Fishing Report: Last stretch of winter action

NORTHERN WISCONSIN – With game fishing season officially wrapped up, the focus remains on panfish, and there’s still plenty of great ice fishing left!

Despite some warmer temperatures creeping in, the ice base is holding strong at 20 to 28-plus inches across the area. Conditions are still safe for now, but it’s always important to check shoreline ice and areas with current. As we move deeper into March, an auger extension is still useful, but we’re starting to see some changes with the warming trend.

Crappies continue to be found along the weed edges in six to nine feet of water. The bite has been best during late afternoon and evening, with small vertical jigs tipped with waxies or crappie minnows producing solid numbers. If you can find a good school, you can have a very productive outing.

Bluegill action remains steady, with fish suspending a bit deeper. A 32nd oz. jig tipped with waxies or red spikes is the go-to presentation. Lighter lines and subtle movements are key to triggering bites, as fish can get a bit finicky this time of year.

The perch bite is improving as they continue to hang out deeper, favoring the deep mud flats. If you’re looking for larger perch, using crappie minnows, or rosy reds will help weed out the smaller ones. The bite is a little inconsistent, but when they turn on, they’re hitting hard.

The weather forecast suggests we’ve got some pretty warm days and nights coming, with some chances of rain and snow in the mix, too. While morning ice remains firm, expect slush in the afternoons, particularly in areas that see a lot of sun exposure. Things are pretty sloppy out there now, with all the snow we got last week.

Ice fishing is still going strong, but with spring approaching, it’s important to be mindful of changing conditions. The next couple of weeks should provide some great late-season panfish action if we can get past the sloppy days. Now’s the time to enjoy the last stretch of winter fishing before we start dreaming of open water.

Good luck and good fishin'!