Lake Menomin, Where are the Locals?

What a beautiful evening to be on the water. Yesterday was calm, sunny, mild temps, and I was 1 of 2 boats I saw out there all evening! Water temp is in the low 70’s yet and she’s still green…

Went looking for crappies with little luck, but happen to stumble on an outstanding White Bass bite! I wasn’t able to cast cranks or spinners for them as they were breaking water under that green pasty muck and my lure was fouled virtually every cast… So the crappie/bobber rods came out and it was game on. A simple float down to a splitshot and hook 3-4ft under the surface, then added a fathead minnow. Catching these bass on the UL Rod’s w/ 4lb mono was a blast!

I caught about 10 or so from 12-15.5inches and then the little ones moved it!

I’ve never caught white bass so small, they almost resembled shad that you’d find on the Mississippi, and they were everywhere! The little ones were like catching those small sunfish, I was catching them on a bare colored hook, and for being so small they sure attacked a bare hook aggressively!

So… Anybody else been out??

Looks a lot like Lake Wisconsin with all that green algae on top!

The White Bass Slayer has returned to his stomping ground huh…haha

let me know when the water clears up and I’ll take a drive over, I dont want to get my new boat all dirty!!

Well done Pete.

One of the things I’ve often wondered about is why the Red Cedar river and Lake Menomin have shad and white bass in them, while Lake Wissota, part of the same drainage, does not.

I’ve caught white bass and mooneye here in town (actually, the mooneye are bonkers now and a ton of fun on dry flies!) but they seem to be absent above the Dells dam.

Frankly, I think the shad would do wonders for walleye growth rates in Wissota!

I know like myself many of the walleye guys have not fished Menomin much this year. I think the winter kill was worse than we think. Most guys are fishing other lakes.I don’t fish Menomin after early July because of poor water conditions.

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Well done Pete.

One of the things I’ve often wondered about is why the Red Cedar river and Lake Menomin have shad and white bass in them, while Lake Wissota, part of the same drainage, does not.

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Thanks Jason, Very Interesting! Any idea why this is?

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The White Bass Slayer has returned to his stomping ground huh…haha
let me know when the water clears up and I’ll take a drive over, I dont want to get my new boat all dirty!!

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White Bass slayer!?!? Come on now Chad

The water may be green, but the panfish are biting

Also, it seems my trolling bite has started including those pesky pike and small smallmouth like normal!

It’s good to see things back as I remembered them

A few pic’s from tonight, Sorry about the poor photos’, Chad (C$) Lilja, my old roommate, the photographer decided to graduate So for now I’ve been fishing solo

Pete

Good to see the crappies are still hitting cranks.

The photographer huh? I’m pretty sure you used that camera more than me, taking pics of all my fish of course!!! I’ll be up there soon to put the smackdown on some crappies don’t you worry!

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The photographer huh? I’m pretty sure you used that camera more than me, taking pics of all my fish of course!!! I’ll be up there soon to put the smackdown on some crappies don’t you worry!

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Boy, that one pic looks a lot like mowing the lawn.

Are there shad in Menomin?

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Boy, that one pic looks a lot like mowing the lawn.

Are there shad in Menomin?

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No idea about the Shad, I’d be curious about this too.

I could be wrong but I am going to say that there are no shad in menomin. be fishing it close to 15 years and have never seen one. The main minnow forage is the troutperch minnow.

My mistake…I thought Menomin had shad in it.

Maybe what I’ve seen in the past has been schools of small white bass…smaller than the one Pete has pictured above.

What about sauger? I have had my first reports of sauger in Eau Claire on the Chip downtown from a guy who fishes walleye all the time down there. I have never caught one below the dam and was always amazed at that seeing it free flows into the mighty Mississippi via Lake Pepin/Red Wing pool: sauger capitol of the world. Anyone catch any on the Red Cedar below the dam?

Nope, no sauger in the Red Cedar .

I have never caught a sauger in Menomin, maybe they should stock some.
When I can smell the lake from my office, I’d recommend fishing the opposite side.

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Nope, no sauger in the Red Cedar .

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Hey Doc, I can smell it from my place too

Anybody dare to drive the road down by the library? Almost need a gas-mask down there, it’s Ripe!

I am trying to figure out how to get them up and over the dam!

I’m waiting for the water to cool down and to turn to a much lighter and less bright cooler.
Steve