Fishing the Whitefish Chain

Whitefish Chain of Lakes is an angler’s dream

Chain is best known for walleye and northerns

By Nate Blasing

The Whitefish Chain is located approximately 25 miles north of Brainerd, near Jenkins on the west and over to Crosslake on the east. The chain is made up of approximately 12 connected lakes that include Whitefish proper.

The Whitefish Chain is an angler’s dream.

Although the lake does receive heavy recreational use in the summer months, there is enough water and smaller, attached lakes that anglers will have no problem finding a quiet area to test their skills at catching fish.

This chain of lakes contains a multitude of species that include walleye, northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, lake trout, burbot, whitefish, sunfish and crappies. An angler has to spend some time figuring out which species hides where, but with some homework the rewards can be very fulfilling.

Whitefish is probably best known for walleye and northern fishing. These two species can be found pretty much throughout the entire chain.

The Department of Natural Resources traps walleyes to collect eggs to help support stocking efforts each spring in the northwestern part of Upper Whitefish where the Pine River enters. The facility is open to the public and usually runs from mid to late April into early May, depending on water temperatures and ice out.

A person will be amazed by the number of 5- to 10-pound walleyes that can be seen at the trapping station. It is a must-see.

Underwater structure

The Whitefish Chain is a large body of water and is loaded with underwater structure. The challenge is that the chain of lakes has so much structure that time has to be spent exploring it all.

Not all structure is created equal in terms of holding fish. Much of the structure on Whitefish is very steep, and boat control can be very important once locating what depth the fish are hanging at.

The time of year, water temperatures and baitfish location also play a role in where fish will be located. Due to clear water, the Whitefish Chain is wind dependent to get the fish really biting, especially true for walleyes.

There are also seasonal patterns for fish locations, but at the same time the food chain is the main factor determining where fish will be located and feeding. Once an angler figures that out, they will find the fish.

Walleye

A starting point for walleyes around the fishing opener in May is to know that walleyes usually have just completed spawning; therefore, many of the fish will hang out in relatively shallow water close to shore or current areas for a couple of weeks.

The fishing can be very good at this time of the year because the walleyes begin to feed heavily to recover from spawning. The walleyes will then slowly migrate to more offshore type structures for the remainder of the year.

The variable is that walleyes can be anywhere from 4 to 40 feet deep. It is not advised to fish walleyes deeper than 28 feet because if they are caught deeper than that, in many instances they will not survive if released due to a pressure change in their

CONTINUED ON PAGE 47 Kris Pederson caught this 31-inch walleye on the Whitefish Chain.

Contributed photo