Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Was a long, odd, cool May! Lots of patterns never seemed to set up just right. Spring peepers sang ‘til the end of the month. Tribal spearing lasted ‘til the Saturday of Memorial weekend. Water, though very plentiful, ran behind in temperature along with weed growth! Now it’s June, and despite a frost warning (6/2), things are setting up nicely.

Largemouth Bass: Very Good – Many found cruising the warm shallows. These fish have been actively taking shallow running cranks, light swim baits and small swimming jigs. 1/8 oz jig with a 3” twister tail in black or brown has been hot. Lots of low to upper teens in length.

Bluegill: Very Good – Not spawning, but taking advantage of the warmer shallows to help with egg production. Small leeches, thunderbugs and leafworms. 1” twister tails on 1/64 oz jigs fished behind a small float for castability.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Good reports of Pike taking large chubs under floats. (Another 36”/10#+ this week). Cast spinner baits, spoons in and over 8-12’ weeds.

Crappie: Good – Mixed reports as some anglers found Crappies setting up to bed, while most found outside spawning areas. Small jigs with flash have helped anglers catch Crappies to 15” this weekend. If not in tight, work weeds of 5-12’. Depths vary by lake and surface temp.

Musky: Good – Most action from mid-30” fish cruising shallows taken on smaller bucktails and 6” twitch baits. Large Bass swim jigs tipped with 5-6” tails also working.

Smallmouth Bass: Good – Still staging, but look for this to change if weekend’s forecast push water temps into steady lower 60-degree mark. So far its been tub jigs, Ned rigs and creature baits in 8-15’. Some good reports on fish to 20” working jerk baits (X-Raps, Husky Jerks) along first major break.

Walleye: Good – Action along weed edges of 10-15’ improving using leeches or fatheads on 1/16-1/8 oz weedless jigs. Slip floats with leeches also good.

Yellow Perch: Good – Not a lot of people targeting. Still, nice Perch in 8-11” range being caught by anglers trying for other species. Bellies full of thunderbugs (dragon fly larvae).

The forecasted warming trend should help solidify some of these bites. For some, such as Smallmouth and Walleye, action should pick up considerably.