Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 10/13/26
Weather was beautiful, but wicked. Colors in the Northwoods peaked, unusually warm weather (highs 81-83°) made for great sight-seeing and bicycling, but winds with gusts into the 30’s made for tough boat and cast control.
Surface temps did not shoot up as predicted. Still, most lake temps reading 58° (mornings up North) to 61° in the Minocqua area. 54-55° is usually the tipping point for turn-overs to start on lakes. With so many different sized lakes and varying depths, they don’t all turn at once. Things may get started if forecast remains true.
Had a far less than stellar week myself…have to live vicariously through my customers…
Musky: Good-Fair – Been a long stretch for low 60° surface temps, shallow water still holding fish. Bucktails, top-water and twitchbaits best. Some sucker action tight to weed edges. Seems the Musky outside weeds still tentative. Waiting for cold snap to turn on?
Northern Pike: Good-Fair – Some while targeting Musky, others on spinnerbaits and 5” swimbaits worked over existing green weeds. Jig and chub or sucker on wire leader worked along 8-14’ edges.
Smallmouth Bass: Good-Fair – Not as much targeting as being caught by anglers fishing Musky (yes, big Smallies like Musky sized lures), Pike and Walleyes using crankbaits and soft swimbaits.
Walleye: Good-Fair – Weekend wind made for tough boat control. Calmer days along gravel/mud transition areas of 26-34’ using 1/8-1/4 oz jugs and large fats, small chubs or ½ crawlers. Jiggin Raps and Shiver Minnows also working when aggressive bite windows occur.
Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Mud flats with wood or sparse weed growth in 12-15’ of water. ½ crawlers or medium fatheads best, tight to bottom.
Crappie: Fair – Tough to target most days. Plenty of sign of suspended schools outside weeds (12-18’) or around drowned wood or cribs. Wind making it tough to present jigs with plastic or Marabou hair or small minnow.
Largemouth Bass: Fair – Not much attention, but a few reports from anglers working green weeds with Wacky Worms and Carolina rigging 4” Power worms.
Bluegill: Fair – Except for dock anglers, no other reports this past week.
With highs forecasted in mid-50’s (high of 46 on Fri 10/16) and lows of 29-40°, we may see some drop in our surface temps. Cold snaps in the fall typically trigger a bite, unlike spring and summer. Future reports will most likely be heavy on Musky, Walleye, Pike and Crappies as it appears interest in Smallies, Largemouth and Gills seems to be waning.
<<<< THIS WEEK >>>>
Headwater Chapter of Walleyes for Tomorrow is holding a fundraiser raffle featuring rod/reel combos, guns, meat, ice fishing equipment and more…Please help support this club as they help support the Walleye fisheries of Oneida and Vilas Counties.
Rustic Roadhouse in Manitowish Waters
Thursday, October 15th
5:30–8:30 pm
Pics of the Week
Luka Milutinovic of Grays Lake, IL with a beautiful 46” Musky – he would not divulge the lake nor the name of the beauty sitting beside him
Mario Rivera with a Jumbo Perch to go with his Jumbo grin
Caleb Stroik with a nice Walleye
Tony Stefanski with an 18” Whopper of a Smallmouth
Caleb Stroik sent this pic of an aggressive Perch that hit his crankbait
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