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.
Really enjoyed reading this! Thanks for sharing such valuable insights. I’ve found Shoe Daddy’s shoe cleaning wipes, shoe wipes, and wipes for shoes especially convenient, while sneaker cleaning wipes are perfect for quick cleanups between regular washes.
Great fishing report! The updates on the Minocqua area are really helpful for anglers planning their next trip, especially the details about current conditions, fish activity, and effective techniques. Reports like this make it easier for both local fishermen and visitors to prepare before heading onto the water. I also appreciate how practical and experience-based the information feels. Outside of fishing, I enjoy discovering skilled service providers that focus on quality and attention to detail. For anyone working with embroidered logos, apparel, or custom designs, finding the best embroidery digitizing services can make a noticeable difference in stitch quality, accuracy, and overall results.
Trump threatens BG678 Game new tariffs on European allies over Greenland until deal reached, as thousands protest
Trump threatens 51 Lottery new tariffs on European allies over Greenland until deal reached, as thousands protest
I was reading through a few academic help discussions and noticed that many learners share similar struggles when working on assignments. In the middle of one conversation, Assignment Writing Help was brought up while people were discussing ways to handle difficult coursework and improve understanding. It stood out because everyone seemed to agree that academic writing requires both patience and attention to detail. I often find that I understand the topic when reading about it, but when I try to write it out properly, I end up making small but important mistakes. It could be a missing citation, incorrect formatting, or confusion between referencing styles. These issues might look small but they completely change how the assignment turns out. I…