Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 2/10/26

Not bad for moving into mid-February.  Ice is good, slush nearly nonexistent and snow cover in the 4-5” range in the Lakeland Area.  Easy enough for truck, UTV, ATV, snowmobile and walking traffic!  The further North you go, don’t expect as easy of travel as there is more snow, but still fairly good travel is reported.

Fishing picked up mid-week, faltered a little on Friday (plus it was windy) then made a slight improvement before a stall mid-day Saturday (2/7) and then a much improved bite Saturday night through Monday (2/9).

Northern Pike:  Fair-Very Good – Some anglers saw reduced action for Pike (as we always do) while others saw not only good catches, but nice Pike in the 30+” range.  Running big minnows high over weed tops in 8-14’, the livelier the better.  Probably thanks to not too much snow on ice, standing weeds providing good oxygen and plenty of forage.

Yellow Perch:  Good-Very Good – Lots of action, most along weed edges over mud in 12-17’ this week.  Bug bite jigs, VMC Bull Spoons, Hali jigs and Flash Champs tipped with spikes or wigglers best.  When faced with large schools, get down quick with heavier jigs to seek larger Perch below.  When active, waxies, plastics and Beaver Tail also producing.

Walleye:  Fair-Good – Evenings best with a second go round about 9-10 PM.  Interestingly enough, while some anglers finding good Walleye out over rocks – as expected this time of year- many finding Walleyes shallower in 6-10’ in weeds.  Once again it could be the greener weeds holding more forage.  Typically, after a severe cold snap, the thickening of ice (Booming, cracking) tends to push most fish deeper.  Instead, be prepared to target weeds or tight weed edges.  Suckers working over rock humps, but shiners (especially wild shiners) better where weeds come in as cover.

Bluegill:  Good – Finding nice Gills working mud/weed transitions in 10-14’.  Small Bullflys and Tubby jigs as well as #4 Tungsten jigs tipped with spikes, waxies or plastics (Nasty Plastics Ice Stingers hot!)

Crappie:  Fair-Good – Most reports coming from anglers targeting basin fish this week, but these have been very mobile.  Be ready to move over 18-30’ “holes”.  Rattlin Kastmasters, VMC Tungsten Flat Fry tipped with waxies as well as Tikka Flash and Nano Raps also spiced up with waxies.  Weed Crappies on plastics in standing weeds of 9-12’.  Tip-downs a good choice now that we have some mild weather where the holes don’t snap shut in two minutes.

Largemouth Bass:  Fair-Good – With the warm weather, activity picking up.  Smaller shiners or jigging #5 Jigging raps tipped with big waxies or a minnow head in 8-12’

Thing to note is the Walleye and Pike activity, especially Walleye, up along weeds.  Again, this seems to be a sign of good oxygen and forage for mid-winter.

We have three more weekends of the gamefish season left (I know, I said the same thing last week…oops!).  Plenty of time to ice a Walleye or Pike or even a Largemouth before the season closes March 1^st at midnight.

Pictures of the Week

Mitch Neubauer caught this nice 21” Walleye while working over rock humps jigging.

Kayla a beginning ice anger, with her first (of many to come) Northern Pike

Ice Fishing Tournaments

February 14^th – 25^th Annual Plum Lake Ice Fishing Tournament (Sponsored by Sayner-Star Lake Lions)

February 21^st – 20^th Annual Lake Tomahawk Family Fisheree