Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Mid-August can be the start of a challenge for anglers. Cool nights and the end of the growing season for some aquatic plants can cause a shift in location and feeding habits for some species. As of now, there hasn’t been a drastic change but a cooling trend is something to consider for the second half of August.

Largemouth Bass: Very Good – Not a lot new here. Wacky worming has got all other methods (even live bait) beat hands down. Jig and craw combos and pre-rigged plastic worms over weed tops in 6-10’ of cabbage also good choices.

Smallmouth Bass: Very Good-Good – Drop-shotting and Ned rigging TRD worms over gravel humps of 18-26’. Some nice fish working coontail edges of 14-18’ using same methods.

Bluegill: Very Good-Good – Best Gills out over deeper cabbage or suspended outside coontail edges. Small leeches, minnows or tiny jigs tipped with waxies best.

Yellow Perch: Good – Best over sandgrass using Lindy rigs ½ crawlers.

Northern Pike: Good-Fair – Limited action but some nice fish in low 30” class on spinner baits.

Crappie: Good-Fair – Still working tall narrow leaf cabbage using small jigs tipped with minnows or 1-2” twister tails.

Musky: Good-Fair – Top-water and big bladed bucktails over deep weed edges. Evenings best.

Walleye: Fair – Transition on some lakes to deeper gravel not quite set up yet. Weed edges with leeches still best.

Water temps remain in mid-70’s.