Steve Heiting's Northwoods Musky Report

Water temperatures in northwoods lakes have fallen, and Steve discusses the lures and locational patterns that have been most effective. He reports on the results of a big weekend tournament and lists a variety of musky fishing events in the next few weeks.

Musky action is getting hot right now in weeds as well as deep water for suspended fish, and Steve reports on what's been working. He also discusses what happened during the University of Esox Musky School held in St. Germain, and lists upcoming musky events in the northwoods.

The big warmup has water temps climbing, yet muskies are still a little behind with some still paired up and spawning. Steve reports on the conditions and lures that are working, and discusses a couple big musky events coming up in the next few weeks.

The traditional musky season opener was Memorial Day weekend, and Steve and two friends enjoyed terrific musky action. Steve reveals the lures and patterns that paid off.

While fishing for walleyes and smallmouth bass, Steve and his son stumbled into a small musky frenzy and reports on what they caught. Then, he describes how to easily find post-spawn muskies.

In this week's report, Steve lists his top five musky baits for early season fishing, and adds a couple honorable mentions that aren't well known to the masses. He also provides an update on state funding for the DNR's musky stocking efforts.

Steve and his son Brant enjoyed a great 2026 walleye opener, and Steve explains how they caught their fish. Then, he provides updates about the movement to restore the Memorial Day Musky Opener in northern Wisconsin, and calls out the Wisconsin legislature for hampering musky stocking efforts.

In his first Northwoods Musky Report for the season, Steve discusses local conditions as the Wisconsin fishing opener approaches. Since walleyes will be the main focus for most anglers on the opener, Steve provides tips from two of the best northwoods walleye guides. Musky fishing season will also be open in the northwoods on Saturday thanks to a rule change, and Steve explains why he and other guides are going to bypass muskies for a couple weeks.

Heavy rain and east winds made fishing a little uncomfortable, but Steve and his guests enjoyed five days in a row with muskies in the boat. One angler visiting from Ohio had a hot hand, and Steve reveals how he caught his fish. Finally, Steve previews the WWIA Eagle River Chal-Lunge, as well as other tournaments coming up.

This week, Steve opens with a live report after his son-in-law, Collin Johnson, caught his first musky during a northwoods visit. Steve then explains the fish’s location and the lure selection that got it to bite. Next, he discusses current conditions, and ends by listing a number of big musky events that are coming in the next two weeks.

The calendar says it’s still summer, but Mother Nature ushered in fall in a hurry with a massive cold front. But the muskies didn’t care and the results were great. In this report, Steve discusses what worked and what didn’t, and explains how he and a buddy enjoyed one of the most intense feeding windows he’s ever seen.

Musky action is occurring during short feeding windows, and in this week’s report Steve discusses ways to take full advantage of them when they happen. He also discusses current conditions and what’s happening on northwoods lakes.

Cool overnight temperatures have sent water temps downward, and it’s the start of Steve’s favorite time for fishing muskies. He describes various patterns that will work in coming weeks, and describes how a client caught a memorable fish.

One of the surest signs of the coming of fall is when muskies move into shoreline weedbeds, and this was very evident during the National Championship Musky Open in Eagle River. As tournament MC, Steve interviews the top anglers on stage. In this week’s report, he discusses their winning patterns.

It’s the week of the National Championship Musky Open in Eagle River, and Steve previews the conditions tournament anglers will see. He also discusses how money raised by the Musky Clubs Alliance has benefited Wisconsin’s musky fishery. Finally, he explains how anglers can make the most of boatside musky opportunities.

Nighttime air temperatures in the 40s lowered water temps in northwoods lakes. In this report, Steve discusses the types of lakes he fished and why, and reveals what lures and techniques produced a bunch of muskies, including his largest Wisconsin fish so far for the 2025 season.

Steve returns from a fishing trip to Ontario to find water much too warm in northern Wisconsin for musky fishing, so he rescheduled his guide clients. But his report from Canada includes important info if you’re planning to fish there soon.

As promised in a previous episode, Steve outlines the basics of night fishing for muskies. As he says, “When you get a strike at night, every musky is a 50-incher until proven otherwise. When you set the hook and the water starts flying, you’ll find out why I enjoy it so much.”

In this week’s Northwoods Musky Report, Steve discusses ways to catch muskies off deep weed edges, and then explains the effect very warm water has on muskies and their ability to survive the catch & release process. He also gives a shoutout to the Musky Clubs Alliance of Wisconsin and how its members have stepped up to help our fishery.

Summer weather is firmly upon us and muskies are following their typical patterns. In this week’s Northwoods Musky Report, Steve discusses what’s been working best and explains ways anglers can best release their fish in midsummer water temperatures.

In this week's report, Steve interviews a client from Texas who boated his first five muskies. Then, Steve discusses how the client caught his fish, reveals current patterns, and discusses an important topwater tip.

In this week's Northwoods Musky Report, Steve discusses the torrid bite that occurred for PMTT anglers on the Eagle and Three Lakes Chains; reports on St. Croix Rods' Customer Appreciation Day; and ends with the musky action report from his boat.

Steve begins this week's Northwoods Musky Report by interviewing an angler who caught his first two muskies while fishing with him. He then discusses how the cold weather of last week changed the muskies' preference to stop-and-go lures, and explains why such baits work.

With a cold front blowing into the northwoods, the muskies stopped chasing bucktails for a couple days and demanded stop-and-go baits. Steve reports on the University of Esox Musky School held last weekend and talks about what worked for the anglers in the school who boated a true bruiser of a musky.

Bucktails have been producing muskies for Steve’s boat, and he reports which ones have been working for him as well as the best retrieve style. In addition, he says goodbye to a legendary northwoods guide.

The muskies were biting on Wisconsin's northern zone musky opener and Steve and his friends boated a bunch — precisely how he predicted they would in his report last week. In this episode, Steve reveals everything that worked.

In this week's episode, Steve discusses and explains his lake choice, preferred locations, and the lures he will fish during the northern Wisconsin musky opener.

Forward facing sonar, also known as live sonar, is a hot-button topic in the musky fishing world. In this episode, Steve reports on the debate, how the issue led to the end of one longtime musky fundraiser tournament, and how the organizers of other tournaments have reacted.

Steve and his friend struggled to find walleyes on Opening Day but then put together a pattern that allowed them to catch their limit. Steve explains what worked for them, and discusses a completely different pattern that worked for Rhinelander guide Andy Hendrickson. Following that, Steve discusses two different patterns that produced crappies.

In his first fishing report for the 2025 season, Steve provides updates on local conditions and then explains how he and northwoods guide Rob Manthei plan to fish on Opening Day.

Steve begins with a live report after a client catches four northwoods muskies in a single day. Then he reports on the Hodag Musky Challenge and welcomes wounded vets to the Wounded Warriors In Action Eagle River Musky Challunge.

Summer doesn’t seem to want to quit in the Northwoods. Muskies are where they should be, but they aren’t very aggressive. Steve reveals the lures that produced fish during the last week, and offers his thoughts on pitch-back baits, one of which produced a big musky for his boat last week.

Steve can’t hide the fact he thinks the pre-turnover period is the best of the year for musky fishing. In this week’s report, he quickly covers location and then reveals his favorite baits for catching muskies at this time, and why.

Many northwoods lakes contain a heavy algae bloom right now and Steve discusses how you can overcome it. He talks about how you can help muskies find your lures in the green water, as well as where you should fish. Steve wraps up this segment by reporting on the catch of his biggest musky of the year so far, and how practicing what he preaches paid off.

Cool nights, warm days, bright skies and little wind are typical for what many call the “dog days” of August. In this week’s Northwoods Musky Report, Steve reveals his game plan for such conditions and tells the story of how he and a client succeeded while following these tactics.

In this week’s segment, Steve reports from the National Championship Musky Open where big muskies — and lots of them — were caught by tournament anglers. Steve reveals the best patterns.

It’s the week of the National Championship Musky Open in Eagle River, and Steve previews the tournament, explains why you should join, and discusses current fishing conditions, hot lures, and why he thinks big muskies will be caught.

Steve begins this week’s Musky Report with updates on water temperatures in northwoods lakes as well as the musky stocking issue. He then previews a number of upcoming musky events.

In this week’s Northwoods Musky Report, Steve discusses good news and bad news regarding current musky fishing action, water temperatures, and musky stocking plans being considered by the Wisconsin DNR.

Steve provides a double report in this episode. First, he discusses what happened during a recent trip to Lake of the Woods and then reports on a five-musky day that occurred when he returned to northern Wisconsin. Finally, he discusses current water temps and what they mean for northwoods muskies.

The 2024 musky season has featured rain almost every day and lots of wind, and Steve has heard from a number of anglers who are struggling. In this week's Northwoods Musky Report, he delivers a pep talk with ideas to help you bust your musky slump.

Steve opens this week's Northwoods Musky Report with an on-the-water discussion with his son after they boated five muskies while avoiding the crowds during the July 4th holiday week. While muskies were biting for Steve on wilderness lakes, he notes that bigger fish are showing up for anglers fishing open water.

This week, Steve discusses what led to a musky he caught and released at midday in poor conditions which proved to be the largest he's ever taken from that particular lake. He then discusses how lure choice should depend on from which position in a boat you're fishing.

Steve opens this week's report interviewing a client who caught his personal best musky on a Mepps custom-colored bucktail. Steve then reveals a few ways to catch more muskies on bucktails, and offers tips to better run the edges of weedbeds this season.

Steve begins this week interviewing a northwoods visitor who boated a nice topwater musky. He then offers a few tackle and retrieve tips to help you catch more muskies on surface baits.

In this week's report, Steve discusses what happened during the University of Esox Summer Musky Tactics school during which anglers from five states boated several nice muskies.

In this week's episode, Steve discusses where the best musky action is coming from and names the best-producing bait in his boat so far. He also explains how he fishes that bait.

Steve Heiting and his friends enjoyed a great Wisconsin northwoods musky opener with four fish in the boat. Steve discusses the distinct patterns they found and what else seems to really matter to the muskies so far in the 2024 season.

Steve fished for muskies this week in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and caught two fish. In this week's report, he explains the patterns that caught or moved the Yooper muskies, and discusses conditions people will find on northwoods lakes this weekend.

With the northwoods musky opener a little more than a week away, Steve discusses the lures in his Opening Day lineup, his favorite colors, and explains why he picks them. He also covers current conditions on northwoods waters and predicts a great weekend of crappie fishing.