Fishing report June 6, 2023

Musky:
Musky action is somewhat slow, though anglers report many follows and a few hook-ups. Depths range from 4-18 feet. During the day, target weeds, weed edges in bays, and other cover; in evening hours, work shallow, sandy shorelines. Live bait, bucktails, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and various topwaters can all work at different times.

Walleye:
Walleye fishing is good and consistent as fish start to disperse and move deeper. Find them on weedlines, weed edges, and humps in 4-12 feet, focusing on the shallow areas in the evening hours. The most effective offerings include walleye suckers, fatheads, and leeches on jigs and/or under slip bobbers, and trolled stickbaits and crankbaits.

Northern Pike:
Northern pike fishing is good around shallow weeds and panfish and baitfish concentrations. Top producing baits include minnows, crankbaits, spinners, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and spoons with trailers.

Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass are in pre-spawn or spawning, depending on the lake, and fishing is good on shallow weed beds, lily pads, and shorelines. Live bait, spinnerbaits, plastic worms, Ned rigs, and topwaters are all taking fish.

Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass are also in pre-spawn or spawning and fishing is good on shallow rock points and humps. Baits of choice include live bait, jigs and minnows, crankbaits, and plastics on Ned, Tokyo, and drop-shot rigs. Smallmouth bass fishing is catch-and-release only until June 17 in the Northern Bass Zone.

Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good to very good, with fish pre-spawn, spawning, and post spawn, depending on the lake. Find them around shallow weeds, reeds, cattails, and fallen timber in depths to 10 feet. Some fish are heading deeper. Crappie minnows, plastics, Mini-Mites, and Gulp! baits on plain/dressed jigs, Mimic Minnows, and Beetle Spins all work well.

Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is very good to excellent as the fish are in spawning mode on many waters. Look for “elephant tracks” (nests) around shallow weeds and sandy shorelines. Waxies, leaf worms, crawler pieces, leeches, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small dressed and plain jigs and plain hooks under bobbers are all productive offerings.