Ashland Area Fishing Report for May 22, 2014
~ Fishing Guide Nate Baron from Up North Guide Service and fishing guide Scott Bretting from River Rock Inn and Bait Shop, 715/682-3232 (http://riverrockinn.net), report the following:
Due to recent rains, Chequamegon Bay still has quite a bit of color to it. The post-spawn walleye bite is fast approaching as water temps creep into the 50s. There are still a lot of ice floes out in the south channel and off the shores of Bayfield and Red Cliff. Saxon Harbor has open water out about 1/2 mile and then it is ice as far as you can see.
There has been some good success for a few anglers near shore trolling for brown trout, cohos and steelhead on stickbaits in 10-20 foot of water (FOW) this past week. Mostly browns are being caught and a few coho. An occasional laker is also being caught in shallow water. The coho salmon numbers seem to be way down compared to past years.
The smallmouth bass have started to move towards their spawning grounds as water temps have increased the last couple of days. It should be a really good weekend for fishing coming up, whether you are chasing walleye, northern, trout and salmon, or smallies.
The stream fishing in the area for steelhead has been excellent this past week. The steelies are in the spawning stage now or are done and on their way back to the lake. Spawn bags, nightcrawlers, egg flies, yarn, Lake Superior X-Legs and looper bugs have all been working. Please be careful handling these fish and remember that 26" is the minimum length to keep one.
Crappie fishing on the area’s inland lakes is also starting to pick up. Anglers are finding them in 10-14 FOW as they are in the pre-spawning stage.
Memorial Day Weekend is looking great as far as conditions and weather. Please be very careful and beware of ice floes on and below the surface if you are venturing out on Lake Superior.
Good luck fishing and have a great Memorial Day Weekend!!
~ Fishing Guide Roger LaPenter and wife Carolyn from Anglers All, 715/682-5754 (http://www.anglersallwisconsin.com), report the following:
This report is about the Ashland side of Chequamegon Bay. As of right now, there is still ice moving around in both the south and the north channels. Trollers need to be aware of the ice floes and keep a close eye on the changing wind direction.
“There is still plenty of floating ice out there,” noted Carolyn LaPenter, “so fishermen should be aware that they might not be able to get their boat back in at the same spot they went out from.” Some anglers are staying near the tip of Long Island to avoid problems with the ice floes, she added.
Anglers have been having some luck from Houghton Point to Pikes Creek, but it hasn’t been as good as it could be because of the colder water temperatures right now. “Hopefully, things will warm up for us starting Friday,” Carolyn said.
They are catching browns, cohos and the occasional splake or laker by trolling with stickbaits on flat lines in 20-30 foot of water. However, those fishing depths will change with increased water temperatures. People should try to find 45-degree water or higher if possible for best results.
The smallmouth bass are in the sand cut. Last weekend the water in that area was clear and now it’s dirty again with temperatures in the 40s. The smallies are staging to spawn in the sand cut area, but it all depends on water clarity and temperature.
It has been slow, but people have caught some smallmouth bass recently. They are also having moderate success trolling for walleyes in the weedbeds in the shallows of the bay.
Sturgeon are being caught off either end of the breakwall and anglers are “soaking smelt” (letting the smelt lie on the bottom) for those. They are also catching northerns from shore using live bait such as sucker minnows or by soaking smelt.
“The fishing forecast for this weekend is rosy so come on up and enjoy the beautiful waters of Chequamegon Bay along with the calmer weather,” Carolyn enthused. “It’s rare to see such calm weather at this time of year as it’s usually much more volatile.”
For the safest and most up-to-date fishing report, give us a call at Anglers All and we will keep you informed.
~ The Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, www.visitashland.com, 1-800-284-9484, reports:
Fishing is always an adventure in the Ashland area! Don’t miss Kids’ Fishing Day on Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. Rods, reels and bait will be provided along with a delicious lunch at this free, family-friendly event! Phone 715/685-9983 for more information or go to www.nglvc.org.