Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 10/5/26
Beautiful fall colors and weather this past week. Water temps not dropping much due to mild, sunny afternoons (10/4 was rather windy). Biggest concerns are getting on the water on some lakes due to low water and the DNR has started taking some piers out already. They always do, as posted, starting October 1st!
As typical, I’ll start report off with what I had the best reports on the previous week. But here’s a tip, many times the lowest ranking fish will surprise me with being a good biter after I write these. Like Yellow Perch last week…as if I needed more humbling!
Yellow Perch: Good-Very Good – Here ya go! Went looking for Crappies…couldn’t find, but ran into nice catch 9-11” Perch in 12-14’ weeds using medium fatheads on slip-floats. Other anglers reported nice Perch over 8-12’ mud flats with scattered wood.
Crappie: Good-Very Good – I couldn’t find when hired, but others did well. Edges of river channels in 12-14’ near wood and suspended schools outside coontail edges of 12-16’. Medium fatheads, small paddle tailed plastics and hair jigs scored nice Crappies (see pics) including a 16” monster, biggest I’ve seen this year.
Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Actively feeding up in shallower remaining good weeds. Casting 4” paddle tails on 1/8-1/4 oz jigs, Mepps Aglia spinners in sizes #3:#4., and jig and chub combos. Feeding on small Perch, so orange, greens and yellow color schemes working well.
Smallmouth Bass: Good – Working gravel/rock bars in 18-28’ using drop-shot rigs with 3” minnow (Gulp-Alive) imitations. Heavier Ned rigs and tubes also producing.
Largemouth Bass: Good – Most reports on wacky worm rigs and drop-shots along outside weed edges in 10-15’. With Musky patrolling the shallows (supposedly) Largemouth stepping outside to make room.
Walleye: Fair-Good – Weather conditions definitely key! Overcast, fog really seemed to help bite – especially in shallower water. Medium chubs and large redtails on weedless jigs in 9, to as little as 3’ on some days. Rest of the time deeper gravel/mud transitions either 1/8-1/4 oz jig and fathead or ½ crawler. Jigging Shiver Minnows and Raps picking up aggressive hits.
Bluegill: Fair-Good – Not much shallow, move out away from weeds in 8-14’. Bigger Gills even taking small minnows meant for Crappies. otherwise, ½ crawlers. Mud bottoms with wood or cribs also holding suspended schools.
Musky: Fair (Maybe if they had treated my clients and myself better, they’d get a better ranking!!!) – If it’s that the water temp hadn’t dropped enough, the full moon period we just left behind last week or just bad picks! Had Musky action on suckers that would pick up and chew, then drop (bad tasting suckers? – probably small fish). Twitch baits did better for strikes and hook ups. Fish still cruising shallow weeds – surface temps 59-64° this past week – doesn’t look to change. C’mon new moon this weekend!
So this should…and will be…the start of a great Musky month. Just have to shake some of these missed opportunities off. While still above turn-over – cast top-water, bucktails, twitch and fast gliders. Suckers starting, it will get better.
Headwater Chapter of Walleyes for Tomorrow is holding a fundraiser raffle featuring rod/reel combos, guns, meat, ice fishing equipment and more…Please help support this club as they help support the Walleye fisheries of Oneida and Vilas Counties.
Rustic Roadhouse in Manitowish Waters
Thursday, October 15th
5:30–8:30 pm
Pics of the Week
Corey Painter of Minocqua with a 16” Crappie (the one in his left hand is a 12”er)!
Brantley Immel caught this 12” Crappie on a fathead minnow
Texas Joe with a big ol’ Texas picture stretch of a few of his Walleyes to show Brother-in-law Tim, who couldn’t make it.
Melissa Dreikosen-Polzer of Madison, with her husband-beating (by a ¼”) Northern Pike
Jeff Walz of Eagle River with a monster 21.5” Smallmouth Bass caught on a Spook
Crystal of Mukwonago, WI with a nice Pike
Crystal with her Walleye
DJ of Mukwonago, WI with a Northern Pike
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