Fishing in
Eagle River
Fishing Report
Updated 12/4
*Edit as of Friday: We are hearing and seeing anything from nothing to 1 3/4" to 4" in different locations throughout the area.
Ice…we’ve got some! “Some” is the operative word, but with these cold nighttime temps especially, we’re seeing the ice building quickly. Although we can’t recommend it as of this Sunday writing, we’re already seeing some hard-core ice anglers come through for bait, aiming for early walleye. And they’re catching them, too. The beginning of any fishing season can be somewhat of a “crap shoot”, especially up here with different ice conditions each year, and thus different access to the best spots. With some of the bigger lakes still open, over the Thanksgiving weekend we were actually seeing a couple folks getting suckers and looking for musky on the open water, while others were buying shiners and heading out on the hard water.
The little bit of snow we got Saturday night through Sunday shouldn’t be enough to affect the ice too much. Although it looks like we’ve got some temps in the mid-30’s coming, the nights will remain good and cold. Everyone from the snowmobilers to the ice anglers would like to see a bit more really cold weather before we get the inevitable dump of snow, so we can avoid that slush on both the lakes and the trails.
PanFish
We’re not really seeing anyone trying for panfish, in particular bluegill, yet. But that will begin as soon as its safe to get around out there.
MUSKY
We heard of a few muskies caught over the weekend, so those willing to brave the cold are getting fish. Suckers have been the poison of choice.
WALLEYE
Walleye action for the very few anglers that have ventured out has been good. Try some shallow weeds in the evenings and after dark, as these fish will move quite shallow in low light conditions to feed. Set those tip-ups to intercept the walleye as they move shallow to feed in the evenings and be quiet on the thinner, new ice. A few anglers have also reported good action with Twister Tails and jigs.
We heard of a few muskies caught over the weekend, so those willing to brave the cold are getting fish. Suckers have been the poison of choice.
Hopefully this is the only real “in between” week we’ll have, and that ice will continue to build. If you’re going out, be very careful and check ice thickness often as you move around. Caution is better than bravado at this time of the year - and it won’t be too long until it’s safe to throw that caution to the wind.
Good luck and good fishin'!
Report courtesy of George Langley & Eagle Sports Center
