PAUL NELSON FISHING: Most fish are done with the fall migrations

Anglers can see the dead algae floating on the surface of the lakes in the mornings, before the wind has a chance to mix the algae back into the water.

Algae dies quickly when the water temperatures drop and will remain at low levels during the winter. Algae will spike again in the spring after ice-out when water temperatures begin to rise.

The cold water portion of the year lasts longer than any other phase of the year in lakes in the Bemidji area. The cold water period lasts at least six months in the northernmost parts of the ice belt.

Lakes have water temperatures between 39 and 40 degrees during the cold water period, which is the point when water is most dense.

If water was most dense at 32 degrees, ice wouldn't float and many lakes would freeze solid during the winter. There wouldn't be any ice fishing because ice augers wouldn't be long enough to get through the ice and most fish in the ice belt would die.

When the lakes reach between 39 and 40 degrees they are ready to begin freezing. Water colder than 40 degrees floats on top of the 40 degree water and eventually freezes and forms ice.

Lakes in the Bemidji area are close to being ready to freeze, with water temperatures in the lakes dropping into the 40s this past week.

Most fish have finished their fall migrations by now and have positioned themselves close to the locations where they plan to spend the first part of the winter.

Some anglers do a lot of scouting for the ice fishing season late in the fall. Anglers can search for fish with sonar and mark spots on their GPS, so they can return to the same areas during the ice fishing season.

Walleyes are often located along the steep edges of structure or along shoreline breaks that have direct access to deep water. Baitfish are often concentrated along windward points or turns in the break line or along areas with the steepest breaks that lead into the deepest water.

Walleyes usually access a piece of structure a specific way, which are often referred to as "access points" or "contact points." It is the angler's job to figure out what the fish like about the structure and how they are using it when they are actively feeding.

There are usually areas on structure that are likely to replenish with fish more quickly than others because some feature of the structure consistently draws more baitfish than other parts of the structure.

Predators often have something like a "milk run," where they like to go when they get active and search for food. They will return to the areas where they are finding food until the food runs out or until some other area offers them a better feeding opportunity.

Edges, by definition, are areas between two different structures, whether it is two different bottom types or the outside or inside edge of weeds. Any area with more than one bottom type or several different kinds of weeds will have edges that attract prey and predators to the area.

Most predators are attracted to variety, so they like to feed along edges between habitats. One of the most important edges during the fall is the edge between the mud basin and hard-bottomed areas with some gravel or rock.

The mud basin is where most of the insect larvae and zooplankton is located during the winter. This gathers many small perch and other baitfish to the basin, which in turn attracts predator species.

The hard bottom and rocks attract larger perch and small fish of many different species including crayfish. The prey that prefers the mud basin along with the prey, which prefer the hard bottom give predators more options for food in the areas between different types of habitat and bottom types.

Paul A. Nelson runs the Bemidji Area Lakes Guide Service. Guided trips can be booked by calling or texting 218-760-7751 or by email at panelsonbemidji@gmail.com.

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