Vilas Co. WI – January 2020
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Rob is one of the most knowledgeable guides and anglers in northern Wisconsin, ranging from panfish to musky. Rob is also the owner and operator of St. Germain Lodge and Fibber’s Restaurant, in St. Germain Wis. For more information, check out Rob’s Facebook page or www.robmanthei.com.
Current Information for Vilas County, Wis.:
In most of the small-to-medium lakes, walleyes and crappies will be using last year’s weeds and wood. The smallmouth will be using gravel shorelines and adjacent breaks. The water temps have dropped non-stop since ice-out, but throughout May it will warm up. For the opener, the water temperature for most lakes will be around 47°-50°. The walleye spawn is done and the fish should be hungry. Minnows are the preferred live bait, but a variety of plastics and suspending crankbaits will work just fine, too, especially as the water temperature increases. Vilas County had snow the last week of April, which did not help increase the water temperature, but it will increase as May goes on with hopefully no more snow.
For more information on fishing in the Vilas County area or if you would like to book a trip to St. Germain Lodge, call 715-542-3433 or go to www.stgermainlodge.com.
Lakes in Vilas County
Vilas County Wisconsin is a fisherman’s paradise. With 563 named lakes containing muskies, northerns, bass and panfish, the choices for good fishing are plentiful. There are options for bigger water like Lac Vieux Desert and Big St. Germain, and smaller lakes like Fishtrap and Little Arbor Vitae. You can also experience the beautiful Eagle River and Three Lakes chains. They are great fisheries where multi-species fishing is common.
What’s Biting in Vilas County?
With all these options, there is plenty of opportunity for new fishermen to catch a lot of fish. Northern pike fishing is excellent on many lakes, as is smallmouth bass, walleye and crappie action. Fishing heats up in the spring with the walleye spawn and continues into the summer and fall. Vilas County is also home to some of the best musky fishing in the Midwest and several major tournaments, including the Midwest Musky Classic, World Championship Musky Classic and the National Championship Musky Open.
Good Fishing Towns in Vilas County
The towns of Minocqua and Eagle River were built to serve fishermen, so you’ll find many bait shops and tackle stores that carry musky, walleye and panfish rods, reels, tackle and live bait. Most also provide good information on lakes, meals and lodging in the Wisconsin Northwoods.
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