St. Germain, Wisconsin - In the Center of it All
R ecreation

Recreation : Fishing

Hunting, fishing, trapping and other 2008-2009 license and harvest permits for fish and wildlife activities in Wisconsin will go on sale March 10, 2008. Visit the DNR website for more information.  Licenses and permits for 2007-2008 expired March 31, 2008.

Click here to review questions, new guidelines, and links about Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) Information.

Shortly after the ice melts on area lakes, fishermen head to St. Germain for panfishing. Crappies, bluegill and perch are all common in St. Germain’s lakes. In spring, look for shallow, warm water, particularly in protected bays, and fish with small jigs and baits. As spring moves on, catch & release bass fishing becomes popular. For the earliest bass action, target shallow, structure-rich lakes with stained waters and dark bottoms.

Summer is the quintessential Northwoods fishing seasons for many anglers. Panfishing gets increasingly better as the year progresses. Muskies become active shortly after their spawn in late spring. Early in the season, target areas just off prominent points and mid-lake humps adjacent to deeper water and fish smaller baits. As the summer progresses, increase the speed of your retrieves and the size of your baits.

St. Germain’s lakes are full of walleyes. Your chances of locating walleyes are greatly increased when you keep an eye on weather conditions, water temperatures and light conditions. Walleye tend to be shallower in low-light periods—such as sunrise, sunset and under cloudy skies—and move deeper during the day. Target mid-lake humps and deep weedlines.

Smallmouth and largemouth bass action is excellent on St. Germain’s lakes. Largemouth bass tend to hold tight to thick weed cover and structure for most of the summer and provide excellent action. Smallmouth are found deeper, generally around deep rocks and deep weedlines. Often when the walleye aren't cooperating, there’s great bass fishing to be had, so be prepared for both species and you'll improve your chances of getting into some great fishing action.

As the days grow shorter towards fall, many of St. Germain's fish species increase their feeding—which makes for great angling. Fall is the best time of year for catching behemoth trophy musky in St. Germain, with really tremendous-sized fish being caught right up until the lakes freeze over. Walleye action often increases as well, as does smallmouth fishing in the early part of fall.

For many fishermen, the real fishing starts when the lakes freeze over. St. Germain is a favorite destination for ice fishermen. Some of the best walleye and northern pike fishing can be had through the ice. The most popular technique for winter walleyes is jigging or using tip-ups with small to medium sized minnows. By far the most popular technique in St. Germain for winter pike is using a tip-up baited with large shiners or other live minnows. Crappies, bluegill and perch are also ice fishing favorites. If you're looking for a great ice fishing getaway, check out the St. Germain resorts that specially cater to ice fishermen, with shanties and amenities ready when you arrive.

Click here for the 2008 Fishing Report for Wisconsin.

Click here for dates of Wisconsin Fishing Seasons.

Click here for 2008 Wisconsin Angler Education Workshops.

Click here for Wisconsin Boat Registration & Titling Instructions.

Click here for online recreational vehicle registration.

Click here to purchase your fishing license online.

Greater St. Germain Fishing Report

Up-to-date Northwoods fishing conditions, provided by local St. Germain area fishing guides

Last updated: August 21, 2008

St. Germain, WI (VILAS/ONEIDA COUNTIES) -- as of 08-21-08

St. Germain Fishing
 

This summer is really flying by and quite noticeable this past week as fewer visitors are in the area. Lots of kids getting back to school I guess. Well, fishing patterns are still holding fairly stable for the time being in a late summer mode. Water temperatures on the area lakes are mostly in the low 70’s. Warm days are helping to keep the temps up but the increasingly cooler nights will start to affect that soon.

Anita Spisak & her smallmouth bass

 

Here are my suggestions for your best shots at a successful outing:

Crappies have remained quite cooperative. I’m still finding them in weeds of about 4’ to 6’ depths. Crappie minnows suspended under a slip bobber are doing the trick. Sometimes if the fish are a bit shy I'll use a 1/32 oz. jig instead of my regular hook to add a little attraction. Orange, chartreuse, and pink seem to be the best color choices when I use this tactic.

Farrell Frentress & his crappie

 

Bass are continuing to be the most fun fish to target. I've been finding largemouth in clumps of cabbage weeds. Best depth has been the 5’-7’ range. Sometimes I'll find a few smallies mixed in especially if it's the wind blown side of a lake. I’ve been taking most of these fish on large leeches under a slip bobber (similar to my crappie rig), but crawlers will also work just fine. Have also gotten these fish to respond to bait on 1/8 oz. jigs but they seem to prefer the bait suspended just off the bottom. For artificial presentations, I'm finding slow rolling spinnerbaits working just fine.

Muskies, of course, are never easy but I'm seeing an increase in activity this past week. I've been using smaller sized glider baits like Reef Hawgs and Savagear Deviator. Bucktails also getting some attention with the Mepps Musky Killer doing the best. I've yet to see much action on larger bucktails. Getting reports of guys taking fish off deep rock structures using soft plastics or deep running crankbaits too.

Walleyes are continuing to be a low light target fish. Look to find them in deeper holes or feeding on rock structures in the evening or very early morning. Leeches and crawlers continue to be the bait of choice. As things start to cool I think we’ll be looking at minnows becoming more popular very shortly. You'll also start noticing that bait shops will be running out of leeches soon as the availability dries up

Hey everybody, don't forget you’re welcome to visit the Regular Fishin' for Regular Guys Outdoor Radio Program on Sunday evenings at 7:00 pm. The show his held in Boondockers Lounge at Wild Eagle Lodge and fun for the whole family. Now get out there and enjoy the last days of summer. We wait a long time for this to come around so make the most of it and get outdoors. That's just what I’m going to do. There are fish to catch!

 

Pete Stoltman

Last Cast Guide Service

Regular Fishin’ for Regular Guys Outdoor Radio

715-542-4142

www.lastcastguideservice.com

pjs53@frontiernet.net

 
Click here for 2008 Vilas County Fishing Events.

St. Germain Area Fishing Guides

Buck's Guide Service
(715) 277-2568
Dick Bouchonville Guide Service
(715) 542-4212
Erv Keller Guide Service
(715) 385-2265
Lakeside Guide Service
(715) 479-5072
Last Cast Guide Service
(715) 542-4142
Ray's Landing
(715) 542-4642

Interesting Fishing Related Articles

EEK! Environmental Education for Kids - Electronic magazine for kids. Learn about the great outdoors!

Fish & Wildlife Conservation - Oneida County report

Fish & Wildlife Conservation - Vilas County report

Fish Identification Database - Search this database to identify all fish species in Wisconsin.

Lake Turnover - The seasonal process of mother nature cleansing and oxygenating our lakes.

Musky Mania - Tips of the trade from an accomplished musky angler.

Take Me Fishing.org - Website features lists of places to boat & fish and other resources.

Things to See & Do in Vilas County - Fun spots to visit in Vilas County.

Vilas County Lake Directory - Online directory of useful information about Vilas County lakes.

Wisconsin Boating Regulations - Department of Natural Resources online publication.

A Year of Fabulous Fishing - A year round guide to angling opportunities. From January to December, there's always a place to fish, fish to catch and fishing fun to be had!

DNR Discussion Forum

(Username: 'user'    Password: 'user')

Ask questions of local DNR Warden - Mike Sealander

Help control VHS in Wisconsin waters

The Department of Natural Resources has detected a virus affecting fish in the Lake Winnebago system called viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS for short.

The DNR reported that this virus is not harmful to humans and that it is completely safe to handle and eat fish caught in Wisconsin waters. It is important to note that VHS is a deadly virus to fish and spreads easily among a variety of fish populations. The DNR is actively responding to contain this threat and has issued the following recommendations that should be practiced on all Wisconsin waterways:

  • Put your catch on ice and do not move live fish and unused bait minnows away from the landing or shore.
  • Drain all water from bilges, bait buckets, live wells and other containers when leaving the landing or shore.
  • Use live minnows purchased only from registered bait dealers in Wisconsin or catch it yourself in the same water you fish.
  • Clean plants and debris from your boat before leaving the landing.

To learn more about VHS, visit the DNR VHS homepage at http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/vhs/

Below are some PDF files pertaining to VHS:

Out-of-State Firewood Regulations

www.st-germain.com