Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Following a weekend of record highs, temps mellowed out only to be rising by this past weekend. After todays (10/3) highs of nearly 70 degrees, the next two weeks look to be in the 50’s – 60’s. Good news for musky anglers.

Walleye: Very Good-Fair – Early in week Walleye catches were great with lots of lake limits being caught. Once located in shallows, Walleyes preferring larger baits suck as chubs, suckers and mud minnows. Even on the larger, deeper lakes where reports of bites along coontail edges of 12-14’ and rocks of 24-28’, lots of “eaters” (15-19+) with good numbers of slot (20-24”) and larger fish (26-28”) released this past week. Action slowed in shallows by weekend, but deeper lakes still producing.

Musky: Good – Despite warm air temps, the bite has largely been on suckers of late. Fish following bucktails and spinner baits passing on the hardware for the live stuff.

Crappie: Good – Starting to show up again. 10-12’ depths on natural lakes along coontail edges. Small minnows, jigs with tinsel on slip-bobbers.

Northern Pike: Good – Liking the live bait (usually meant for Walleyes) but also responding well to spinner baits, #4 Mepps and 4” swim baits.

Smallmouth Bass: Good – Some surprisingly good shallow action producing larger fish in the 18-20” range. Pitching creature baits and 3-4” swim baits along wood flooded in 3-7’. On deep lakes work gravel humps of 22-36’ using drop-shot rigs.

Yellow Perch: Fair – Gone absent from locations two weeks ago. A few pockets in Flowages giving up fish.

Largemouth Bass: Fair – Most action on Wacky worms, 4” worms on 1/8 oz jigs.

Bluegill: Fair – Wind kept most anglers from targeting this species. Few reports.

Following a spike in water surface temps of 70-74 degrees the weekend prior, surface temps back into low 60’s now. Good time for surface musky action prior to turn-over. Suckers and red-tailed chubs still in limited supply.

Trees only about 25-30% turned.