On Wednesday, June 3rd, legendary guide Johnnie Candle went live on Facebook for his monthly fishing seminar directly from the shores of Devils Lake, North Dakota. If you missed the live stream, don’t sweat it. We’ve broken down his entire report—complete with current water levels, temperatures, community questions, and the exact baits putting fish in the boat right now.

Here is what you need to know to find success on Devils Lake this June.

 

 

The Master Conditions: Water Levels & Clarity

To catch fish on Devils Lake right now, you have to understand the environment. Johnnie started the seminar by breaking down the physical changes happening across the system.

Rising Water Levels

  • Current Level: 1,450.33 feet above sea level.

  • The Trend: The lake is up 2.4 inches (0.20 hundredths of an inch) since May 5th.

  • Recent Weather: The basin just took anywhere from 2 to 4.5 inches of rain over a 24-hour period. While near-drought conditions mean the dry ground will soak up a lot of the runoff, the direct rainfall ensures the lake level won't be going backward anytime soon.

  • Navigation Tip: At over 1,450 feet, the lake is about 24 feet higher than the original lake bed. If you are in 24+ feet of water, you are clear of old tree lines and can drive fast. When approaching the shores, slow down.

Temperature Split

The main lake (Main Bay, Minnewaukan Flats) is sitting in the 57°F to 58°F range. However, if you sneak back into protected bays, temperatures jump up into the 63°F to 66°F range, with Howard’s Bay and New Mill Bay hitting as high as 68°F. These warmer areas are holding active fish.

Water Clarity is the Real Challenge

The biggest hurdle right now is that the lake is incredibly clean, boasting 4 to 6 feet of visibility even in the back bays.

Johnnie’s Golden Rule right now: "Find warmer water that’s got some color to it, and you’re going to find walleye. If it's mud, it's mud. If it's weeds, it's weeds. If it's rocks, it's rocks. It doesn't matter. Clean water, I get a few walleye. Dirtier water, many, many more."

To find this dirty water, target the windblown shores (e.g., look at a west shore after a multi-day east wind) where the sediment is stirred up, or target emerging weed beds that offer the cover clear-water walleyes crave.

 

The Hit List: Where are the Fish?

Johnnie notes that the bite isn’t a "sit in one spot and catch your limit" scenario yet. It’s a mobile game—catch a couple, move, catch a couple more. He has found fish virtually everywhere from Six Mile Bay to the west, including:

  • New Mill Bay, Holly Bay, Howard’s Bay, and Canoe’s Bay.

  • Any bay off the Minnewaukan Flats, Round Lake, Don’s Bay, and Decoy Bay.

  • Pelican Lake: Active fish are scattered all over. If you head north of the train tracks, cross on the east side, trim your motor up (or use your electric trolling motor), and play it safe.

 

What’s Catching Fish Right Now?

Johnnie gave a detailed look at his current tackle box arsenal for June. Here is the exact breakdown:

1. Jigs & Paddle Tails (The Money Maker)

The absolute top producer has been a simple 1/4 oz plain, unpainted lead head jig.

  • In Calm/Shallow Water: Drop down to 3/16 oz or 1/8 oz.

  • In High Winds: Step up to 5/16 oz or 3/8 oz.

  • The Plastics: 3.5 to 4-inch paddle tails are dominating. Johnnie highlights colors like "Perch Dinner" (olive greens/oranges/golds) and "Frosted Ice" (white with silver glitter).

  • Overcast & Low Light: Switch to high-visibility colors like the Berkeley PowerBait Ripple Shad in Fire Tiger.

  • Clear Water Alternatives: If you are stuck in clear water, switch to straight-tail or fluke-style minnows like Z-Man Jerk Shads in Perfect Perch or Pro Perch.

  • Hair Jigs: The VMC Moon Tail Jig is a top pick. Use whites and blacks in clear water, and chartreuse/fire tiger in dirtier water.

2. Slip Bobbers (The Clear Water Savior)

When you visual-spot walleyes but they refuse to commit to artificial plastics because they are boat-spooky, hit your spot lock, drop your shallow water anchor, and deploy slip bobbers.

  • Set the depth to one foot off the bottom.

  • Use a plain hook or small jig tipped with a leech.

  • Use a long rod (7.5-foot spinning rod) to lob the bobbers as far away from the boat as humanly possible with the wind at your back. Let it sit for 15–20 minutes.

3. Shallow Crankbaits & Suspending Jerkbaits

If you want to cover ground by "chucking and winding" over the tops of emerging weeds, try these:

  • Shallow Shad Rap & Rapala Esco: Both feature crooked bills designed to dive perfectly in the 4-to-5-foot range.

  • #7 Shallow Flicker Shad: These plastic baits cast incredibly far because of their weight-transfer systems and add a distinct rattle to trigger bites.

  • Berkeley Stunna (Suspending Jerkbait): Dive it down 6 to 8 feet over weed tops and fish it with a twitch, twitch, pause cadence. Because it suspends perfectly in place during the pause, it entices neutral fish like crazy.

 

The $12.99 "Killer Tip" to Save Your Tackle

The Northern Pike on Devils Lake are absolutely everywhere right now, and they are hungry. Tying a standard 6-to-8-foot fluorocarbon leader means you will easily find yourself getting bit off 6 or 7 casts in a row.

To stop throwing your money away on lost jigs and plastics, Johnnie recommends Cortland Tieable Stainless Steel Leader Material.

  • The Rig: Cut a 1-foot section of this ultra-thin wire leader.

  • The Connection: Join it directly to your braided main line using back-to-back Uni knots. Crucial Step: Only use 3 wraps for the wire side (you can use your standard 6 wraps for the mono/braid side). Tie a simple clinch knot directly to your 1/4 oz jig.

  • The Result: It is barely thicker than regular fishing line, does not affect the action of your jigs or crankbaits, and protects you entirely from razor-sharp pike teeth. Johnnie notes it hasn't slowed down the walleye bite at all!

 

Real-Time Q&A with Johnnie

During the live stream, viewers chimed in with great questions:

  • Q: Any secrets for when the lake goes flat and calm? (Tom Bauer)

    • Johnnie: Clear water and no wind is the toughest scenario on Devils Lake. When it happens, slide out a little deeper, find flooded timber (which provides shadows and cover), or fish slip bobbers vertically while staying as still as possible.

  • Q: What is the launch fee at Pelican Lake? (Kim)

    • Johnnie: There is a self-pay box right at the Pelican launch; it is $20.

  • Q: Can you tie the wire leader with a 6-and-3 twist Uni knot? (Raymond Gettle)

    • Johnnie: Yes, absolutely. 3 twists on the stainless steel side and 6 twists on the mono/braid side works perfectly.

 

Mind-Blowing Tagged Fish Movement

Johnnie shared some incredible tracking data from two tagged walleyes he personally caught on recent guide trips in the far back of Holly Bay:

  1. Fish #1 (Caught May 23 - 24.75"): This fish was originally netted and tagged on May 13th at the north end of Six Mile Bay (near Channel A). In just 10 days, this fish swam all the way around Graham's Island to the west side of the lake to get to Holly Bay.

  2. Fish #2 (Caught May 31 - 21"): This fish was tagged on April 22nd at the Pelican Bridge on Highway 19.

Both fish were tagged a month apart in completely different areas of the lake during spawning season, yet both traveled massive distances to end up in the exact same shallow, warm bay to feed. It's proof positive that the fish are moving fast to find the warmest water available!

 

Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming Local Events

If you are planning a trip to the region this month, there is plenty happening on and off the water:

  • June 6th: The Casino Cup Tournament & Dwight Yoakam Live Concert at the Casino.

  • June 20th: Monster Trucks coming to the Spirit Lake Casino.

  • June 26th: The 50th Anniversary Devils Lake Chamber Walleye Tournament. This is a massive milestone with the biggest payout ever (over $63,000 in the purse!). If the field hits 125 boats, tourism will add an extra $1,500. Registration includes high-end Aftco gear and a rules meeting meal. Quit dragging your feet and get signed up!

 

Final Reminder

Remember to keep your boat clean, drain, and dry, and make sure you grab your Aquatic Nuisance Control stickers if you are traveling from out of state. Also, buy your leeches locally—bringing them across state lines is illegal!

The fishing is right on the cusp of going completely wild. Good luck out on the water, drop your questions in the comments below, and keep those lines tight! We will see you back here for the next seminar on the first Wednesday of July.