Wisconsin Fishing Reports 11/29/07

[Lee Borgersen]

Fishing Report
Ashland Area | Beaver Dam Area | Boulder Junction Area | Chetek Area | Eagle River Area | Green Bay Appleton Area | Hayward Area | La Crosse Area | Lake Holcombe Area | Lake Michigan Metro Area Lakes | Madison Area | Marinette Area | Medford Area | Minocqua Woodruff Area | Nekoosa Area | Prairie Du Chein Area | Rice Lake Area | Siren Area | Wausau Area


Ashland Area

Snow started falling the middle of last week and the deer started moving again. Hunters are shooting a lot of does, but a few nice bucks have been taken along the way. Some of the inland lakes were starting to ice over as the middle of last week, so ice fishing may not be far away.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST


Beaver Dam Area

Anglers are waiting for the first ice, but in the meantime Beaver Dam has been seeing some very good crappie action, with some of the best fishing coming after dark. Lately, the walleye fishing kicked in; fish were hitting on jigs and minnows. Most sportsmen and women are hunting now, but they were catching walleyes right up to the gun deer opener.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Boulder Junction Area

Some very thin ice had formed on a couple of small lakes before the deer season, but that ice disappeared. Anglers are still waiting for safe ice, which anglers hope may come soon.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Chetek Area

There is no ice yet, but it should show up any day. Most of the sportsmen were hunting deer last week, but anglers were catching fish before opening day, so that action should still be available once the ice arrives.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Eagle River Area

Lots of locals and visitors have taken to the woods for deer hunting. Fewer anglers are on the water now, but the the fish are providing an average bite. Fish walleyes along drop-offs next to mud flats in 15 to 35 feet of water. Use a jig and a minnow. Muskie action was decent, with some nice fish being released. Muskies are still hitting suckers and crankbaits. Muskie season closes Nov. 30. Crappies are hanging around break edges and mud flats over structure, such as cribs and brush piles in 15 to 35 feet of water. The crappies will suspend at varying depths. Start shallow and work deeper until the fish start hitting. Use a crappie minnow under a slip bobber.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Green Bay/Appleton Area

Walleyes are being caught at the De Pere dam on jigs and crankbaits. Anglers also were still pursuing muskies, with a 50-incher recently released on the Fox River. Perch are still hitting, but most everyone is deer hunting right now.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Hayward Area

A few guys are still hitting open water for muskies. Action has been fair, but no big fish have been caught yet. The water temps are right at the freezing point, so anglers could be fishing by this week. Ciscoes are spawning, so muskie fishermen are hoping for that last big fish of the year.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

La Crosse Area

Most everyone is deer hunting or duck hunting, but a few guys were catching walleyes below the dams.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Lake Holcombe Area

There is no ice and no one has been going out in boats. Most everyone has been deer hunting. The sport shop was up in registrations by 23 percent through Sunday. Hunters were bringing in mixed reviews - some saw deer, others didn't.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Lake Michigan/Metro Area Lakes

In Milwaukee, anglers near the Summerfest grounds were catching browns and a few perch on minnows. Anglers also were catching decent numbers of browns at Jones Island on spawn and spoons.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Madison Area

Fishing pressure has been light, but fish are still being caught. Water has cooled into the mid-40s. On Lake Mendota, some walleyes are hitting on the breaks in deep water, and northern pike are hitting over weed edges and over rocks outside of the weeds. Bluegills are hitting in University Bay and at Picnic Point. There has been some Lake Monona muskie action on weed edges, especially in Squaw Bay, at the rock pile, along John Nolan Drive, and near the convention center. Walleyes are hitting at night along John Nolan Drive. Bluegills and crappies have been hitting good from shore, and there are even a few guys still fishing out of boats for bluegills in the shallows. Lake Waubesa muskies and walleyes are hitting along the steeper breaks, and panfish are scattered over the remaining weeds. Lake Kegonsa panfish are in 24 to 30 feet of water. The mixed bag even includes white bass.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Marinette Area

The whitefish run just ended and guys had some very nice catches of 25 to 30 fish. Walleyes are hitting in the evenings. Guys are still using mostly crankbaits, but minnows are working, too. Steelhead and brown trout are still in the river, and anglers are catching perch at the marina, off the lighthouse and down at the Oconto park. Most of the guys right now are waiting for ice.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Medford Area

Most of the focus has been on hunting lately. A few nice bucks have been shot, and hunters are shooting a lot of does. Anglers are waiting for ice. There has been some skim ice in the mornings, but with highs in the 40s during the day, nothing has covered over.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Minocqua/Woodruff Area

It's been cold enough for ice to start to form, but not enough to lock up any lakes. Wind was keeping several smaller lakes from freezing. Anglers on the Minocqua chain were reporting surface temps of 40 to 42 degrees last week, and it's been cold since then. For muskies, there were only a few reports, as there are only a few anglers hitting the lakes. Jerkbaits were working the best. Suckers are working, but action is slow. Walleyes are hitting along remaining green weeds in larger lakes. With water temps of 38 to 42 degrees, use minnows with a slow retrieve.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Nekoose Area

The fishing has been very good for walleyes during the past week, with most of the effort concentrated in the Chester Creek area and down by the dike on the south end of the Petenwell Flowage. The walleyes have been fairly good-sized, with a lot of “slot fish” being released. Still, a lot of anglers are getting their limits, mostly on jigs and minnows. A few white bass and catfish also are being caught.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Prairie Du Chien Area

Anglers are still catching a few walleyes and sauger below the dams on the Mississippi River. Bluegills have been kind of slow lately, with Cold Springs being about the only spot to have any amount of bluegill action. Deer hunting has been good, but overall the count seems to be down somewhat. Most hunters have reported seeing deer, however. Most of the duck hunters were working the stretch from Lynxville to Ferryville.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Rice Lake Area

The fish are biting, but most folks have taken to the woods for deer hunting (which is quite good), as well as going after grouse, geese, and ducks. This is a good time to try hunting and fishing. Savvy anglers are getting good action on walleyes that are just now starting to move shallower. Forget the mid-lake humps and fish the dead or dying weedlines in 12 to 15 feet of water. Use a jig and a minnow. It's an all-day bite. Muskies will still go after large suckers (14 to 18 inches) near the bottom, or dropped below a boat. Depths can vary greatly, with strikes coming both shallow and deep. Structure, rocks, and drop-offs are all producing. Large plastic lures also will work. Northerns are in the weeds in depths ranging from 4 to 12 feet. The bigger fish usually are deeper, but the action is slower. This is a good time of year to use a crankbait or a large sucker minnow. While few anglers are going after crappies and bluegills, these panfish are still very much in play. Fish crappies off of cribs or structure in 15 to 30 feet of water. For the bluegills, weeds or remnants thereof are the target areas in around 10 feet of water.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Siren Area

The shop registered more than 600 deer through the first four days of the gun season, which is up from last year. Hunters brought in a number of good-sized bucks. As far as fishing, Big Clam has been freezing over, and then opening back up again. Everyone is waiting for ice. Duck hunters were having good action on northern mallards last week.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Wausau Area

With deer hunting taking center-stage, there are not a lot of anglers out on the water. Big mistake! The fishing continues to be excellent. Savvy outdoor enthusiasts are finding time to do both. The walleye bite continues to get better. With the water temperatures dropping into the upper 30s, the fish are in their wintering holes. Target the walleyes by simply setting up above or across from deep pools and work a jig and minnow through them all day long. The panfish bite is very good, and the best method is to drift the flats with small jigs tipped with either a chunk or crawler or a small minnow. Work areas with little or no current, preferably the backwater areas in 8 to 12 feet of water. The white bass explosion on the Wisconsin River system has made for an interesting situation. These feisty fish will strike out at almost anything you throw into the water. For best results, work the main channel by drifting jig and minnow combinations or a simple spinner rig tipped with a small fathead. The muskie season is winding down. Some very big fish are being seen, but the bite has slowed. Run suckers, or throw big jerkbaits and soft plastics. Work water in 12 to 25 feet deep all day long, preferably with rocks or bottom structure.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:46 AM CST