The bite for crappies, bluegills and perch is good, while travel on the ice is becoming better. All in the Eagle River, Wisconsin area.
Ice conditions in the Eagle River area remain good to excellent, with caution advised as with the off-and-on warmup(s) ice degrades and erodes exponentially faster.
PANFISH: (Crappies, bluegills and perch). There’s an all day bite, with action good for crappies, bluegills and perch in the Eagle River area.
Fish two areas: Weed edges in 10 feet of water or less, or main lake mud flats in 10 to 25 feet. The perch are tight to bottom. The crappies and bluegills are suspending anywhere in the water column — day and lake dependent. Use a flasher, as the fish are scattered and fishing windows open ad close rather quickly at different depths. If you don’t use a flasher you’re chances of success are slim.
Right now panfish are not super high in the water column, as one would expect in mid April. Not happening yet. We’ll keep you posted, as when the surface ice melts, oxygen is infused, and the crappies rise quickly to just under the ice, and fishing can be fast and furious. Use a spike, waxie, wiggler, crappie minnow or micro plastic on a small jig or under a slip bobber.
(This report based on Creative Brilliance interviews with Eagle River guides “Muskie Matt” of Wild Eagle Lodge, “Ranger Rick” Krueger of Guide’s Choice Pro Shop, and Mat Hegy).
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