Fishing Report: A fantastic time to be up north

NORTHERN WISCONSIN – Late August is settling in across the Northwoods, and that first real taste of fall weather is starting to show up around the edges of the day.

Mornings have been cool, dipping into the 40s and even the mid-to upper-30’s.

We had a chance of rain moving through earlier this week, which was welcome. By the weekend, things look to be drying back out and warming slightly, so overall it's shaping up to be a comfortable, mixed-bag stretch of weather. The kids are starting to go back to school and the boat landings are noticeably quieter, which always makes for a nicer week on the water.

Water temperatures are now dipping into the upper 60s on some lakes, especially on those cold mornings. The weeds are still thick, green and holding fish. That heavy cover continues to be the best all-around bet, but it takes some patience and the right technique to work it – weedless rigs, slip bobbers and careful edge fishing are still the way to go.

Walleye fishing has been a mixed bag lately – some boats are putting together nice numbers, while others are working hard for a handful of fish. As usual this time of year, dawn and dusk are producing the most consistent action. Fish are holding along deep weed edges in the 10- to 15-foot range, with some working the sharper break lines down to 20 to 25 feet on the clearer, deeper lakes. Half crawlers on jigs and slip bobbers are getting bit, and leeches have been just as good, if not better, on some days. It's been a grind for a bit now, but the fish are there – when you find a pod, the bite can turn on fast.

Bass fishing continues to be the bright spot. Largemouth are tucked into heavy weeds, downed timber and shaded docks, and topwater baits are still drawing strikes in that first hour of light. Once the sun gets up, slower soft plastics worked through the cover keep the bite alive. Smallmouth are hanging in deeper structure – rock humps, mid-lake points and scattered timber in eight to 15 feet – and tubes, Ned rigs and drop-shots dragged slowly along bottom are getting eaten.

Panfish are a great option to fall back on when the walleye get stubborn. Crappie are schooling up along weed edges in eight to 12 feet, and small jigs tipped with plastics or fatheads – those little mini-mites especially – are producing well. Bluegill are holding shallow around docks and weedy bays and are a great bet in the evenings. The perch bite has been especially good this year, with jumbo perch buried right in the thick cabbage alongside the walleye, and they're happy to hit a small jig tipped with a minnow or a piece of crawler.

Musky anglers are starting to see things trend in the right direction. Bucktails along the weed edges and over weeds have been getting the most love, with the usual low-light and overcast windows producing the best follows and eats. Don’t forget those figure-eights at the boatside! This is the time of year that the musky fishing really starts to build, so it's worth being out there.

As we roll toward September, the fish are starting to lean into their early fall patterns, and we're hoping for some good cool, cloudy stretches in the weeks ahead – that's the kind of weather that turns on the giant muskies. The loons are getting restless and starting up their late-season calls, getting ready to head south, while the rest of us start looking forward to another great fall on the water. Get out and enjoy it! This is a fantastic time to be up north.

Good luck and good fishin'!