Hull & Hook
Beltrami County, Minnesota

Upper Red Lake

Best fishing times today, in local lake time.

Today
Good day

Next major bite

4:37–6:37 PM CT
  • Major bite (moon overhead): 4:05–6:05 AM
  • Minor bite (moonset): 1:13–2:13 PM
  • Major bite (moon underfoot): 4:37–6:37 PM
  • Minor bite (moonrise): 9:06–10:06 PM
Sunrise
8:01 AM
Sunset
6:03 PM
Moon
Waning gibbous, 74%

Times in Central Time. Updated 7:08 AM CT.

Conditions

Air
36°F
Wind
2 mph NNW
Sky
Partly Sunny
Pressure
30.32 inHgSteady (+0.7 hPa in 3 h)

National Weather Service hourly forecast; pressure from station KVWU at 6:15 AM CT.

7-day bite calendar

DayRatingMajorMajorMinorMinorMoon
Today4:05–6:05 AM4:37–6:37 PM1:13–2:13 PM9:06–10:06 PMWaning gibbous, 74%
Sat, Oct 315:07–7:07 AM5:37–7:37 PM1:54–2:54 PM10:28–11:28 PMWaning gibbous, 63%
Sun, Nov 15:05–7:05 AM5:32–7:32 PM1:24–2:24 PM10:50–11:50 PMLast quarter, 52%
Mon, Nov 25:58–7:58 AM6:22–8:22 PM1:47–2:47 PM—Waning crescent, 40%
Tue, Nov 36:46–8:46 AM7:09–9:09 PM12:10–1:10 AM2:05–3:05 PMWaning crescent, 30%
Wed, Nov 47:32–9:32 AM7:54–9:54 PM1:27–2:27 AM2:21–3:21 PMWaning crescent, 20%
Thu, Nov 58:16–10:16 AM8:38–10:38 PM2:41–3:41 AM2:37–3:37 PMWaning crescent, 13%

What's biting on Upper Red Lake in October

Upper Red Lake covers 119,294 acres and is 15 ft at its deepest, so it has no deep, cool water to hold fish in summer. These are the sport fish DNR surveys found here, and what each typically does in October in Minnesota lakes.

  • WalleyeFall walleye feed heavily on rocky points and breaklines; dusk and after dark are often best.
  • Northern pikeFall pike feed heavily along the last green weeds and drop-offs.
  • CrappieFall crappies school tightly in deeper basins and feed actively.
  • BluegillFall bluegill move toward deeper weed edges and feed actively.
  • Yellow perchFall perch school on deep flats and feed heavily.
  • BurbotAs the water cools, burbot become more active along the bottom.

The DNR lists special fishing regulations for Upper Red Lake; check them on its LakeFinder page before you go.

Season notes: Minnesota statewide inland seasons from the DNR's 2026–27 fishing regulations. Check current regulations.

Fish in Upper Red Lake

Species found in Minnesota DNR fish surveys of Upper Red Lake in the last 10 years or its latest survey (July 1, 2025).

  • WalleyeSpawns over gravel and rock in the shallows soon after ice-out, peaking in 42–50°F water; in summer it holds deeper and feeds in the shallows at dawn and dusk.
  • Northern pikeSpawns in flooded, weedy shallows right after ice-out and keeps feeding in cold water, so it bites from spring through ice season.
  • Black crappieSpawns in May and June in shallow water in the mid-60s °F; schools roam open water and feed most at night, dawn and dusk.
  • BluegillNests in colonies in firm-bottomed shallows from late May through much of summer, in 67–80°F water; bigger fish feed in open water.
  • Yellow perchSpawns in early spring, draping egg ribbons over weeds and brush, and bites eagerly on worms all year, including through the ice.
  • Rock bassNests over gravel near rocks and logs in late spring and stays close to rocky cover all summer.
  • BurbotA freshwater cousin of the cod that spawns under the ice in mid to late winter, when anglers catch most of them.
  • Lake sturgeonA long-lived fish that spawns in spring over rocky river rapids and feeds along the bottom.

Also found

  • Freshwater drum
  • Goldeye
  • Lake whitefish
  • Quillback
  • Redhorse
  • Shorthead redhorse
  • White sucker

Lake facts

Shoreline from Minnesota DNR survey maps, simplified.
Area
119,294 acres
Max depth
15 ft
Nearest town
Waskish
DNR lake ID
04003501

Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder (retrieved October 30, 2026).

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