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Snow is now a distant memory and ice has made its spring exit. Trees continue to bud, grass continues to green, birds continue to arrive across Badgerland and people and critters are on the move outdoors.
Deer are very active feeding on fresh growth as the early green-up continues, ruffled grouse are drumming and turkeys are gobbling, and, as lake and river temperatures begin to rise, fish are on the move. As a result of the unseasonably warm weather, the walleye run on the Wisconsin River and elsewhere came early and the fish are making their way back to lakes.
Warm weather and recent winds cleared the Lake Superior ice early and in time for the April 1 smelt fishing opener. Anglers have been capitalizing on early warm weather and ice out to bring in some good catches of trout and salmon from along the south shore.
Cooler air temperatures and winds slowed fishing in some Wisconsin waters, but anglers on Lake Michigan in the Kenosha area report a strong brown trout bite. Anglers have been fishing close to shore in 20 -30 feet of water using spoons. Anglers on the Pike River report the steelhead trout run is largely over, but are still catching a few fish using orange and white flies. In Port Washington boaters have been catching brown, rainbow and lake trout using spoons and stickbaits in 15 to 35 feet of water. Blue, green, black and orange colors have been productive.
With the spring turkey season around the corner and the fishing opener a month away, it’s time to talk turkey and get the tackle box ready for action.
The spring turkey youth hunt is April 7 and 8 with the regular season opener April 11.
Turkey populations should have come through the relatively mild 2011-12 winter in good shape and as long as the critical nesting and early brood-rearing season remains dry and warm, populations can be expected to approach naturally occurring population limits imposed by habitat and predators, which should be good news for turkey hunters.
Hunters can look forward to more days in the woods in 2012 as the hunting periods have been extended to seven days each. The six 7-day 2012 spring turkey hunting periods start on April 11 and end on May 22. Find out more by going visiting the DNR's turkey hunting page.
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