May 25, 2023 at 11:58 a.m.
Musky season opener is this weekend
Muskies have been spawning in many lakes. However, in the bigger, deeper lakes, anglers may still find a few paired up on opening weekend. Conditions are very lake dependent this early in the year. In many lakes, with the late ice off, weed growth has been delayed, but with the warm weather of the past week and water temperatures rising more quickly now, that could accelerate weed growth.
Jeff Van Remortel of Eagle River said he was finding water temperatures between 56 to 60 degrees while out targeting walleye last weekend. Some of the bigger, deeper lakes, like Trout and Fence, still had water temperatures in the lower 40s, however. Even with those lower temperatures, he was surprised to hear that musky were already spawning in those lakes as well.
Anglers can expect to find active males in spawning areas on opening weekend, he said. Smaller, stained lakes will still have good weed growth, which can be a good place to start when looking for musky. Any places with bullrushes, too, are areas Van Remortel said he would target first. The north and east shores tend to warm first in lakes, he noted.
While many anglers might be targeting the shallow bays and inlets or outlets of lakes, there may be other good places to pick up a fish or two for anglers looking to get away from the crowd, he said. Some walleye and smallmouth spawning areas are good areas to target musky at this time of the year, especially if those areas have downed wood in them. With fewer weeds available in some lakes, musky will take advantage of these spawning areas. Van Remortel said he has been seeing musky in these spots while out walleye fishing in the past week.
Van Remortel said larger spinner baits and large stick baits are a good place to start with lure selection. Large Xraps or 5-6 inch jerk baits are good. He recommended staying under 7 inches for those baits at this time of the year. A heavy-duty bass set up will work well for the baits an angler will need for opening weekend. He also said angler should not leave home without a spinning rod with an appropriate leader, something in the 40-60 pound range. This can be used for Rapala minnows, a #5 Mepps, or smaller blade baits.
While topwater is not a normal selection for this time of year, Van Remortel said it should not be overlooked, especially on lakes with warmer water temperatures.
Anglers should not use something that is super aggressive, but slow rolling a topwater bait over the top of weeds can be a good way to target musky in lakes where the weed growth is good or in shallow, warm bays.
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