Lake Geneva Fishing report 5.25.15 through 5.31.15
Fishing overall has been average for this time of year. The fluctuating air and water temps has been a challenge. The best bite on the lake remains smallmouth bass. Hopefully with some stable weather and warm days, it will create some really good fishing in the coming weeks.
Smallmouth bass are being caught around their spawning flats. The best locations are by Big Foot Beach, Elgin Club and South Shore Club. They are being caught on white hair jigs or a split shot rigged fat head minnow. The best depths for me have been 8-12 ft of water. The hair jig should be fished suspended within the water column about 4-5 ft off bottom. Use a slow, stop & go retrieve.
Largemouth bass fishing has been good in the Abbey Harbor. The best locations in the harbor are around the boats near the prop wash holes and around the docks. Green Pumpkin creature baits and split shot rigged nightcrawlers are producing most of the fish. Try for them in the early morning because as the day wears on it becomes crowded with boat activity. Another location that is producing some fish is near the Riviera Docks and by the bouys in Geneva Bay.
Rock bass are starting to show up mixed in amongst the smallmouth. The bite has been relatively slow yet as the smallmouth are biting more than the rock bass, but as the water warms it will be reversed with more rock bass than smallies. The best location for the rock bass has been by Belvidere Park in Fontana.
The best bluegill fishing, like the largemouth, is in Abbey harbor. You want to fish leaf worms fished under a bobber. You will have to do a lot of sorting to catch some decent fish. The harbor is great for bluegill and largemouth because the water temperature is about 6-7 degrees warmer than the main lake.
Crappies are starting to show up. They’ve been pretty scattered up to this point. The few I have caught have been on white hair jigs in 12 ft of water by Uhliens creek.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050