Delavan Lake 5/17/21 through 5/24/21
Overall fishing remains inconsistent. The best bites on the lake are the bluegills and largemouth bass. There has been some walleyes and smallmouth action; however the bite changes with the day so it’s pretty tough to decipher a pattern. This cold weather has not really made the fish active yet. Forecasted warm weather will approve fishing very soon.
Largemouth bass fishing has been very good for me this past week. All of my fish have been caught in the 4-6 ft water depth. I’ve been using a Texas rigged Senko or a single hooked nightcrawler. Most of the bass are still in pre-spawn however a lot of the fish I caught on Sunday looked beat up like they’ve started to spawn. With the water temperature only 58 degrees, that would be unusual. With some warmer weather and no strong NW wind fishing should improve.
Walleye fishing has been hit or miss, most of the walleyes are being caught on the weedline in 12-15 ft of water. Most of the success is coming off of slip bobbered nightcrawlers or a lindy rigged nightcrawler. The gray condos or the west end island are good choices to start with.
Crappie fishing has been very consistent. The fish are still pre-spawn on the weedline in 12-15 ft of water. It seems that the bite improves as the day goes on and the water warms from the sun. Last week the best bait was a purple twister fished on a 1/32 oz jig. The best location was by Willow Point or by the Yacht club.
Smallmouth bass are being caught on the hard bottom locations off of main lake points in 12-15 ft of water. Either minnows or deep diving crank baits have been providing some success. Some days you can get a few but other days they are elusive.
Bluegills can be caught in the shallows in 4-6 ft of water. Viewcrest Channel or the Highlands Channel are a couple of the best spots. Wax worm tipped ice jigs are producing most of the fish.
Let’s hope for some warm weather to really get the lake going. Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050