Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 6/2/26

A beautiful week for fishing, a couple days of east winds shy of a perfect week.  Overall, fishing was good and looking forward, no reason to think it won’t remain so with steady temps in the upper 70’s to low 80’s forecasted all week.

Smallmouth Bass:  Excellent-Very Good – Many bedding fish, some already done due to warm temps.  Top-water action hot on Chug Bugs, Tiny Torpedoes.  Urchin style baits have been the rage as well as Senko’s, Neds, Yum Breakin Shad and Flukes.  Post spawn fish hitting X-raps and Husky Jerks out over 8-12’ breaks away from spawning areas.  Season does not open until the 20^th of June, but Smallies best for catch and release anyway.

Walleye:  Very Good-Good – As cabbage weeds starting to grow and thicken, work leeches on 1/16 – 1/8 oz jigs through 6-12’ patches.  Wind blown weeds best, but even the lee sides holding fish.  Minnows, crawlers (1/2 crawlers in weeds) and 3” plastic swimbaits (Kitech’s) snapped through these areas popping fish.  Stomach searches finding mayfly larvae, so don’t discount mud flats in 12-16’, especially on the Flowages

Crappie:  Very Good-Good – Lots of signs that bedding is over!  Work tall narrow leaf cabbage outside of previous spawning areas.  Mini Mites, Crappie Scrubs, Charlie Bees all good choices worked through top half of tall weed growth in 8-12’ of water.

Northern Pike:  Very Good-Good – Loving the new weed growth to set up for ambush.  4” swimbaits, Mepps #3:#4 Comet Minnows, Boonie Baits and chatterbaits.  Even the “fly” guys catching some Pike on large streamers.  Jig and chub or a sucker of 4-6” under a float good back up.

Yellow Perch:  Very Good-Good – Nice Perch of 9-12” showing up where new weed growth is emerging.  Mostly showing signs of feeding on dragonfly larvae (thunderbugs) and small crayfish.  Use thunderbugs (if available), medium leech or 1/2 crawlers all working!

Largemouth Bass:  Very Good-Good – Next in line to move up to spawn.  Largemouth feeding up on most anything that moves in the warm shallows.  Wacky Worms, Flukes, tubes and 4: Power Worms fished on 1/8 oz jig heads doing the trick.  Top-water action on plastic frogs, spiders and mice as well as the smaller size 60 to 75 Whopper Ploppers towards evenings the most fun!

Bluegill:  Good-Very Good – Nice Gills in the 7-8 1/2” range slurping up small leeches and thunderbugs in 6-9’ weeds.  Some top-water action on calmer evenings reported by fly anglers and spinning anglers using poppers and dry flys (spinning anglers using clear plastic bobbers to cast light lures.)

Musky:  Good-Fair – Most on smaller bucktails, 6” twitchbaits and small 6” gliders.  Smaller Musky in mid-30” size range cruising shallow inside weed edges, larger fish a bit deeper over 6-10’ weeds.

Patterns should continue to hold as a week of steady, warm weather should help weed growth and hopefully stabilize the fish still waiting to spawn.  Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass in that order will be in next.  The leech bite has really picked up on a lot of lakes and the month of June looks like it should be a great one on the water.

Pics of the Week

Kinsley at it again with a nice Crappie off Grandpa’s dock!

Cooper caught some fun Bass off of Grandpa’s dock!

Geri Koch of St. Germaine with a 23 ¼” Walleye!  C&R

Tom (Dog Boy) Waite of Honey Creek, WI with a healthy 15” Largemouth – C&R

Will Lask of Edwardsville, IL with a nice 18” Walleye!

Kyle Lask with a 23 ¾” Walleye – C&R

Kyle again with a nice 30” Northern Pike!