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, April 21, 2026 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

The early sturgeon harvest season opens on Rainy River on Friday (April 24th), and it’s a great bite! If you’ve never hooked into one, now is the time.  Access continues to improve, with Birchdale, Frontier, Vidas, and Wheeler’s Point all open. Not every access is open yet, so it’s worth checking before you make the drive. Water levels climbed a bit this past week but they are on their way down again and still lower than last year. Early season fish will slide along current seams and hold in softer water—inside bends, breaks and just off the main flow are all good places to start. Many anglers focus on deep holes in the river but my PB sturgeon was caught in 4 feet of water on Rainy. Keep it simple: 4-5 oz. no-roll sinker, 1-3’ fluoro leader, and ~3 fresh crawlers on a 6/0 circle hook. Let the rod load up before picking it up—no hookset needed. If you’re not getting bit, move. Good luck, and be safe!

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