The cold weather is here and we are really getting into the fall bite.  The bluegill bite has continued to be excellent with good size.  The perch are moving in more and more, I have started seeing jumbos getting caught.  A lot of crappies are suspended over deep water with minnows working well.  There is a steady bite all day in regards to the crappies, but the biggest fish are being caught early in the morning and later in the evening.  Bass and northern are in there fall feeding frenzy as well.  The best advice I can give is we are in one of the best times of the year to catch fish.  Get out and have some fun before it is over!

Thanks,

Chad

All of the rain we have gotten this week has not slowed down the bluegill bite one bit here on Lake Onalaska.  When the temps got up into the 90’s this past weekend it did slow things down for a day or two but we are right back at it!  If you are looking for crappies a fair amount are hanging out around 8-10 feet.  It is always difficult to get a handle on how exactly the crappie bite is going to be.  I know so far like the bluegills they have been running bigger this year.  My theory is that we are seeing the benefits of poor fishing this spring.  In regards to the perch the 9-10 inchers are being caught with more regularity, and I think there will be a big upswing in both numbers and size over the next 10 days or so with cooler weather moving in.  Stop in and get the latest report!

The area is getting exactly what was needed with a stretch of dry weather.  The lake is at normal weather with good water visibility and the river is dropping quickly.  The bluegill fishing has been excellent in the last week, with many reports of big healthy fish with little sorting.  The crappies have also become more active especially in the mornings and afternoons.  I expect that the coming cooldown will really kick them into gear.  Perch are still being caught here and there but it doesn’t seem like they are schooled up real tight yet.  I expect that to change soon!  Bass and northern remain active, some weed beds are starting to lay down and you are able to start throwing something that has treble hooks again!  Stop in for the latest report.

It seems like Mother Nature doesn’t want to make life to easy for fisherman with all of the rain we have gotten recently.  That being said we are pretty lucky here on Lake Onalaska.  Water conditions are still normal, and the bite has remained good.  If you are looking to fish pool 8 I would definitely get a report from a shop in La Crosse because I have heard that it is quite a mess right now.  The bluegills are still going strong as I think they will for the next month or so.  Lots of nice sized gills with very little sorting.  The crappies have started moving in with a few guys catching their limits although I think we are still a few weeks off from peak bite.  Perch remain elusive but guys are starting to pick up more every week.  The fall bite is on get out and get your fish!

First off to let everyone know who is wondering Lake Onalaska was not impacted by the heavy rains south of here, and the fishing is improving daily.  If you are after bluegills guys are catching a lot of them, and there is not much sorting going on.  I think with the difficult conditions this spring and summer means that there will be more quality fish to be caught this fall.  There have been crappies being caught but we are not yet to peak crappie fishing yet.  I have also started to see some nice perch, don’t be afraid to target them in shallower water.  Stop in to get the latest report and hot baits!

We have started to turn the corner into what I call the “fall fishing cycle”.  The bluegill bite has steadily improved over the last couple of weeks, and the crappies have started to filter back into the east side of the lake.  It is still a bit early to get into a steady perch bite, but you will pick up a jumbo or two while you fish for other panfish.  The fishing should continue to get better and better as we get more cool mornings and we get closer to fall.  The river is FINALLY back down to normal levels and I have fished out there a bit myself.  The flow is good and the walleyes and smallmouth are biting on the wing dams.  Guys targeting northern are getting them deep, and the bass bite on the lake has remained good.  Stop in and get the latest report!

Lake Onalaska has been one tough cookie to figure out so far this year.  The bluegills remain elusive, I really think late summer into fall is going to be phenomenal.  That all depends of course on water level and how the weather cooperates.  Those two factors have not been in our favor so far this summer which has resulted in unpredictable bites.  A good example is a week and a half ago is a guy came in with 40 nice crappies that he and his wife caught out in the dredge lines.  I have not talked to anyone who was able to reproduce those results unfortunately, and it is rare to see that many crappies in the lake this time of year.  The bass and northern bite has remained good with topwater performing well.  Hopefully the water drops soon and the fishing becomes a bit more consistent.
Thanks,

If you haven’t been paying attention to water levels the biggest factor for fishing in the next few weeks will be water height.  We are forecasted to get to 12.5 ft at the La Crosse gauge, which will be 6 inches over flood stage.  It will be really interesting to see how the Bass Masters tournament goes with water rising as fast as it is.  Just because the water is going up doesn’t mean that there won’t be fishing opportunities.  I always like to take the opportunity to explore new areas when there is high water as well.  The fish will be moving off of the main channel and into the backwaters to get out of the current.  I know of guys who do really well on panfish and bass in flooded timber as well as the chutes and sloughs.  If you can target the areas that the fish are moving into you can have a day that will be hard to beat!  Stop in and get the latest water report and find out whats working best!