Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 12/30/24

Another strange week of weather.  Should we expect anything else?  Warm (above freezing for three days) and rain ate up whatever snow cover we had.  Lake tops have been wet and slippery.  Luckily, we didn’t lose much ice, its more about getting on the ice and staying on your feet!  While some anglers reported just fair fishing in spots, overall fishing this past weekend was very good.  I’m sure this new moon period combined with mild weather and lots of anglers on the ice helped pump up the successful reports.  Lots of good catches (and releases) this past holiday weekend.

Walleye:  Very Good – Evening bite hot with reports from anglers both using tip-downs with live shiners and those jigging Raps, Hyper Glides and Tikka Minnows.  Best action coming just at dark and next 1½-2 hours after.  The few willing to get out a couple hours before light in the morning being rewarded with nice Eyes on tip-up in 6-8’ weeds.  Evening fish a bit deeper at dusk in 10-14’.  With lots of good catches and some very nice fish over the “eater” slot, top honors go to 5 yr old Clara of Hinkley, IL with a 29” C&R trophy Eye, while out with Dad and Grandpa after dark…on Banana Lake of course.

Northern Pike:  Very Good – Good numbers and some exceptionally nice Pike taking the largest of golden or river shiners and big suckers on tip-up rigs in 6-12’.  Tops for the week was 14 yr old Molly of Madison, WI with a 39” C&R Banana Lake beauty!

Crappie:  Very Good – Two areas to target!  Standing tall weeds of 10-14’ slow dropping plastics or tip-downs with minnows.  The basin Crappies have been roaming in 20-28’ mud flats.  A jig with a rattle (Rattlin Kastmasters) or blade (Tikka Flash) to lure fish in have been best.  Tip either with a waxie or spike.  Tip-downs with small rosies also working, setting at correct depth for suspended fish is the trick.

Largemouth Bass:  Very Good – Not a typical target through the ice.  Yet with the warm weather and so much “bait” to look at, anglers reporting lots of “green bass” activity on tip-ups with medium shiners and also taking jigs with waxies meant for Gills.  Lots of 14-16” being reported with fish to 20” also being C&R.

Bluegill:  Very Good – Deeper weed edges of 8-12’ producing nice Gills in the 7-8½” range.  Several photos of 9-10”+ fish at shop showing the positive side of selective harvest.  Plastics in red, purple, motor oil on #3mm tungsten jigs in subtle colors proving best.

Yellow Perch:  Good – Not as many anglers targeting Perch with Crappie action being so good.  Those targeting Perch doing well using wigglers on small spoons (Pimples, Bull Spoons, Northland Forage Minnows).  Medium fatheads on tip-downs also working up closer to weed edges, about 1 foot off bottom.

With no snow on the ice to impede access, anglers are finding a lot of areas to fish by foot travel (with cleats), ATV and snowmobile.  Still can’t recommend car or truck travel (though some people are, I know).  Most lakes supporting an average of 8” with larger lakes as little as 4”.  Parts of our local flowages have reports of 11-12”, but always use caution as these bodies of water also have current.

As the late, great Merle Haggard one wrote – “If we make it through December”, (and we almost are as of this report), “everything’s gonna be alright I know!”  Following this recent warm spell, which left enough ice for us to continue fishing, we got some cold coming in!  Starting 12/31, forecast has 14 straight days below freezing, with at least 12 nights in single digits and below!  With no snow on the lakes as of now, and very little snow in the forecast, we should see good ice building weather from her on out!

…everything’s gonna be alright I know…

Hope you all have a very Happy New Year!!

Ice Fishing Tournaments

January 4th – 74th Annual Rib Lake Area Fishing Contest – Rib Lake

January 11th – 17th Annual NCO Club & AMVETS Post 724 – Lake Nokomis

January 11th – 31st year - Rainbow Ice Jamboree – Rainbow Flowage

January 18th – Kurt’s Minocqua Madness - WIFA Highschool – Minocqua Chain

January 18th – 10th Annual Iceholes of the North – Sponsored by Team Retreat Musky Club – Various lakes

March 1st – KISS - WIFA Highschool – Minocqua Chain