Kurt's Island Sport Shop

Great week weather wise for anglers as temps in the upper 20’s to mid-30’s made for comfortable fishing.  Even the slush issue has started to settle down on most lakes having either gotten packed down or snow cover melted down enough to let colder nights freeze it down.   Despite such good conditions, it seems ice fishing traffic has been lighter than expected (I get that Sunday (1/11) was a day of mourning here in Packer Nation).  To be fair, fishing fell off some on Saturda

I hesitated a day to see what the effects of the forecasted snow of Jan 4 th  would do to the lake ice…turns out, the 6-10” forecasted never landed!  Bad for snowmobilers, but good for anglers as this week’s mild temps may help mash down the slush a little, we hope.   Northern Pike:  Very Good – With the largest reported at 38 ½” this week ad lots of good reports on action and size.  River shiners and gold shiners in the large size as well as 5-6” suckers fished in 8-12’ weed

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!   Last report of 2025…Looks like the easy stuff is over for a while!  Last week’s mild temps and lack of snow on the ice coupled with a 7-10” ice thickness average (some up to 12”-others still in the 5-6” range) made for great fishing and catching!  Biggest concern was staying upright.  The warmth and rain made it critical to have creepers on the snowless ice – but that should end by the time this report gets out!  Lots of warm snow will most likely create a

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Wild swings in the weather, last weekend’s sub teens to midweek warm up and rain, to sub temps and incredibly high winds have really made for a fish when you can “challenge”.  Action picked up nicely after the weekend of arctic blast.  Then Saturdays (12/20) front, by mid-morning, slammed the bite OFF!  Winds and swirling snow kept most anglers away, those that did tough it out had little to nothing to show for their bravery (foolishness)!   Walleye:  Good-F

We survived an early season artic blast (sub-teen temps) over the weekend.  Not good for getting on the ice when wind chills hit 30 below and lower.  Good part is ice building and except for some areas covered with snow mounds (not good ice below) and some larger lakes (only 4” or so).  Most reports coming in have thickness of 6-8” and building.   Walleye:  Very Good-Good – Still shallow and weed related.  Shiners, both golden and river, working best in water as little as 4’

OK, It’s getting started!!   Not all lakes yet!  Trout, Fence and parts of similar large, deep lakes still not iced.  Yet enough 3-6” of good walkable ice to allow foot traffic on many of the popular, easy access ice season favorites.   Walleye:  Very Good – Shallow weeds of 4-8’, especially after dark, using medium shiners in standing cabbage.  Fish of the short week – 27 ½” caught and released by Even of Newbold, caught during the middle of the day!   Bluegill:  Very Good –

I know what you all want to hear…but you’re not going to hear it from me…yet!   We went from looking out the shop to seeing a boat fishing on Lake Minocqua on Friday (11/28), to this side of the lake skimmed over by Saturday morning (11/29).   Lakes such as Big and Little Arbor Vitaes and the better parts of Squirrel and smaller have locked up, BUT (big but), we got more snow on Sunday (11/30) and wind.  Plenty cold enough (upper teens to low 20’s) but the wind and added inch

Temps reaching low 40’s and light winds have allowed for some angling of late.  A few Musky anglers and a couple Walleye anglers couldn’t resist the mild November weather for a last shot at the open water.   Not much feedback and it looks like it may be close to the end for boat angling.  Reports of surface temps of 35-40°, with some of the northern lakes in the Mercer and Presque Isle areas starting to ice up to the point of making access difficult.   Forecast have the 40’s

Cold enough last week to lock up the pond behind the shop for a day.  Temps all the way into the 50° mark ended that.  Surface temperature readings on lakes I visited read 37-45°.  A relatively mild week ahead (lows 20’s-highs in low 40’s) won’t cool temps very quickly.  It’s the temps during Thanksgiving week that we will see lakes start to lock up.   Not much to report on the Musky front.  Lots of signs of Cisco staging.  Not many anglers out and about and even fewer report

Deer Hunting Gun Season check list... Dig out the orange gear Sight the gun Sign up for Kurt's Big Buck Contest Prizes (In Kurt's Island Sport Shop Gift Certificate) 1st Place - 50% off pool 2nd Place - 25% of pool 3rd Place - 15% of pool 1st Legal Buck - 5% of pool Smallest Legal Buck - 5% of pool Additional raffle prizes from our sponsors 1 in 5 wins Anthony's Ristorante, Bad Bones BBQ, Black Bear Bar & Grill, Forestry Tap & Axe, Heart ll Bar & Grill, Lake Tomahawk Meats,