Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 7/16/24

With surface water temps into the mid-70’s (74-77 degrees), summer patterns settling in.  Warm days in the 80’s, and all that brings – lots of boat traffic, it’s best to schedule your fishing early and late in the day (even after dark!).

Largemouth:  Very Good – The “heroes” of summer!  Evening action on top-water baits such as plastic frogs and spiders, buzz baits and tail baits such as Whopper Ploppers HOT!  Early mornings twitchbaits on inside weed lines and great Wacky Worm action throughout the day.  Mid-day fish also coming on square bill cranks and chatterbaits over cabbage flats and stump fields.  Nice fish to 6#’s reported (with photographic proof) this past week on the above-mentioned baits.

Bluegill:  Very Good – Actively chasing small plastics (1-2” twister tails) roaming cabbage flats and coontail tops.  Fan casting these areas to locate then coming back with small leeches under small floats effective.

Smallmouth:  Good-Very Good – Working rock/gravel humps with drop-shot rigs using 2 ½” Gulp Alive minnows or 3” Wacky Worms, Ned Rigs and tube jigs in 14-22’ of water.  Search deep coontail edges also, especially with the drop-shot rigs.

Crappie:  Good-Very Good – Work deep weed tops using jig/minnow, 3” Keitech Swing baits or 2” twister tails.  Aggressive fish willing to chase and take!  On flowages deep wood in 16-20’+ using tubes or jig/minnow combos.

Yellow Perch:  Good – Finding in heavy weeds using weedless jigs tipped with minnows or crawlers.  Also picking up nice Perch on 3” Wacky Worms and light Ned Rigs.  Good Perch in the 9-11” range.

Walleye:  Good – Either along deep weed edges or 14-18’ or out on rocky bars of 18-26’.  Use redtails or the largest leeches you can find.  1/8-1/4 oz jigs, Lindy Rigs, drop-shotting and slip-bobber rigs.  The brighter the day the deeper typically.  Mornings and evenings.  Lighted slip-floats in 10-14’ weeds at night.

Northern Pike:  Good – Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits over cabbage flats.  Twitchbaits also effective.

Musky:  Good – Early and late.  Bucktails and top-water bait time.  Work weeds early, then moving out to deeper water as the heat builds.  After dark, top-water for the fearless!

Typical summer-time patterns, nice that the weather has finally matched the calendar.  Enjoy this time, get out early on the larger lakes – boat traffic building by 9:30-10:00 AM.  We anglers need to share, so pick your time on the water wisely.