Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Great weather for the celebration of the 4th of July brought lots of people to the Northwoods and lots of boats (of all types) to the lakes of the Northwoods. Hot weather has shot lake water temps up over the weekend, with reports of surface temps over 80 degrees!

Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Early in week, following high pressure and cool nights, mornings were tough, but as temps rose action increased. When things were tough, slowly working Wacky Worms or Ned Rigs through the thick weeds enticed reluctant bites. As things warmed, working swim jigs, tubes a little quicker and high through weeds better. Hot evenings providing good top-water action on Frogs, Pop-R’s and Jitter Bugs!

Smallmouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Heat pushed some Smallie action out on humps where drop-shotting and fishing football jigs/creatures producing. Also working deeper coontail edges using the same techniques and heavy tubes also picking up nice fish in 14-18’.

Bluegills: Good – Gills active in cabbage of 8-12’ taking small leeches, worms or Mini-Mites tipped with

waxies.

Musky: Good – Fast bucktail retrieves, swim baits moving fish still in weeds. Top-water action improving with heat, Top Raiders and Whopper Ploppers catching fish.

Northern Pike: Good – Spinner baits, chatter baits and Rattle Traps worked at weed top level popping fish. Swim baits in the 4” range, especially those on a lipped jig head producing well.

Yellow Perch: Good – ½ crawlers, frozen soft-shell craws and medium leeches in deeper cabbage pockets (8-12’) and along coontail edges with sandgrass nearby in 18-22’.

Crappies: Fair-Good – Some very big slabs (13-15”) being caught in unusual areas! Anglers finding these fish in 3-5’ weeds, very unusual with surface temps as high as they are. Mini-Mites, tiny tubes and small Gapen Fresh Water Shrimp jigs tipped with waxies, under very small floats or without with long cast needed not to spook fish.

Walleye: Fair – Bite windows small. Locations vary by lake type and even on same lakes! Some weed fish by working redtails or full crawlers on weedless jigs. Others out over off shore humps of gravel or sandgrass using big leeches or Walleye suckers on Lindy style rigs.

A cool down following this hot weekend, with some rain, and lows in mid-40’s with highs in mid-70’s will make for pleasant weather, but once again, plan for changing patterns or bites due to this unstable pattern.