Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 12/6/22

Fortunately for the Lakeland area, last Tuesday’s snow (11/29) was only around four inches (compared to the 8-10” further north). This allowed the couple of nights of low single digit temps to help build some better ice. Still, some of the larger lakes (Fence, Trout, Tomahawk and Lake Minocqua) have open water. High west winds on Saturday (12/3) actually opened the bay on the east end of Lake Tomahawk. Still not safe as of this report (12/6).

Crappie: Very Good – Anglers finding good #’s and size fishing tall green weeds of 9-12’. Crappie minnows on dead sticks and slow dropping Lethal Cecils tipped with waxies. A slow dropped plastic minnow on a rocker jig in silver or blue was also reportedly working very well for a certain angler who asked to remain nameless!

Walleye: Very Good – Surprisingly for early ice, live bait on tip-ups has out performed artificials so far! Suckers, shiners and chubs fished in 4-8’, many times hanging the bait just at weed top levels (4’ off bottom) has been the ticket. Reports from those jigging Raps, Hyper Glides and Slab Raps reporting some nice fish (to 26 ½” C&R), while working late afternoons just off weed edges in 10-14’.

Northern Pike: Very Good – Big shiners and suckers on tip-ups in 6-10’ of heavy weeds. Jaw Jackers set for Pike getting some interest for the fun of a Pike on rod and reel.

Perch: Good – Shallow weeds of 4-8’. Jigging with “fry” shaped jigs tipped with waxies or spikes or dead sticking small minnows.

Bluegill: Good – Same shallower weeds as Perch out to the deeper weeds of Crappies. Tiny jigs tipped with red, purple, motor oil or black plastic best.

Overall, where ice has had a chance to form, thickness averages 5-8”. Caution still advised anywhere open water meets ice or currents keep ice from forming well. With lows in 20’s and highs in 30’s this week, don’t expect much of an increase in ice thickness, but shouldn’t lose either. Great weather to be on the ice this week.