09/10/2026
Mid-September fishing and hunting report.
The signs of fall are ample in the north woods as cool nights and shorter days have cooled waters into the upper 60’s. Those cool nights followed by sunny skies cause the shallows to mix and put nutrients into the water column which causes the algae blooms we are seeing daily now. Large schools of bait have moved back into the shallows on clear lakes and into deeper water of w**dy lakes possibly due to the health of the w**ds. Match the hatch with smaller minnows and half crawlers. Don’t forget smaller plastics on 1/16-1/8 oz jigs. On w**dy lakes, move to the basin and troll Bandit crankbaits. I say Bandits because they float. Use a start and stop trolling speed. Troll up to 3 MPH and shift into neutral and coast to 1.5 MPH. As speed slows the Bandits slowly rise and then dart downward when you shift into gear. This triggers Muskies to hit. 95 out of the last 105 Muskies in my boat have come on smaller baits, Bandits, Xraps and paddle tail minnows all have been productive.
The drought continues and color on the trees and shoreline bushes have started to pop. Bucks have shed their velvet and seem to be more active as I’ve seen 6 racked bucks in the last 2 days on my travels. The one common denominator has been water. Every buck was seen within 100 yards of a stream or lake. Swamps have dried up and deer need water daily. Deer hunters should place their stands near sign near water. Acorns have been falling but they are smaller than normal. Find community scrapes near water and you have a stand that is golden.
Turkeys are absolutely everywhere in the north woods. Large broods of adults and poults are eating grit and grasshoppers roadside in the mornings and evenings.
Logging actions in Vilas and northern Oneida have ramped up considerably in the last year. This bodes well for deer and grouse as there will be plenty of food and cover in these cut overs for years to come but we still need some old growth.
Diversity of habitats is good in the Northwoods for the plethora of wildlife species.
Duck hunters opening is on the last weekend of September this year and duck hunters will have to scout to find water and food. With little ag in the Northwoods, exposed flats on rivers and lakes produce food for ducks.
That is my take on game and fish for Vilas and Oneida counties. The Northern Wisconsin Fisheries Rehabilitation Corporation will soon be conducting habitat work on lakes. Contact me if you are interested in helping out this worthy cause.
