Musky Shop Northwoods Fishing Report: Early July 2026
Welcome to the Musky Shop Northwoods Fishing Report: Early July 2026! We hope you've been getting out on the water to enjoy the summer. The Northwoods has seen more stable weather this past week in the Minocqua, Oneida, and Vilas County areas. We are seeing near-average to above-average high temperatures, bringing water temps into the mid-70s on many lakes. On darker, shallower water, surface temps are pushing 80 degrees, while clearer water is holding steady closer to 78 degrees.
Musky Fishing: Two-Tier Summer Bite
Muskies have settled into a midsummer pattern and are scattered right now. Guide Fred Palermo of Off the Hook Fishing Adventures reports a distinct two-tier bite taking shape. Some fish are holding shallow, while others are out on the deeper side of the edge over deep weeds and breaks. Even with the sunny, high-pressure conditions we saw over the holiday weekend, anglers are still finding incredible success right up in the weeds, experiencing intense 15-to-20-minute feeding windows a few hours before dark.
The key patterns right now involve targeting shallow weed fish centralized in and around good cabbage, locating deeper breakline fish particularly on Cisco-based lakes, and finding suspended fish in the basins feeding around serious midsummer bug hatches. Weed growth is prime, and if you can hit those short, intense windows, the shallow cabbage is producing great fish in the 32- to 39-inch range. If the shallow bite isn't firing, sliding out to the deeper edges is the best move.
For presentations, double-bladed bucktails are excelling in the shallow weeds. When targeting deeper fish, upsize your profile with bigger blades and rubber baits like the regular-sized Alpha Dawg, Red October Tubes, and Crackers.
Walleye Fishing: Fickle in the Sun
Walleyes have been somewhat fickle with the sunny, high-pressure days and lack of wind we saw over the weekend. If you are marking fish on forward-facing sonar and they are inspecting your leech and slip bobber setup but swimming away, it is time to be mobile. Keep sliding along and changing locations or chains until you find active, fired-up fish. If the pleasure boat traffic gets too heavy on the main lakes, you can always escape to the river systems, like the Wisconsin River, for quieter water.
Panfish: Lily Pad Action
The panfish bite has been excellent for families. Folks taking kids out over the holiday weekend found a riot of bluegills right up in the lily pads using a simple worm and bobber setup.
Upcoming Weather & Solunar Outlook
After a muggy start to the week with some rain, we are looking at a hot, dry stretch of weather ahead. Thursday brings a high of 80 degrees and a low of 54 degrees, with some rain giving way to dry conditions. The heat climbs through the weekend, with highs of 83 degrees on Friday, 85 on Saturday, 87 on Sunday, and peaking at 91 degrees on Monday. Tuesday will bring a high of 89 degrees and a low of 64.
Tuesday brings a New Moon, which sets up perfectly for a major big-fish bite right at dark. For your solunar windows, Thursday features a major from 7:30 to 9:30 AM and a minor from 3:47 to 4:47 PM. Friday's major is 8:27 to 10:27 AM with a minor from 5:10 to 6:10 PM. Saturday shows a major from 9:26 to 11:26 AM and a minor from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. On Sunday, look for a major from 10:26 AM to 12:26 PM and a minor from 7:30 to 8:30 PM. Finally, the New Moon on Tuesday offers majors from 11:25 AM to 1:25 PM and again overnight from 11:49 PM to 1:49 AM, alongside a minor from 8:24 to 9:24 AM.
We hope this report helps you get on some fish this week! Whether you're chasing muskies, hunting walleyes, or just getting the family out for panfish, the Northwoods still offers plenty of great opportunities.