Barron-Cumberland-Rice Lake-Chetek Fishing Reports for Barron County

[vman59]

Weather conditions continue to affect fishing in the Hayward area, with cool and windy the norm. However, waters are warming (if slowly), and bass, bluegill, and crappie are in various stages of the spawning cycle. According to DNR fisheries biologist Frank Pratt, the “text-book” optimal spawning water temperature for those species is around 67 degrees. Although most lakes were between 62-64 degrees late last week, he noted the amount of sunlight can over-ride water temperature as the spawning trigger. This is a great time of year for fishing. If action for your favorite fish is a bit slow, other species are on a tear. Don’t stubbornly stick to the old “tried and true” methods when they aren’t working. The ability and willingness to adapt is a key to fishing success. A reminder to those pursuing outdoor activities, be it fishing, golfing, hiking, biking, or boating: Mosquitoes and black flies are on the feed. Make sure you have repellent and protective clothing readily available, particularly in early mornings and the evenings. And while you are traveling the north woods roads, waters, and paths, keep an eye out for wildlife Lots of young wild critters and birds are now making their grand entrance into the world. Keep a camera handy – but observe from a distance.

Muskies: Musky reports range from generally good, to spotty, to on the slow side. Some warmer water will get the fish more active. On a more positive note, the fish are apparently taking an interest in a wide variety of baits. Some success reported on slowly-worked twitch and glide baits, small to medium size bucktails, crankbaits, jerkbaits, some surface bait action, and a few caught on live bait. Look for fish in shallower water areas, 6-15 feet, with new green weeds or structure.

Walleye: Walleye are scattered (from 6-25 feet, depending on the lake), but with the new weed growth activity is picking up and fishing is good. Jigs with fatheads/minnows are still producing some fish, but the transition to leeches and crawlers is underway. In deeper water, look for weeds and structure. Keep in mind the mayfly hatch is just beginning and that will affect the bite. Trolling crankbaits and leeches or crawler harnesses in channels during the day and along weedy shorelines in the evening can be very productive. Casting crankbaits along shorelines in the evening is still very good.

Northern: The warming water has kicked up the northern pike activity, fishing is excellent, and it would almost be easier to list what isn’t working. You can’t go wrong with spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, buzz baits, crankbaits, and live bait/northern suckers. Look for fish shallow and near the panfish or on the edges of deep weed beds. Bigger northerns will usually be in a bit deeper water.

Bass: Bass are in shallow and spawning, and can be very aggressive at this time. Just keep in mind that when you pull a fish off its bed the eggs are left unguarded and subject to predation. For largemouth, spinners, spinnerbaits, suspending crankbaits, and even some surface lures are working. For smallmouth, tubes, jigs-and-pigs, and both shallow running and suspending crankbaits (X-Raps in particular) are very effective right now. A reminder to bass anglers: Effective this year, anglers targeting bass during the Northern Zone catch and release bass season (until June 21) must use only artificials with barbless hooks.

Crappie: Crappies are spawning in the shallows, though on some waters they have finished and are moving to deeper water. Look from shallow to deep (2-10 feet), near cribs, new weeds, and wood. If you don’t find them in one spot, check another. Changing locations may be required each day. Or during the day. Best baits include crappie minnows, fatheads, waxies, plastics, and tube jibs.

Bluegill: The bluegill spawn is just starting and the fish are moving in and out of the shallows. Look for bigger ‘gills deeper. Action can be very good in the shallows and in the warmer, shallow bays, and around wood and structure. A wide variety of baits and presentations will work, including teardrops and dressed jigs tipped with waxies, worms, crawler pieces, red worms, leaf worms, small leeches, plastics, and poppers. A plain hook with live bait can oftentimes be just as effective.

This report was compiled by Steve Suman and emailed to me.

Good Luck Fishing

[ARNE]

Thanks for the info vman

[snoozebutton]

Nice report Vman and thanks!!!

Talked to a friend that was on Long Lake last Sunday and he said he was getting walleyes in 21 FOW off the edges of flats and breaks. He also said he saw several boats in shallow through the narrows pulling in crappies.

[vman59]

Yea crappies are still in mid spawn on allot of lakes and the gills are just starting to move tot he shallows. The eyes I have been getting are coming in 16-19 fow.

[picksbigwagon]

what is the area water temp right now? we are hitting Red Cedar this thursday-sunday......

[vman59]

Red Cedar I am not sure about but maybe you can get an idea from big Chetac and LCO, I was on there a few days ago and BC was 62 and LCO was 58. Fished Big Round this morning in Polk cty and the water temp was 66.

[picksbigwagon]

Thanks Vman, We will be at the birchwood cafe at 7:00 am thursday morning and spending the following 3 days on red cedar chasing walleyes and smallies.

I need three days on a lake dragging leeches and pulling rigs, sipping some Points.....

[vman59]

All I can say is I have been continuously getting eyes on the flats north of the island late evening early morning. The nite bite doesn't start until the sun hits the tops of the tree's, in the morning it seems they bite a little longer into the day light. use your trolling motor in this area until you mark allot of fish 99% of the time this has been eyes and they have transitioned to leech's. Hope this helps

[picksbigwagon]

you da man VMAN!!!!!!!

[vman59]

well with being limited to my 5hp motor I use for duck hunting I have started to hit smaller lakes. I fished a small lake in northern Barron county last night and the gills were so-so and didn't keep any but the crappies were very nice and between myself and two son we kept 25 very nice crappies.Nobody else on the lake either which was nice and as peaceful as a guy could want.

[vman59]

Sorry for the delay for getting this to but been a little under the weather the past few days.

Warm, sunny days are comfortable for nearly all outside activities, and cool nights offer excellent sleeping conditions.

Bluegills are still spawning in the shallow waters of most area lakes, and this Fourth of July holiday weekend would be an excellent time for parents to take the kids fishing – or for kids to take their parents fishing.

If a lack of general fishing knowledge is holding you back, visit the DNR’s “Take a Kid Fishing” Web site http://dnr.gov/fish/kidsparents/takeme.html. (Fisheries biologist Frank Pratt says it’s “awesome!”) Follow up with a visit to a local bait shop for the basics (don’t forget a license, if required!) and you’re ready to catch fish. It’s that easy.

The Hayward area is blessed with a variety of waters, from trout streams and rivers, to deep, clear lakes, to stained flowages. If fishing is slow on one water type, try another. Experiment with different baits and presentations. This is especially true with water temps cooler than normal – what worked last year (or yesterday!) may not work today.

One final recommendation: Bring bug repellent. Biting insects – black flies, mosquitoes, and deer flies – are abundant. Some good dragonfly hatches will help ... but it’s going to take a LOT of dragonflies.

Muskies:

Musky activity is improving in nearly direct correlation to the warming water. Smaller fish remain fairly active, and most anglers report catching fish, albeit many are sub-40-inch fish. You will find fish at various depths, but concentrate on weed lines and main lake bars. No particular bait appears to be “hot” at this time, so if one type of bait is not producing for you, switch to something else in a different action, size, or color. Bucktails, plastics, topwaters, twitch, jerk, and crank baits are all raising fish. Alter your retrieves and presentations. Don’t quite too early – there’s a good bite just before dark.

Walleye:

Walleye action is fairly good, though the annual mayfly hatch is in progress and it always impacts fishing for a few weeks. Walleyes are scattered from 10-25 feet (and both shallower and deeper) along weed lines, in and around deep and shallow weed beds and structure, near cribs, and on mud flats. Leeches are the first choice, crawlers a close second, and minnows are still producing some fish. Presentations are varied: slip bobbers, floating jig heads, Lindy and live bait rigs, and jig combinations all work. Trolled stickbaits are catching fish, as are crankbaits cast along shorelines just before dark.

Northern:

Northern pike (and largemouth bass) can be a real trip-saver for anglers. Pike continue to be very active, aggressive, and fun to catch, and make good table fare, too. Look for pike near weeds and weed beds – deep or shallow (hint: bigger pike are usually deeper) and on bars. Favorite baits? For a change, it’s whatever bait YOU want to throw. Spinners, spinnerbaits, bucktails, spoons, plastics, crank and twitch baits, northern suckers – all will produce fish. It’s your choice.

Largemouth Bass:

Largemouth anglers are having great success, and it should only get better as the water warms. Bass spawn is finished or finishing on most water. Fish for largemouth in their normal summer haunts – shallow, around lily pads, in the slop, and in, on, over, and around weed beds. Crawlers, leeches, plastics, and spinnerbaits are all working well. If you fish in the weeds, use weedless worms, topwaters (frogs), and other plastics. The bass are there – it’s your job to extract them.

Smallmouth Bass:

Smallmouth fishing is fairly good on most lakes as the fish finish up spawn and start their summer patterns. Look for smallies on rock points and bars near steep drop-offs, cribs, and shallow mid-lake humps. Depths will vary from six to 20 feet. Crawlers and large leeches are currently producing a lot of catches, but jigs with Twister Tails, crankbaits, plastics, and even some surface baits are working.

Crappie:

Depending on which lake and which day you are fishing, crappie success can fall somewhere between slow and excellent. Action has slowed somewhat as the fish move away from the shallows and into their summer pattern. Look for them to be scattered and suspended around cribs, structure, and brush piles, and deeper water adjacent to spawning areas. Favorite baits continue to be crappie minnows, waxies, small leeches, and plastics. Whether drifting or targeting specific areas, move until you locate them. A slip bobber makes it easy to keep your bait in front of suspended fish.

Bluegill:

Bluegill action continues to be very good to excellent as they continue to spawn in the shallows on many waters. This should come to and end in the next week or so, but until then, it’s a great time to fish. If you don’t find them shallow, concentrate on cribs and structure in deeper water. They are hitting a variety of baits, including waxies, worm, leaf worms, small leeches, and plastics, all fished on small jigs, teardrops, or plain hooks, and don’t overlook topwaters.

[vman59]

Here is the latest fishing report I have as compiled by Steve Suman for the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau . I use this report because it is pretty much the entire package and right on the money and applies to our local lakes as well.

Our string of near-perfect weather continued through the July Fourth holiday weekend. About the only complaints came from people who found their three-day weekend far too short to enjoy all the activities available!

Fishing is fair to good for most species and excellent for others. If you can, make plans to try some night fishing. It’s different, and challenging, but it is currently THE time to catch fish.

For whatever reason, anglers targeting other species in this area often overlook bass. That’s a shame, because Hayward’s bass fishing is tremendous – some say as good as or better than anywhere else in the country. DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt offers bass anglers this tip: As soon as you see crayfish skins in the shallows (discarded from early summer molting), jig and pig and crayfish-type baits will be the hot bass lures.

Just before you hit the water, check with local bait shop personnel for the most currently preferred baits and presentations.

Finally, with your best interest in mind, I’ll run the risk of sounding repetitious and say one more time – if you plan to spend ANY time outdoors, make sure you bring a good supply of bug repellent.

Muskies:

Muskies are getting considerably more active with the warming water temps. Good fish are being caught during the day, but the main big-fish bite is at night. Fishing on cloudy, humid days in advance of a front can often yield excellent action. Look for fish on main lake bars with weeds (and without!), shallow weeds, and first breaks. The usual bait assortment for this time of year – medium to large bucktails, topwater, crank, jerk, glide, and spinner baits – are producing the most action.

Walleye:

This spring and early summer were outstanding for walleye anglers – and they are still catching fish. The mayfly hatch is winding down, which should improve the bite even more so. In most lakes, you will find walleye in 15-25 feet of water. However, some will be much deeper – and others will be shallow. Fish weeds, weed lines, and weed edges, around cribs, and break lines on mud and hard bottom areas. Use jumbo leeches, minnows, crawlers, and plastics with a slip bobber, slip sinker rig, jigs, or floating jig head – and different combinations of any of the aforementioned. Stickbaits and leech or crawler harnesses trolled in flowage channels are also getting good results.

Northern:

Northern pike seem to be always in an aggressive feeding pattern and will even provide action when fishing for other species might be slow. With the warmer water, you will generally find pike around weeds and weed lines in 6-16 feet of water. Some will be shallower, but fish deeper weed if you want big pikes. The old standbys continue to catch fish – spoons, spinners, spinnerbaits, bucktails, deep diving crankbaits, and live bait.

Largemouth Bass:

Largemouth bass fishing is improving from very good to very, very good as the fish recover from spawning and move into summer patterns. You will find fish in shallow weeds and weed edges, near wood, slop, and in/around stumps and lily pads. If you don’t find them shallow, try fishing deeper weeds and weed lines. Largemouth will attack a wide variety of baits and this is the perfect time for great bass action. Weedless worms, spoons, spinners, surface baits, and plastics are all working, as are spinner, buzz, and crank baits, and don’t overlook live bait such as worms, minnows, and leeches.

Smallmouth Bass:

Smallmouth bass fishing is also very good. Look for rock and gravel bars, points, flats, cribs, and drop-offs, various type of structure, shallow weeds and weed edges, and mid-depth wood in 8-20 feet. Spinners and spinnerbaits, plastics, crawlers, minnows, and leeches in combinations with jigs, slip bobbers, and plain hooks are all catching fish.

Crappie:

Crappie action is still fairly good, but action is slower as the fish recover from spawning and move to their typical summer locations. Scattered and suspended, they can be difficult to find in any number. Look for crappies in 6-30 feet of water, near mid-depth weeds, along weed lines, brush piles, cribs, wood, and suspended in the water column over deeper water. You may have to keep on the move. Crappie minnows and plastics – fished on jigs and under bobbers – are producing the most catches, but leeches and small spinnerbaits will also get action.

Bluegill:

Bluegill action remains very good, even as they finish the final stages spawning. Some will remain shallow, while others are heading to somewhat deeper water. Concentrate on shallow water along shorelines out to about 15 feet, but if you can’t find the fish try different depths until you do. Where they locate can vary from lake to lake. Likewise, preferred baits can vary with the lake fished, too. Use waxies, leaf worms, crawler pieces, and leeches on jigs and/or under slip bobbers, but small plastics and spinnerbaits such as Beetle Spins are also working.

[Badger]

Hi vman59! I was looking for some advice on Big Chetac. I've done well in the spring for Walleye, but never fished it that hard in the summer. Our family will be there this weekend (cabin on Birch), and we would like to get into some fish.

Thanks much for all of your fishing reports!

[vman59]

Musky: Musky action is good and getting better. Early morning and evening remain the most productive times to be on the water. A variety of lure types continue to catch fish – jerk, twitch, crank, and surface baits, bucktails, and plastics. Look for fish along weeds and weed edges (both shallow and deep), steep drop-offs, and rock bars.

Walleye: The walleye bite is a bit tough (expect it to improve soon) and low light conditions continue to offer the best chances for catching fish. In early morning and evening hours, they will be in shallower water, often four feet or less. During daytime hours they will be in 20-30 feet or deeper. Bars, weed lines, flats, cribs, and humps can all hold fish, and some fish are suspending over deeper water. Leeches and crawlers remain the favorites, fished on jigs, bait harnesses, Lindy Rigs, and under slip bobbers. As the water cools the bite will switch to minnows. Trolled stickbaits are also catching fish.

Northern: Northern fishing is somewhat erratic, though action for smaller fish remains good in shallower weeds. Whether you target big or small northerns, they’re in the weeds (but go deeper for bigger fish.) Spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons (with/without Twister Tail), stickbaits, and large northern suckers are all catching fish.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth fishing is fair for some but very good for others. Sometimes it depends on where an angler is fishing ... more often on the angler. Bass are still in the thick cover, in depths from shallow out to 14 feet or deeper. Look for weeds, bogs, wood, lily pads. If you see slop but aren’t sure you want to cast into it, fish are probably holding there. As such, it’s hard to beat weedless baits for largemouth. Plastics (especially crayfish imitations), rigged worms, buzz, spinners and spinnerbaits, swimming and chatter jigs, topwaters, and Gulp! leeches are all working. For live bait, leeches, crawlers, and shiners under a slip bobber – fished on the weed edges – can be very productive.

Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth bass fishing is very good right now. You will find them at a variety of depths, very frequently on or near rocks or rock structure. Depths can vary from four to 25 feet, if not deeper. Look for cabbage weeds and weed beds in the lakes, but don’t forget the rivers can be excellent, too. The assortment of baits now working is an excellent sign fishing is good. Use spinners and spinnerbaits, jigs, crank and twitch baits, plastics, topwaters, and leeches, crawlers, suckers, and shiners fished under a slip bobber, on a jig, or on a plain hook. If one thing doesn’t work, try another.

Crappie: Crappie fishing is fair to good, with fortunes dependent on finding the fish, and it can be tricky. Crappies are scattered and suspended in 4-12 feet and deeper. They are suspended over weeds, near drop offs, cribs and bogs, or just suspended over deeper water. Usually there is some structure nearby – but not always. Frustrating, isn’t it? On the positive side, fishing is good if you locate them. Live bait includes crappie minnows, waxies, worms, and leeches. Effective artificials include plastics, spinners, jigs (pink/white is always good), and surface baits. Sometimes you will need to combine one from column A and one from column B.

Bluegill: Bluegill success is also dependent on finding the fish. Try a variety of depths, near weeds, cribs, and other structure. The fish are suspended as well as scattered, so check for fish within the water column. Live bait – waxies, worms, small leeches, crawler pieces, minnows, plastics, and surface baits will all catch fish.

[vman59]

Muskies: Musky fishing is good, getting better, and this is the time of year for big muskies. Fish in and on the edges of green weeds (they can be few and far between this time of year), but don’t overlook shallow structure, deep rock, or areas of sparse weeds. A variety of baits are producing, including medium and large size spinners and spinnerbaits, crank, twitch, jerk, glide, and topwater baits, and hard and soft plastics such as Bull Dawgs. Some anglers are starting to use suckers. Keep this in mind: During the Chippewa Flowage Musky Hunt this past weekend (Sept. 3-7), half of the 44 fish boated by the 200 anglers were caught on black/green bucktails!

Walleye: Walleye reports are as fickle as the fish. Some anglers are having good fortune, while it seems others couldn’t find a walleye if you spotted them the head and tail. The bite during the day is showing promise, but early morning and evening are still best. The fish are in 10-30 feet of water, depending on the time and lake fished. Look for them on rock and hard bottom areas, in deep holes, near weeds and/or structure, and near bars and points. Leeches and crawlers are the baits of choice, but leeches will soon be unavailable and the bite is starting to switch to minnows. Work live bait on bottom bouncers and bait harnesses, jigs, and under slip bobbers. Trolled crank and stick baits are also yielding good results.

Northern: Northern pike activity is increasing as the water temperature is cooling. As usual, hit the weeds and weedlines on the flats, in the bays ... about any place you find weeds. Spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons and crankbaits are producing some nice catches, and with the cooler water, live bait (northern suckers) is again drawing interest.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth action continues to be very good in heavy weed areas, mid-depth structure, cabbage, lily pads, and other thick cover. Depths range from the shallow slop out to 14 feet or so. Largemouth aren’t showing a discerning palate, and are hitting everything from weedless bass jigs and plastic worms and frogs, to topwaters, spinner and spinnerbaits, to leeches and crawlers. As the water cools, crankbaits will become more successful, too.

Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are just starting their typical fall movement toward deeper water, and fishing can be very good – or very inconsistent. Look for fish in four to 15 feet of water or more, particularly on rocks, and on weeds/cabbage, bars, and points. Spinner and deep-diving crank baits, weedless plastics, jigs tipped with Twister Tails, leeches, and crawlers are all catching fish.

Crappie: Crappie action is fair to good and getting better, but depths and locations vary and there appears to be no “sure” pattern to find them at this time. They can be in weeds and along deep weed lines in water from five to 20 feet deep. target deeper weeds and brush during the day and bogs in the evening. Crappie minnows and waxies are the most productive baits, but Beetle Spins and other small spinners, and plastics/tube jigs, are very effective, too.

Bluegill: Bluegills are in a variety of depths, both scattered and suspended, and action is improving. Look for some fish along weed lines, and others near bottom. Small spinners, dressed jigs, and plastics are all catching fish, but add live bait such as waxies for enticement. Once you find the bluegills, use a slip bobber to hold the bait at the right depth.

[snoozebutton]

Thanks Vman, great report as always!!! We're heading out tonight, no leeches to be had so it's minnows and crawlers.

[Ole54868]

Well everyone I have put the boat away for awhile and dusted off the bow. Going to do a little bow hunting the rest of the month and put something in the freezer.

I will be fishing again in October and will keep you guys up to date with how I do.

Good luck everyone

[vman59]

good luck bow hunting. I am making my last trip to the flowage this weekend then putting my boat away and picking up my bow.

[vman59]

Muskies: Musky action is very good to excellent and appears to be only getting better as fall arrives. You will find fish on weeds, along weed lines and weed edges, open areas between weed beds, and on/near deeper structure and cover. At present, muskies are actively hitting topwater baits, but bucktails, glide, jerk, and stick baits are all catching fish. Some anglers are also starting to have success with live suckers on quick-strike rigs.

Walleye: The walleye bite is now making the change to minnows and fishing is good to very good. The fish are scattered and you will find them in weeds, on weed edges, along weed lines, near bogs, deeper holes, around brush, humps, drop-offs – and even shallow at times. Although leeches (if you can find them), crawlers (with or without bait harnesses), and crankbaits are all producing catches, walleye suckers and jigs tipped with fatheads are the baits of first choice.

Northern: Some are saying northern pike are “everywhere and hitting on everything,” but let’s go with northern are shallow, in the weeds, and fishing is very good. Spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, crankbaits, and live bait will all catch pike. Fish deeper water for bigger fish.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth bass are starting their fall feeding binge according to DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt. You will find bass from shallower slop and weeds out to deeper weed lines, wood and bog edges. Fish topwaters over shallow weed beds, and soft plastics, spinners, spinnerbaits, and crawlers on deeper structure. The fish are aggressively hitting larger baits and size is not a hindrance.

Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth success, depending on the day and the lakes fished, is fair to very good. Holding locations vary from shallower weeds to deeper water rocks, and hard bottoms, soft bottoms – and transition areas between the two. Spinners, spinnerbaits, plastics, crankbaits, worms, and larger sucker minnows are the baits of choice.

Crappie: Crappie anglers are having good success and action is improving. The crappies continue to be scattered and suspended, however they are now starting to school and should be easier to find in “groups.” Look for fish near shallower weed lines and it water to 25 feet or so. Crappie minnows and plastics are the baits of choice, but waxies, worms, and spinners will all work, too, and late evening can be especially good time.

Bluegill: Bluegill action continues to be good in and around shallower weeds, on the cribs, and near deeper water brush. Waxies, worms, and plastics are all working well. Larger bluegills will be found in deeper water, and minnows are an extremely effective (and often over-looked) bait for bluegill.

Perch: Perch are apparently scattered, as anglers are picking up some nice fish in quite different areas. Plastics and live bait, such as minnows and crawlers on jigs or plain hooks, are doing the trick. Look for perch in deeper water (30 feet), particularly on transition areas, but also in shallower water weeds (six to 12 feet.)

[vman59]

Muskies:

Musky fishing is excellent and the fish are getting more and more aggressive with the cooling temps. Work rock bars and points, break lines, structure, and deep weeds/weed lines/weed edges. Look for fish around shallow water rocks and weeds adjacent to deep water. Muskies are hitting most baits, including bucktails; Bull Dawgs/plastics; jerk; crank, stick, and glide baits; and live suckers on quick-strike rigs.

Walleye:

Walleye action is fair to good and getting better. Fish are spread out at various depths, from shallow to deep, but the best bite continues to be in deeper water around structure, brush, and weed edges. Walleye suckers, fatheads, crawlers, jigs/minnows, and stick and crank baits trolled in the shallows late in the evening are all productive.

Northern:

Northern pike are on the prowl around green weeds and suspending in areas where panfish are holding. Bucktails and small muskie baits, spinners, spoons, stickbaits, and northern suckers are effective pike baits at this time.

Largemouth Bass:

Largemouth season is drawing to a close, and although the bass are still very active, they are less predictable – and some say more temperamental. Fish deeper weed lines and weed edges, as well as shallow-water weeds and cover, with plastics, jigs, crank and spinner baits, and live bait. Late in the day, when the water has warmed, can be very good.

Smallmouth Bass:

Good smallmouth action can still be found, but success is less consistent. As with largemouth, smallies are moving deeper as the weeds die out and water cools. Don’t overlook the flowages and rivers. For now, fish deep structure, deep break lines, rocks, and hard bottom/transition areas. Walleye suckers continue to be the first choice, but plastics and spinners will also work.

Crappie:

Crappie fishing is good and improving, with best success in late afternoon hours. The crappies are beginning to school, and suspending in deeper water around weeds, cribs, structure, bogs, and brush. Crappie minnows are the most effective bait, but waxies, plastics, and pink/white tube jigs are also catching fish.

Bluegill:

Bluegills are not the “most pursued” species at this time, but fishing is good and anglers are making some nice catches, particularly later in the day. Look for fish at varied depths in the weeds, on weed edges, and around cribs and brush. Waxies, worms, and plastics are the baits of choice.

[bassNspear]

awesome report. Im thinking of coming out to the area to see how fishing has been.

[Nick Kuhn]

I can tell you the northern report is spot on. I disagree with the bass report though. Late October until ice up all the bass in my lake stack up in pretty much 3 locations. True if you don't know where those are you probably won't catch one, but if you know where they go it's like taking candy from a baby.

[vman59]

Its just a report not the gospel.

[bassNspear]

thanks for your information bud!!

[Ole54868]

Thanks for the report Vman. As far as the bass fishing goes I think it depends on the lake from what I have been hearing great fishing on some lakes and not so hot ont the others.

I was out on Sunday and can tell you that the walleyes are biting very well and there are some nice ones biting.

Good Luck Everyone.