Lake Heats Up 10 Degrees, Leeches Are Working

66 degree surface temperature
3 Ft visibility
Some smallmouth are spawned out

• Walleyes have been as hot as I have ever seen them on a Memorial Day weekend. Fishermen casting and trolling small crankbaits in the shallows put up impressive numbers with sizes varying from 13-23 inches. One group fishing the west end boated eight keepers on Friday trolling small crankbaits.
• Smallmouth and Largemouth are in the middle of their spawn and will be done before the water visibility clear up, typically the third week of June. I think the clear up is going to come earlier than normal only because their was a noticeable improvement today from yesterday. The zoo plankton numbers will go wild with the heat and they should start to devour the algae. Once the clear water shows up the top water bite should be awesome.
• White Bass are starting to spawn and numerous fish have been caught in the shallows of the east end and on the Heidel Bar. Small spinners and jigs with twisters are a good bet for shoreline casting.
• Lake Trout have been unusually tough for this time of year. I did see a 12# fish taken while still fishing from Sugar Loaf on Saturday. The Browns have disappeared with the fast warm up and my guess is they have moved over deeper water to feed on all the bugs hatching.
  

High Water And High Temperatures Will Turn Fish On

53-55 degree water temperature
3-5 Ft visibility
Green algae is still present(slimes your bait and fishing line)

• Bluegills and Crappies are still the hot bite on the Inlet. Fishermen are working the east side of the inlet bridge with good success. The gills are biting on red worms and the crappies are taking minnows. Be careful with the traffic because the speed limit is 40mph.
• Smallmouth and Largemouth will pick up this weekend with the high temperatures. This should be a catch and immediate release ''time of the year'' because these fish have not spawned yet. Remember the males make the nests and guard the nest so release any bass you catch at this time of the year.
• Lake Trout are just starting to turn on. The slow warm up after five inches of cold rain last week seemed to slow everything down. The lakers will respond with a very active bite from 60-90 Ft of water. Sutton spoons and minnows will be the top baits.
• Walleyes are starting to show up on the east end. Fishermen working crankbaits on the flats have had some success in 10-16 Ft of water.

Hoffman Lands 24# Muskie On Buzz Bait

• Bob Hoffman weighed a 45'' 23.71 pound muskie today at North Bay. He was fishing alone and had quite a time boating the fish from Big Green. He has sworn to secrecy the location the large fish came from on the lake. A number of anglers are reporting seeing large muskies this spring.

Lake Trout Is Hot With Low Water Temperatures

47-49 degree water temperature
2 Ft visibility
Green slime is everywhere
6,250,000 walleye fry stocked by WFT

• Bluegills and Crappies have been very hot on the Inlet east of the lake. Waxworms, worms, and minnows have been the bait of choice. Last night there was close to 40 fishermen working these fish from shore and in boats. Be careful in your boat because of the submerged stumps and watch your kids on the shore because the speed limit is 40mph and you do not have a lot of room between the lake and the road.
• Largemouth and Smallmouth are starting to move shallow and are becoming aggressive. The small males have arrived first, but their are some dandy females showing up also. Remember these fish have not spawned yet and should be released. The males guard the nest and are just as important as the females. Catch and release is the only way these fish should be pursued and all tournaments should be held after the first week of June.
• Lake Trout action has been very good in 50-70 Ft of water. The trollers have had very good luck on Sutton spoons or minnows. The ciscos are a good mix if you run a spinner or a small spoon suspended with your trout lines. Some of the guides have caught the elusive Brown Trout on high lines with spinners or small cranks. The Browns could be anywhere from the shoreline to suspended over deep water.

After Over A Year, Water Is Flowing Over The Dam

46-48 degree water temperature
''Normal'' water level
Green slime and cottonwood seeds
2-4 Ft visibility

• GENERAL FISHING SEASON OPENS SATURDAY -MAY 6TH
• The green slime and cottonwood seeds are almost two weeks early. We can only hope that means they will be gone before Memorial Day.
• Walleyes for Tomorrow has pulled their nets after harvesting almost 8 million eggs which they hope to return to the lake as 6 million fry. They had a 33'' tiger musky and a 6# brown trout in their nets this week.
• DNR stocked over 20,000 small Brown Trout fingerlings in Silver Creek. Large Brown Trout fingerlings are due to be stocked May 12th.
• We are still having a major debate over the carp barrier on the east end, stay informed, this is very important to the fishermen and the watershed.
• Bluegills in the Mill Pond have been a major attraction the last three weeks. Waxworms and small worms are the best bait. The east side of the inlet has been very busy this week and fishermen are reporting some nice catches of gills and crappies. If you take a boat be careful because of the stumps.
• Lake Trout have been a little finicky for the trollers and should pick up this week. Remember to troll a high line for the browns, use a small spinner or a small minnow.
• Smallmouth generally leave their wintering grounds at 48 degree water. The east end is going to be the warmest water and generally is the first to turn on. Pitch jigs and twisters or small cranks and try not to let the slime frustrate you.
• Northern pike will be refueling after the spawn. Troll or cast cranks in 6-18 Ft of water. The weeds haven't started to come up so concentrate on the east end or the west end flats.
• Walleyes are just finishing up their spawning. The fish that are done should be aggressive in the shallow dark water. It's still too cold for the leeches to work good so try a small to medium minnow or cast small jointed cranks and fish them slow.