Delavan Lake 7/10/23 through 7/17/23
The fish are in their mid summer patterns. The water temperatures have increased so most of the fish are in the deeper water and aggressively hitting.
Walleye fishing can be good given enough time. The fish can be caught on leeches fished on small jigs or on chrome and blue jigging rapalas. The best depth has been 21-25 ft of water. Look for the fish off of Assembly Park point or by Willow Point. You need to move around to find the active fish. Most of the success is coming in early morning or right before the sun sets.
Bluegills are on the weedline in 14-16 ft of water. The best location is by Browns Channel or just west of the Yacht Club. They are aggressively striking leaf worms fished on a split shot rig. With all of the pressure the fish are seeing, the average size is slightly reduced from recent weeks. As the water continues to warm, the fish will move even deeper.
Largemouth bass are in their summer pattern. They are schooled up in large numbers. If you find a school you should be able to catch double digits without much problem. I’ve been fishing them with split shot rigged nightcrawlers or casting a black and blue All Terrain jig. The best depth to look for them is in 16-18 ft of water.
Northern pike action remains steady. The best depth is 20-25 ft of water. The best approach has been lindy rigging large suckers. Currently the pike are preferring the bigger bait. Look for the fish by the gray condos or by the old Boy Scout camp on the west end.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been kind of spotty. The numbers in the lake have improved greatly over recent years. I’ve been catching several every trip out. The best approach is a split shot rigged nightcrawler fished along the weedline associated with rock. Some of my favorite spots are the Yacht club or Browns channel.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063