Steve Suman
High temperatures this week drop to mid-70s from mid-80s last week, but sunny and very nice late September weather for outdoor recreation! Currently, the first chance of rain is Sunday.
Get outdoors and enjoy the sun and mild temperatures!
“Overnight temperatures in the Quiet Lakes’ area are dipping, with highs in the 60s,” says Greg at Happy Hooker. “Look for mid to upper 70s by the weekend, though nights in the 40s should get fish in fall patterns. Water temperatures are still in the low 70s.
“Muskies are in and around deep weed edges. Action is good and consistent on smaller, fast moving baits, and bucktails and topwaters still work. Live bait will become effective with the cold fronts and cooler nights.
“Walleye anglers are finding fish in late summer pattern spots. Work deep edges in 15-20 feet, with minnows and plastics on jigs working best. Trolled crankbaits and bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses should be good, but that will change with the fall turnover and cool-down.
“Northern pike are chasing spinnerbaits and bucktails in and around weed beds. Anglers still see good action, but there are not many reports on size.
“Largemouth bass anglers are catching fish on smaller inline spinners and spinnerbaits around any green weeds.
“Smallmouth bass are in and around the same structure as walleyes and likely are hitting the same baits.
“Crappies are in shallow weed beds and deep basins. Crappie minnows are the ticket and should continue as the best choice, even with cooling water.
“Bluegill and perch are relating to shallower weed beds that still have great oxygen and will hold there until the water temperatures drop. Leaf worms and waxies on jigs or plain hooks make more sense than crawler chunks.”
Jarrett at Hayward Bait says musky fishing should pick up with falling water temperatures.
“Most anglers use suckers, bucktails, big plastics, and topwaters. Smaller baits on sunny days should work well, too. Concentrate on weedlines, points, and humps containing structure.
“Walleye fishing is slow, which is normal this time of year. Most anglers are trolling to entice reaction bites from lethargic fish. Others use walleye suckers and fatheads on slip bobbers or crawlers on jigs. Focus on deeper weed edges, flats, and lake basins.
“Northern pike anglers are catching most of their fish over weed beds with live bait, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. Changes to harvest limits on many lakes last spring encouraged more anglers to harvest pike for table fare.
“Largemouth and smallmouth bass are moving shallow, chasing food along shorelines and weed flats. Anglers report success on live bait, Senkos, spinnerbaits, and topwaters. Work docks, woodpiles, cribs, and areas providing structure for bass and their forage.
“Crappie fishing is solid, with anglers seeing fish in many places, including basins, weed flats, cribs, and roaming fish on many waterbodies. Casting small plastics and reeling back to the boat slowly is very effective. For fish on structure, position the boat over it and vertical jig.”
Mike at Jenk’s says the Chippewa Flowage is down about 2 feet, with water temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s.
“Musky anglers are catching fish, but the warmer surface temperatures did us no favors. Muskies head deeper when it is warm, making trolling a good idea, and some anglers report action on Jakes and Mattlocks. Early morning and later evening offer a decent bite on bucktails and surface baits, with some anglers having success on suckers. With this current slight cool-down, you might see muskies move somewhat shallower this week. Be mindful of the water temperature and the direction it is going.
“Walleye fishing is a bit slow, but you can certainly still catch them. The weather remains warm and the fish are still in summer patterns. During the day, trolling in 12-18 feet over deeper basins that have solid cover underneath is productive. In the evening, anglers use crawlers and minnows just outside weed beds in 6-12 feet. The slight cool-down might bring cooler water temperatures that kick-start the fall patterns.
“Northern pike action is very good on Tinsel Tails, Silver Minnow spoons, and Shimano World Rush crankbaits. Fish size is a bit small, however, with many hammer-handles and not many big fish.
“Crappie fishing is solid on cribs, bogs, and brush piles, though the bog bite is definitely diminishing. Anglers are having success with crappie minnows, artificial mayflies, and Gulp! Minnows.
“The approaching cool-down might produce the first signs of a shift toward fall crappie patterns.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses hot temperatures and electrofishing.
“Weather and climate, which are different, play a big role in the life of field biologists. Weather, including the temperature, wind, and rain chances, etc., might dictate if we are able to get in the field to complete a survey or other planned work.
“For example, we cannot conduct electrofishing surveys in heavy rain for safety reasons, and netting fish becomes more challenging and can become dangerous under high winds. Temperature, however, plays an extremely important role in everything we do, affecting fish welfare, overall survey timing, and working conditions.
“We certainly have a lot to talk about in 2024 in terms of abnormal temperatures. Last winter delivered warm and dry conditions that affected everything from snowmobiling to ice fishing. The lack of spring snowmelt factored into water level decisions on local waterbodies.
“On the other side of a wetter and otherwise mild summer, we faced a string of high-70F to mid-80F days extending into mid-September. During this time of year, we hope to be on lakes conducting fall electrofishing surveys, and our regional hatcheries want to start putting walleye and musky into lakes around this time.
“High temperatures during this part of the year can cause some headaches with those plans. For lake surveys, we typically want to see water temperatures drop below 70F, as this offers the best chance of finding our target fish in shallow areas where we can capture them.
“High water temperature can also present challenges for holding fish in tanks. Warm water holds less oxygen than cooler water, meaning fish might take longer to recover and we must monitor oxygen more carefully. These are important considerations when surveying or transporting fish for stocking, and the same is true while angling when water is warm.
“The changing climate goes beyond our day-to-day weather conditions and we should expect warm September conditions to become more common. This is something biologists, and fish, will have to account for going forward.”
Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. will host its 46th annual fall musky tournament Friday through Sunday, October 4-6, on 17 lakes in the Hayward area. The event offers more than $30,000 in prizes and trophies.
Every registered angler receives an entry for the Sunday awards ceremony drawing for the Grand Prize, a 2024 Lund 1775 Pro Guide boat, 60hp Mercury motor, and ShoreLand’r trailer.
*ALL contest winners must be present at the ceremony to claim their prizes.*
The entry fee through September 23 is $100 for adults (after which $120), and $25 for youth 16 years old and younger (eligible for all major prizes).
For more information visit Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. or call (715) 634-2921 or 558-2835.
National Hunting and Fishing Day is this Saturday, September 28.
The NHF Day, the fourth Saturday of every September, recognizes generations of sportsmen and sportswomen for their contributions to the conservation of our sporting heritage and natural resources. Through self-imposed fees and excise taxes, sportsmen and sportswomen have raised more than $57 billion for conservation. Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, MO serves as the official home for NHF Day.
For more information, visit www.nhfday.org and www.nssf.org.
The Cable Fall Festival is this Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, in downtown Cable, with live music, car, truck, and motorcycle show, arts, crafts, and food vendors, games, pie eating contest, and a bake sale. Saturday morning is a pumpkin-pecan pancake breakfast.
For more information, visit www.cable4fun.com or call (715) 798-3833.
ATV/UTV TRAIL REPORT
All ATV and UTV operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, who are at least 12 years old for ATV and at least 16 years old for UTV, must complete an ATV/UTV safety certification course to operate legally on public ATV/UTV trails and areas in Wisconsin. The DNR requires trail passes for non-residents and Wisconsin residents must display a registration sticker. Riders must run headlights at all times when operating. Visit the DNR ATV website for rules and regulations.
Unless otherwise posted, all county roads outside the LCO Reservation in Sawyer County are legal for ATV/UTV use. The Trail Treker app shows the changes. The ATV/UTV trails in Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846), Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821), and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271) are open. Check the HLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report and Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance for trail and road updates.
Fishing Report
Cooler weather is pushing the fall transition, and local bait shop personnel have timely information on fish movements and bait preferences. Early fall is a great time to be on the water in the North Woods!
Musky:
Musky action is good, stable, and improving as water temperatures cool. Fish are in and around deeper weeds, weed edges, weedlines, and structure on humps and points. Bait preferences include suckers, bucktails, big plastics, jerkbaits, gliders, trolled Jakes and Mattlocks, and topwaters in early morning and late evening hours.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is slow. Look for fish in 5-25 feet on deep weed edges, weed flats, and shallow weeds in the evening. Try trolling for fish suspending over basins and breaklines. Best baits include walleye suckers and fatheads on slip bobbers, crawlers and plastics on jigs, and trolled crankbaits and bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike continue to provide anglers with good action, though size is somewhat small. Find them in and around shallow to mid-depth weeds, weed beds, weedlines, and concentrations of panfish and baitfish. Top producing baits include northern and walleye suckers, minnows, bucktails, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, and crankbaits.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing remains good around docks and shallow green weeds, weed flats, shorelines, woodpiles, cribs, brush, and other cover. Sucker minnows, crawlers, Senkos, spinners, spinnerbaits, and topwaters all work well.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is good on mid-depth rock, shallow shorelines, weed flats, woodpiles, cribs, and other structure. Baits of choice include sucker minnows, Senkos, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plastics, and topwaters.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good to very good, with fish spread from shallow weeds, weedlines, weed flats, bogs, and brush, to cribs, basins, and other structure/cover. Crappie minnows, Gulp! Minnows, artificial mayflies, and plastics on small jigs and plain hooks, with/without slip bobbers, are effective.
Bluegill/Perch:
Bluegill and perch are in shallow to mid-depths and fishing is good around weeds, cribs, flats, brush, and in bays. Waxies, red worms, crawler pieces, plastics, and Gulp! baits on jigs and plain hooks, with/without slip bobbers work well. For bigger fish, and to avoid bait robbers, try small minnows.
Sept. 21: Seasons opened: Woodcock; Duck in Northern Zone.
Sept. 22: Autumnal Equinox – first day of fall.
Sept. 23: Early registration deadline ($100 vs. $120) Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. 46th annual fall musky tournament.
Sept. 27-28: Cable Fall Festival (715-798-3833).
Sept. 28:National Hunting and Fishing Day.
Oct. 4-6: Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. 46th annual fall musky tournament (715-634-2921; 558-2835).
Oct. 5: Stone Lake Cranberry Festival (715-635-9696).
Oct. 5-6: Youth Deer Hunt. Oct. 5-13: Hunters with Disabilities Gun Deer Hunt.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau and Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce websites, view the Calendar of Events, or call (715) 634-8662 or 800-724-2992.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 21: Seasons opened: Woodcock; Duck in Northern Zone.
Sept. 22: Autumnal Equinox – first day of fall.
Sept. 23: Early registration deadline ($100 vs. $120) Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. 46th annual fall musky tournament.
Sept. 27-28: Cable Fall Festival (715-798-3833).
Sept. 28:National Hunting and Fishing Day.
Oct. 4-6: Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. 46th annual fall musky tournament (715-634-2921; 558-2835).
Oct. 5: Stone Lake Cranberry Festival (715-635-9696).
Oct. 5-6: Youth Deer Hunt. Oct. 5-13: Hunters with Disabilities Gun Deer Hunt.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau and Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce websites, view the Calendar of Events, or call (715) 634-8662 or 800-724-2992.