Fishing Reports

October is here, and while the woods are full of color, the lakes are still trying to show their own seasonal changes. Water temperatures are stuck in the mid-60’s at this writing, because of the warm weather we’ve had – but will drop by the weekend with the cooler weather this week. Weeds are thinning and the fish are following the light slowly into their fall patterns, paying less attention to temperature and more to light and weeds.  The weather has made action feel spotty during the day, but the right window can deliver some excellent catches, with early mornings and late evenings being most productive. The cool weather will pick things up, most certainly.

Walleye activity remains steady on the Eagle River Chain. …

Fall has its grip on the Northwoods now, but it’s a strange  one. Temps should be in the 50’s and 60’s as an average, yet we’re getting HEAT! Predicted temperatures in the mid and upper 70’s are, and certainly will continue to  slow the water temperature decline.

Walleye fishing has been surprisingly decent on the Eagle River Chain. It’s as if they don’t care about the weather but only pay attention to the season. Fish are holding in deeper holes and along sharper breaks, often in the 18–25 foot range. Jigs tipped with large fatheads are doing well, as are slip bobbers set just off bottom. Evening and night bites are strong, and daytime action is decent when skies stay overcast. …

Fall is here, although it can be hard to believe when the forecast has mid-70’s in it. But the nights are cool, mornings are crisp, and we’re seeing more color each day in the maples and birches along the lakeshores. Water temperatures continue to rollercoaster along with our temps, and weeds are steadily thinning out. A cooling trend will improve fishing as the season pushes deeper into fall.

Walleye action is slowly improving on the Eagle River Chain. Fish are now settled into deeper water, with 15–25 feet producing the best results. Minnows are the clear bait of choice, whether fished on jigs or under slip bobbers. As the water cools further, expect even stronger feeding windows, especially during low light periods. …

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, …