Leech Lake — Full Walleyes, Short Windows, and the Week Muskie People Wait All Year For

You ever show up to a church potluck at the very end, plate in hand, and every hotdish is already scraped down to the corners? That’s how I imagine Leech Lake looks to a walleye this fall. Except reversed. The walleye is the one who already ate. You’re the guy walking in with a minnow like it’s a fresh pan of bars, and the walleye is leaning back going, “Maybe in a bit.”

That’s the main story in Gill’s Oct. 29 weekly for the Leech Lake Tourism Bureau. The fish are still on the same spots. They’re just not hungry all day.

What’s different this week: a fed fish is a fussy fish

Gill says the whole region is loaded with baitfish this fall. Fish with that much food around get a little picky, and the walleye bite tends to come in short feeding windows instead of all day long.

So the plan is less about finding them and more about being ready when they turn on:

• Sit on fish. If a spot shows fish on your electronics, stay on it. Don’t run off every ten minutes for a spot that just feels better.
• Go slow. Slow presentations are the theme again.
• Rotate your offerings. He lists three options to cycle through: a big minnow on a little jig (last week’s tip still stands), a half nightcrawler, or a different jig color.
• One change at a time. This is Gill’s tip of the week, and it’s a good one. When fish are on the screen but won’t commit, change just one thing: bait, color, or speed. If you change all three at once, you won’t know which one worked. I say this as a man who once changed lures, depth, and hats in the same five minutes and then credited the hat.

Where to start for walleyes

Same address as last week. Start on rock and wind-blown points somewhere between 10 and 15 feet down. His top three haven’t changed: the Annex, Goose Island, and Bear Island.

On water temperature: Gill puts most of the lakes in north-central Minnesota in the “low 50s” now. That’s a regional number, not a reading from a specific spot on Leech, so treat it as a ballpark.

Muskies: this is the week

Gill doesn’t hedge. As far as he’s concerned, nothing on the calendar beats right now for muskies on Leech.

• Bucktails are still moving fish on weed edges and rock in shallow water.
• For the biggest fish, which are feeding up before winter, he likes big rubber brought back on a slow roll.
• Make long casts, keep the retrieve steady, and keep the net where you can reach it without knocking over the thermos.
• Handle them fast and release them fast so the next person gets a shot.

He also points out that researchers have their eyes on Leech’s muskies this year, with studies following how the fish move and survive. Bemidji State’s forward-facing sonar study made the news this week (KAXE release, via Fishrapper). Honestly, it’s a nice reminder that the fish you’re casting at might already have a name and a research file.

Crappies, perch, pike

• Crappies: Gill calls them a highlight again. As the water cools, they’re drifting out to deeper breaks and suspending. Find them on your electronics first, then drop a little jig tipped with a minnow or a plastic.
• Perch: along weed edges in about 5 to 9 feet. A small jig and minnow is hard to beat.
• Pike: still parked in the weeds, eating the bait that’s in there with them. Throw spoons or spinnerbaits along edges the wind is hitting.

Crappies plus perch is the start of a fall fish fry. That’s not a fishing tip. That’s just where my head goes.

Packing for the cold half of the day

Bring warm layers, gloves, and something hot to drink. Gill’s point is that late-October water stays cold even when the afternoon feels nice. Your knuckles will notice by about the third minnow.

Use the quiet while you have it

Firearms deer season opens Nov. 7–8, and Gill expects the Leech area to fill up with a different crowd soon. Until then, he says, enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts. Gill’s reminder is that the open-water calendar is running out. Exactly how many open-water days are left is anybody’s guess. If you’ve been putting off one more trip, this is probably it.

Fine print

This is a general weekly roundup from the tourism bureau’s fishing writer. It isn’t one trip’s log. No fish counts, sizes, or Leech-specific water temperatures were given, and we didn’t add any. The “low 50s” figure is Gill’s regional estimate. Conditions can change fast this time of year, so check with a local shop or guide before you go. The report lists Elite Angling Adventures at (651) 315-9252.

Last week’s Leech note is here: Leech Lake: upsize the minnow before deer week.

Sources

• Gill, “Leech Lake Fishing Report — October 29, 2026,” Leech Lake Tourism Bureau
• Fishrapper October 2026 page: KAXE release, “BSU Researcher Studies Impact Forward Facing Sonar on Muskies” (Oct. 28) (for the research mention only)