Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 6/29/26

Happy 250^th Birthday to the Greatest Country in the World!  Nowhere else do we have the opportunity and freedom to enjoy fishing like here in the Good Ol’ U.S. of A.!

Last week started a little off on 6/22 – 6/23.  High pressure and some Mayfly hatches required early and late in the day fishing, jumping lakes, a little praying and a little cussin’!

Largemouth Bass:  Good-Very Good – Hard to ignore the Wacky Worm, Amoeba, Fuzzy Dice bite.  Fishing heavy weeds has been best.  The return of the hot weather this week should really turn on the top-water action – so get those rubber frogs, Hula Poppers, Jitterbugs and Whopper Ploppers tied on to the end of your line for some early morning and late evening fireworks!

Bluegill:  Good-Very Good – The recent cold snap from two weeks ago may have messed up the Bluegill spawn on some lakes.  Had big, plump hen Gills taking crawlers and leeches over sandgrass in 18-22’ this past week!  Hot weather should bring Gills in to take small leeches, worms and tiny plastics.  You fly anglers should get some good top-water popper fishing in as well.

Smallmouth Bass:  Good—Very Good – Coontail edges and sandgrass flats still top locations, but heat will bring on rock action.  Drop-shotting craw imitations and fuzzy rubber has been a staple.  Ned rigging as well as some slip-floating 1/32 – 1/16 oz Marabou jigs over flats of sandgrass.  Early mornings – start checking inside weed lines for cruisers using top-water or shallow running twitchbaits (X-Raps, Husky Jerks).

Musky:  Good – Most action coming from anglers working weed beds (cabbage) in 6-10’ using high riding bucktails (Buchertails, Hunsys, Wizards) and shallow running twitchbaits (Cranes, Shallow Raiders) and shallow running swimbaits.  This week should bring in the top-water action!

Yellow Perch:  Good – Check cabbage in 5-8’ first using weedless 1/16 oz jigs to tempt bites tipped with beavertails or medium leeches.  If not up to par – work sandgrass flats of 14-20’ using medium fatheads or half-crawlers on 1/8 oz jigs or under slip-floats.  Sandgrass grows in the clearer lakes.  For dark water, look for wood in 12-16’!

Crappie:  Good – Work light jigs (1/32-1/16 oz) with small plastics (Kalin Crappie Scrubs, Bobby Garland Slab Slayers and Itty Bit Slab Hunters) through the top two feet of tall narrow leaf cabbage in 8-12’ depths.  Follow up with the standard Crappie minnow and float set-up.

Northern Pike:  Good – Work 3 ½-4” swimbaits (Crush City Mayors, Berkley Ripple Shads) as well as spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and the like, over weed flats of 6-12’.  Action slow down – switch to live chubs or suckers under floats or on jig and wire rigs.

Walleye:  Fair – Combination of weather and bug (Mayfly) hatches have hurt.  The Hexagenia hatches should be mostly behind us, so expect Walleyes to get hungry again.  These fickle fish may, at times, be affected more by the coming heat and storms forecasted for this week, but should be settling into stable summer patterns.  Leeches, redtails and crawlers have been best when the biting is good.

Lake surface temps are climbing into low 70’s and will surely spike into upper 70’s with forecasted temps in the upper 80’s to low 90’s this week!  Those kinda temps will bring out the pleasure boaters to enjoy the water, so plan on getting out early or fishing late for the best angling.

Pics of the Week

William, age 14, with a beautiful 27 ¾” Northern Pike

Twin brother Wyatt with a fat 25 ½” Pike

Amy Bala, age unknown, of New Lenox, IL with a 26 ½” Northern Pike, showing her boys that Moms know how to fish too!

Mighty Logan with a HAWG Largemouth Bass caught on a creature from Outer Space!

Maddix, age 11 of Fairfield, IL, with the perfect summer time fish pose!  19”, 3# 10 oz. Largemouth Bass!

Dylan from Winneconne with a HUGE 26” Walleye

Chris Kemp with a 34” Musky caught on a 4” swimbait

Cameron, age 11, of New Berlin, with a 16 ¼” Smallmouth Bass on a Whopper Plopper

Hometown hero, Jayden Ellias of Minocqua, with a 23” Walleye

Mike Trevarthan, of New Lenox, IL shows off his Exceptional 22” Smallmouth caught on a ned rig