Wisconsin fishing reports 12/28/07

[Lee Borgersen]

Ashland Area    ( top )

Ashland Area

People are fishing all over Chequamegon Bay, from Washburn south through Ashland, and east over to Second Landing. Ice conditions vary, but closer to shore on the older ice there is up to 10 inches. Farther out past the first breaks and onto the newer ice there is 3 to 6 inches. There have been a few machines on the ice but, as usual, this does not in any way mean the ice is safe. Be careful! bring your spud bar and check as you go. North of Washburn there is pack ice, but leads keep opening up and re-freezing. It will be at least another week until people are getting to the deeper water of the channel. Fishing reports have been mixed, but as usual, a mixed bag of species has been reported - from walleyes, northern pike, smallies, and perch at Ashland, to splake, browns, perch, and whitefish at Washburn. You never know what you will catch during early ice on the bay.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Beaver Dam Area    ( top )

Beaver Dam Area

The walleye fishing on Beaver Dam Lake is still pretty good. Anglers also are catching crappies and perch on Beaver Dam Lake. There has been some walleye action on Fox Lake, but most of the best action is coming well after dark.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Eagle River Area    ( top )

Eagle River Area

There's a good walleye bite going on at and after sunset. Fish the outside weed edges in 6 to 18 feet of water (depth will depend on the lake). Use a 3- to 5-inch shiner, or walleye sucker under a tip-up. Northern pike are hitting during the day in the same areas as the walleyes. Use a big shiner under a tip-up. Crappies are on weed edges in 15 feet of water or less. Use a crappie minnow under a slip bobber, or a jig with a waxie. Bluegills and perch can be found in the weeds in 14 feet of water or less. Use a small jig, tipped with a crappie minnow, waxie, or spike. Although there aren't that many hunters going out right now, bowhunters are still getting some nice bucks. Antlers are starting to drop.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Green Bay Appleton Area    ( top )

Green Bay/Appleton Area

Walleyes are hitting through the ice on the Fox River, but the action is pretty sporadic, with catches ranging from six to a dozen fish in an evening. Anglers are catching perch on Duck Creek and the Suamico River. A lot of them are on the smaller side, but anglers are getting a few limits despite having to sort through little fish. Bluegills are hitting on Shawano Lake and the Machickanee Flowage. Northern pike and walleyes also are hitting on Shawano Lake, with the pike numbers running well ahead of the walleye numbers. Anglers are venturing out up to a mile from Dykesville, and they're finding perch.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Lake Michigan Metro Area Lakes    ( top )

Lake Michigan/Metro Area Lakes

In Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties, anglers are finding at least some ice on all area waters, but none of the lakes are considered entirely safe for even walking access. The deeper lakes are especially dangerous because it takes longer for the greater volume of water in deep lakes to cool sufficiently to form ice. The other dangers are spring areas and those areas that were kept open by roosting geese. Lakes and rivers are never 100 percent safe for ice travel. No good fishing reports have come in, but anglers are out trying. There were still areas of open water on Elkhart Lake last week.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Madison Area    ( top )

Madison Area

In the Madison area, a lot of guys were fishing open water on Lake Mendota last week, but ice was forming in some of the bays. A few adventurous (?) souls did try sneaking out on that early ice with tip-ups, but most anglers were waiting for better conditions. Ice fishing is available on Cherokee Marsh, where fishermen were finding panfish. On Lake Monona, anglers found 7 to 8 inches of ice on Monona Bay, and the bay was seeing most of the fishing pressure. Anglers were fishing the edges of Lake Waubesa on some thin ice. Water was coming up on the ice because of the weight of snow. Lake Kegonsa was covered with ice, but even walking was “iffy” on Kegonsa.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Manitowish Waters Area    ( top )

Manitowish Waters Area

The walleye bite is going pretty well, but northern pike are receiving top billing on area lakes. Exercise care when venturing out onto the lakes, as heavy snow hit prior to good ice conditions forming. There are many lakes that have slush as a result.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Minocqua Woodruff Area    ( top )

Minocqua/Woodruff Area

Stable weather has helped keep the early ice bite going strong. The early morning temperatures have been 14 to 17 degrees, which is warm in relation to the sub-zero morning temps that had been seen in the area. Walleye action is very good to excellent. Limits of walleyes were coming in from late afternoon to early evening on the Minocqua Chain, Big Arb, Muskellunge, and Katherine. Tip-ups with walleye suckers have been working the best, but on certain lakes, shiners work better. The biggest fish (to 26 inches) are coming from anglers using jigging lures. Northern pike action also is very good for numbers and size. Large shiners and suckers are producing good pike in the 30- to 36-inch range, according to anglers. Try bays with standing weeds. Crappies action has been very good. The bite is back on after slowing last week (due to a largemouth bass invasion). Tip-downs baited with crappie minnows have worked the best, and also have produced bonus walleyes, pike, and bass. They seem to prefer meat, but some anglers also are scoring well on plastics. Largemouth bass action has been very good, which is rare for a winter fishing report, but too many bass are being caught to ignore. Use shiners on tip-ups, but shaking buckshot spoons also works. Bluegill and perch fishing is fair to good, but most anglers are concentrating on walleyes and pike.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Park Falls Area    ( top )

Park Falls Area

Ice depths generally range from 7 to 11 inches, with about 6 inches of powdery snow on top. This has caused some slush to form, but the slush is spotty and only about an inch or two thick. Some anglers have begun to drive out on a few lakes, but extreme caution is still urged. Lake ice cover can be variable, with a solid 10 inches in some areas and only 6 inches of ice a few hundred yards away. In addition, slush conditions add a lot of weight to the top of the ice and softens the ice beneath the slush. This results in a weaker ice cover and less weight-holding capability. Success has been generally limited. Walleyes continue to be the main species of interest, and action has been inconsistent. The best success has come in the late afternoon just before dark, with shiners or suckers fished on tip-ups in the 6- to 12-foot depths. No specific areas have been better than others, as a few fish are being taken on the shallow mud flats, some near green weed edges, and some on the deep edge of gravel/rock drop-offs. Most of the walleyes have been in the 10- to 15-inch size, but fish up to 22 inches have been caught. Panfish action has been erratic, though a few anglers have reported fair catches of crappies and perch. Northern pike action should only be considered fair, as the cloudy and colder weather seems to have slowed their activity.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Rice Lake Area    ( top )

Rice Lake Area

Ice-fishing action is good and will get even better. Ice is firming up, but there are still thin spots and dangerous current areas, particularly on larger lakes. Caution is advised, and it's still too early for vehicles and snowmobiles. The northern pike and walleyes are in the same general areas - 4 to 12 feet of water in and around weeds. Fish the pike during the day, using a tip-up with a larger shiner. The walleyes start turning on later in the day and into the evening hours. Use a tip-up with a fathead or sucker. The walleye bite is very light. There are a lot of flags, but the walleyes seem to be mouthing the bait, running with it, then letting it go, in many instances. Big Chetac Lake has been particularly good for walleyes. Bluegills are providing good action. Fish in 4 to 6 feet of water in the weeds, using a teardrop jig tipped with a waxie.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Sauk City Area    ( top )

Sauk City Area

Crystal Lake has been producing bluegills and crappies, but not a lot of fish of size. Trout are starting to hit on Devils Lake. A few bluegills are being caught at Whalen's Grade on Lake Wisconsin, with plastics on a small jig being the hot bait. Panfish also are hitting on Fish Lake.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST

Wausau Area    ( top )

Wausau Area

Solid ice conditions in Marathon County have led to ample opportunities for anglers looking to sample some fine ice fishing. In many areas, anglers are able to drive ATVs and snowmobiles safely onto the ice. Regardless, fishermen should pay heed, as current and springs can still lead to unsafe ice. Panfish activity has been good, with numbers of bluegills, crappies, and perch being accounted for. Depths from 3 to 8 feet are holding the most fish, especially when structure such as wood or weeds is present. Drilling a number of holes before beginning is a good strategy that will allow you to move with the fish, and avoid wasting time drilling holes or spooking fish when the bite slows. Small jigs tipped with waxies have been consistent fish-catchers, with gold, orange, and chartreuse being productive. Northern pike activity has been very good. The increased traffic and thickening ice has slowed the shallow bite, so begin in depths ranging from 4 to 10 feet. Structure is key to consistency, with weedlines and sharp breaks good places to begin. Tip-ups baited with large golden shiners are an excellent choice. Anglers looking for walleyes will have to fish during the low-light periods of morning and evening. Tip-ups rigged with small treble hooks and suckers or golden shiners are working well.

Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:48 PM CST