05/22/2026
Guide's Choice Pro Shop – Eagle River / Vilas County Fishing Report 🎣
Published: Friday, May 22, 2026
Water temperatures are varying wildly across the Northwoods right now! On our shallower, stained lakes, temperatures spiked to 58–63°F yesterday afternoon. Meanwhile, our deep, clear lakes are sitting at least 4 to 6 degrees behind that, hovering around 52–55°F. Across the board, our seasonal patterns are tracking about 1 to 2 weeks behind where we were last year.
Here is what’s happening across the system this week:
🏆 COMMUNITY NOTES
A huge congratulations to Jared Adamovich and Matt Raley on winning Hunt's Walleye Shootout! Phenomenal job out there, guys!
🐟 MUSKY
The predominant opinion from multiple top area guides points to a good but not great bite this weekend. While fish may still be sorting through their annual spring cycles on some of our deeper systems, many of the shallower lakes are transitioning entirely into post-spawn patterns. Because water temps are on the cooler side across the system, keep in mind that bite windows will be shorter—it won’t be constant action like mid-summer, so don't get discouraged!
Where to Look: Because w**d growth is lagging a bit behind schedule, finding a combination of fresh green w**ds and wind is absolutely crucial—the wind pushes the warmest surface water right into that structure. If the w**d bite isn't firing, your next best bets are current zones (creek inlets/outlets or current on the chains) and shallow wood structure. If you can find wood mixed into those current areas, it's game on. If you aren't seeing fish in the shallow 3–6 foot flats, an easterly wind might be holding them a little deeper; check steep shoreline transitions, deep w**d edges, or adjacent mid-lake structure where recovering fish back off to rest.
Tactics: Working baits slowly is vital right now. Wooden or suspending jerkbaits and small twitch baits are excellent choices, acting as bulked-up versions of the lures currently punishing bass and walleyes. Smaller Suicks worked with a disciplined, slow rise cadence are perfect for these recovery fish. Swimbaits—especially 6" Swimmin' Dawgs—have been absolutely crushing fish lately. Slow-working glide baits and small profile bucktails (like single #5 or #7 blades) also have a major place in your early season line-up.
🎙️ Podcast Recommendation: If you want to dive deeper into these exact patterns, check out the most recent spring episode of the Muskies on Tap Podcast hosted by local guide Gus Mantey, who provided the core musky intel for this week's report! Special thanks also goes out to local heavy-hitter Andy Hendrickson (Hendo’s Angling Expeditions) for his excellent walleye and musky insights.
🐟 WALLEYE
With waters hitting that 55–60°F mark, walleyes are firmly post-spawn and transitioning, and local guide Andy Hendrickson points out that finding the newly emerging green w**ds is absolutely vital right now. These fresh w**d beds produce oxygen and attract early season baitfish, drawing transitioning walleyes right behind them. Look for these patches along first-break drop-offs and shallow flats, especially on wind-blown shorelines. Jigging live bait or pitching light plastics into these green w**d edges during low-light hours is your best bet.
🐟 CRAPPIE
It’s a tale of two patterns! On the colder, clear lakes, crappies are staging just outside their spawning grounds, while on the warmer, stained lakes, a full-action shallow water bite is in progress. Local guide Colin Crawford has been absolutely crushing the crappies shallow lately, putting massive numbers in the boat! Traditional crappie minnows remain the popular choice for this active shallow bite, but one of our local experts has also found massive success by downsizing to smaller soft plastics fished slowly. Special thanks to Colin for the killer crappie intel this week!
🐟 SMALLMOUTH BASS
On the clear lakes, smallies are actively working their way shallow. They are still technically pre-spawn but are rapidly getting closer to bedding up. Look for them on transitions from deep water to shallow flats.
🐟 LARGEMOUTH BASS
As water temperatures push into the upper 50s and low 60s, largemouths are moving aggressively into shallow bays, channels, and backwaters looking for warm water. They are preparing to bed, making them highly protective and aggressive. Work soft plastics or slow-moving spinnerbaits around shallow wood and docks.
🐟 NORTHERN PIKE
They are in full post-spawn mode and eating absolutely everything in the shallows. As per usual, they are heavily relating to the new green w**ds. Fast-moving presentations worked over and around the developing w**dlines will trigger violent strikes right now.
🐟 PERCH & BLUEGILL
Perch: We’ve had reports of some nice-sized jumbo perch being caught in the area! However, be prepared to feed the "ravenous packs" of small perch that are plaguing the shallows right now—they will try to steal anything they can fit in their mouths.
Bluegill: They are starting to move into the shallow, sun-warmed bays ahead of their spawn (which triggers closer to 67–70°F). Look for them grazing near shallow structure. Small jigs tipped with waxies or plastics under a slip bobber are doing the trick.
Stop by Guide's Choice Pro Shop before you hit the water to get the latest updates. Safe lines out there!
🌙 WEEKLY SOLUNAR & MOON PHASE DATA
Predatory fish respond heavily to lunar pull. Plan your weekend and week ahead using these exact calculated windows (Majors = 2 Hours, Minors = 1 Hour) for the Eagle River / Vilas County area:
Friday (Waxing Crescent): Majors: 5:49 AM - 7:49 AM | 5:49 PM - 7:49 PM • Minors: 12:59 AM - 1:59 AM | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Saturday (First Quarter): Majors: 6:18 AM - 8:18 AM | 6:18 PM - 8:18 PM • Minors: 1:22 AM - 2:22 AM | 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
Sunday (Waxing Gibbous): Majors: 6:56 AM - 8:56 AM | 6:35 PM - 8:35 PM • Minors: 1:40 AM - 2:40 AM | 1:26 PM - 2:26 PM
Monday (Waxing Gibbous): Majors: 7:39 AM - 9:39 AM | 7:18 PM - 9:18 PM • Minors: 1:57 AM - 2:57 AM | 2:34 PM - 3:34 PM
Tuesday (Waxing Gibbous): Majors: 8:21 AM - 10:21 AM | 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM • Minors: 2:14 AM - 3:14 AM | 3:42 PM - 4:42 PM
Wednesday (Waxing Gibbous): Majors: 9:03 AM - 11:03 AM | 8:42 PM - 10:42 PM • Minors: 2:31 AM - 3:31 AM | 4:50 PM - 5:50 PM
Thursday (Waxing Gibbous): Majors: 9:47 AM - 11:47 AM | 9:25 PM - 11:25 PM • Minors: 2:50 AM - 3:50 AM | 5:58 PM - 6:58 PM
