BOULDERJUNCTION WI

Fall is a great time for fishing in the Northwoods. You won’t find as much competition on the lake as you would in the summer months, and the fish are hungry as they fatten up for winter. Here are some general guidelines on how to track down certain types of fish in the Northwoods in the fall.

 

Bass

Crankbaits and jigs work well for smallmouth and largemouth; use minnow-like colors for your bait and fish in the deeper water near rocky points

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Walleye

Use a jig and a nightcrawler to catch good-sized walleye, focusing on deeper break lines during the daytime; once the water temperature dips below 40 degrees, the fish move to deeper holes

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Panfish

Crappie and bluegill will hang out by the weeds and respond to slip-bobbers and live bait or spinners and crankbaits (which also might garner some hits from northern pike)

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Musky

Vilas County’s most famous fish tend to hang out along the weeds in early fall and respond to bucktails, but by later fall, you’ll find them hitting on jerk baits at about 10 feet

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October brings cooler weather but great opportunities for walleye and musky fishing across the state. Typically, September to October is when walleye put on much of their growth for the current year. Fall movements of walleye up rivers can provide good fishing opportunities. Inland trout fishing season ends October 15, so make a last visit or two to your favorite streams.

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Musky fishing is often challenging but rewarding in November, whether on inland lakes or the Fox River. Recent years have seen very large musky caught at the tail end of the musky fishing season, which closes the last day of November in northern Wisconsin.

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December If the ice hasn't covered the southern lakes, you can still fish for muskellunge until the end of the month. Ice fishing starts to pick up in mid-December in northern Wisconsin. Early ice can bring good fishing for walleye and panfish, but anglers need to be very careful about ice conditions.