I know it is difficult to find leeches in late August. It stands to reason that if I buy them prior to reaching the Duluth Superior area I will have better chances. Lets say I stop and purchase them a few hours south of Superior. Will this help with quality and availability? Thanks folks.

At that point you might as well call those places a few days in advance and see if they think they'll have any. Might hit the jackpot, or check off places you don't need to stop at....if any have any. It's been so hot so early....they might quit trapping sooner than usual this year

Call ahead and pre-order your bait.

Just curious, how long can you keep leeches alive for in your fridge? Say if you bought them now for an August trip?

August Leeches... I played football with him in high school. He was a linebacker. (Sorry... please ignore the man behind the keyboard.) :)

Buy as many leeches as you can care for early in the season when their quantity and quality are at their peak. Choices diminish later in the season. By the end of summer, you’re lucky to find any at all.

First, sort through the container and look for the bloodsuckers, which are often mixed in. They have teeth surrounding the suction cup, they have a blob-like appearance and they are often spotted with an orange underside. Toss them out. Walleyes don’t like them.

Caring for bulk leeches is easy. Put them in a plastic pan with a half-inch of water over them and put them in refrigerator at 37 to 42 degrees to mimic winter conditions. They’ll hibernate. If you add too much water or store them at too high a temperature, they’ll fade in color and look worm as they swim themselves to death.
Just rinses them off every two days to prevent them from suffocating in their own slime.

Northland Tackle live bait article