Lac Courte Oreilles

[The_Shocker]

Has anyone been on LCO lately? Some old college roommates and I are going to be up January 25th-27th and were planning to fish there. I used to get on the lake quite a bit when my parents had a place there but it was a summer cabin so always on open water. Any info on ice conditions or fishing updates would be much appreciated.

[Cooter]

Boy I've only fished it once and that was this past summer for muskies. If you had a cabin on it you probably have a better idea where to go than me! I have a bud who goes up there and gets some very nice walleyes in winter plus a few bonus smallies. Don't know if he's fishing the cabbage weeds or the humps and bars. Let us know how you do.

[Jim Hudson]

Shocker

Havent heard much about LCO here lately.. Heard some decent reports earlier on walleyes.. Weed edges and weed bars in the main lake..

Call Pastikas or Hayward Bait and Tackle for some updated info...

Or if you do a search for Tanner Wildes, give him a call too.

[The_Shocker]

We ended up fishing Stone Lake last friday night. Looking for walleyes in 18-30 feet on a point and a mid lake bar but 5 hours and a hundred plus holes equated to a few fish marked on the Vex and some disgruntled buddies. Thank goodness for The Beast and Mr. Jim Beam, they saved the evening.

Given the number of novice anglers in the group, we then passed on LCO and hit Potato Lake for panfish and pike. Saturday afternoon was great, with a pile of decent sunfish and a few crappies. Even had a couple of rookies catch some largemouths and a small northern so that was good. All the action was at the south end of the lake in 8-12 feet of water.

Note to any who read this- when leading a group of relative fishing novices, keep in mind you will be doing all the fish cleaning come sundown. Then again, as I told them all, he who does the cleaning (and majority of the catching) gets the fish!

[vman59]

This is another of the lakes I fish on a regular basis for walleyes.Smallmouth are a pleasant bonus while fishing for walleyes and you can easily get smallies in excess of 20 inch's. The walleyes here in spring and much of the summer revert to weeds cabbage weeds in particularly. find the cabbage and you should find the eyes.Again as with Big Chetac I use leech and slip bobbers using rocker jigs.

[Cooter]

I fished LCO the first time for muskies last year, neat lake. Plenty of boats fishing the evening walleye bite.

[vman59]

Well I talked to a buddy of mine who lives right down the road from LCO and he said musky bay was open but the main body of the lake was ice covered.He went down by victory heights landing and actually walked onto the ice not far but went on it just to see how thick it was.

[vman59]

As reported by Duck Inn;

"Friday 0845: The winds shifted to the North yesterday afternoon clearing the northern part of the lake. However, ice is to Winter Point and stacked from there South the way it looks. I glassed from the boat landing off K and could see ice in the main lake and South. You could put a boat in at Anchor Bay and fish "slowly" past Goose Point and North or off K and Kentucky Bay maybe. I assume it will clear out some more today. No one is going to go running the lake for a little while. The loons are dodging ice chunks so you will be too"

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

I may be headed there for a few days this fall. Any tips for locating some muskies? I have heard just outside musky bay can be good that time of year.. Any other locations? Best lures in the fall? Bucktails, jerk-baits, Cranks?

Thanks

Ryan

[vman59]

well pickup a good map , I fish walleyes but when we go my son also fish's musky's. good spots we have found are the ring bar, the rock pile (marked with a buoy) The shore along Ashland point working the weed edge in about 15 ft. Best bait he has found in the fall is a nice size sucker.

[vman59]

fished LCO last night , lots of boats out after dark with lighted bobbers.

[Luck e 1]

Vman et all...

I am coming up this weekend and was wondering how the bit for smallies was going?

I have fished the lake but only in the early summer, so some pointers on late season...

One guy told me about 15-25 feet on the steeper drop offs? Does this sound right?

Thanks guys.

[vman59]

yea thats sounds pretty good or even deeper. i have been finding the smallies around the deep edges on the ring bar and some nice ones at that.

[Luck e 1]

Thanks Vman...

The guy also mentioned slip bobber and leaches...again...does this sound right?

[vman59]

yea its what I use as well.Don't be afraid of depths up to 30-35ft.

[Chicago Angler]

Heading to Lac Courte Oreilles on the 20th. Wonder how the big lake is fishing? I know the lake pretty well, so any help on specific bars or points would be appreciated. Focusing on Northern, Bass, and some Crappie fishing. Hooked my first Muskie last August over the cribs along the East shoreline at the mouth of Muskie Bay.

I fished Grindstone last month and the bite was spotty. Seems like I can't get a solid vibe on the action.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Derek B]

I am taking my Dad on a fishing trip to Lac Courte Oreilles for his birthday and father's day and I am looking for some information as to how the bite is for Walleyes, Crappies, and Smallies? It is our first trip to the lake where is a good area to target each? We also might try our luck at Muskies any info on them would also be greatly appriciated. We are going to be heading up there Wed. June 17th and coming home Sat. Jun. 20th. Will be staying at Trails End Campground.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Derek Borchardt

[vman59]

Well Derek I use to camp near by and we always fished LCO. First thing is to get yourself a good lake map as this lake in my opinion is one of the best for just about anything. Now I mainly targeted eyes and did pretty good off the ring bar(lots of smaillies here as well) the edge of the weed line off Ashland point, Chicago bay was also good. To m pretty much the entire north shore is good for eyes just have to be mobile till ya find them. Sorry can't help with the musky's I don't get into that.

[snoozebutton]

What vman said. The humps in Chicago Bay have been doing pretty well, Ring Bars is always a good choice, Center Bar, Blue Goose Point, basically just find some decent structure and hit it early morning or evening and you should do good. You might want to consider heading across the road to Grindstone also. Lots of nice sized walleyes, smallies, and good muskie populations in both lakes.

[Derek B]

Thank you for the info guys the only question I have is I can not find on my map the Ring bar you talk about I have all the others that you mentioned except that one. Also what do you target the walleyes with (jigs, crankbaits, slip bobbers) If you could let me know where ring bar is located that would be great.

Thanks Derek

[snoozebutton]

I have the Fishing Hot Spots map and they're on it. Anyway, they're on the far west side, just east of Ring Lake. You'll see an area of high banks that slope down to the south to a more level area and they're right out from that.

Any of the methods you mentioned will work but I mainly use jigs and slip bobbers.

[vman59]

top of the ring bar is marked with a large white buoy. But don't go right up to it as it just marks the location and there are very shallow spots all around it and you'll tear up your motor. Snooze is right its marked on the fishing hotspot map. I use jig and leech or a leech under a slip bobber. One little thing I have found and maybe its just me but I feel I get more bites using red hooks.

[Derek B]

Thanks again for the info guys! Where is the nearest bait shop to Trail's End Campground?

Thanks,

Derek

[snoozebutton]

I'm thinking it might be Hayward, I can't say for sure if there's a bait shop in Northwoods Beach or not. Hayward Bait and Tackle or Pastikas both have everything you'd need..

[Derek B]

Well the camping trip was alot of fun, but the fishing was not very good at all. The biggest fish we managed was two 18" northerns. How does that saying go A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work! We found that to be true this past week. Very nice place there at Trail's End we will definatly be back up there again.

Derek Borchardt