Well, the warm stretch of beautiful weather we enjoyed last week is giving way to a more unsettled pattern, and honestly, that’s not all bad news. We started the week cloudy and mild with some rain, and look to have another system moving through mid-week. The good news is that last week’s heat did its job — water temps have stabilized in the low 70s on most area lakes, and the fish are firmly into summer patterns now. We’ll take the rain. We still need it badly!

Walleye are responding well to the developing weed growth. Work leeches on light jigs through cabbage patches in the 6 to 12′ range, focusing on wind-blown edges where fish stack up. The warm mid-week window will keep midday activity solid, but as the predicted frontal system approaches Wednesday into Thursday, pay close attention. That pre-storm window has been producing aggressive walleye bites, and this week sets up for another one. If you get a calm, overcast afternoon ahead of the rain, get out there. Small swimbaits are a good change-of-pace option if jigs aren’t connecting.

Crappie have largely wrapped up their spawn, and the action is shifting to the outside edges of weed growth. Narrow-leaf cabbage in 8 to 12′ of water is where you want to be, and small jigs like Mini Mites worked through the top half of the weed column are producing well. Bluegill are spawning now and are very catchable on small jigs or a hook and worm in the warmest, sunniest shallows — sandy bays and gravel flats in just a foot or two continue to hold fish on warm afternoons. As for perch, we’ve seen some big ones caught in the last week. These guys are still mixing in along the softer weed edges with the walleye, and respond well to a large minnow or a leech on a jig worked through the weed edges in that 6-12’ range.

Northern are loving this new weed growth, and the ambush bite is excellent. Swimbaits, Mepps spinners and chatterbaits worked through the healthiest green vegetation you can find are all drawing strikes. The unsettled, low-light conditions mid-week are actually ideal for northern — don’t overlook a big spoon or a wakebait over the flats when the skies go gray.

Bass anglers have plenty to work with now. Largemouth that wrapped up their spawn during last week’s heat are now feeding heavily, and plastics in the 4 to 6″ range remain very productive. Smallmouth are still catch-and-release until the third Saturday in June, which is the 20th this year, but top-water action is heating up. Baits like Whopper Ploppers are a fun choice for that action, and setups like a Ned rig have been excellent, also. The front before the next round of rain mid-week will be a sweet spot for both species.

Musky are on the hunt, and evening presentations along deeper weed edges are worth your time. A slow-rolled bucktail or glide bait during low-light hours is your best starting point. The approaching weather system mid-week can stir up good topwater activity in the evening hours – and there’s nothing quite like a big hit on a topwater! As weed growth continues to fill in across the Chain, find healthy vegetation anywhere and you’ll find fish nearby. As always, don’t forget that figure 8 at the boatside – that’s heart-stopper of a hit and you’ll be really mad at yourself if you forget it, and that big fish that was cruising your bait swims buy after you pull it out of the water!

The mayfly hatch is worth watching closely this week — the smaller green and brown drakes have started coming off, which means the hex hatch isn’t far behind. That’s a game-changer for walleye and bass alike, so pay attention to what’s happening on the surface during the evenings now.

We’re still early enough in the season that boat traffic eases a bit during the week. Grab that calm while it’s there and use the rain mid-week to target those pre-front windows before the weather quiets back down heading into the weekend. This is generally our last week of relative calm up here, as schools in the south start getting out now. That means a lot more people up here all week long – but that doesn’t change mornings or evenings on the water, which are great times for fishing, clearing your mind, and peace.

Good luck and good fishin’!