Fishing Report

Good morning from the Quiet Lakes, great weather on tap for the weekend and first part of the week.  Upper 70s into the low 80s for the week with a good chance of rain on Wednesday.  Not bad for mid July, and better than 90 degrees and flat calm!  Last week’s storms and rain dropped water temps considerably which is excellent news for fishing, but Musky in particular.  I am hearing water temps have dropped down into the low 70s on a few of the area lakes.  

Musky–The musky bite has picked up and water temps are favorable for active ‘skies right now.  Burning bucktails over weeds should produce fish right now, as well as top water baits.  Look for musky in and around shallow weeds right now and work through weed beds and shallow bars with weeds on them.  

Northern Pike–Pike have been active and hitting all sorts of baits.  Top water bass baits, spinnerbaits, and small bucktails have all produced pike recently.  PIke will also relate to shallow weedy bays and weed beds.  

Walleye–The walleye bite has been fair, and anglers are finding bite windows mainly at dusk and just into dark.  Snap jigging baits and jigging leeches or minnows off of deep weed edges has been working to catch fish.  

LMB–Largemouth have been active in pretty shallow water and anglers are having success on spinnerbaits, live bait such as crawlers, and top water baits such as buzz baits and prop style baits such as whopper ploppers.  Throw baits around docks, lily pads, and any other emergent weeds in the lake.

SMB–Smallies have been found on those deep weed transitions as well.  Wacky rigs and drop shotting is working to catch smallmouth right now.  Live bait such as leeches and crawlers worked towards these bottom transitions can be great options as well.

Crappie/Bluegill/Perch–All of the panfish seem to be relating to weeds, whether that is weed beds, shorelines with weeds, or shallow weedy bays.  Look for panfish anywhere from 3-12 FOW.  Crappie minnows, leaf worms, nightcrawlers and small plastics have all been working to catch panfish.  Rigged under a float or cast out on small jigs and jigged through the weeds have been great choices lately.

That is all I have for this week’s report.  Nothing too exciting, but fishing should pick up with slightly cooler water temps.  Have a great weekend and we will talk soon.

Greg

Good morning from the Quiet Lakes, a little bit of rain this morning and a stray shower or thunderstorm this afternoon. Sunday and Monday look hot with temps in the mid 80s and an air quality alert until Monday afternoon. Mid week looks to be wet with high chances of rain Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This weather pattern will most likely NOT help an already odd fishing season we have had so far. A few species have been active and predictable, but most have not. Water temps have shot way up also, and I am hearing anywhere from 75-80 degree surface temps on most lakes.

Musky–The musky bite has been a tough go this year. Lots of following fish, but not a great number of hook ups. We did fill our first musky chart for the 2025 season, and reviewing that chart shows small bucktails, bass/walleye sized crankbaits, and smaller glide baits have got the job done. Top water baits should really start to get hot if we get any kind of consistent weather, so think in any relation to structure to be on top or over it. Please be sure to handle fish minimally when water gets this warm, keep fish in the net as long as possible, only get a measurement if its meaningful (first musky, personal best fish, etc.) and have all tools/cameras ready to unhook the fish, get a quick pic or two and get the fish back into the water.

Pike–It should come as no surprise to anyone, but the pike bite has been solid lately. A number of good sized 24″+ pike are being caught as well as the typical hammer handles. Bucktails, spinnerbaits, live bait, and just about anything else anglers have in the water are getting eaten by pike. Shallow to mid depth weeds are key to finding pike on most lakes.

Walleye–Walleye have become nomadic, and most anglers are only picking up a few fish on any given spot. This is not uncommon for mid summer, as fish tend to be more sporadic throughout the lake. Some fish will relate to rocks, others to weeds and some anywhere in the water column in between the shallow and deep edges. Leeches and crawlers are tough to beat slowly worked through an area. Walleye should still be sliding up into shallower water at night to feed, and catching them on transitions in twilight can offer the best chances of seeing fish.

LMB–Largemouth have been active lately, and anglers are doing well on buzz baits, frogs, and plastic/live worms. Lily pads, reeds and other shallow weeds are all hot spots for targeting big largemouth bass.

SMB–Anglers have had some success finding smallies on the deep weed edges on rocky points or bars. Wacky rigs have worked excellent from what I am hearing although any similar presentation should work also.

Crappie/Bluegill/Perch–The panfish bite has been decent with anglers finding fish in and around weed beds. Crappie minnows rigged under a float, or small baits such as beetle spins or minnow baits are producing crappie. A number of anglers have told me they are seeing some big bluegills on small inline spinners such as rooster tails and #3 Mepps. Perch have also been caught on all of these presentations.

That is all I have for this week’s report. I wish it was better, but that is just how the season has been so far. Anglers gotta grind for any kind of payoff! Have a great weekend and we will talk soon.

Greg