Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Some cool weather moved into the Lakeland area this past week bringing rain and wind and dropping lake surface temps 3-5 degrees and more in some cases. Surface temps as low as 67 degrees on some lakes, a drop of 7 degrees. With the temperature drop so did fish activity. Mornings (with air temps in the low 40’s) were the worse, with afternoon/evenings being the best time to fish.

Northern Pike: Good – These fish seem to not mind the cooler temps. Mornings best on live chubs or suckers and better on 4” swim baits, spinners and spinner baits in the afternoon.

Musky: Good – Some shallower water action using smaller twitch baits (Cranes, Shallow Raiders) and smaller bucktails. The top-water bite slowed with the temperature drop, should improve some as the week progresses, but will want some hot weather to amp up top bite.

Bluegills: Good – As with the big fish, top-water popper bites slowed, but Gills actively taking small jigs tipped with waxies or small leeches.

Smallmouth Bass: Good – Tube jigs and creature baits on jigs along deeper weed edges. The cool seems to have moved fish off rocks and up to deep weeds.

Largemouth Bass: Good – Holding in deeper weeds. Jig and creature or wacky worming best. Need to get into the thick stuff to coax them out.

Crappies: Good – Very scattered. Cover lots of water to find small pods of fish. Gapen Freshwater Shrimp, Mini Mites and tiny 1 ½” tubes best.

Yellow Perch: Fair – Heat would help. Fish scattered and hard to pick up more than 1-2 here and there in 8-12’ weeds using thunderbugs or small leeches.

Walleye: Fair – Really needed to work in thick weeds using redtails or XL leeches on invasion jigs. Some nice fish, included a 29 ¾” over weekend. But lots of moving and searching for decent catch.

Despite the slowdown, temps look to slowly warm into the upper 70’s by week’s end and should bring some normalcy back to the area fishing. Still a few larger lakes yet to experience the big Hex hatch, the cool down will extend the wait a bit, but most lakes are done with that.