Minocqua Area Fishing Report

Summer has settled in, patterns have taken place and not a lot of new activity (for the plus or minus) this past week. The hottest part of the summer seems to have passed. Lake surface temps are averaging mid 70’s. A few cooler nights, but warm afternoons and fairly mild/consistent weather.

Largemouth Bass: Very Good – On cooler mornings, work down into weeds to extract Bass using drop-shots to plunge plastic worms and craws. Heavy jigs work for this also. Afternoons have seen Bass getting more active on pre-rigged plastic worms, 3” swimbaits and shallow square billed cranks over weed tops. As the sun settles and the water temps rise, top-water commotion baits such as Whopper Ploppers, Jitterbugs, Buzzbaits and plastic frogs have been HOT!

Bluegill: Very Good – Out along deep weed edges for the largest Gills. Use small jigs tipped with plastic nymph/craw imitations.

Northern Pike: Good – Spinnerbaits and 4 ½” swimbaits. Warm water will mean chase is on, but key on deeper weed edges for the larger Pike.

Smallmouth Bass: Good – Offshore gravel/rock humps topping at 18-28’. Drop-shot craws or 3” minnow imitations. Tube jigs and Carolina rigging creature baits.

Yellow Perch: Good – Best along deeper cabbage edges and over sandgrass flats. Use soft shell frozen craws or ½ crawlers. Any drowned wood is a magnet for small crayfish – Perch favorite.

Crappie: Fair – Scattered reports. Best deeper over wood or along coontail edges.

Musky: Fair – Bucktails, rubber baits over deep weeds. Some top-water evening action.

Walleye: Fair-Poor – Best after dark, lighted slip-bobbers/leeches.

Tough to judge what we will see this week. Will the lunar eclipse bring about a hot bite? Walleye have been difficult this summer, even trollers finding bites tough. At least the Largemouth Bass and Gills have kept up their end of the bargain.