Minocqua Area Fishing Report - 9/21/21

Things slowly moving into a good fall pattern. With temps this past week swinging wildly from lows of 36 degrees to highs of 84 degrees and water temps fluctuating from low to upper 60’s had things a little mixed up, plus lots of wind!

Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Not the easiest of conditions, yet anglers fishing weeds of 8-12’ did well using Wacky Worms and drop-shot rigs. Large suckers working for the live bait anglers.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Jigging chubs and suckers in the 3-5’ range where ever green weeds of 4-10’ could be found. Casting weedless spoons (Jawbreakers, Silver Minnows) and spinner baits also good.

Smallmouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Numbers found on gravel humps or along coontail edges using drop-shot rigs or Ned rigs. Big Bass have been very shallow! These big fish found along inside weed lines taking top-water (Whopper Ploppers) or tubes on light jig heads (1/16 – 1/8 oz). Big 19-22”+ fish being reported.

Crappie: Good – Starting to group up on certain waters. Look for deeper clusters of wood or outside of 14-18’ coontail. Use slip floats to suspend bait 2-4’ off bottom.

Musky: Good-Fair – Heat over weekend seemed to slow things. Top-water best during low light levels. Bucktails and swim baits over top of deeper weeds. Live suckers on bladed rigs having some success with all the wind of late.

Walleye: Fair-Good – Action starting to pick up on traditional fall locations as anglers fishing deep gravel/mud flat edges picking up fish on jig/minnow and Lindy rigs. Wind blown shorelines are giving anglers some success on scattered Walleyes feeding on young Perch.

Yellow Perch: Fair – Few targeting, but nice Perch (10”+) being caught by anglers fishing Walleyes in shallows on 1/16 oz jigs and large fatheads.

Bluegill: Fair - Some big Gills as incidental catches fishing Crappies, but few anglers targeting in wind.

This coming week looks to be more favorable as temps unlikely to crest mid 60’s until Sunday and night time lows in 40’s should get surface temps to hold in low 60’s. These next two to three weeks should be prime for fish activity and provide lots of opportunities for anglers targeting all their favorites.