Minocqua Fishing Report 7-21-26

Given a few cooler mornings, but the heat just hasn’t let up quite enough to get surface temperatures much below 80°. Thanks to that, I’ve personally canceled some musky trips and there won’t be a musky report till water temps drop.

  Other species have done well, though taking care of the fish after catching and getting back in the water is key.

  Largemouth bass; very good

  Early mornings and evening using top water lures such as Clap Tails, Choppo’s, Whopper Ploppers,  Dinner Bells, Hula Poppers, frogs, or spiders. Something about this heat makes largemouth bass Hangry. If they’ll hit top water, why fish, anyway else! But if you’re a late riser or go to bed early then spinner baits, jerkbaits wackyworms, pre-rigged worms and fuzzy ‘things’ will work. Work inside weed edge early such as dawn and late such as dusk. Stick to 7-12 foot cabbage beds the rest of the day.

Yellow perch; very good to good

  In heavy cabbage fish,in 6 to 12 feet of water using half crawlers or medium leeches on weedless 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jigs. Over sand grass flats in 16 to 26 feet of water drag crawlers on Lindy rigs or suspend on slip floats on the larger clearer lakes.

  Smallmouth bass; very good too good

  Heat pushing most bites deep deeper. Rocks producing using drop shot rigs over 16 to 28 foot gravel humps. Heavy tube jigs or football jigs with craw or sculpin imitations also working well.

  Bluegill; good to very good

  Holding  high in tall, narrow leaf cabbage. Small one to 2 inch twister tails on small jigs will find them. Work from there with mini mites (reds and browns have been very hot) tipped with waxes or use small leaf worms under small floats 4 foot down over weed beds.

  Crappie; fair to good

  Fishing heavy tall weeds in 10 to 16 feet of water. Crappie suspending in the upper level levels till sun too high during midday periods. Cast Road Runners,  Beetle Spins, Charlie Bee’s to cover acreage, then dial it in with small 1/32 ounce jigs tipped with Kalin Crappie Scrubs, Itty Bits or 1 1/2 inch tubes.

  Northern Pike; fair

  Not loving the heat. Still picking up some on spinnerbaits and twitch baits. Those casting minnows for walleyes or bass reporting some stray catches.

 Walleye; fair to improving

  Settling into some deep summer haunts coming on big leeches or crawlers over sand grass flats of 18 to 28 feet of water or over gravel rock bars of similar depth. 3/16th to 1/4 ounce jigs, drop shotting live bait or suspending under slip floats. A few weed walleyes being caught in heavy cabbage of 8 to 12 feet using red tailed chubs or extra large leeches on 1/16 ounce weedless jigs.

  The heat has definitely taken a toll on angler hours on the water and brightly so. Between the sun ( or Canadian smog on some days) and the pleasure boats, key on those cooler times to fish. A brief cool down for July 21 and 22nd should bring some relief, but I’ll believe it when I get to see it!