing this along the windswept weedbeds. The numbers of walleyes we are catching are just incredible! We are catching a ton of them in that 14 to 15 inch range which are the perfect eating size fish but we also pop an occasional 20 plus incher that makes the braggen board on any bait shop's wall. The northern pike fishing has slowed quite a bit. We have a hunch that the 76 degree water temperatures have pushed them into deeper and cooler water. The white bass fishing is still a slam dunk. Pitching crank baits in shallow water is still the ticket as long as we can find areas that are weed free. We have been trolling some crank baits as well, mainly on flooded roads and along the highway rip rap and have had some success but we need the wind and the walleye chop to make it happen. Mitchell's Guide Service is enjoying one of our best summers on Devils Lake. We are busy every day discovering new patterns and finding new fish. Some of our new guides have brought us some new tactics and strategies and we are all having a lot of fun teaching our customers and helping them catch a ton of fish. Our schedule seems to fill as we go so if you are planning a trip please don't hesitate to give us a call. We will do our best to find a time that works and as always we would love to take your party fishing! Good Luck Fishing this week!
Tuesday, June 29 2009 Another banner week of fishing! The smaller walleyes have definitely made us feel their presence this week. We are definitely having to sort through a lot of 13 to 14 inchers but every so often we are rewarded with a nice 17 to 23 inch walleye. With the calm conditions, we have spent most of our time slip bobbering along weed beds in 6 to 10 feet of water. Of course a little wind, chop, or even ripples from a breeze dramatically improve the action. The fish are definitely more schooled than they have been so far this summer. Add all this up and it makes for a lot of fun. The bait vendors are grinning from ear to ear as most of us are going through a pound of leeches in a single day. The extended spring has made our shallow water fishing remain very strong. It is hard to believe we are catching the numbers of fish that we are this shallow especially considering that July 1st is tomorrow. We have also had some success trolling live bait rigs tipped with either a leech or a crawler in 8 to 12 feet of water. Some of us have tried trolling crankbaits but none of us have had much success yet, perhaps do to the calm conditions. The white bass fishing is incredible. Infact, they have become a major nuisance when trying to catch walleyes casting crank baits. The northern pike fishing still remains very strong as well. We are still catching most of them by either casting along the weedbeds or trolling crank baits along them as well. We did pick up some nice northern pike trolling crank baits on the flooded roadbeds. We have lost touch with shore fishing because none of us are fishing from shore anymore. We do hear reports still of a lot of fishing being caught from shore during the early morning hours and in the evenings especially right before dark. We still have a lot of summer left and we want to include you in on some of the best summer fishing you will find anywhere. We do have some room available and as these fish start heading for deeper water the trolling crank bait season is right around the corner. Last year we had some of our best days of the season trolling Salmo Hornets in 10 to 20 feet of water. This is a definite "must" for those who want to real in a lot of fish in a day's time. Good Luck fishing this week and have a safe and Happy 4th of July!
Tuesday, June 23 2009 The bite is on! What an incredible week of fishing! The fishing on Devils Lake so far this season is steadily turning into one of the best seasons we have ever seen. This statement says a lot because we have seen some dandy seasons. The walleye fishing is solid for both numbers and size. Not many lakes around the country where you are throwing back 14 to 15 inch walleyes. This past week we are still enjoying a shallow water walleye bite. On the days we have some wind or some what of a walleye chop we are pitching crank baits on wind swept shorelines on either weed line edges or around flooded timber. We have found that stained water or blooming algae is best. We are still casting number 5 shad raps, countdowns, and salmo hornets in the 1 to 6 foot range and for spots that are deeper along weed lines we have had great success pitching Rapala jointed number 4's and 5's. 3/8 oz Mimic Minnows are very tough to beat as well. The plastics seem to still work best in dead calm conditions. The slip bobber bite is still booming as well. Some of our guides are complaining about going through a pound of leeches in a single day, so I know things are going well. We have still been very successful slip bobbering along shorelines and we have also been doing very well in the flooded timber in 8 to 10 feet of water. The fish seem to be more schooled up this week as we have a hard time keeping 4 bobbers in the water at times and then we get a well deserved 15 minute lull and then they are back again. So they do seem to come and go. The northern pike fishing and white bass fishing is also very good. We do seem to catch as many as we want when we are targeting walleyes. If you target either species specifically you can have some pretty phenomenal action. Fishing from shore is also very good along the highways that border Devils Lake. Early morning hours and evening hours are by far the best. It is fun to write reports when all you have to do is talk about good news. Mitchell's Guide Service is very busy these days and we are all enjoying guiding our customers on some of the best open water fishing in the country. If you are at all considering a trip to Devils Lake this summer, please give us a call and we will do our best to help you experience it. Good Luck Fishing Everybody.
Tuesday, June 16 2009 This past week has been a week of change for those fishing on Devils Lake. (1) Summer is finally here! The temperature has been mostly in the 70 degree range and we did hit 80 degrees for a day or two and it has given us some warmer water to deal with. The surface temperatures are now mostly in the 60 degree range with some shallow water bay temps hitting as high as 68 degrees. (2) We have experienced a major bug hatch. The may flies or sand flies have hatched and if the wind is not blowing they can be a major nuisance. Not too mention it provides an extra food source for the fish. (3) The wind quit blowing for about four days. This made fishing very challenging and forced us to find new fish in deeper water and also forced us to spend most of our time either slip bobbering or lindy rigging with leaches and vertical jigging on top of structure. (4) Because of the calm conditions the shallow water became extremely clear. This seems to me a bad deal for fishing shallow water especially for casting crank baits. (5) The weed beds are growing daily. All the ingredients - clear water and warmer water temps have been just right for healthy weed growth in the shallow water. (6) The past 2 days the wind began to blow and it clouded up the shallow water and made for excellent fishing casting crank baits. The life of a fishing guide. Imagine how fun it is to try and continue to catch fish with all these changes going on in 1 week's time. We did struggle some what during the calm conditions early in the week but we were able to still limit out most of our customers but it was extremely slow and a long time would pass between bites. From the middle to the end of the week the fishing drastically improved especially when the wind started to blow. We are still catching fish on slip bobbers with red hooks and leeches along shorelines but we did move out deeper to the 10 to 13 foot range. We are also still catching a lot of fish pitching crank baits and mimic minnows on windy shorelines. All in all it turned out to be a pretty good week of fishing despite all the biological changes that occurred. Again the team work executed by the Mitchell's Guide Service Team of guides pulled us through some tough fishing conditions. We are very proud to announce that Merle Nelson of Mitchell's Guide Service won the Spirit Lake Casino Cup over the weekend. This was a two day tournament with over 100 teams rounding out the competition. Each Team could way 5 walleyes per day. Merle brought in a two day limit of 10 walleye weighing over 57 pounds! Way to go Merle! Don't spend all that money in one place! Good luck fishing this week
Tuesday, June 9 2009 There are three things in life that are most enjoyable to watch. The flames of a camp fire at night, a zamboni cleaning the ice between periods of a hockey game, and a bobber sinking below the surface of the water. This past week Mitchell's Guide Service has watched a lot of bobbers sink. This past weekend, Devils Lake was hit with a major cold front and so far our temperatures have had a hard time reaching 50 degrees ever since. This did have a major impact on our fishing for a couple of days. All the spectacular fishing we enjoyed pitching crank baits in our last fishing report came to a screeching halt. After casting our arms off pitching crank baits we did find success pitching Northland Tackle's Mimic Minnows with a slower retrieve. The action of the paddle tail swimming through the shallows was too inviting for a lot of nice walleyes to resist no matter how big of cold front we were dealing with. The slip bobber with leaches in any where from 2 feet to 10 feet of water has also been producing a lot of nice walleyes for us recently. We have learned some valuable lessons this past week. Instead of focusing on one particular depth and continually moving trying to find new spots, we began to experiment with the different depths at the current spots we had been successful at in the past. This paid off big time! Once we found the magic depth we found ourselves tripping over one another scrambling for the net. The action was hot and heavy. Once we found the depth where active walleyes were feeding we would go from having one or two in the live well to ten or eleven in just a matter of 10 to 15 minutes. Then it would get quiet again and we would have to go back to moving the stopper not and continually trying new depths until we found them again. Major cold fronts such as the one we have just experienced this past week, often make fishing very difficult especially walleye fishing. But this is where the team work approach of Mitchell's Guide Service really shined. The constant communication amongst the guide staff and each guide trying something new or different until discovering a pattern or method that worked, and sharing it with one another is what made us successful this past week. The white bass fishing from boat and shore remained incredible and so did the northern pike fishing. The forecast does look better coming up. It is supposed to reach 80 degrees by this weekend. These warm temperatures and sunshine will again warm up the shallows and should ignite the bite all over the lake. Good Luck Fishing!
Tuesday, June 2 2009 Call in sick, lie to the wife, or bring her along! Do what ever it takes to get to Devils Lake and fish with Mitchell's Guide Service right now. What an incredible week of fishing! Walleyes, Northern Pike, White Bass take your pick, it's all happining on Devils Lake right now. Some of our guides are religiously slip bobbering the shallows and some of our other guides are religiously pitching crank baits. Both methods have been extremely successful this past week. The common denominator for success is shallow water back bays and follow the windy shorelines. Slip bobbering with leaches placed 6 inches to 1 foot off the bottom in 5 to 8 feet of water along windward shorelines has been trick for bobber fishing. As far as casting crank baits, we are still pitching #5 Shad Raps and Countdowns and the No. 5 Salmo Hornets and #8F. Some of the hot colors have been bleak, fire tiger, perch, Chrome and blue with orange belly, bleeding hot olive, and hot mustard and fire minnow. Plastics have been working as well but the guys haven't needed to use them this week the way the fish have been biting so aggressively. The water temperatures are on the rise as well. The main parts of the lake are mostly 52 to 54 degrees with the back bays in that 58 to 60 degree range. This is why we are spending so much time in the back bays because the water is sometimes as much as 6 degrees warmer. Bruce Bonzer of Mitchell's Guide Service guided In-Fisherman Television with host Doug Stange as they shot a white bass segment. They really pounded them too. The white bass have not yet spawned but Bruce tells us they sure are schooled up and feeding heavily. Sounds like a lot of fun! If you have ever wanted to fish Devils Lake now is the time to take advantage of this shallow water bite. You would be challenged to find another lake on the continent that is producing like Devils Lake is right now for both numbers and size. The Mitchell's Guide Service Team of Guides is ready to show you what it's all about. Gather up you family, friends, co-workers, who ever you can find, you won't be disappointed. We would love to have you! Good luck fishing!
Tuesday, May 25 2009 Fishing on Devils Lake with Mitchell's Guide Service is red hot! This past week things have drastically improved despite some tough weather conditions. Last Monday and Tuesday we had to cancel due to high winds and rain but things began to improve on Wednesday. Pitching crank baits in shallow water on windy shorelines has really been a lot of fun and the fish we are catching have been unbelievable. Things are slow in the mornings but once the sun has heated up the shallow water, the afternoons have been very good. Some of our guides have been doing well slip bobbering the shallows as well but patience levels will be tested at times. Some of lures we are using and have had the greatest success on so far have been the Salmo Perch No. 8F, the no. 5 shadraps and Countdowns, and we have caught a lot of beautiful walleyes on Mimic Minnows made by Northland Tackle. Yes, you read it right, plastics! The action and flutter of the paddle tails on these baits are unreal. They are heavy enough to cast a country mile and when reeled in at a slow and steady retrieve, hang on! The water temperatures in the mornings are for the most part above 50 degrees and in the afternoons we have found spots to be as high as 58 degrees. Flooded back bays have warmer water than the shallows on the big lake so don't be afraid to explore a little. There are so many new areas to learn due to all the flooding, everyday is almost a Lewis and Clark expedition. It is not too late to book a trip with Mitchell's Guide Service. Things have really cranked up for us now and we have an extremely busy schedule ahead of us but we do have some room on certain dates that we can take your party fishing with us. Take advantage of this shallow water bite while it lasts, it doesn't get much more fun than feeling that explosion of a 20 inch walleye hitting a crank bait. We are a team of guides that work together and are in constant communication through out the day sharing fishing information all to benefit you! So you can experience the hottest action Devils Lake has to offer. We would love to have you.
Tuesday, May 18 2009 Is summer ever going to get here? We get hints of it every so often but this is getting ridiculous. Fishing on Devils Lake remains very good despite recent cold fronts. This past week it has been all about the water temperature. The mornings have been very difficult to catch fish as the water temps seem to hang around that 47 to 48 degree temp. But by noon, providing the sun is out, water temperature seem to break the 50 degree mark and then look out. It is amazing how one or two degrees can turn a bad day into a great day. Earlier in the week we were catching most of our fish on slip bobbers with leeches and minnows on the shorelines and shallow on the edges of flooded trees. But over the weekend the crank bait bite really turned on. Pitching no. 5 shad raps and countdowns on windward shorelines boated some dandy walleyes and northern pike as well. We haven't found any big schools yet, we are mainly catching one here and one there. But working shorelines along flooded cattails and rocks proved to be successful. Jigging on the edged of current by some of the bridges on the main lake has also been effective as well. We have also heard many reports of shore fisherman still doing well on Mauvis Coulee but Channel A seems to have slowed up a bit. Most of our fishing this week has been from the boats. With the water levels on Devils Lake higher than ever, it is a whole new lake to learn and explore. There does seem to be quite a few floating logs and trees out there so if you are venturing out on your own we want to warn you to keep on the look out for them. If you are planning a summer vacation to fish on Devils Lake this summer, we would like to invite you to fish with Mitchell's Guide Service. We are one of Devils Lake's largest and longest running guide services and are by far the most experienced. We all run 18 to 21 foot boats that are not only safe but are a pleasure to fish out of. We provide all the equipment, bait, and gas and we know how to catch fish and entertain clients. You will learn seasonal fish movements and the different methods we use to find and catch fish on Devils Lake. Every guide on our staff loves to fish and has a passion for teaching others how to catch fish. We would love the opportunity to take your party fishing. No group is too big or small. Good Luck Fishing Everybody!
Monday, May 11 2009
Mitchell's Guide Service is in full swing as some of the very first customers of the season showed up this past week and some beautiful walleyes were caught from shore. The overall fishing was slow due to some pretty unseasonable cold temperatures. In fact, last Saturday we stared at bobbers through snow flakes most of the day. Because of these cold temperatures and the cold water temperatures we are still spending most of our time fishing the currents. Channel A and the Mauvis Coulee are still producing most of the best fishing and some of the bridges on the main lake are producing some nice fish as well. Some fish have spawned, some fish are spanning, and some fish have yet to spawn. We did fish from the boats on Friday and the water temperature was only 44 degrees most places. So it is easy to see why the spawn has been slowed up a bit. Sunday and today were beautiful with temperatures reaching the high 60's and the forecast looks pretty decent as well. This will eventually warm the shallow water up and eventually coax these fish into more of a shallow shoreline bite. We are still catching most of our fish by slip bobbering and pitching jigs from shore and a slow jigging presentation from the boats. Casting lindy rigs with a slow retrieve is productive as well. Most fish are coming on leeches and minnows and some spots it is hard to beat a twister tails on jigs with no live bait at all. Each spot seems to have their own unique methods and presentations depending on how strong the current is and how snaggy the bottom is. We are very excited to see warm temperatures in the forecast. It will be great to get back in the boats and start exploring these newly flooded areas that the rising waters of Devils Lake have recently created. We will do what ever it takes to catch fish and this past week, shore fishing was not only more effective but with the cold temperatures it is pretty nice to be able to slip into the vehicle once and a while to warm yourself up again. Good luck fishing everybody!
Friday, May 1 2009 In the last ten days, the ice on Devils Lake has nearly disappeared. There is still some ice floating around on the main lake and parts of east bay but we are very near ice out at this time. There is still a tremendous amount of water coming into Devils Lake via Channel A and the Mauvis Coulee and this past week the all time high water elevation in recorded history for Devils Lake was broken and it continues to be broken every day. There are numerous roads that are closed, culverts washed out, brides that are flooded, and even the gates on channel A washed out a couple of days ago. The fishing continues to be very good especially from shore along the Mauvis Coulee and Channel A. We have had numerous reports of the walleye success being very good but the pike have slowed up a bit. Some say that the northerns are busy spawning now and not very interested in eating. The key to success for most anglers fishing from shore has been mobility. In other words, trying spots here and there along the channels and coulees and keep moving until you start to catch fish. Persistence is the key to success, in other words don't give up. Pitching jigs with twister tails or with a live minnow, with a very slow retrieve seems to be the best presentation. Slip bobbers out of the current have been working very good as well. We would like to remind all anglers to release those big females and that it is illegal to keep a fish that is hooked behind the gill plate as this is considered a snagged fish. The forecast looks very good coming up and as I write this report the sun is shinning, the birds are singing and you really get the feeling spring has sprung. All of our guides are getting there boats ready, spooling new line on their reels, and getting rigged up. Our first customers of the open water season check in at Woodland this coming week and Mitchell's Guide Service will be in full swing. We do still have plenty of room in May but if you are planning a June trip, the dates are filling fast, so you might want to make your reservations as soon as possible. Good luck fishing!
Monday April 20, 2009 Welcome to the first fishing report for the 2009 open water season. Devils Lake she is a changing! With nearly 13 inches of rain from last fall and very heavy snow fall this past winter, Devils Lake is on the rise. We are expected to shatter the all time high water mark set 3 to 4 years ago and this would mean an additional rise of 3 to 4 feet of elevation. This would be the highest recorded elevation Devils Lake has ever seen. What does all this mean? All we can do is remember the high water years of the 1990s and all the spectacular fishing that accompanied it. With all the currents flowing into many different parts of Devils Lake the northern pike and walleye fishing should be nothing short of spectacular. These newly flooded areas not only produce excellent spawning opportunities for all the species of fish but the flooded grasses provide insects and bloodworms that Devils Lake fish crave. There will be new back bays to discover and explore and these areas often produce some incredible fishing. As for current conditions on Devils Lake, most of the lake is still ice covered except where the heavy currents are coming into the lake. Both Channel A coming into the north end of six mile bay and the Mauvis Coulee flowing into Pelican Lake are wide open and have some serious current. These two areas and highway bridges are producing the most shore fishing opportunities and the northern pike fishing and walleye fishing has been fairly decent so far, but will continue to improve as the temperature rises. We would like to remind all fishermen to be careful along these high current areas and remember to be prudent and release those 4 to 8 pound fish. These fish are in these areas for a reason to spawn and produce more fish fish for us to enjoy in the future. With spring here and the summer right around the corner, the reservations for Mitchell's Guide Service are in full swing. Now is the perfect time to plan that summer vacation and make plans to explore these new waters on Devils Lake with Mitchell's Guide Service. We experience a great winter of walleye fishing and the past 3 open water seasons on Devils Lake have been very good. You will not find better fishing than Devils Lake will offer this summer and we would love to take your group fishing with us and show you just what an awesome fishery we posses. Good Luck Fishing Everybody.
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