Sucker Bay Summer

Looking south on Sucker Bay during a summer evening.

Calendar of Events for Walker, MN

It's hard for me to cite one specific reason why I love the summers at Leech Lake so much. One obvious reason is I thoroughly enjoy getting in the boat and fishing the many shoreline weedbeds for largemouth bass, or drifting along one of the 12-foot breaks in Sucker Bay for walleye and jumbo perch.

I also enjoy walking in the woods that surround most of the lake -- although in the summer my walks are much shorter in length than in spring, fall and winter because I can't stand being bitten by the millions of mosquitoes that also seem to enjoy the woods at this time of year. Then there's watching the magnificent sunsets while sitting on the end of the dock. Or watching the lightening dance off the lake during a late-night thunderstorm. It's all good.

I also enjoy my occasional trip into the little community of Walker located on the south end of the lake. And I can't go to Walker without a stop at Reed's Sporting Goods to check up on the latest and greatest in fishing equipment. In fact, I would be hard pressed to remember a single time I've been to Walker and didn't stop at Reed's.

Throughout the summer, there's lots to do in Walker. Here's a calendar of events: http://www.leechlake.org/events.asp

Cormorants on Leech Lake

Cormorant Update

As anyone remotely associated with Leech Lake knows, there is an effort underway by the MN DNR and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to eliminate many of the cormorants nesting in the area. Cormorants are blamed for decimating the walleye and perch hatches of recent years, which has led to very poor fishing conditions, and in turn, has hurt the local economy. Here are several recent articles that provide an update on the state's efforts to manage this problem.

http://kstp.com/article/pstories/s8384.html

http://wcco.com/localnews/local_story_132120413.html

http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1270/article13137.asp

Here's a public forum (http://www.fishingbuddy.com/forums/topic.php?fid=669755&tid=17811) where the issue is being discussed. Don't be shy, join the discussion.

2005 Walleye Opener Just Days Away

For the first time in years, I'm not going to be on Leech Lake for "op'ner." Instead, I'll be stuck in California for work. In fact, it's unlikely that I'll be on the lake any time before the Fourth of July Holiday. Therefore, I'm going to have to rely on my fellow bloggers to provide updates/photos on this year's opener. To get things started, here's what Brian "Bro" Brosdahl is saying http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforksherald/2005/05/08/sports/outdoors/11593143.htm

Here's another good article (http://www.jeffsundin.com/Article_Walleye_Season_Outlook2005.htm) that talks about several Northern Minnesota lakes, including our beloved Leech Lake.

And finally, here's a more depressed look at this year's opener -- from the Walker, MN local newspaper, the Pilot-Independent -- given the damage the cormorants have done to the fishery during the past seven years, http://www.walkermn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=9&story_id=198110