Fishing report May 29, 2023

Musky season opened in the Northern Musky Zone this past weekend and drew considerable angler interest. Panfish and bass are now preparing to spawn, spawning, or finishing spawn, while other species are moving deeper.
Remember: Smallmouth bass fishing is catch-and-release only in the Northern Bass Zone until June 17.

Musky
Musky fishing reports are still coming in from opening weekend and so far no concrete details. Look for fish on or around the edges of weeds, weedlines, weed beds, and other structure, as well as along shorelines, in depths to about 12 feet. Suckers, bucktails, spinnerbaits, gliders, jerkbaits, and #5 Mepps can all produce action.

Walleye:
Walleye action slowed as fish disperse and move deeper, but anglers are still finding good action. Try points and structure in 8-17 feet during the day; work depths out to 8 feet in very late afternoon into evening. Minnows, leeches, and crawlers on jigs and slip bobbers, as well as trolled crankbaits and stickbaits, are all working.

Northern Pike:
Northern pike fishing is good to very good, with some post-spawn fish around shallow weeds and panfish concentrations, and some moving deeper. Northern suckers, jigs and minnows, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, jerkbaits, and crankbaits are all producing.

Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing is good to very good with water warming and fish preparing to spawn. Find them in shallow weedy bays and along sandy shorelines. Try live bait including crawlers, leeches, and minnows, wacky worms, Ned rigs, spinners, spinnerbaits, stickbaits, and crankbaits.

Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing (catch-and-release only until June 17) is good to very good as fish are on or near shallow to mid-depth rock and sand shorelines, points, and humps, preparing to spawn. Top baits include live bait on jigs, Ned rigs, drop-shot rigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and chatterbaits, wacky worms, and plastics.

Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good to very good as fish are spawning and/or post-spawn, depending on the lake. Look for fish in depths from 2-10 feet around timber, trees, reeds, and other structure along the shoreline. Crappie minnows, fatheads, and plastics on small jigs and plain hooks under bobbers work well.

Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is very good to excellent, with anglers finding fish shallow and in shallow weeds. Look for “elephant tracks” (nests) on shallow, sandy bottoms. Best baits include waxies, worms, crawler pieces, panfish leeches, and plastics on small jigs, teardrops, and plain hooks, fished with/without bobbers, and small Beetle Spins.