From catching big crappies in small lakes, 5 expert tips to catch more bass this fall, to finding and fishing remote trout lakes.

Crappie inland, access updates around Chicago fishing and notes on the Wisconsin opener lead this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

Minnesota's fishing opener is next weekend, and Wisconsin's opener begins Saturday morning. But anglers might find a mixed bag of conditions on western Wisconsin lakes.

Wisconsin fishing opener may be dogged by late ice-out on northern lakes Rivers (but not the St. Louis) may be better options for early fishing.

If you’re fishing for slab-size crappies, then Columbia County’s Lake Wisconsin is the place to be during the month of April and into May.

It’s happened several times before, including as recently as 2018, as Mother Nature offers up a frigid spring and the ice lingers on many northern Wisconsin lakes into May.