Vilas Co. WI – January 2020
5:44
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.:
Most of the lakes have already had the mayfly hatch, which means the walleye bite will pick up soon. Rob recommends looking for mud flats, mid-lake rock bars and the deepest weeds you can find.
For walleye, Rob suggests using live bait like nightcrawlers and leeches. The shiver minnow bite will pick up as summer progresses. When you are using the shiver minnow, look for deep sand flats or clean hard bottom.
When fishing for panfish, crappie is the most popular midsummer target. Look for suspended crappie outside anywhere halfway down from the surface. Use your electronics to look for schools of fish. They tend to school by deep cribs and deep wood. Once you locate a school of crappie, Rob recommends vertical jigging with a small 16-oz. jig with a Kalin’s Crappie Scrub.
The muskie are reaching the summer peak and the fish are using a variety of structures. They tend to be using deep edges on rock humps and deep sand grass. Pick your times and weather conditions carefully when muskie fishing. The peak moon phases and mornings/evenings are typically the best. The baits he recommends are Suick Double-Bladed Bucktails, a variety of rubber baits, live bull dogs, medusas and tubes. The water temperatures are good this year between 72-75°F.
Updated: July 7th, 2021
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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