Fish biting in cooler waters as fall colors peak; lakes turning over

Well, it looks like a bit of a fall weather rollercoaster this week. We had a couple of hard frosts last week, and from here it turns into a dry, mild stretch with cool nights and comfortable afternoons — and it looks to be warming up nicely for the weekend. Fishing last week was better than the week before, with fish starting to settle into their fall haunts instead of roaming. The colors are at or near peak, the tamaracks are going gold, the ferns are going brown, and there is a lot more room on the water now.

The water temperatures are bouncing around right along with the weather. Those frosty nights pulled water temps down, then the warm, sunny days regulate them again. Most lakes are in the upper 50s with the Chain moving in that direction but still holding lower 60 degree water. Bigger lakes to the north are holding in the mid to upper 50s. Those temps will likely go up this week. Turnover is just on the horizon for many lakes here, so if you pull up to a murky looking, smelly landing you probably want to try another lake (look for one with different depth and size to avoid the same problem.) Green weeds are getting scarce, so any you find are worth fishing. With no real good and consistent rain to speak of, water levels remain low on many lakes, so go slowly over the bars and stumps.

Walleye are stacking up deeper and getting easier to pattern. Look at the sharp breaks, deep holes, and hard-to-soft bottom transitions in 18 to 30 feet, and on the Chain concentrate on the holes and the deep side of any remaining weed edge. A jig with a tuffy or small sucker is the best bet, but those crawlers and a slip bobber over the top of them is still a tried and true method. With bright skies most of the week, the low-light periods are the important ones. The evening bite on shallow rock and gravel is picking up, so pitch a jig and minnow or cast a stickbait on those bars from sunset into dark.

Northern love this cooler water, and they are getting more active by the day. Look for them on the remaining green weeds, in the bays, and along the first break outside the weed edge in 6 to 12 feet. Spinnerbaits, spoons, and jerkbaits worked with a pause are effective, and a larger sucker minnow under a float is hard to beat for the bigger ones. Plenty are being caught by walleye anglers on jigs and by muskie anglers on bucktails. Use a leader so you don’t lose them.

Bass fishing is winding down but not finished. Largemouth are on the last green weeds and nearby wood, and the bite is best on the warmer afternoons. Slow down with a jig or Texas rig and try a lipless (shallow) crankbait over the weed tops when it’s mild. Smallmouth are in tight groups on deep rock and gravel in 18 to 28 feet. Hair jigs, blade baits, Ned rigs, and drop shots are all working, and a jig and minnow is a good choice now. These are some of the biggest smallmouth of the year, so handle them carefully and get them back in the water for breeding.

Panfish are moving deeper with the cool weather and change in light. Crappie are schooled up over the basin edges and around deep wood and cribs in 15 to 25 feet, often suspended a few feet off the bottom. Find them with your electronics and put a small jig and plastic or a crappie minnow just above them. Bluegill have pulled out to the deep weed edges and wood in 12 to 18 feet and will take a small jig tipped with a waxie or piece of crawler. Perch are on the sand and mud flats near the walleye, and a small jig and fathead will get the bigger ones.

Muskie fishing is the main event in October. The fish are feeding, and suckers are producing on quick-strike rigs. Keep one out while you cast. Glide baits, jerkbaits, and big rubber worked slowly along the deep weed edges, steep breaks, and rock humps are the top choices, though a bucktail over green weeds can still move fish on the warmer afternoons. On lakes that are turning over, try shallower than you’d expect. The new moon this weekend, along with the mild weather, should make for a good window.

As the water continues to cool — eventually toward the low 50s and upper 40s, expect turnover to finish and the last of the weeds to go. Fish of all species will bunch up on the deep holes and steep breaks, which makes them harder to find but easier to catch once you do. Slower presentations and bigger live bait become the rule, the afternoon hours get more important, and muskie fishing in particular only gets better right up to ice.

Mornings will be cool, with frost on the boat seats and fog on the water, so dress in layers and bring gloves. The afternoons should be really comfortable, and with the colors at their best, this is about as pretty as it gets up here in the fall. It’s a great time to be on the water.

Good luck and good fishin’!