Fishing & Hunting

We’re finally getting the fall weather we were wishing for at the beginning of October. The leaves are mostly down and the nights and mornings are cold. Water temperatures are now in the mid 50’s and dropping on area lakes. That steady drop will continue with the predicted weather and maybe some rain toward the end of the week. Turnover is taking place on some lakes and some of the smaller ones have already finished. Weeds are just about done on most bodies of water, and we’re seeing some true fall patterns – most days.

Walleye fishing on the Eagle River Chain has been good, but last week the fish were still kind of everywhere. Sometimes in the deep holes, as you’d expect, and then sometimes hanging a bit higher in the weed edges that they can still find. The best activity has been in 18–28 feet. Regardless of the lake, now is definitely the time to begin concentrating efforts around holes, sharper breaks, and the deep side of any remaining weed edges. Large fatheads and small suckers fished on jigs or under slip bobbers are working well. The bite windows are tightening with the cooling water, but when they open up - especially at the beginning and end of the day - the action is great.

Smallmouth bass, when you can find them, are hugging rocky structure and deeper gravel humps. Though the time to hunt for them is basically over, when you find them the best approach is subtle plastics, tubes, or live bait presentations. Largemouth are harder to find now also, and are holding near the last bits of weeds or buried in shallow wood in warmer water.

Northern pike are feeding aggressively, as they do this time of year with the cooling waters firing up their appetite. Spinnerbaits, spoons, and larger crankbaits continue to produce. We’ve heard of action in shallower bays that still hold some green weed growth. The fish will soon shift toward deeper water as those weeds collapse completely, so watch for that.

Panfish are continuing their slow migration to the deep water. Crappies are suspending over mid-depth brush or near old weed lines, while perch are moving into softer-bottom areas near deeper transitions. The perch bite on the Chain has remained good, with steady action reported all week. Bluegill are a bit more scattered but are being found on deeper flats using small jigs tipped with waxies or plastics.

Musky anglers have had some great days on the water this last week. Now is the time to look for those lakes that have already turned over to find a great fall bite, and with the cooling water it’s also finally a good time for suckers. Trolling large crankbaits over deeper structure or casting big rubber baits near drop-offs has been productive as well. As water temps drop further, we can expect muskies to move toward those classic late-season haunts and feed heavily.

It's time to get in all the soft water fishing that you need to get you through until spring, and to start getting the hard water fishing gear out and ready. It’s a quiet, peaceful time in the Northwoods, and one of the most rewarding times of the year to be outside and in a boat. Enjoy the last of it…now we start wishing for some nice, early ice!

Good luck and good fishin’!