Minocqua Area Fishing Report

No two days the same as of late. Wind direction, wind speed, temperature jumps and plunges, clouds, sun…yet lots of lake surface temps hovering around 55 degrees. It’s definitely October and anglers have been busy targeting their favorite fish of the fall, Musky, Walleye and Crappies.

Musky: Good-Very Good – It’s really varying from day to day and lake to lake. While suckers are the typical fare for October, glide baits (Smity Jerks:Phantoms), jerk baits (Suicks) and twitch baits (Cranes, Shallow Raiders) are out boating the live bait on some days. High winds making boat control tough. Most fish coming off weed lines of 6-10’. Some days of actions (3, 5, 6 or more fish per boat reported) or 1 large fish in the upper 40’s. Loos like a couple more weeks of good action in store!

Walleye: Good-Fair – Wind and boat control being the largest hindrance. Vertical jigging Shiver Minnows and jigging Raps along deep rocks and transition areas of 24-34’. Jig or Lindy rig live chubs or suckers if fish are not aggressive enough for lures. Be careful bringing fish out of deep – SLOW ascent is key and responsible for safe release.

Smallmouth Bass: Fair – Few reports, but a few anglers finding Smallies along transition zones of hard to soft bottoms in 18-28’.

Northern Pike: Fair – Most caught by Musky anglers. Smaller twitch baits and glide baits best.

Crappie: Good-Fair – Wind making drifts hard on some days. Deep wood best, but possible to score on suspended fish if you watch your locator closely. Schools suspending at 7-9’ down over 14-18’.

Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Perch – No reports.

Water temps holding fairly steady at 52-56 degrees due to fluctuating air temps (50-75 degrees past several days for highs). While some bait is tough to find (redtails, Walleye suckers), Musky suckers and farm raised Brook Trout have been available as of late for the Musky anglers.