Leech Lake Water Level Remains Low

The water level in Leech Lake is well below where it was a year ago, and significantly lower than it was in the spring of 2006. From April to June of last year we had relatively normal water levels in the lake. But the lack of rainfall during the summer, and the unseasonably hot temperatures, led to extensive evaporation and thus the lowering of the lake's water level. Click here to see a graph of the water level in Leech Lake during the past 12 months. The graph is from the Army Corps of Engineers at Federal Dam, MN.

Newman's Ice Angling Success

Here's a recent update on the Leech Lake ice-angling action from my friend and neighbor, John Newman:

"The weather was mild and perfect for outdoor action. The fish house performed beyond my wildest expectations in terms of comfort, ease of use, conviviality and, above all, angling success. We all caught plenty of perch all day long. Each evening from approximately 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. our 'Walleye Power Hour' produced exciting walleye action. Karen battled a 22-inch beauty to a successful finish, and I caught a nice walleye of approximately the same length; plus several eater size wallies were kept. Mixed in with the walleye were several eelpout. All in all it was a fabulous winter getaway that culminated with a picturesque 3-inch, day-long snowfall on Friday, December 29. With light winds and mild temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, it was a magical way to cap off of a great family fishing excursion."

NOTE: The fish house to which John refers, and is pictured below, was designed and built by John himself. I look forward to spending several hours in the warmth of the Newman fish house this February when my son Joe and I visit Leech Lake for some hard-water angling excitement.