Devils Lake is clear of ice — finally! — and a couple of area fishing guides recommend finding the warmest water for the best early season walleye action.
Fishing guide Mark Bry shows off a Devils Lake walleye.
In a news release from the Devils Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, fishing guide Mark Bry said he looks for warm, shallow bays while Ross Sensiba will focus on areas with incoming current and the north ends of bays, which warm fastest.
“With ice out May 15, my ideal situation is when the temperature gauge reads 54 to 57 degrees,” Sensiba said. “This is strictly a time for cranks and plastic in 4 to 6 feet of water. I stay in about 8 to 10 feet and cast shallow.”
Sensiba, who says he favors the Countdown Rapala, said the peak time of day usually is from about noon until 2 p.m.
“When the water temp jumps, be in your favorite spot,” Sensiba said.
During the first month or so after ice-out, Bry said he prefers to focus on 3 to 5 feet of water.
“With the lake up a bit over last year, there are more fields, trees and marshes for fish to find bugs and food,” Bry said. “That’s where the walleyes will be.”
Anglers will have nine public boat ramps for launching this year, and a map is available at devilslakend.com. There’s also a 20×32-foot indoor fishing cleaning south of Ed’s Bait shop on State Highway 20.
