Minocqua Fishing Report 1-09-23

Minocqua Fishing Report 1/09/2023

It’s been a wonderful week weatherwise. I’ve even got to see the sun the past few days. The Lakeland area got fortunate not getting the deep heavy snow our neighbors to the west received last week. Conditions and temps have been mild allowing anglers to spend lots of time on the ice.

High pressure coupled with full moon, may have slowed things a bit, but overall fishing and opportunities to fish have remained good.

Crappies: Good – very good.

Well it doesn’t feel like mid winter with daytime highs in the mid 20s, Crappies on lakes with good depth 24’+ have shifted out to the mid lake basin haunts. Check depths of 24 to 38 feet.

watch for school suspended for 4-10’ off the bottom. Spoons to give flash, rattles even better, tipped with spikes, waxies, plastics or minnow heads. Tip downs working well also. In along weeds of 8 to 12 feet, slow drop lethal Cecils tipped with waxies on jigs with light colored plastics.

Northern pike: good – very good

From as shallow as 4 feet out to 12 feet, tip ups and lively shiners and suckers have continue to have flags flying.

Yellow perch: good

Sand and sand grass flats of 15 to 22 feet holding perch. taking small spoons tipped with waxies. These schools are roaming so sit and wait – or start drilling and chasing (not so bad in this weather).

Over mud in 22–34 feet, pound the

bottom with heavier jigs or spoons

tipped with the red spikes or wigglers.

Bluegills: good

Sticking to green weeds in 6–12 feet.

Fiska’s and other tungsten jigs, size 3mm tipped with waxies or red, brown or purple plastics. Some reports of suspended gills mixing it up with Crappies and Perch out over mud flats.

Walleye: good – fair

High pressure seemed to narrow the bite window, but suckers over mid – lake humps with rocks best. Dusk (4:30 to 6:00 PM) best. With another bite I am told between 10 PM - 11 PM (past my bedtime!)

Travel and access have been the most asked question. Lakes appear to have a good 10–16 inches of ice. There is some slush, but snow depths on the lake run only 3 to 4 inches on average with drifts that can go 6–8 inches plus. Be aware of drifts, they will hide the most slush. The forecast for the rest of the week looks great, Lows most mornings in the lower 20s with highs of upper 20s to low 30s most days. Possible 40° on Martin Luther King day. We don’t often get such stretches of nice weather in January, get out in and enjoy!