Minocqua Area Fishing Report 7-7-26

Fully into the summer swing.

Surface temps ranging 73 - 77 degrees, fronts moving in every few days due to heat and humidity.

With the warm weather, boat traffic has increased with more skiers and jet skis on the lakes! 

Target early mornings or late evenings for some quieter time on the water.

Largemouth bass: Very good - good

Wide a variety of tactics working with the warm water. Wacky worms and Ned rigs and "urchin” baits are always a good bet, but with weather like this you don’t have to go slow. Chatter baits, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits all take nice bass. Don’t leave out some early morning or late evening topwater fun!

Bluegill: Very good – good

Getting reports of gills still on beds on many lakes, while others finding graven females deep over sand grass. The up and down temperature swings must really have thrown off the gills this year also. Fly Fisherman reported very good action on poppers and day flies as well as ants. Anglers using small leeches, thunderbugs, and worms report good action around boat houses and shallow weeds. Anglers scored deeper gills over 16–20 feet sandgrass using Beavertails and leeches.

Smallmouth Bass: Good - Very Good

Mostly deeper weed edges of 12–16 feet using drop – shot rigs with craw imitations as well as 3 inch minnows and "urchins"! Ned rigs over rock bars in 14–20 feet producing. On flowages, big smallies relating to submerged weeds feeding on perch. Time to work inshore weed edges in the early a.m. for cruisers!

Yellow perch: Good

Like the heat! Up in cabbage pockets of 8–12 feet. Medium leeches, fatheads and 1/2" crawlers or Beavertails. Flowage perch  found in drowned wood, but still some nice jumbos acting like walleyes in these submerged lumber.

Northern Pike: Good – fair

Gets too warm and it can shut these fish down. (Didn’t grandpa say they lose their teeth? Just kidding.)

Hitting spinnerbaits,  chatterbaits and 4–5 inch paddle tails!. Action slow, slide and 4–5 inch Chub or sucker through the heavy cabbage on a weedless jig with a wire leader.

Walleye: Fair – good

Bite windows small, but nice catches still working weed edges of 7–12 feet using whole crawlers or XL leeches on jigs or slip floats. Anglers finding suspended walleyes casting weight forward spinners and crawler “spoons” tipped with crawlers. Rocks and rock/mud transition areas also hold fish on deeper lakes. Anglers dragging Lindy style rigs or a 1/4–3/8oz jigs with crawlers also scoring nice fish. See pic of 32# walleye on slip bobber and leech from mid lake hump on the 4th!

Crappies: Fair

Not many reports this week. Sure they are being caught, but not much talk.

Cast tall weed (Narrow leaf cabbage) plants in 10–12 feet with small beetle spin or charlie bee under spin style grubs. As always, once you locate a pocket of crappies, Work Em over with some good ol' crappie minnows and bobbers.

Muskie: Fair?

Few anglers talking muskie and maybe just as well. With some surface temps touching 78°, best not to stress these fish by battling in warm water, wait till it cools down.

With a few hot days ahead (5th, 6th, 7th forecasted in the 80s) Beware of some climbing water temps

Tuesday night forecasted storm should alleviate temps a bit, but overall a fairly warm week.

Larry and Tina Isaacson with their catch of "eater" walleye and pike from their Northwoods visit!

Lori Tucker with her first fish "ever"! 22" Northern Pike 

Danny Murray of Seattle Washington with a nice Largemouth  caught on a Boonie Bait

Tucker with a 11 3/4" perch ( not released) on a crawler!

Kyle with a 32" trophy from a mid lake hump, slip bobber and leech!

Tucker with a BIG 20 1/4" Smallmouth Bass  caught and released on a big leech.

Griffin with a 26" Birthday  Northern Pike while fishing with his mother!