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The warm-weather, low snow trend continued for another yet week in Wisconsin, continuing to limit outdoor winter recreation. While much of the state did receive some snow in the last week, ranging from a dusting to 3 to 4 inches, that was followed by temperatures that once again approached 50 degrees in the south and the mid 40s in the north.
Snowmobile trails remain open in the northern tier of counties, with the best conditions now being reported in northern Marinette and Florence counties, as well as the Mercer area onthe Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions Report (exit DNR). Trails in Vilas, Oneida and Iron counties are in fair to poor condition, as they have received very heavy use and are hard packed and icy in many areas. Trails remain open in a few other areas but are generally in poor condition. Cross-country ski trails were still in fair to good condition on the Northern Highland-American Legion and Brule River state forests.
Poor ice conditions and low water clarity continue to hamper spearers participating in the Lake Winnebago sturgeon spearing season. Wardens report there were about half as many sturgeon spearing shacks on the ice as a normal year. Spearers on the upriver lakes had better conditions, and that season closed Sunday after spearers reached the harvest cap, with 242 sturgeon registered. As of Wednesday, only a total of 122 sturgeon had been speared on Lake Winnebago, with just 17 fish on Wednesday. Spearers were reportedly moving shacks around a fair amount in search of happier hunting grounds on better ice.
Inland fishing was picking up somewhat, with anglers fishing open water below dams on the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers for walleye. Ice conditions continued to be poor on some southern lakes, with three vehicles going through the ice on Beaver Dam Lake in the last 10 days. With the mild temperatures, good numbers of ice anglers have been out on northern lakes, which still have a foot to 17 inches of ice. Reports were mixed, with some anglers having to move around a lot to find decent panfish, but some other areas reporting action picking up for walleyes and northern pike on tip-ups.
The fresh snow improved tracking conditions for coyote and fox hunters early in the week, but that tracking snow was short-lived. The mild winter has made it easy for many wildlife species. Turkeys are able to scratch to find food, deer are spread out because of simple travel, and birds can forge comfortably. There are still seeing a handful of white-tailed bucks holding their antlers, but most should have shed them by now.
However, the creatures under the ice have been struggling. Receding water levels and poor ice conditions have caused muskrats to seek better habitat in deeper water. Past similar conditions have proven to be harder on reptiles and amphibians. With the spring approaching, birds have begun to show mating behavior such as pheasants crowing, turkeys strutting, and geese and trumpeter swan pairs claiming nesting territory. Eagles are still being seen below dams on the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers, but more are now moving onto nesting territories and can be seen carrying sticks and grass to rebuild nests
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