Wisconsin Fishing Reports 10/3/08

[Lee Borgersen]

 

Algoma Area    ( top )

Algoma Area

Some good numbers of salmon are still available on Lake Michigan, but mature salmon have moved into the harbors and the Ahnapee and Kewaunee rivers. More and more fish are moving in every day. Fish are being seen jumping and splashing in the rivers. The chinook run typically peaks in the first week or two of October. Cohos and browns also are moving to the shorelines, streams, and rivers. There is a lot of good shore, river, and stream fishing to come in the next couple of months. Trollers are having success right off the harbor mouth, but some boaters are still fishing 2 to 5 miles out for smaller chinook salmon in the 2- to 10-pound range.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Ashland Area    ( top )

Ashland Area

The fall run has started - mainly with cohos, but a few splake, browns, and even a few steelies and pinks have been reported hanging out near the river mouths, and in the lower reaches of the rivers. A good rain will push more fish into the rivers. Fishing will improve through the month. Trollers are catching few chinooks in the South Channel. Try crankbaits off planer boards, small bright spoons off Dipsys and shallow riggers, and even smaller flasher/fly combos. Shore casters are using spoons, large spinners, and spawn for fish off the river mouths. Lake trout fishing remains good in all typical off-shore spots. Bay bass fishing is improving. Fish are still scattered in deeper water. Walleyes and northerns are still coming on crankbaits and crawler harnesses trolled over the shallower flats.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Boulder Juction Area    ( top )

Boulder Junction Area

Muskie fishing has been tough. The most successful anglers have been using live bait; casting with bucktails and jerkbaits induces follows, but hook-ups on artificials have been tough to come by. Fish following artificials often turn off and go for the sucker. Walleyes were being caught on deep weedlines, with the best success coming on live bait. Slip bobbers and minnows have been working best. Fishing pressure has been way down since Labor Day.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Chetek Area    ( top )

Chetek Area

Northern pike have moved to the deeper main lake channels. Try trolling to locate active fish along the drops, or along any green weed edges. The bass have schooled up a bit in deeper water with some structure to which to hold. Points are good places to start. Walleyes seem to be suspending in daylight hours, but move into the shallows in the evenings. During the day, try trolling these hard-bottomed areas. You can also try slip bobber rigs with minnows or crawlers.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Chippewa Falls Area    ( top )

Chippewa Falls Area

Overall game fish action was good this past week. Bass action has been very good on spinnerbaits and floating crankbaits. Walleye action has been spotty, with the best action early and late in the day. There has been good muskie action on the flowages and below dams on the local rivers. Panfish action has been picking up in the bays as water temperatures drop.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Eagle River Area    ( top )

Eagle River Area

Walleye are hitting, but the sizes are average to small. Fish the weeds with a jig and a minnow. Depth will vary from 3 to 20 feet, depending on the lake. Early and late in the day, walleyes are hitting X-Raps along rock bars, sand bars, and humps in depths as shallow as 3 feet. Smallies are hitting aggressively - less than 8 feet in the morning and 15 to 20 feet during the day. The crappie bite is excellent, especially on the Eagle River chain. They're a little shallower now - 8 feet or less, and near cribs and cover. Lots of perch are mixed in with the crappies and some of the walleyes. Northern action can be furious at times, but the bite has been sporadic. The northerns are in shallow weeds - 2 to 8 feet of water. Plain spinnerbaits are working best. Muskie action was slow, but anglers are starting to go with bigger lures, and are just beginning to drag suckers. The muskies will be in the shallows early in the morning, and go as deep as 12 to 15 feet during the day.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Green Bay Appleton Area     ( top )

Green Bay/Appleton Area

On the Fox River, fishing has been slow. Some anglers were having luck jigging for walleyes near the channel. The walleye bite in the bay has slowed down, too. They seem to be moving to different locations on a nearly daily basis during daytime hours. The night bite for walleyes seems to be picking up. Finding walleyes has become the biggest challenge. The yellow perch bite has been spotty, but with indications that it not only is picking up, but larger perch are being found. Near Bayshore Park, perch were moderately hard to find, but anglers who put in the time were able to find them. Near the breakwall at Suamico, perch anglers have been having fair luck. Northern pike anglers are having luck with crankbaits on the reefs.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Hayward Area    ( top )

Hayward Area

Fishing pressure has lightened up quite a bit, but the anglers who are still out there are catching fish. Nelson Lake has seen some decent action on crappies and bluegills. The big, deep lakes have given up some nice walleyes; fish deep structure during the day. Muskies are starting to move a little more willingly, and fishermen are starting to run live suckers on quick-strike rigs.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Lake Michigan Metro Area Lakes    ( top )

Lake Michigan/Metro Area Lakes

Sheboygan pier anglers have been catching a few chinooks and cohos on spoons and spawn. In the Sheboygan River, some chinooks have been caught in upstream stretches and near the Kohler dam. Trollers have been catching browns, cohos, and chinooks in and around the harbor.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Lake Winnebago Area    ( top )

Lake Winnebago Area

The white bass have started coming up into the Fox River, but it's not real heavy yet. White bass fishing seems to pick up when the wind blows from the west to create some current. Anglers also are starting to see some walleyes in the river. They're catching them by drifting. Perch fishing has been decent along the west shore of Lake Winnebago. There are still a few catfish being caught.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Madison Area    ( top )

Madison Area

Fishing has been pretty decent, especially for panfish on lakes Monona and Waubesa. The bigger bluegills are coming off Waubesa, and the lake is also giving up a few nice crappies. Muskie action also has been pretty good on both lakes. Smallmouths and crappies were hitting on Lake Mendota, but the smallies scattered recently and are a little tougher to locate. Anglers are finding a few largemouths along Mendota weedlines. Catfish are being caught, but the action is spotty, according to angler reports.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Manitowoc%2ftwo Rivers Area    ( top )

Manitowoc/Two Rivers Area

Lake Michigan anglers out of Two Rivers had a good week. Many were trolling near shore in 20 to 50 feet of water for chinooks (up to 16 pounds) and a few browns (up to 10 pounds). Pier anglers had some success casting spoons for salmon, but that tapered off. West Twin River anglers had a good week. Pressure was concentrated near the Shoto dam or along Shoto Island. Anglers were drifting spawn or casting spinners and spoons for some nice chinooks up to 17 pounds. In Manitowoc, anglers had a fair week on Lake Michigan, trolling in 20 to 80 feet of water. Anglers also had some success inside the harbor near the river mouth, the marina, and the Eighth Street bridge. On the Manitowoc River, chinook anglers have been mostly concentrating around Manitou Park or near Mill Road in Manitowoc Rapids. Anglers had the most success on spawn sacs under bobbers.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Marinette Area    ( top )

Marinette Area

Kings have been in the Menominee River for a while and most fish are pretty dark. More walleyes are showing up in the river, but anglers are still trolling for walleyes in the bay with crawlers and crankbaits, and they're catching a lot of fish. The perch fishing off of Oconto has been good. Most anglers are fishing pretty deep in the direction of Young's Reef. Bluegill action is improving on the Menominee River and on inland lakes. Smallmouths are the bright spot - lots of big smallies are being caught every day. There have been no reports yet of a legal sturgeon (60-inch limit) above the Hattie Street dam. Sturgeon may not be kept below the dam.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Minocqua%2fwoodruff Area    ( top )

Minocqua/Woodruff Area

Walleye fishing has been good to very good. The cold nights during the weekend brought back a hot bite on some of the better-known fall walleye spots. Walleyes have reappeared on the deep gravel humps. Use large fatheads, small redtails, or half of a crawler on jigs. The Flambeau chain, Squirrel, and Big have had the best bites. The flowages have picked up with a bit of cool weather. Muskie action is good and it's improving. Sucker action is starting. Surface lures have produced good action at dawn and dusk. During the day twitch crankbaits or run bucktails over weeds. Smallie and northern pike (up to 35 inches - released) action is also very good.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Prairie Du Chien Area    ( top )

Prairie Du Chien Area

Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing has been good on wing dams, closing dams, weed edges, flats, points, and in the timber. Walleye and sauger action was spotty. Some decent action was reported on wing dams and near the dam at Lynxville. The walleye action will pick up once the water cools. Anglers were either trolling crankbaits along wing dams, flats, or drop-offs along the main channel. Some anglers have had success drifting a chunk of crawlers off the bottom. Northern pike action slowed a little, too. Some decent fish have been caught on Big Lake, the bottom end of the Ambro Slough, and the Lower Bottoms outside Prairie du Chien and up by the Lynxville dam.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Sauk City Area    ( top )

Sauk City Area

Walleyes are hitting below the Prairie du Sac dam. Anglers are catching trout on Devils Lake, but at the north boat landing, only small boats may be launched by hand. Barricades may not be moved, and vehicles and trailers may not bypass the barricades. The south landing is open.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

St Germain Area    ( top )

St. Germain Area

Muskie and walleye action is picking up on the Rainbow Flowage, Big Saint, and Little Saint. The bow deer season is producing some deer still in velvet. Grouse numbers are up compared to last year.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Sturgeon Bay Area    ( top )

Sturgeon Bay Area

The perch bite has been good, especially north of Chaudoir's dock, near Sugar Creek and Rite's Cove. Perch also were biting in Riley's Bay along the weeds. Walleyes and pike were being caught in the Henderson area. Also, at Little Sturgeon Bay/Sawyer Harbor, muskies and northerns were biting near weeds. Many large northerns and muskies have been seen following lures. The walleye bite has been consistently better at night, especially near Larson's Reef. Crankbaits were working well. There has been some luck with smallmouth bass near the shipping canal. Salmon are starting to move into the system.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Upper Peninsula Report    ( top )

Upper Peninsula Report

Lake Gogebic walleye anglers were catching fish on minnows, crawlers, and leeches. Others have done well on spinners. Mild temperatures have been the rule, but expect the bite to get better as temps cool and walleyes can be targeted with large minnows.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Wolf River System%2flake Poygan Area    ( top )

Wolf River System/Lake Poygan Area

Fishing has been good for all species, with crappies and bluegills leading the way. The best crappie and bluegill fishing has been around brush and log structure. Some walleyes and white bass are being caught, and one guy came had a 30-inch northern, a catfish, and some white bass.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 1:36 PM CDT