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| Sunset looking west over Lake Winnebago at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, taken near the top of the Niagara Escarpment by myself on June 26, 2006. Lake Winnebago is approximately 12 miles wide at this point, and the location is approximately 1 mile east the lake. The location is a State of Wisconsin run wayside where U.S. Route 151 turns due east as it climbs the Escarpment. The :Image:Brothertown Sign.jpg was taken facing the opposite direction at the same spot. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
While temperatures turned a bit more normal for this time of year this week, the warm, dry spring continues to have most activities ahead of normal. Most of the state received a tenth of an inch or less of rain and experienced very windy conditions in the last week, sending fire danger to high or very high across the state. Burning permits have been suspended in much of the state, and many local units of government have restricted any outdoor fires. In the last week, 96 wildfires have burned more than 150 acres.
Walleye runs have now finished on most major river systems, and walleye spawning is already winding down on northern lakes. Suckers continue to run on many rivers and smelt have been running on inland lakes, with some reports of success on Lake Superior. The sturgeon spawning run on the Lake Winnebago system is pretty much over, and this week DNR fisheries crews captured an 87.5 inch female sturgeon estimated to be 240 pounds and 125 years old during spawning assessments on the river. The fish is the largest recorded since tagging began in 1950.
The proximity to the largest lake sturgeon population in the world, along with a world-class walleye fishery of the Lake Winnebago system and some of the largest white-tailed trophy bucks in the nation are among the reasons Appleton earned the top spot this week on Outdoor Life’s list of “The 35 Best Fishing Towns in the U.S..” (exit DNR)
Steelhead runs have wound down on Lake Michigan tributaries, but action was picking up for trollers picking up brown trout along with some rainbow and lake trout, and some boaters catching chinook and coho salmon as well.
Kids 15 years and younger can mark the arrival of spring by attending free fishing clinics on Saturday, April 14, at several lagoons and ponds in Milwaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha counties. Clinics led by local fishing club members will be held every hour beginning at 9 a.m. with the last clinic starting at 2 p.m. Fishing equipment is available, however, you are encouraged to bring your own rod and reel.
The spring turkey season opened this week and hunters report toms are gobbling and displaying and responding to calls. Grouse have continued drumming and woodcock continue peenting. Greater prairie chickens should be on their leks and this weekend is the Central Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival (exit DNR) with opportunities for people to observe this unique courtship dance with its resonant booms.
Loons have begun to arrive on northern lakes. DNR partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to radiomark five loons this summer to track their migration pattern. Following a record warm march birders and bird researches are reporting many records for early bird migrations. Many typical early migrants like sparrows, eastern towhee, and brown thrasher were consistently found earlier than normal and winter wrens, hermit thrushes, northern flickers, and golden-crowned kinglets returned to breeding grounds in the north woods a couple weeks earlier than normal. Learn more about this year's early migration at Wisconsin eBird. (exit DNR)
Chorus frogs and spring peepers continue to call, though recent cold nights slowed activity. Bull, hog-nosed, garter and brown snakes have all been out basking. Painted turtles are being seen sunning themselves. Morel mushroom hunters are reporting mixed success, with some very good crops in areas while others are finding few, but, as usual, most finders are keeping their spots to themselves.
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