Fishing Big Stone Lake with Lagoona Guide Service

Hottest Perch and Bluegill Bite in Minnesota

The perch and panfish bite on Big Stone Lake is exploding! Years of improving water clarity and expanding weed growth have created ideal conditions for accelerated panfish growth. Both numbers and size of quality perch and bluegill have turned Big Stone Lake into a midwest destination pan fishery. With decades of guiding experience on this body of water, Lagoona Guide Service is sure to keep you on the active schools and best bite! Check out the Big Stone Lake Ice Fishing page for winter perch.

An up and coming crappie population is also becoming a big deal at ice-out. Spring crappie fishing can be tremendous and dates fill fast when the bite is on.

Border Waters Spring Largemouth Bass

Big Stone Lake's border water status creates a unique opportunity for targeting early spring largemouth bass in Minnesota. Ice out pre-spawn bass form large schools up shallow, making for some spectacular spring time bites. Specific conditions have made for 100+ fish guide trips, and a mean case of bass thumb!

Big Stone is not only a numbers lake, large fish are common with big fish regularly tipping the scales at five and six pounds. Large fish over seven pounds have been known to show themselves occasionally too.

Spring techniques are pretty standard, crank baits and jerk baits are good options at ice out. Moving baits such as spinnerbaits and chatterbaits help to narrow down the search as the water warms. More methodical baits such as jigs, rigs, and wacky worms work best whenever fish are relative to known structures.

Early season bass fishing on Big Stone is something every northern state bass fisherman should experience.

Border Waters Spring Walleye

Well know as an established walleye fishery, Big Stone Lake has been perennial stop for many local, regional, and even national level fishing tournaments for nearly three decades. At one point, Big Stone's productive waters were said to have more walleyes per acre than any other fishery in Minnesota. High fish concentrations combined with Big Stone's border water (no closed season) status, have created a destination "pre-season" walleye fishery attracting fisherman from throughout the midwest.

Spring Walleye Tactics

Ice out walleyes on Big Stone Lake provide a unique opportunity and challenge not typically encountered by Minnesota anglers. While most of the state starts their season with post spawn walleye after fishing opener, fishing on Big Stone starts at ice out allowing fishing at all stages of spawn. Fish location can change hourly at this time, affected by many factors... mostly weather.

What makes for challenging conditions, can also make for some incredible fishing. Shallow water jig and crank bait bites can be found in scarcely a foot of water, for big fish too! Casting swimbaits on shoreline breaks keeps the action going between spots. And midday trolling is an excellent way to add fish to the box out in the basin.

Wet fisherman holds up a walleye in a boat on a rainy day.