September 16th, 2025
***Fishing Report***
Walleye - Stable weather has the walleyes back on the fall feeding binge. Big minnows in the 4-6” range have been getting the vast majority of bites now from both small walleyes right up to the trophies. 3/8oz jigs have been very popular as anglers are finding walleyes in 20-30ft of water now. Anglers are reporting that walleyes can be on the sharp breaks that drop into 30ft of water or are located near the base of these sharp breaks. Good reports from anglers trolling crankbaits continue to also come in from anglers. Anglers trolling are reporting that they are catching walleyes in 25-30 feet of water over deep sand or mud flats. Perch, silver/blue and gold have been popular colors.
Smallmouth - Anglers are reporting that the big numbers of trophy smallies are now covering sunken islands. Smallies are being found on humps anywhere from 10-25ft right now. Depends on the day and location of the humps, but once you find them that day you will catch them. Deep diving crankbaits, heavy chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and drop shotting have been very effective at catching lots of smallies right now.
Panfish - As stable weather returned, anglers quickly noticed the panfish started returning to any green weeds that they could find. Anglers are reporting that both crappies and sunnies are being found on the weedlines in about 12ft of water. Swimming a 16oz jig/twisters, along the weedlines, has been very effective here for crappies. Anglers targeting sunfish have been catching good numbers of them with red worms fished under a bobber.
Pike - Many anglers reported that trophy pike continue to be caught. Many anglers fished with a large sucker, dead or alive, under a large bobber along weedlines, mouths of shallow bays and river mouths. Large swim baits, spoons and large crankbaits also produced good numbers of large pike.
Stream trout - Stream trout anglers continue to report catching good numbers of rainbows this last week. Trolling with cowbells, tipped with a small crankbait, continues to be the best way to go. Anglers fishing from shore continue to report that they are catching trout fishing a night crawler under a bobber about 5-15ft under the surface.
Lake trout - Finally some calmer winds gave anglers a chance to get out and target lake trout. Anglers reported that they were catching and marking lakers on or near sunken islands that ranged in depth from 25-50ft of water. Trolling large trolling spoons around these areas produced lake trout for many anglers. Anglers unable to use down riggers had good luck jigging heavy tubes and bucktails over and around these same areas.
