Fishing Report

The water is up into the parking lot, we have lost ice at an amazing pace this year.  We lost over 18 inches of ice in under a week.  We are still a week or two out from perch spawning, but they have started catching them up in Blackdeers.  Guys from shore have been doing better than the boats.   We still have two more feet for the river to rise so fishing will become more difficult as each day passes.  Hopefully we can flush all of this water out quickly and get back to normal levels.  I will have a fresh stock of red worms and night crawlers coming in today, and I have plenty of minnows if you need them.

Well late ice is here.  The rain has knocked down most of the snow and there is standing water on the ice in some spots.  I am already getting calls asking about the ice, we have plenty still and I imagine guys will be driving on for the next week or so especially since the nights are going to be below freezing.  Just be careful and if you don’t know where the ice goes out first hitch a ride with someone who does.  The fish has responded very well to the warm up with the bite picking up across the board.  I know there have been a lot of guys fishing by the airport lights and catching perch and northern.  On my side of the lake the bluegills have woken up and are active in the dredge lines along with a few perch.  The crappie bite is inconsistent still from the reports I have gotten.  As of right now the river in La Crosse is forecasted to crest over the weekend at 9.3 ft which does not normally raise the lake much at all.  I do not see the rise in the river being detrimental to the fishing on the lake.  Overall we are getting through the warm up much better then I expected and for the near future we will have fishable ice.

Update: Fishermans Road has reopened. I guess there was enough of an uproar that they changed their mind.

It will be nice once I can give a report without leading with how much the weather is impacting fishing, it would be nice to get some consistency in the weather pattern.  We have been adding ice like crazy on the lake, however it is yet to be seen what effect it has had on the ice breaks as well as the bad ice by the sailboat club.  If you are going out for the Atomic Derby on Saturday and you have not yet fished the lake this year, make sure you talk to someone who is familiar with the ice conditions so you don’t go for a swim.  As of today they are still not traveling from here to the Airport lights.  As far as the fishing goes the lights remain steady with the perch bite with a lot of guys saying they go out for half a day and come home with 8-10 nice perch.  It is a guessing game over there as far as the hot bite and you just have to be out there when a school decides to move in.  The crappie bite has remained strong, and continues to outperform my expectations this winter in both size and numbers.  With the weather changing constantly they have really been moving around, and pinning down the school can be some work.  The bluegill bite has slowed, but you are still able to pull up some 9+ inch fish pretty regular.  If you are wondering what is chasing your bait up the water column and not biting most likely it is a bluegill.   Stop in and get the latest ice and fishing report!

One last note Atomic has moved their weigh in to Mosey’s Landing next to the shop due to ice conditions at Nelson Park.

Much to everyone who called in the last few days surprise the lake did not lose much from the rain last week.  In addition to that at least in the dredged area of the lake most of the ice is getting close to the 10″ mark with some areas over a foot.  Other parts of the lake continue to struggle.  I get a lot of calls about best ways to access the airport lights.  From what I have been told the shortest way is going straight across from the Nelson park landing and cutting over land.  I imagine their is a visible trail by now.  I still don’t think you can get to the lights from by me.  As far as the fishing goes I have been getting a lot of good reports.  The crappies have turned on and been biting with much more frequency then last week and I have seen some nice ones come through the shop.  The perch bite has been good over by the lights both in size and quantity.  I hope everyone is appreciating the world class perch fishery we have, and realizing what that without good water or habitat those fish wouldn’t be here!  The bluegill bite has also been good and the size remains above average.  Northerns have really started to pop, the pressure has been light for them considering the success guys are having with tip ups.

That being said I don’t want to get on a soap box but I want to encourage everyone to get involved with a local conservation club.  This lake is a perfect example of a body of water that needs to be actively managed to prevent it from filling in with sediment from the river.  What I have learned since owning this shop is that the local clubs and groups are the ones able to make the most impact on projects on our fisheries but they are lacking the people at times to get as much done as they would like.  Just remember that if everyone doesn’t pitch in to help preserve what we have it could disappear quickly!
Stop in and get the latest report!

The fishing has been excellent so far on Lake Onalaska ever since the ice thickened up and guys were able to spread out a bit more.  Ice from the shop to Marge’s Island (with the exception of the dredge line running the shore of Rosebud) is around 7″.  The dredge line next to Rosebud is around 4″ because of the current.  The bite has slowed down directly in front of the shop, but to the east the fishing has been very good.  Guys are catching a mixed bag of crappies, bluegills, and perch with 10-13 ft being the best depth to target.  There are some jigs and plastics that work better than others.  Stop by and I can show what has been working!

As usual the weather is the biggest variable this last week.  Between the rain, wind, and large temperature swings mother nature has been throwing it all at us.  Even with all of the weather the fish bite has remained consistently good.  I continue to hear from guys that are amazed at the size of bluegills that you can consistently catch even with all of the pressure so far this fall.  The crappie bite is in full swing and I would consider this year to be an average year in terms of number and size for them.  The biggest change in the last week is the number of jumbo (12+) perch being caught.  It really seems like some schools of larger perch have moved in and I am seeing a lot of big ones caught.  The bass and northern bite remains good as well, the key is finding the weed beds that are still green.  Good luck and swing in for the latest report.

The Bluegills continue to confuse a lot of fisherman, after the hot streak around Memorial Day they never returned to their shallow beds.  I suspect they have made beds in deeper water and that is where I would start if you are looking to catch some.  Still getting lots of complaints from panfishermen about the northerns, and guys targeting them are still doing really well.  If you are looking for bass you can catch some nice ones with a lighter colored wacky worm rig.  Stop in and get the latest report!

Its really hard to give a report that is accurate right now as conditions are changing so quickly.  We were warm and now we have a few days in the 50’s.  Last weekend the water was a good 30 feet up the landing, and now we are only a few inches away from normal levels on the lake.  You really need to stay flexible and be ready for the fish to be in a different area then the last time you were out.  Earlier in the week the bluegills were moving up into the shallows, but now that the temp has dropped they moved deeper again.  I expect the gill bite to be excellent over the next week with the warm temperatures returning and the start of the spawn for them.  The crappies are a mystery this spring with the bite being sporadic and slow.  As far as I can tell they have not spawned yet, they should be going anytime now.  The bass and northern bite has been really good this week, with the pike especially being very active.  Stop in for the latest report!

Ice is still the main concern for most fisherman.  The shoreline really took a hit on Saturday, but the good news is that the cold temps last night really firmed things back up.  I saw a guy drive an ATV onto the ice from the landing this morning.  I don’t expect that to last long but it will still be accessible on foot for the near term.  Ice thickness overall seems to be around 16″ with the issue really being access like I said.  The snow has really thrown a wrench into things here on the lake.  Late last week the fishing was very good right in front of the shop with numbers and size being caught.  With the snow on the ice is has slowed down.  There have been some guys venturing out to Marge’s Island, and if you are willing to make the trek the fishing has been good over there.  I also have talked to a few guys who are catching some bluegills in Airport bay off fishermans road.  I would bet that the fish are biting in other parts of the lake but I have not been getting very many reports as it seems like most guys have quit for the year.  Now is the time to get out while we still have good ice and the fish start to get more active!  Stop in and get the latest ice and fishing report!