Last week we had the first real frost of the season, and now we get a softer stretch. The fishing was a bit tricky, with all species moving around to set up for Fall.  A system is set to roll through Tuesday afternoon and into early Wednesday with a good soaking rain. After that it stays mild through the end of the week, with no hard freeze in sight until at least next week. The maples are turning fast, the tamaracks are starting to go gold, geese are moving overhead, and the docks are coming out one by one. October is here.

The frosty nights knocked water temps down another notch. Most lakes are now in the upper 50s to around 60, a touch warmer on the Chain and cooler on the deep, clear lakes up north. That puts us right on the edge of turnover, so as the water continues to cool watch out for that. The green weeds are thinning out quickly, so what’s left is a fish magnet. Water levels are still low, so watch the shallow bars and stumps, especially in the fog.

Walleye are in transition mode. Last week they were spread from the deeper weed lines to hard bottom and mud flats past 25′, and this week expect more of them on the deep end of that range. Key on sharp breaks off main-lake points, rock humps, and the spots where gravel turns to mud in 18 to 30′. Also start watching the evenings: as the water keeps cooling, walleye will begin sliding up onto shallow rock and gravel after sunset. Pitching a jig or casting a stickbait on those rock bars in the last light can be worth your while. Jig-and-minnow or crawler is still king, but it’s time to bump up to something a little bigger like sucker minnows. Tuesday’s cloud cover and rain may open up a longer daytime bite, so don’t be quick to leave the water.

The bass bite is shifting with the season. Largemouth are hanging on the last green weeds and the wood right next to them. Texas rigs and jigs punched into what’s left of the cover will get them, and a lipless crankbait ripped across the tops of the dying weeds is a great way to find active fish. Smallmouth are grouping up and moving deeper, so start looking on rock and gravel in 15 to 25′. Drop shots, tubes, and Ned rigs are still producing, and this is the time of year when a hair jig or a blade bait can really shine. They’ll be in packs, so once you get one, work that spot thoroughly.

Panfish are still a great option. Crappie are schooling up tighter now and moving out toward the deeper basin edges in 15 to 25′. Use your electronics to find them, then drop small jigs with plastic, like a Mini Mite right on top of them. If the bite is tough, switch to live bait. Bluegill are clinging to the last green weeds and deeper wood in 10 to 15′ and will take small jigs tipped with waxies or a piece of crawler. The warmest part of the afternoon is still the best window for them. Perch are gathering on the deeper sand and mud flats alongside the walleye, and a small jig and bigger minnow, like a fathead, will do the trick.

Musky season is getting good. With the water dropping below 60 degrees, the big fish are starting to feed hard, and this is when the sucker rigs come out in earnest. Keep your casting gear handy too: bucktails and topwater still have a place early and late on calm days, but bigger glide baits, jerkbaits, and heavy rubber baits worked along the deeper weed edges and rock humps will produce more as the week goes on. Watch the weather. The approaching front on Tuesday with falling pressure could spark a nice window. Slow the retrieve, make figure-eights on every cast, and hang on.

Mornings will be cool and foggy, so dress in layers and take your time getting to your spot – the color in the woods is starting to get really good and the views through the fog will be bar none! The afternoons should be really comfortable out there. It’s a great time to be on the water, with quiet lakes, fall colors getting to peak, and fish feeding up for the winter. It all makes for a fantastic day of catching.

Good luck and good fishin’!