Fishing Reports

FISHING WITH THE GUIDES  with George Langley.  

Week of  8/10 to 8/17

We’re well into August in the Northwoods, and you can feel the season slowly tilting toward fall. The sun is setting earlier and rising later, mornings are quiet, the nights are cooler - and while there’s still plenty of boat traffic in the afternoons, we’re well-past the peak summer rush. The week ahead looks warm, with daytime highs in the upper 70s to low 80s, with comfortable sleeping weather at night, for the most part. It looks like we’ll have a bit more rain mid- and late week, but that’s ok. We really need it.

Water temperatures are holding in the upper 70’s and some low 80’s on sunny afternoons. We’ve heard of some lakes outside of the Chains (Eagle River/Three Lakes/Sugar Camp) seeing lower water levels due to the lack of rain we’ve had for the past month - until last weekend, and therefore we won’t complain about any rain to come! Weed growth is at its thickest now, providing excellent cover for fish but plenty of snags for anglers who aren’t working edges or using weedless setups.

Walleye fishing is steady for August. Early mornings and evenings remain your best bet, especially on the Eagle River Chain where daytime boat traffic can scatter fish. Look for them on deeper weed edges, in 10 to 15 feet, or even out on sand flats in 18 to 22 feet on the clearer lakes. Half crawlers on jigs or slip bobbers are producing, with leeches also working well. In the heat, crawlers are generally outpacing minnows and are easier to keep alive without a live well or aerated bucket, kept cool. Nothing kills your minnows faster than letting them get hot.

Bass fishing has been excellent. Largemouth are tight to cover—thick weeds, wood, and under docks. Early in the day, topwater lures like frogs, poppers, and buzzbaits can make for explosive strikes. As the sun climbs, slow presentations with soft plastics will keep the action going. Smallmouth are holding on deeper rock piles, mid-lake humps, and submerged timber in 12 to 20 feet. Tubes, ned rigs, and drop-shot rigs are working well when fished slow and close to structure.

Panfish are providing great action for all ages. Crappies are schooled along weed edges in 8 to 12 feet—once you find them, small jigs with plastics or fatheads will keep you busy. Bluegills are still hanging shallow around docks and in weedy bays, especially late in the day. Perch are showing up in deeper water near walleye spots, hitting worms or small minnows close to bottom.

Musky anglers are seeing plenty of follows and some solid hookups. Early mornings, evenings, and overcast days are the best times to throw bucktails, topwaters, or large rubber baits. A few bigger fish have come from trolling deeper basins during the midday lull. And as always, don’t skip the figure-eight—several boat-side strikes were reported this week.

The fair this past weekend was a good indicator that the summer is coming to a close. While there’s sure to be plenty of hot days on the water left, they are numbered! Soon we’ll see solid signs of some trees changing, and of Fall coming – and the best musky fishing of the year. Get out there and enjoy it while you can – especially now that it’s quieter mid-week on most all bodies of water.

Good luck and good fishin’!