Fishing Report

Find out where fish are biting and bait to use in the area fishing report each week. Get Hooked in Detroit Lakes will give you an inside look from fishing guides on which area lakes are best bets for the fish you’re out to catch and the bonus experiences of being out on the water.

This is the area fishing report for Tuesday, October 13, 2026 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

Some lakes are turning over in the Detroit Lakes area, and this has caused a break in the action for some anglers. As water in the upper portion of the water column gets colder, it eventually gets more dense than the water at the bottom of a lake. When this happens, it “turns over”, bringing with it lots of junk from the bottom of the lake (sediment, plant matter, nutrients, gasses, etc). This makes for tough fishing, for a number of reasons I won’t go into. Ultimately, bait fish scatter, causing game fish to scatter. Oxygen levels also change, and the water can even get murky for a few days. The good news is, once a lake turns over, fish begin feeding like crazy to put on weight for the winter months. Next week, I’ll shed light on where to find them. For now, Otter Tail Lake has yet to turn, this week’s picture was taken by Brad Laabs from a recent Otter Tail trip. Fish a jig & minnow deep. Good luck out there!

Brady Baxter
Owner and Fishing Guide
Baxstar Fishing LLC
baxstarfishing.com
brady@baxstarfishing.com
701-261-3703