Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Clear skies brought cold nights this past week, freezing up hard the mess from the previous weekend. Travel good for snowmobiles and all ATV and UTV travel. Despite ice thickness to 18”+ in some areas, quality of ice (not all solid, 40-50% or more grey ice) keeps us from recommending any truck or car travel

Bluegills: Good-Fair – Slowed as the week progressed. Could have been the pressure of new ice being formed, or higher barometric readings. Whatever the case, early week bite good using VMC Tungsten fly Jigs tipped with mousses or waxies. Some Gills in as shallow as 4-5’, but most anglers working 7-12’ depths.

Northern Pike: Good-Fair – Best on big shiners or suckers. Action slowed as week progressed.

Crappies: Good-Fair – While mid-winter is deep water time for this species, some anglers finding Crappies in shallower weeds of 7-12’. Glow jigs tipped with waxies or rosies over mud in 17-24’. For weed fish, plastics in yellow, pink, white and chartreuse on #8 rockers.

Yellow Perch: Fair-Good – The cold snap has actually opened up areas to fish Perch that had been tough to reach previously. Mud Flats of 18-30’ using Hali rigs, pimples, Perch Talkers to get wigglers down quickly. Red spikes a good second choice for bait as Perch feeding on mayfly larvae as well as midge larvae.

Walleye: Fair – Action relegated to evening bite mostly, well after dark on our full moon weekend. Suckers top choice for tip-up bait. A few anglers caught fish while jigging slender spoons tipped with minnow head.

Largemouth Bass: Fair – A few reports of mid-teen Bass on medium shiners.

With only three weeks remaining to the inland lake’s gamefish season, time to catch Walleye and Pike through the ice is coming quickly to an end.

Derbys on Katherine and Lake Tomahawk still a go here in the Northwoods. So, don’t put those tip-ups away yet.

Ice Fishing Events

Feb 15th – 4th Annual Rob Lemmer Memorial – Lake Katherine in Hazelhurst

Feb 15th – 18th Annual Winter Rendevous – Manitowish Waters – Rest Lake Park

Feb 22nd – Lake Tomahawk Family Fisheree – Lake Tomahawk Town Bay