WALKER, Minn. — In the Ojibwe language, the name translates to “lake abundant with blood suckers,” but anglers competing in the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN will find this vast northern Minnesota fishery abounding in rod-bending opportunity.
Competition days will be August 14-16 with daily takeoffs from Walker Public Dock at 6 a.m. CT and weigh-ins each day at the same location at 2 p.m.
Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro and reigning Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour champion Easton Fothergill calls Leech his home lake, and his resounding victory at the 2024 Open at Leech demonstrated not only his local knowledge, but also the lake’s potential. Fothergill, who’s set to defend his title, expects Leech Lake to turn in another impressive performance.
“The lake is full of (forage) right now,” Fothergill said. “As we all know, it’s loaded with crawfish and there’s also a ton of perch in the lake right now.”
Sounds promising, and it is. However, fishing such a well-provisioned lake can, at times, feel like selling hot dogs at a dinner buffet.
“The lake is extremely healthy, top to bottom, in terms of fish populations and bait,” Fothergill said. “The lake is in great shape right now and that can make for tough fishing at times, just because of how much food there is in the system.
“To compete with all the bait in the ecosystem, some anglers like to go big in their profiles, some like to go small. Some go with bright colors. There’s a whole lot of different philosophies on how to combat that.”
With several major rivers and lesser streams feeding its form, Leech Lake benefits from daily freshening. With pollen season in the rearview mirror, Fothergill said the water quality/clarity should remain stable.
Noting that he expects the entire lake to be in play, Fothergill breaks the Leech Lake options into two main categories: the deep, rocky basin with big, isolated boulders and the shallow, muddy bays sprouting with wild rice fields, lily pads and other aquatic plants.
“They’ll be biting in both areas, so just pick your poison,” Fothergill said. “You can go anywhere in the lake right now and catch a bass.”
Expanding the opportunity, Leech offers quality smallmouth and largemouth bass. Last year, Fothergill boated the event’s biggest fish — a smallmouth that went 6-4. For brown or green fish, 5 pounds is considered big.
“Leech Lake is very similar to Lake Champlain (New York/Vermont), because the forward-facing sonar definitely puts the smallmouth a little more in play,” Fothergill explained. “That being said, the size of largemouth is definitely there to compete. If someone could make a perfect game plan, I think they could make a run at it, if they found largemouth.
“With largemouth, milfoil has been introduced in the last couple of years, so that’s going to create another dynamic.”
Last year, extreme winds postponed Day 1 and shortened the tournament to a two-day schedule. Lacking any meteorological limitations, anglers will need to plan on mobility.
During his 2024 winning effort, Fothergill fished nearly the entire lake and hit several dozen waypoints. He’s certain this year will require the same level of diligence.
“The fish will be set up on the summer haunts,” Fothergill said. “If we have wind, you could definitely win on one spot, but if it’s calmer conditions, you’ll need at least a couple spots to be able to pull off a win.
“The bite varies day to day; the fish move more on this lake than any lake I’ve ever seen, so you definitely have to take each day as a new day and break it down. It’s very hard to make a consistent game plan on that lake.”
Anglers targeting the largemouth will likely flip shallow cover, fling frogs across the emergent vegetation and throw ChatterBaits. For smallmouth, the standard mix of drop shots, Ned rigs and jighead minnows will handle much of the work.
Given the lake’s healthy condition and robust fish populations, Fothergill believes a competitor will need 21 pounds a day to make the Championship Saturday cut. For a winning weight, he’s looking for a three-day total of 72 pounds.
Options will be many, but Fothergill said consistency will demand an open-minded approach. Success will hinge on alertness and adaptation.
“You have to be willing to move with the conditions and attack it like a new lake every day.”
Coverage of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN will be available on Bassmaster.com each day of the tournament. Roku will carry Bassmaster LIVE on Championship Saturday.
This event is being hosted by the Leech Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
