Wisconsin Fishing Report

Wisconsin Fishing Report
AREA LAKES

Fishing has been good. Surface water temperatures were in the upper 60s to low 70s.
Bluegill fishing was good on many lakes. On most lakes, the bluegills were in spawning stages. The best action was along weed lines in 6-15 feet, with the bigger 'gills found near the bottom. Bluegills were also caught around spawning beds in shallower water. Giant red worms, leaf worms, wax worms, hellgrammites and panfish leeches work best.
Crappies were found suspended along the outside weed lines. A jig and minnow suspended under a slip float will work best.
Largemouth bass were caught from most lakes. The best action was around weeds in 5-12 feet. Shallower structure also will hold fish. Wacky worms, Texas-rigged plastics, swim jigs, spinner baits or crank baits will work well. Night crawlers, leeches, large golden shiners or small chubs work best for live bait. Top-water baits have produced during early morning and evening.
Northern pike action was great on many lakes. Look for them around weeds in 5-15 feet. A large golden shiner, medium sucker or chub rigged on a slip sinker with a fluorocarbon leader will work best. Many fish also were caught with spinner baits, buzz baits, chatter baits and crank baits.
Walleye action was OK. Fish the weed edges in 8-18 feet. A jig or slip-bobber rig baited with a jumbo fathead, leech or night crawler will work best. Low light conditions are the best time to target walleyes. Trolling crank baits also has worked.
Musky anglers fishing Pewaukee and Okauchee reported having many follows, with a few takers. Target the weed edges or breaks. Casting bucktails, glide baits or twitch baits has triggered the most strikes. Top-water baits have produced during early morning and night. A few muskies also were caught by trolling crank baits along the breaks.

Trout continue to be caught on Lower Nashotah, Lower Genesee and Ottawa. Look for the trout suspended over deeper water. A small fathead or rosy red minnow baited on a No. 8 hook and suspended under a slip float is the best method.
Catfish were being caught on the Rock and Crawfish rivers and Lake Mendota. Cut-up suckers or chubs, night crawlers and stink bait work best.
Carp were found in the shallow water spawning. It is legal to bow fish or spear carp on most area lakes, including at night, and now is the time of year to do it.
Becky Smith


LAKE MICHIGAN, MILWAUKEE
Trollers continue to dominate the fishing. There is still not much of a pattern, so persistence is the key.
Fish seem to be scattered from 60-150 feet of water from the main gap north to the filtration plant. Coho set-ups are catching most of the fish, with spoons showing some action, too. Coho salmon, chinook salmon, rainbow trout and lake trout have made up the catches. White or red flashers ahead of cracked ice, blue or green flies have been best. Flat lines of planers, Dipsey divers, lead core and downriggers set at staggered depths will comb the water looking for a group that can be targeted. There is little stratification yet, so the fish seem to be at all depths.
Shore fishing for trout and salmon remains poor. Some bass fishing is possible around the warmer areas of the harbor. The perch season has begun. Some fish are being caught under the Hoan Bridge, in Lakeshore State Park and in areas with a little weed growth such as McKinley and South Shore marinas. Small jigs, minnows and jigging spoons have taken perch. The perch also seem to be seeking warmer water.
Marc Wisniewski