Sathre’s other top winter location is a bar on the far southern end of the lake near the entry point of a river into the lake.

For more information, contact the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce at (800) 458-2223 or online at www.bemidji.org. You may contact Fathead Guide Service online at www.fatheadguideservice.com

Cass Lake
The DNR’s Bemidji fisheries office reports Cass Lake’s walleyes are numerous and healthy, good news for walleye anglers and especially ice-anglers because these walleyes bite throughout the late ice-fishing season.

Healthy 2001-03 and 2005 year-classes should provide plenty of smaller and medium-sized fish, while healthy numbers of fish from earlier years may provide an opportunity to land a real trophy.

Sathre fishes often on Cass in the winter but said his mobility is limited because of pressure ridges on the main lake. Four-wheelers or snowmobiles are often needed to reach these locations, but it can be dangerous if it’s a big ridge. Walking is an option, but that uses too much valuable fishing time.

“There’s plenty of good fishing near shore, so if you can’t get out there, don’t worry too much about it,” Sathre said.

One of his favorite spots is a bar directly off the Highway 2 boat landing at the southwest end of the lake.

The southwest corner of Star Island is another good location for late-season walleyes, he said, and the humps on the south end are also worth checking.

Allen’s Bay on the western shore connects Cass Lake and Lake Andrusia, and features plenty of humps to keep an ice-angler busy for an entire weekend, not to mention islands and points that are good walleye locations this time of year.

For more information, contact the Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce at (800) 356-8615 or visit online at www.casslake.com

Pike Bay
Pike Bay, east of the town of Cass Lake, is deceiving, since it looks like part of the larger lake because of a narrow channel connecting it and Cass Lake. But ask any anglers that fish both lakes and they’ll tell you they are two distinctive bodies of water.

At 4,700 acres, Pike Bay is considerably smaller than Cass Lake. Still, it’s larger than most area lakes and is home to tons of walleyes. It’s also a great late-season ice-fishing destination and a favorite of Sathre.

“I’ve closed the ice-fishing season on Pike Bay the last few years because it just produces more walleyes this time of the year than any other lake in the area,” he said.

Sathre’s Pike Bay tactics are similar to the techniques he uses on Cass and Bemidji.

“I’ll search underwater points and inside turns in 13 to 18 feet of water until I find fish,” he said. “Then I’ll drill a ton of holes so I can move around the area as the fish move.”

If he’s on a spot for 10 minutes and doesn’t mark anything, he moves. If he’s with many anglers, he’ll spread them out and heavily work an area.

“I really watch my electronics and underwater camera, which I like to hide under structure on a string,” he said.

After Sathre settles on a spot, he drops a red-fish-colored eyedropper on a bobber with a shiner minnow or fathead.

“This is my dead stick method. I usually just let it sit there as I work a big shot rattle spoon with a pinched fathead minnow head,” he added.

For more information, contact the Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce at (800) 356-8615 or visit online at www.casslake.com

West Battle Lake
Located 20 miles east of Fergus Falls in Otter Tail County, West Battle Lake is often overshadowed by nearby Otter Tail Lake. Both are good late ice-fishing destinations, but the majority of anglers prefer the bigger, better known Otter Tail.