Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 2/26/24

Just one week left to the inland gamefish season here in the Northwoods.  Lines out of the water at 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 3rd!

Thanks to a couple more single digit mornings last week, we may have some of the best ice we’ve had all season, reports and personal measurements are ranging from 10-15” with 11-13” the most common.  Even had a report of 11” on South Trout!  Last week at bat for gamefish so we will start there…

Walleye:  Fair-Good – Tough with high pressure, but evenings picked up by Sunday night (2/25).  Jigging Raps, Tikka Minnows and Slab Raps produced fish in the upper teen to mid-20” range.  Tip-ups with suckers seemed best after dark.  Most reports from off shore humps and sand bars, though weed edges in 9-14’ also picking up evening traffic.

Northern Pike:  Fair-Good – Following a slow down of action, Pike activity also improved as of 2/25.  Big baits to deter smaller Bass and Pike preferred.  Pike suckers and large shiners.  Mornings still slower (could be single digit temps) but improve as things warm.

Largemouth Bass:  Fair – Action best on warmer days.  Medium shiners on tip-ups, but a #3 pimple loaded with waxies will also work.  Anglers using tip-downs with small minnows also reporting catching Bass – try small golden shiners if Bass are your target on tip-downs.

Bluegill:  Fair-Good – Like everything else, action came late in the weekend.  Anglers reported hardest part keeping lines in the water.  Nice Gills (7 ½+”) in weeds of 5-9’.  Others finding Gills over basins of smaller lakes (less than 500 acres) using tungsten to get (and keep) waxies, spikes or mousses down to the fish.

Yellow Perch:  Fair – Most reports from anglers fishing weeds of 5-12’ for other panfish scoring on nice “eaters” of

 8– 9 ½” on jigs with waxies or deadsticks and minnows.  Get just outside of the weeds into mud and lots of little ones.  Deeper mud flats (20-30’) providing some nice fish on spoons with wigglers.

Crappie:  Fair – Best over basins of 22-34’.  Be patient as schools seem to be on the move.  Small, flashy lures to attract – Tikka Flash, Jointed Pin Heads and small Kastmasters, then a more subtle approach at times to trigger shy fish.

A few Burbot being caught by night time Walleye anglers.  Not much on Whitefish.  Nothing on Bullheads.

Forecast:  I had down 58 hours of temps above freezing and 72 hours below through Saturday.  Aboves in 50’s at times, lows in single digits (one 17-hour stretch) bracketed by temps in teens mid-week to firm things up.  Dare I say ice should hold through the weekend, but if we don’t get more cold snaps in March, it may not last long.

Upcoming Events

Mar 2nd – KISS Annual High School Ice Fishing Tournament – Lake Minocqua