Wisconsin Summer Fishing

It’s a pretty well known fact that Wisconsin is known for its cheese  and dairy products, but fisherman from all around the globe also know that Wisconsin offers some of the world’s best fresh water fishing. With 100′s of species of fresh water fish swimming and spawning in Wisconsin rivers and lakes, avid fishermen will want to take note of the many hotspots Wisconsin has to offer.  This article will focus on the Walleye, Muskellunge, and Smallmouth Bass.

Walleye

One of the most highly prized game fishes in Wisconsin, the walleye has made it’s way from rivers, the larger lakes, and to the smaller bodies of water. Even though the walleye swims in abundance during warmer spring and summer months, the winter months have big numbers of walleye catches through the ice, so this popular fish is an option for fishermen of all seasons.  In the crystal clear Wisconsin lakes, walleyes will generally stay in deeper, cool waters during the day and ultimately will migrate into shallow water at night. Generally walleyes are primarily minnow feeders, but nightcrawlers, leeches, and small bullheads are baits that have great success as well.

Muskellunge

The muskellunge is renowned as the “fish of 10,000 casts.” While it is a fact that a musky, especially a big trophy fish, is one of the most difficult prizes to come by, it certainly is not impossible to experience the excitement of musky fishing.
This long, strong and often violent fish is most prevalent in the heart of Wisconsin. Although the Chippewa, Flambeau, St. Croix, Black and Wisconsin rivers are all natural homes for the musky, there are many Wisconsin lakes that are home to trophy muskies, and anglers everywhere share their tales and photographs of their successful, and not so successful attempts at landing very large fish. This solitary fish lurks in weed beds, under protective cover, and anywhere you may find structure.  Some of the highest catch rates for muskies are during the summer months when the water is warm and the fish are most active. Although most anglers hit the water during daylight hours, gearing up with large plugs, spoons and bucktails, there is often very successful trophy musky catches by fishermen who hit the waters at night time, even in light to moderate rain fall.

Smallmouth Bass

The smallmouth bass is the scrappiest fish of all Wisconsin. It is usually associated with a rocky stream or structured lake environment where its favorite food, the crayfish, is very abundant. You don’t have to try hard to catch a small mouth Bass in Wisconsin because this fish is heavily populated in medium to large streams, clear water and drainage basins. Casting or flipping toward rocks, logs, and weed beds is the easiest way to finesse one of these crafty and manipulative fish from its safe environment.