Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 6/17/25

Not sure why I include the forecast, it's/I’m never right, don’t need to look any dumber than I already do.  But here goes…Finally some warmer weather (not supposed to be below 50 degrees this week) with highs in mid-70’s.  Cloud cover has been a plus (rain-ehh!).  Seeing lots of signs of bedding starting to subside, so hopefully summer patterns will firm up.

Musky:  Good-Very Good – Still good reports of active fish hitting top-water (Fat Bastards, Dr. Evil, Whopper Ploppers) smaller bucktails (Bootails, Wizzards) and 6” twitchbaits, mostly in shallower weeds of 4-8’ near where Gills have been bedding.  Numbers and size good, sure some off days, but overall, very active

Bluegill:  Good-Very Good – Shallow water, feeding well on top-water dry flys or poppers at times without rain.  Small leeches, leaf worms, thunderbugs and mini-mites tipped with waxies.  Either still bedding or just off.  Most in 4-8’ of cabbage.

Largemouth Bass:  Good-Very Good – Great action pitching Wacky Worms in shallows around piers and boathouses.  Still some bedding fish hitting top-water baits up inside weed line/shore areas.  Pre-rigged plastic worms, 3” swimbaits and shallow stickbaits taking fair share.

Smallmouth Bass:  Good – Some lakes still seeing bedding fish, mostly smaller males, but this time about over.  X-Raps, Husky Jerks, Keitech Swimbaits and Ned Craws working well.  Smallies still fairly shallow as not a lot of reports from deep rocks yet.

Northern Pike:  Good – Jigging 4” swimbaits or reaper tail baits in heavy cabbage of 6-12’.  Live bait bites soft, sometimes feeling like a Walleye bite until you set the hook!  Chubs and suckers on a weedless jig with a wire leader and a stout hook.

Yellow Perch:  Good – Action in tall, narrow leaf cabbage of 8-12’.  Nice fish of 9-11” taking medium fatheads or leeches on slop-floats or jigs.  Flowage Perch relating to wood in 12-20’ of water on ½ crawlers.

Crappie:  Good-Fair – Scattered throughout tall, narrow leafed cabbage in 8-14’.  1/32 oz jigs with 1 ½” plastic split tails or swim tails.  Good ol’ slip float and small minnow.  Not tightly grouped, but nice fish!

Walleye:  Fair – Having a tough time with consistency.  Fish scattered using 6-12’ weeds on overcast mornings.  Leeches and small chubs or large redtails.  During the day moving out to deeper, 10-18’ coontail edges.  Evening bite on lighted slip-bobbers and leeches.

Sounding like a broken record (young people…what’s that?), but the stable yet overcast weather should help anglers this week key in on some consistent patterns.  We lost about 4-5 degrees surface temps during last week’s cold and rain (avg about 61 degrees as of this report) but that should climb now.

Pics of the week

These young ladies were slaying the Crappies, and a nice Walleye to boot.