Minocqua Area Fishing Report

A long mild stretch of weather halted ice production for the time being. Night time lows firming things up for morning anglers, but afternoons are a little sloppy.

Access pretty good overall for foot, ATV and snowmobile traffic. Travel over mid portions of lakes with any type of vehicle not advisable on the larger lakes, but overall averages of 8-10” seem to be the norm.

Walleye: Good-Very Good – After last weeks tough weekend, things have turned around. Better reports as fish feeding again. Jigging Raps, Slender Spoons, Northland Glo Spoons and Clam Flutter Spoons effective. Tip ups baited with suckers over sandgrass flats and mud transitions from hard drops in 14-18’. One hour before dark till one hour after. About 8-9 PM and again from hour before dawn till about 8 AM best. Good reports of eaters plus several reports of 26-28 ½” Walleyes this past week by the after work crowd, all releases, thanks guys!

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Best action dawn till late morning. Cabbage flats and along edge using big suckers on slab shiners. Decent numbers of eaters (22-26”) but several 34-39” “gators” caught and released also.

Yellow Perch: Good-Very Good – Most reports are of numbers, but sorting to get a meal or two plus lots of fun! Venom Glow Spoons, Pimples and Kastmasters tipped with spikes or wigglers. With warm (above freezing) temps, tip-downs have worked very well baited with small fatheads or rosies.

Crappies: Good – Best slow dropping plastics (Duppies, Wedgees) on rockers, moon glows. Tip-downs with minnows good also. Hold tighter to base of tall cabbage in 8-12’ for larger slab (12’13”) Crappies.

Bluegills: Good – Small lead jigs, (popular on calmer days) tipped with waxies or plastics producing “action” Gill, with sorting required to get some eaters.

Largemouth Bass: - Good – With warmer temps, anglers catching Largemouth on tip-ups baited with shiners and even smaller jigs baited with waxies.

As much as anglers are enjoying these daytime highs in the 30’s, and even low 40’s, many of us would like to see some sub-zero temps to get a good base of 14-16” of ice before snow arrives. Fortunately, no snow in near forecast and night time lows in upper teens will help keep what we have.

Fishing has been good, and with friendly temps, and not a lot of ice to cut, it’s a great time to get out on the ice.