Waters · United States
Upper Red Lake fishing report
Updated Wednesday, October 21, 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
A huge, shallow, flat-bottomed lake whose walleye fishery came back after the restoration of the late 1990s. Early-ice walleye draw anglers from across the Upper Midwest, and resorts plough and maintain roads on the ice.
Today's report: good (75/100)
Walleye is the most promising species on Upper Red Lake today. Water temperature is around 45°F (7.2°C) and barometric pressure is stable.
Best time to fish today
- 4:00 PM–6:00 PM local time — score 71/100
- 9:00 PM–11:00 PM local time — score 75/100
- 10:00 AM–12:00 PM local time — score 70/100
3-day outlook by species
| Species | Wednesday, Oct 21 | Thursday, Oct 22 | Friday, Oct 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 75 — good | 76 — good | 92 — excellent |
| Northern Pike | 64 — good | 61 — good | 85 — excellent |
| Yellow Perch | 71 — good | 70 — good | 96 — excellent |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's Upper Red Lake rating:
- pressure trend: helping (+1)
- light: helping (+1)
- solunar period: helping (+1)
- season: helping (+1)
- wind: helping (+0.85)
- precipitation: helping (+0.71)
Forecast computed Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:57:52 GMT · data: Open-Meteo · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
Winter fishing on Upper Red Lake
Upper Red Lake is a classic early-ice walleye lake: it is shallow and freezes early, so its ice season often starts before the deeper lakes nearby. Walleye feed around mud flats and weed edges, and perch and pike mix in. Resorts maintain plowed roads on the ice, and using them is safer than driving out on your own. Minnesota's walleye rules on Red Lake are set separately and can change, so check the current regulations.
Seasons, closed sections and permits are set by the state and change. Check the current regulations before a winter trip, and never trust shelf ice or a forecast for your safety.
Wondering how this stacks up against the apps you already know? Cast & Scan vs Fishbrain vs BassForecast — an honest comparison, including where they beat us.
Read before you go
- When pike bite: the pressure, light and temperature windows
- Barometric pressure and fishing, explained
More walleye waters
- Lake Erie (Western Basin) — Ohio, USA
- Lake St. Clair — Michigan, USA
- Au Gres River — Michigan, USA
- Devils Lake — North Dakota, USA
- Grand River (Lower) — Michigan, USA
Nearby waters
- Lake of the Woods — Ontario, Canada (86 mi away)
- Mille Lacs Lake — Minnesota, USA (140 mi away)
- Knife River — Minnesota, USA (159 mi away)
- Bois Brule River — Wisconsin, USA (183 mi away)
- Devils Lake — North Dakota, USA (194 mi away)
- Green Bay — Wisconsin, USA (404 mi away)