Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Big heat for the Northwoods this week. Temps forecasted in the high 80’s to low 90’s by weeks end.

Water temps climbing and early/late trips best, as well as moving out into deeper water for better action.

Largemouth Bass: Very Good – Top-water evening action hot with Whopper Ploppers, Jitterbugs, Hula Poppers and plastic frogs providing the most fun towards the shallows. Mornings thru afternoons Wacky Worms have been a no brainer. 4” worms on 1/8 oz jigs along with similar swim baits also effective.

Smallmouth Bass: Very Good – Work outside coontail edges and off shore gravel humps using drop-shot rigs with 3” pintail minnows, 3” Wacky worms or small 2 ½” craws. Ned rigs are also very effective in similar areas. Tubes and Caroline rigging creature baits along those 14-16’ coontail edges.

Bluegill: Very Good – Work deep edges of cabbage or coontail using small leeches below slip-floats. Small minnows also work, keeping some of the smaller Gills off your hook.

Yellow Perch: Good – Not a lot of Perch, but some nicer fish (9-11”) coming from just outside 14’ weed edges. ½ crawlers, medium leeches.

Musky: Good – Evenings best. Top-water action on big, noisy baits such as Whopper Ploppers, Top Raiders and Pace Makers. Deep water action reported from anglers working big Grandma baits and large rubber baits over open water, search for signs of schools of Cisco, then count down baits to rip below schools of bait fish.

Crappie: Good – Evenings best near tall cabbage beds of 12’ and boat houses near deep water. Small beetle spins and jigs with swim tails or curly tails best.

Northern Pike: Good-Fair – Typically like a little cooler conditions. Cast spinner baits and chatter baits over cabbage flats or 8-12’.

Walleye: Fair – Play the weather. Overcast or pre-front conditions best. Big leeches or whole crawlers over sandgrass flats outside coontail or cabbage beds in 14-18’.

A hot summer will be enjoyed by those who like the top-water action for Bass and Musky. Take care of the fish in these conditions, hot water stresses fish. Get ‘em in quickly and returned to the water as fast and safely as possible.