Minocqua Area Report – 2024

From Kurt’s Island Bait for the date 09-03-24:

Holiday weekend in the rear-view mirror and on to our favorite time of year, fall fishing. I know the calendar says its summer until September 21st, but for us anglers it’s the start of the early fall bite. Following a crazy heat wave on Monday (8/26), with air temps hitting the mid-90’s, raising surface temps into the 80’s, things have cooled off and water temps are hovering in the 69–71-degree area. Conditions have been cool in the am (lows in upper 40’s), but comfortable, into the 70’s by afternoon. Except for a lot of wind over the weekend. Overall fishing pretty good.

Walleye: Good-Very Good – Lakes under 1,000 acres and flowages seeing good bites, weed related. These fish seem to be feeding heavily on 1 ½-2” Perch! Red-tailed chubs, large fatheads and crawlers on 1/16-1/8 oz weedless jigs. Others taken snap jigging bucktail jigs or 3” swimbaits scoring well. On larger lakes, drifting crawler harnesses along 22-30’, wind made for tough fishing, so slow trolling and keeping these rigs touching bottom key.

Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Heavy weed beds holding nice Largemouth to 20” this weekend for anglers working heavy jigs (due to wind) in 8-12’ weeds using Sweet Beavers and Christie Craws. Heavy drop-shot rigs with minnow and craw imitations scoring also. Wind made it tough for top-water fishing, but September is a great time to fish up high.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Action picked up as water cooled from last Monday’s heat wave. Spinnerbaits such as Boonies, Reed Runners and Booyahs, Chatterbaits and 4” swimbaits all worked well. This species seems to pick up speed as the waters cool into 60’s. Nice fish to 30” this past week.

Smallmouth Bass: Good – Off-shore fish hard to stay on in winds. Use heavy drop-shot rigs and good boat control to stay on top. #’s will be out over deep gravel/rock, but the biggest bruisers will start working shallow, inside weeds. Target them using swimbaits and Whopper Ploppers!

Musky: Good – Reports ranging from anglers finding in weeds on bucktails and top-water to others working deep open basins using rubber. As fish move into shallower weeds, top-water works great until turn-over (55 degrees), so plenty of time left.

Bluegill: Good-Fair – Action should pick right back up as wind dies down. The flying ant bite was short lived, but anglers should find good suspended Gills outside coontail edges. Slip-floats with Mini-Mites or other small jig/plastics work great. Worms and waxies can’t be beat. On lakes with larger Gills, try a Crappie minnow, big Gills will have no problem with these.

Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Like Gills, wind made for tough conditions. Still weed related feeding on small, young of year Bluegills. Try medium fatheads on a light jig or the small 1 ¾-2” Ned worms on a 1/16 oz head.

Crappie: Fair – This bite will pick up it was just tough over the past weekend to present small baits in such wind. Some anglers did score some nice 10-12” Crappies. Reportedly from lee sides of lakes where cribs could be found. Small plastics fished on 1/32-1/16 oz jigs around the cribs and cabbage that surrounds them.

A nice steady stretch of weather plus a new moon this week should be a big plus for anglers (not to mention not many pleasure boaters, but I just did!). Great time to take advantage of the next 6 to 7 weeks of some of the best fishing and weather of the Northwoods.

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
http://www.kurtsislandsports.com
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Minocqua, WI 54548

Mark

From Kurt’s Island Bait for the date 09-10-24:

It sure felt like fall earlier this week, seeing people break out jackets, football starting, bear hunting opening up and hearing geese fly overhead. Unfortunately, for those hoping that we’re heading into the fall fishing patterns, that we are all so fond of, Mother Nature’s throwing a heatwave at us. 80’s are forecasted in the Northwoods for the next five days.

Yes, this fluctuation in temperature has made fishing a little frustrating for some species of late. Although there have been some good reports from the Musky world. Fish have been caught cruising shallow, weedier areas with reports of fish coming on Smity Flaptails and bucktails.

With the warm weather, look for Bass fishing to also be productive. Target the Smallmouth over deeper gravel with drop-shot techniques, but also don’t forget to poke around those shallower, inside weeds. Some of the bigger Smallies might be cruising around there looking for a swimbait or a top-water to grab.

For Largemouth, look for 8-12’ of water with weeds. A variety of techniques will work, creature baits have been productive and top-water should be productive with the warm weather.

It’s been a quiet week in terms of anglers on the lakes the past few days due to cooler temperatures and a lot of wind earlier in the week. Hope to get more anglers out fishing in the coming days and also more reports.

That’s about it for now, get out and enjoy the warm weather, it could be the last warm spell until June??

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
http://www.kurtsislandsports.com
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Minocqua, WI 54548

Mark

From Kurt’s Island Bait for the date 09-16-24:

An unseasonably warm September has put typical patterns a bit off. With water temps working back into the low 70’s every afternoon due to air temps in 80’s not all species are reacting like we expect, some good, some not so good.

Bluegill: Very Good – Calm, warm days have allowed Bluegill anglers a great opportunity to target these fish. Either suspended outside coontail edges in 12-16’ of water or hunkering down around submerged wood in similar depths. Lots of action and some BIG SLABS of over 10” (10 5/8” largest measured) using leaf worms and beaver tails under slip floats.

Yellow Perch: Very Good – Perch to 12+” actively taking large fatheads and crawlers on 1/16 oz weedless jigs fished in cabbage beds of 8-12’. Others being found in flooded wood mixed with Gills.

Largemouth Bass: Very Good–Good – Top-water morning and evenings! Outside weed edges using jig and Sweet Beavers, Carolina rigging 7” worms, Wacky Worming and Drop-shotting. Spinnerbaits over and through cabbage flats. Musky activity in shallow weeds can push these fish out to deeper water.

Smallmouth Bass: Very Good-Good – Rock and gravel humps holding good numbers for anglers using drop-shot rigs. Some of the largest Smallies in the lakes will be found on the inside weed lines where the Musky will move to. These fish will hit top-water meant for Skies.

Musky: Good-Very Good – As mentioned above, Muskie moving into shallower weeds. Top-water baits, Fat monkeybutts, Whopper Ploppers, Flaptails have been working well. Bucktails with Colorado or fluted blades to ride high over weeds. Twitchbaits such as Cranes and small to medium (due to weight) gliders also scoring fish.

Crappies: Fair-Good – Hot bite hasn’t happened yet, but its coming. Most Crappies being caught on medium sized fatheads on slip-floats in 12-22’ water around wood or outside coontail, narrow leaf cabbage. Reports are fish not concentrated in most cases. Even those that are not many actively feeding. Casting and counting down 1/6 oz jigs with Bobby Garland Slab Slayers and Sugar Gliders to suspended fish also producing.

Northern Pike: Fair – A few reports from anglers targeting using Chubs or Suckers under slip-floats (using wire leaders) working. Others reporting some action using twitchbaits and spinnerbaits over weed beds. Action should pick up once waters cool.

Walleye: Fair – Best using black chubs or redtails along breaks just outside weeds. Gravel humps mostly producing small fish. Look for any type of deviation in bottom (pile of rocks, wood) to hold some fish. Definitely not as good as previous week. Moving out of full moon along with cooler waters should help by week’s end.

A couple more days of temps in 80’s, then mid-70’s by the weekend should help our Walleye and Pike fishing. Take advantage of the nice weather if panfish are your choice, fishing has been good. Not a lot of color change with the warm weather. Traffic on most lakes has been light (with a few exceptions), good time to be on the water.

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
http://www.kurtsislandsports.com
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Minocqua, WI 54548

Mark

From Kurt’s Island Bait for the date 09-23-24:

Looks as if fall is finally on its way. Following nearly two weeks of high temps in the 80’s, things look to cool off a bit, hopefully bringing some consistent fall patterns back in order.

Bluegill: Very Good – One nice consistent, despite full moon, high temps and not usually on the radar. Very nice above average (8 ½”-10 ½”) Gills still being found outside coontail edges of 14-18’ and in drowned wood of 10-14’. Beavertails (small crawlers) and worms suspended under floats, as well as, small plastic grubs working best.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Despite looking not so good last week, Pike shot up the charts with some nice reports of anglers catching Pike of 24-31” working chubs in deeper, cooler slots on jigs with wire leaders. But the best report was of a large 41” Pike caught on a #5 Mepps.

Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Medium fats and beavertails on 1/16-1/8 oz jigs or under slip-floats along 8-12’ cabbage beds and flooded timber. Nice Perch of 9-12”+.

Musky: Fair – Early and late, due to high skies. Top-water and bucktails over weed flats. Water temps in upper 60’s to low 70’s as of 9/21, same pattern should hold, even get better as water cools.

Crappies: Fair – Suspended fish on medium fatheads and swimming plastics. Coming weeks, as waters cool, should pick up bite and concentrate fish.

Largemouth Bass: Fair – Still some top-water reports, but bites tougher to come by. Wacky Worming best, looking for slow bites best.

Smallmouth Bass: Fair-Good – Rock/Gravel off shore humps/bars. Drop-shotting and football jigs or tubes best. Anglers working jigs on Lindy rigs for Walleye reporting some Smallie play as well.

Walleye: Fair-Poor – Spotty reports. Getting some catches using black chubs and redtails. These fish seem to be most affected by unseasonably warm temps, full moon and sunny skies. Like Crappie and Musky, best is yet to come.

Looking forward to seeing surface temps drop, that will get fish in the mood and snapping! Most lakes very quiet, lots of room for anglers.

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
http://www.kurtsislandsports.com
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Minocqua, WI 54548

Mark

From Kurt’s Island Bait for the date 09-30-24:

Been a very warm September. Thought with forecast of cooler mornings and temps to come, that things would get back to a normal fall. Well, with the temps cracking into the 80’s in the afternoons, not much has changed. Surface temps dropping overnight to lows in upper 60’s climbing back to low 70’s by afternoons. As we turn the calendar page, looks like October may FINALLY bring some fall like temps.

Bluegill: Good – Same as past couple weeks. Suspending outside coontail edges in 12-14’ and around drowned wood. Beavertails (small crawlers) best.

Musky: Good-Fair – Early mornings best up tight on inside weed edges and shallow weeds. With bright sun and mostly flat water, better to move out to deeper water weeds as things brighten up. Top-water and bucktails that you can ride up over weeds. Gliders and twitchbaits moving fish also. Best fish of the week, a 48” “first fish” Musky caught with guide Jake Smith!

Smallmouth Bass: Good-Fair – Drop-shotting over gravel humps in 18-28’ providing some action. Lots of searching for active fish, best in late mornings.

Northern Pike: Good-Fair – Flat, warm afternoons not helping. #4 & #5 Mepps and spinnerbaits picking up fish in deeper weeds. Pike prefer the cooler temps, bite should improve.

Crappie: Good-Fair – Another species (Nearly all of them actually), that seems to be waiting for a drop in water temps to kick in. Some decent catches of fish suspending 2-4’ off bottom outside coontail edges and over drowned wood in 12-14’ of water.

Yellow Perch: Fair – Best in remaining green cabbage and woody bottoms on medium fatheads or half crawlers.

Largemouth Bass: Fair – Surprisingly few reports at our shop. Couple reports of good plastic frog top-water bites in the slop. Some fish on Wackys mid-day.

Walleye: Fair-Poor – Conditions NOT on our side. Crawlers and large fatheads over off-shore gravel humps of 22-30’, but mostly smaller fish. Some still weed related, just outside deepest cabbage in 12-15’ over mud.

We are finally seeing some patches of color in the area, they seemed to pop up overnight and will probably fill in quickly due to the late start. Can’t recall such a warm, sunny, and many days windless, September. Thought it was going to change this past week, but didn’t. Yet now, as we start October, forecast of lows in upper 30’s/low 40’s and highs in the upper 50’s to low 60’s, we will finally get this fall fishing bite going.

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
http://www.kurtsislandsports.com
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Minocqua, WI 54548

Mark

From Kurt’s Island Bait for the date 09-30-24:

Into October, finally some cold mornings (as low as 29 degrees on 10/4) driving temps into the low 60’s (as it should be). Colors starting to pop and Musky action on the upswing. Our weather has been either calm or very windy, but one constant has been very few clouds. Somewhere in the middle would be a much better compromise for anglers. Bite windows have been small for some species, but when it’s on, it’s been good.

Smallmouth Bass: Very Good-Good – Two distinct bites… off-shore, along coontail edges or over rock humps. Numbers of Smallies to 16” using drop-shot rigs with 3” minnow imitations. For a crack at a big fish, work top-water (Whopper Ploppers, Choppos, Torpedo’s) over shallow weeds. Fish to 6 ½ #’s this past week with several 5#+ fish from reports of guide Todd Powell!

Crappie: Very Good-Good – Wind made weekend bite tough to work for Crappies. Yet once surface temps hit below the mid 60-degree mark, Crappies have been on the feed. Depth of 10-16’ with wood or green weed edges. Medium fatheads or 1/16 oz jigs with Charlie Brewer Crappie Sliders, Garland Slab Slayers or Mr. Crappie Sugar Gliders either jigged or worked under a slip-float have been killer. Good catches and size to 14” this past week.

Musky: Good-Very Good – It’s the start of “sucker season”. While bucktails and top-water lures still providing good results (and will until surface temps hit 55 degrees/turn-over), suckers are really coming into play. Fish just outside of shallow weed flats, drawing fish to suckers on quick-set rigs with blades. Twitch and gliders also picking up their share.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Liking the cooler temps. Good catches reported from anglers casting spinnerbaits or jigging chub/jig combos on wire leaders. Some very nice mid-30” fish being caught on 12-13” suckers meant for Musky.

Yellow Perch: Good – Best along sandgrass just outside coontail edges or mixed in drown weeds. ½ crawlers or medium fatheads on weedless jigs, Lindy rigs or under slip-floats.

Walleye: Good-Fair – Wind held off what was an improving bite. On “fishable” days, outside weeds over sandgrass in 15-18’ and also, depending on lake, over gravel/rock humps in 17-28’. Redtails along weeds. Large fatheads or ½ crawlers on 1/8-1/4 oz jigs. May be the cloudless skies, but the hard jigging lures (Shiver Minnows, Jigging Raps) have not been as effective, as bite over deep has been light.

Largemouth Bass: Fair – Not many anglers actively pursuing. Outside weed edges as bigger fish rule the shallow weeds. Wacky Worms, drop-shot been best. Some top-water where competition from Musky not present.

Bluegill: Fair – Had a great run! Wind over the weekend made pan fishing almost impossible. Seems bite fading as water cools.

We’ve seen water temps drop from low 70’s over a week ago into upper 50’s to low 60’s (62 about average). Definitely bringing about some better patterns for the “October” anglers pursuing Musky, Walleye, Smallmouth and Crappies. With the two-week forecast showing lows below 40 degrees almost every morning and highs of mid 60’s at the warmest, we should start seeing signs of turn-over in a week or so. Don’t confuse turn-over with the heavy algae blooms on some of our lakes, those should be clearing up with the colder temps.

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
http://www.kurtsislandsports.com
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Minocqua, WI 54548

Mark

Apologies for the late updates from Kurt… Been one of those summers where family events have kind of overrun other activities, but I have fished more this summer and hope to make a good run to the end now!!! Be Safe and Good Luck!!!

Mark

From Kurt’s Island Bait for the date 10-15-24:

Mid-October and a fast change in water temps as lakes react to the 30-degree lows and highs in the upper 40’s. Surface temp reports from low of 50 degrees to high of 58 degrees (never got much of a shot at the wonderful mid-60’s), have anglers on alert for turnover (usually 55-57 degrees) on their favorite lakes. Look for murky water, debris from bottom of lake (not fresh dead tree leaves or algae) floating or suspended. Pick-up and go somewhere else, lots of lakes to choose from in the Lakeland area and lakes don’t all turn at the same time. Only going to do reports on species still being fished at this time. Windy weekend and rain kept anglers off water. If missing reports come into shop, I’ll add later.

Musky: Good-Fair – Not the great weekend we normally expect for mid-October. Maybe the water temps, but fish scattered. Anglers finding fish still weed related, either in or just off. Other reports have anglers picking up fish off rock humps on deep diving cranks. Surprisingly sucker bite not as strong as expected, but twitchbaits, jerks and gliders accounting for boated fish. Top fish reported at shop, 48 ½” guided by Jake Smith on Thursday (10/10).

Crappie: Good-Fair – Action cranking up (before wind made tough to fish). Good action and size (10-13”+) on medium fatheads or light hair jigs fished under slip-floats over submerged wood or along coontail edges of 12-14’.

Northern Pike: Good-Fair – Not as much targeted as being caught by anglers fishing for Musky. Nice fat Pike of 28-34” on suckers, twitchbaits and gliders.

Walleye: Fair – With water temps, best action on shallow lakes (that don’t stratify-no turnover), flowages (current-no turnover) or deeper lakes that haven’t cooled as fast. Redtails, large fatheads, ½ crawlers best. Not many reports of jigging lures (Shiver Minnows, Rapalas) but always have a rod ready. Bites have been light, so live bait has produced best.

Smallmouth Bass: Fair – Some Bass fishing still going on but not much. Best relating to offshore humps using drop-shot methods. Some close-up shore fishing producing a few big fish, but as temps have cooled and baitfish move out of these areas, less of those fish being caught.

I’ll add reports on Largemouth, Perch and Bluegill if we get any, but as season progresses, the ones reported on are the most targeted species.

We have an uptick in temps for the coming weekend, with highs forecasted into mid to upper 60’s with lows in 40’s. Not a fan of daytime full-moon fishing, but some noteworthy guides I know are, so fingers crossed. Colors have peaked, things are beautiful in the Northwoods. Take advantage if you can before things cool the following week.

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
http://www.kurtsislandsports.com
Like us on FaceBook
Minocqua, WI 54548

Mark

From Kurt’s Island Bait for the date 10-22-24:

Mild to warm weather (almost 80 degrees on 10/21), not common for this time in October. Water surface temps averaging 52-55 degrees (low of 48 degrees-high of 57 degrees). Nice weather to be out and about.

Musky: Good-Very Good – Maybe not surprising, but a larger percentage of Musky than usual being caught on artificials this past week. Fish from shallow weeds to out over 20’+. Jerk baits, divers, gliders, twitch baits and even word of a top-water catch! Suckers working also, but not at the ratio expected. Kudos to guide Jake Smith leading his client to a 49 ½” fish a week after boating a 48 ½”er.

Northern Pike: Good – Not many people targeting, but good action on black chubs fished on weedless jigs. Eaters in the 22-27” range with a few low 30” fish for fun. Also being caught incidentally by Musky anglers on twitch and glide baits.

Smallmouth Bass: Good – Good Smallies on drop-shot rigs over gravel/rock humps of 16-26’. Ned rigging also scoring.

Walleye: Fair-Good – Best along transition areas of gravel to mud on large fatheads and smaller redtails on 3/8-1/2 oz jigs in 22-34’. Jigging Shiver Minnows and Jiggin Raps picking up some aggressive strikes. On lakes without the deep water (25’+) look for remaining green cabbage to drag chubs on lighter jigs.

That’s all the reports I gathered as fishing pressure for other fish has dropped. With one more “nice” day as of this report (10/22), a week plus of low 30 to highs of mid 50’s will put surface temps into upper 40’s/low 50’s. Should improve sucker bite while slow artificial action. Moving away from full moon period should help action. Still plenty of time left.

Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
http://www.kurtsislandsports.com
Like us on FaceBook
Minocqua, WI 54548

Mark