Fishing & Hunting

Mid-February is giving us that classic late-winter weather mix. The sun is a little higher and hanging around longer, which always helps morale, and this week’s predicted temperatures will get us thinking Spring. Don’t fall for it! We’ve got plenty of winter left, no doubt.

Overall ice conditions across the Eagle River and Vilas County area remain solid, with most lakes continuing to show generally good ice in the 18 to 24” range or better. Travel has been easy where there’s been regular foot or machine traffic, as most of the slush we saw earlier has frozen up. Don’t worry, there will be plenty more where that came from!

Walleye fishing slowed over the last week or so. Fish are being caught most consistently at weed edges in the 12-18’ range, with some activity also coming from deeper flats and breaks out to around 25’. Live bait is the ticket right now, with medium shiners and sucker minnows working best.

Northern pike fishing has stayed pretty solid. Tip-ups set with large shiners or sucker minnows over weeds are producing, and some very nice fish have been reported. Walleye anglers fishing the weeds continue to complain about Northern hitting their rigs, especially during the mid-day hours when the walleye all seem to be napping.

Pan fishing has been a bit up and down with our temperatures, too. Perch are moving around a lot but being found mainly on deeper mud flats in the 15–20+’ range, with heavier spoons or tungsten jigs tipped with spikes or waxies. Bluegills have been hanging a bit deeper than usual during the colder stretches, too. Use the smallest jigs you have tipped with either waxies or spikes. Crappies are moving around a lot right now. Look in transition areas and on the deeper mud flats in 20+’ of water. Use a tip-down and some crappie minnows or rosie reds to target these guys. Being mobile and willing to adjust depths has made a big difference for panfish anglers lately.

As we move deeper into late winter, it’s worth noting that we’ve now only got about 2 weeks of game fishing season left. This year’s date, the first Sunday in March, is March 1. While we see an end to targeting game fish, we still have some of the best pan fishing of the season ahead of us.

Looking ahead, the weather pattern we’ve got coming appears to remain a bit unsettled, with some really warm temperatures towards the end of the week. Those ups and downs can make fish moods change quickly, so slowing presentations, paying close attention to structure, and being flexible with depth and bait choices will continue to be important.

The coming warm-up should get fish moving nicely. Late winter angling often rewards patience and persistence, and there are still plenty of good days ahead on the ice. Get out there and enjoy it while you can!

Good luck and good fishin’!