Chippewa Flowage Fishing Reports

[Pig_sticka]

My gf has a cabin on Chippewa Flowage and I am headin up there maybe even next weekend for the first time. I know the flowage has good sizes and decent numbers of most fish. If it was me I would be interested in the crappies and walleyes, but the lady will be fishing with me for whatever fishing I do. So my ? is what is the easier of the fish in there to catch. My guess was to just troll along the 6-12ft range with rapalas and see if a northern, or bass was active. Then she doesn't have to be casting and gettin bored if nothing is hitting. The sunnies worth goin for even if they aren't huge? Casting around any structure or jigging deeper? I read a few of the other posts but I just want to make sure she gets on atleast something. If I was doing a hardcore fishing trip I wouldn't ask, but this is just to help someone out that has never fished before, and will probably never fish again unless I am with her and she has alittle fun when I take her out. And the time fishing will probably be only a hour or 2 at the most so that isn't much time to try and try again with methods.

If there was info that someone didn't want to share on the forum and wanted to email that would be great too. I am always available for any info on lakes that I am familiar with. Eastern Wisconsin or East Central/Metro Lakes.

[Cooter]

Although I've never fished there, a co-worker is up there every weekend. They catch plenty of crappies by fishing the shady side of the bogs. Don't know about walleyes.

[Derf]

Pig,

Trolling is not permitted on the Chippewa Flowage.

Fish the weed edges with beetle spins during cloudy days on evenings for a bixed bag of crappie, walleye and northern. The bluegills are nice in the flowage. Look in the back bays with weeds and around the mouths of those bays. Cribs are also good for all species. The floating bogs also produce lots of fish but are generally better in the early morning and evening. Ask Randy at Jenks Bait or Betty at D&B Bait whats working. They generally have a good handle on whats happening on the Chip.

[Pig_sticka]

Well thats a good thing I asked then cuz that was my first instinct was to troll around, is that on all Wisconsin Lakes now or just Chip?

Thanks for the pointers, if anyone else has a few that would be great, but otherwise it sounds like she should be able to get a fish or 2 on.

[Cooter]

I believe trolling is prohibited on Class A muskie waters.

[castmaster]

trolling is prohibited on all lakes unless specified otherwise. you can troll on lac courte oreilles, grindstone, nelson for sure. i'd have to look up some of the others. the chip is definitley no trolling. as a rule of thumb, dont troll unless you are sure its allowed!

[jcfishr]

I wonder why you can troll on la court orielles. I always thought of that as a musky lake.

[fish-n-geek]

Whether trolling is allowed on a specific body of water isn't tied to whether it is a muskie lake. At least not directly. Sounds more like if you can get a big enough group to propose/support it, you can get the rule changed for a specific body.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/fhp/fish/faq/trolhist.htm

-rus-

[PT73]

E-mail me at [email protected] for some spots on the Chip for Crappies. Where is the cabin?, east, or west side. The trolling regs are a mess, it does have to do with the Class A musky lakes as I understand it. But the lakes with the trophy(50 inch minimum) are all trollable, go figure.

[Cooter]

There are 50" lakes in WI?

[WMRP Member]

Cooter

LCO, Grindstone, and Namekagon all have 50" size limits and have had them for about 8-9 years now. And even though the average size of muskies caught on these lakes has increased slightly, the number of 50" fish being caught from these lake has not increased. 50" size limits can not and will not help if the fish being stocked in these lakes from the hatcheries (Bone lake fish) can't grow that large. However 50" size limits do protect the few if any native larger growing strains still left in these lakes. But then again 50" size limits still allows for harvest of the few if any fish that are capable of growing that large while protecting the (hatchery) Bone Lake dinks forever. If WI stocked fish capable of growing large, like the MDNR does, we would not even need 50" size limits to produce a lot more 50" fish. I would be willing to bet that most or possibly all the 50" fish caught in WI are not hatchery (Bone Lake) fish. They are whats left of the larger growing strains before Bone Lake became NW WI's broodstock lake for muskies.

God bless the MDNR

[Pig_sticka]

Just got back from the Flowage, tried a few of the things you guys said but just didn't do that great out there. I fished mostly the main lake I believe called Scott Lake. I think it was just alittle too sunny out there for most of the fish I wanted to go for. I did end up catching all the smaller sunfish and smaller perch that I wanted though which the gf did have fun catching, I just wish I could have gotten her alittle bit nicer of fish. Hopefully next time up I can wander around alittle more on the other lakes.

[WMRP Member]

Pig_sticka

If you go there again you should try going earlier in the year for panfish and walleyes. Right around Memorial day is usually a good time. Also you should move around a bit more. Scott Lake can be real good at times but there are many other areas that are a lot more consistant at holding and producing fish.

[nbdyknws]

Hi all,

I will be heading up there in about 2 weeks and wondering what type of patterns the walleyes and crappies would be on. Looking shallow or deep, or just looking at near sundown fishing?

[nbdyknws]

Anyone? I know there has to be a few people on here fishing this lake. I could see if the lake was 50 acres and could be fished out easy but this lake is a monster. And all I am asking for is just alittle help, not where the secret spots are. I am taking out people who never fish and not getting on a few fish just makes them never want to go out again.

[Luck e 1]

I would love to help, but I don't have much for ya. Actually we are heading up this weekend as well, but we haven't been able to get any info either. From what I heard people were having luck near cribs (look on a hotspots map)and near bogs. However, this is what they always say. I think fall is usually a night bite for walleyes, but crappies may be more during the day. Fish tend to get more aggressive in the fall, so try search patterns (small grubs with a small jig head, small spinners) for panfish. Then try to use live bait after you find them.

I wish I could tell you more. We will be on the east side near wagon wheel island looking for walleyes and crappies.

Good luck.

[nbdyknws]

Thanks to all the help on here

I got out for a hour or 2 and got a few crappies and a snake.

The muskie tournament was going on so there were alot of boats out. Heard from alot of people that the muskies were slow.

[Fishin Beast]

Anyone having any success lately? I will be going up there next weekend to give it a shot.

Any fish going better than others?

[JAR JAR]

Just got back on Monday and fished it for three days and only thing worth writing about is a largemouth that was 18" that hit a Poe's Giant Jackpot .

Tried for pan fish and came up with nothing but little ones. We were fishing out by Herman's Landing and Lake Chippewa Campground.

Jar Jar

[Rivernut]

tunrevir, hit the river in Bruce area at my sisters place. Slow navigating in spots, but a fun time. Caught a bunch of pike, and walleye's in the 13-15" range. Saw a Musky in the 38-40" range soaking up some sun. Muskybrian, asked around and there is a lot of good musky water around that area. Potato is still pretty good. Holcombe flowage,Island and sand are all worth checking out! I sure am when season opens. Good fishing all! Mike

[tunrevir]

rivernut, sounds like you had a good outing! The eyes in the flowage around that area are pretty much like the ones you caught. Biggest I have caught was a 21" and have seen some under the spotlight at night in the 24-26" range but neve caught any biggins. They are pretty from the stained water aren't they! What was the presentation of choice if you don't mind me asking? Catch any smallies worth noting? I love castin the weedy edges of the shore for pike and watching them blast right towards your lure, that is a hoot!

Tunrevir

[Rivernut]

I was catching the eye's on jig/crawlers.All were on some kind of wood or another. Just went out w/worms because we were just feeling out for the first time. I caught the pike on a spinnerbait. No smallies. Caught a bunch last year from my sister's dock. Just not biting at the time. Gonna bring some minnows next time. Not one person fishing, because the landing is reeeeeaaaal shallow. Ok w/me!

[tunrevir]

Mike, try twister tails and beetle spins in chartruese on weedless jig heads with the spinner. I cast these right into the woody cover with good results and have caught everything from muskies and cats to eyes, crappies and pike on them. I usually save the minnows for when the bite is really tough. The other suggestion I have is buy a good pair of breathable waders and walk the flowage to find some of those fishy areas and cuts you might not know are there. The bonus with the wading is it is stealthy and you know when the bottom content changes from rock to md/gravel or sand. Northland and lindy both have weedless jigheads that fish easily through the wood. I like the 1/8th oz for most applications. I have also picked up fish using berkley worms on a jighead fished upstream of the logs and let it drift into under the snag and slowly crawled it back. Lots of fun stuff to try! I'll be up there over Memorial weekend, once mid june and again on the 4th of july, maybe we could do a meet and greet one of these days. Have you tried for cats yet? Some nice channel cats in the 8-15lb range. Simple rig, barrel swivel with a 2-3oz bell sinker, 24" leader 20lb mono, large phelps floater and small sucker tossed into the current and your fishing. Seem to bite best towards dark and into evening, I reserve early morning for eyes, pike, skies and smallies. Have a great day!

Tunrevir

[Rivernut]

tunrevir,that would be cool. It's a little different that the river's I am used to fishing. When talking about a HOLE, here it is 5-7 feet! Did not know there were cats in there. Noone fishes this stretch much. I will be up in that area a bit this summer. Keep in touch, and I"ll do the same. Thanks again for the info, see you on the water! Take care!

[tunrevir]

I'll keep a lookout for you and maybe one of these weekends we can hookup and do some fishing. The catfishing is prettygood on the flowage and I haven't been disappointed in the general size. No monsters but 8-10lb average, nice eaters/fighters. I agree with you that it is a bit different then most of the rivers we fish as I too like the Croix and Miss! It was a tough nut for me to crack initially but after a year or two some patterns began to develope. Skinny water with lots of rock and wood, kinda like fishing the apple river! I'll let you know the next time I will be headed up! Good luck out there!

Tunrevir