Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 3/24/25

Not that we shouldn’t expect it, it is still only March!  Dodged one snowfall without a scratch (snowflake) on 3/19.  Wind the past week and some cold in the low teens wasn’t very fishermen friendly.  Now, as of this report (3/23) snow has arrived, approx. 3” and still coming down.  Wet and heavy will make trudging through a bit messy.  You can put away your cleats for a bit, but pull on your tall boots.

Crappie:  Very Good-Good – Fishable days have been the biggest hindrance.  Wind made it tough to move about.  Slow dropping jigs with plastics not easy in these winds.  Tough to keep the tip-downs standing.  Still nice catches.  Using flip-shacks or hubs to keep the wind off, anglers reported good catches using Crappie minnows, rosies and even wigglers.  Still a basin bite over 20-28’, with fish sometimes suspended 6-12’ off the bottom.  Up in the weeds (8-12’) tough to properly work plastics.  Dead sticking small minnows next to your jigging spoons (pimples, pinheads) for weight best.

Yellow Perch:  Very Good-Good – Not the reports of previous week, but good action despite conditions.  Wigglers over mud in 16-24’ reported best catches.  Using flashy, heavy jigs to draw attention and keep bait down.  Anglers using medium fts or large rosies to target larger fish.  Some action in cabbage on shallower lakes.

Bluegill:  Good-Fair – Not liking the conditions as much.  Surprisingly some reports of large schools out over 20-24’ working under Crappies.  The weed bite should return, especially on days where warm air will melt snow into ice.

Ice thickness has changed some despite the colder temps.  Averaging 24” or so with some smaller lakes reporting only 14”.  Most had brittle surfaces with better ice below.  A couple areas near inlets had the opposite, hard 12” on top with soft, rotting ice below.  Could be from warmer water moving through below the ice.  Either way, it’s time to use caution.  Safety picks, floatation jacket or vest, rope and a fishing buddy.

If forecast holds (right…) we should be good through the coming weekend.  Heading into the first week of April could see things change.