FISHING WITH THE GUIDES with George Langley - WEEK OF 9/14 TO 9/21

We’re moving further into September, and the fishing patterns are shifting quickly with it. It’s been rather rough out there and the coming week doesn’t look fantastic, with temps predicted from upper 70’s and sunny and moving to cool and rainy. Water temperatures are hanging in the low 60”s although we did see an uptick with the warm weather over the weekend. Many lakes are already showing weeds starting to die back. This change always sets up fall fishing , even if the progress pauses a little during stretches of warm weather.

Walleye activity is slowly improving as fish adjust to the thinning weeds and deal with the temperature variations. They’re moving around a lot, from shallow to deep, with anglers finding them shallow during the nighttime hours and deeper during the day. Depending on when you’re out, on the Eagle River Chain 15 feet is still a good starting depth, but anglers should check shallow during thelate evening or nighttime hours and if you’re not finding them, move to deeper holes as fish continue to stage there in preparation for colder weather.  When fishing shallow, jerkbaits are a great option, otherwise jigs tipped with half crawlers or large fatheads are producing. On clear lakes, walleyes are now favoring drop-offs and mid-lake structure, sometimes suspended just off bottom over deeper water during the day.

Bass are settling into late-season behavior. Largemouth are holding on deeper weed edges, where plastics and minnow baits remain your best bet. Topwater is nearly finished, though a calm evening might still bring a strike or two. Smallmouth are feeding hard on minnows as crayfish activity drops off, with the most consistent action coming from rock and gravel in 10 to 30 feet, but some surprising catches are still coming from weedy areas when schools of baitfish move through.Panfish action continues to be good, though shifting deeper. Bluegills remain in weedy cover but tend to hold a little lower in the water column. Worms under bobbers still work well. Crappies are splitting their time between shallow weed patches in 5 to 8 feet and deeper breaks in 12 to 15. Slip bobbers and crappie minnows remain the top method. Perch are beginning to school on mud flats and drop-offs, often right alongside walleye.

Northern pike are reliable as always. They’re cruising weed edges, ambushing panfish and minnows. Spinners in sizes 3 and 4 are a simple but very effective choice for covering water and drawing strikes.

Musky fishing has surprisingly been the most consistent during the last week and continues to build momentum as fish put on weight for winter. Larger jerk baits and twitch baits are working well now, and anglers are beginning to rig up live suckers for the weeks ahead. Big fish are showing up along the deeper weed edges, and this is the time of year when trophies often make an appearance. Several solid muskies were caught in the last week, and that action should only improve as conditions cool further.

Fun tidbit: With the acorns dropping and the first red maples showing color, it’s not just anglers keeping busy—local hunters are reporting decent deer movement in the evenings. A sure sign that fall is taking hold across the Northwoods, both in the woods and on the water. It’s just starting to get really pretty out there – enjoy it while you can!

Good luck and good fishin’!

                  
                                  Wisconsin Fishing Information

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