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Lac Courte Oreilles Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Northwest Wisconsin’s deep lake: LCO holds muskie, walleye and cisco in clear water near Hayward.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
78 / 78 F
Wind
NNW 8 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Lac Courte Oreilles offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind NNW around 8 mph, falling pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 78. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perchGood

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Similar at 82 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low78 / 66 F
WindNNW 8-9 mph
Pressure1010.7 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain20% cloud, 28%
Sunrise / Sunset06:30 / 19:38
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 78/66 F, wind 10 mph, rain 28%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lac Courte Oreilles: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Lac Courte Oreilles calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lac Courte Oreilles today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 85 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 85 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 85 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Wisconsin requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Wisconsin license. Muskellunge, walleye and bass limits per current WDNR regulations; tribal boundaries and rules apply in places.

Access

Public ramps around the lake; Hayward provides guides and services.

About this water

A 5,000-acre lake reaching 90 feet near Hayward, Sawyer County, Wisconsin.

Fishing Lac Courte Oreilles: the full guide

A deep northern lake

Lac Courte Oreilles covers about 5,000 acres near Hayward in northwestern Wisconsin, reaching 90 feet and holding water clear enough to support cisco alongside the region’s standard species. It is a well-known muskellunge lake in muskie country, with walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, and panfish filling out the card.

Muskie and walleye

Muskellunge are the marquee species in a region that treats them as such: work the weed edges, bars and points with bucktails and large rubber, with fall the trophy window. Walleye hold the bars, points and weed edges, taking jigs and live-bait rigs, with low light clearly best in clear water.

Bass, cisco and the ice

Smallmouth work the rock and gravel while largemouth prefer the weedier bays. Cisco school deep and are targeted through the ice by a dedicated few. The lake’s clarity and depth make it fish differently from the shallower flowages nearby, favoring finesse and precise depth control.

Sawyer County logistics

Public ramps serve the lake, with Hayward minutes away providing guides, tackle and the muskie culture the town is built on. The Lac Courte Oreilles reservation borders parts of the lake: respect posted boundaries and tribal regulations where they apply. Winter brings a strong ice fishery for walleye, pike and panfish.

Common questions

Is it good muskie water?

Yes: a well-known muskie lake in the heart of Wisconsin muskie country, with fall the trophy season.

Why does clarity matter?

The lake is clearer and deeper than nearby flowages: finesse presentations and precise depth control matter more.

Are there tribal waters?

The Lac Courte Oreilles reservation borders parts of the lake: respect posted boundaries and applicable rules.

Is fishing good at Lac Courte Oreilles right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

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