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| Door County (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Regular rainfall across the entire state in the last week continues to keep water levels high in many areas and the Great Lakes as well as inland lakes and rivers continue to be colder than normal for early June.
Water levels on the Flambeau River remain high and paddlers are finding trips shorter between landings with the fast moving water. Mississippi River water levels continue to drop but there are still several more feet to go. Most boat landings are back in service. Kayakers heading to Door County for a sea kayak symposium this weekend are being cautioned that Lake Michigan is still unusually cold and quick forming fog is a good possibility.
With school out and as water temperatures begin to heat up people will be hitting the beach. Visit the DNR website for information about new tools and some common sense reminders that can help people find beaches and stay safe and healthy while enjoying Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers.
Lake Michigan trout and salmon fishing has really picked up in the past week with nice catches reported at most ports. Good-sized chinook salmon were reported in the Kewaunee-Door counties area. It hasn’t been an automatic limit, but several boats are bringing in double digit salmon. Lake temperatures are still really low; mid- to upper 40s at the surface and high 30s to mid-40s. Good numbers of coho along with some chinook salmon and lake and rainbow trout have been reported from all southern Lake Michigan harbors, with many trollers reporting catching limits.
Walleye were being caught on the Menominee River, and a number of impressive 50-plus- inch muskies were caught on the river the past week. Along Door County, there continues to be some excellent bass fishing along the northern portion of the peninsula on both the lake and bay sides. Walleye anglers were still having success on lower Green Bay.
Inland, there has been some very good panfish action with crappies on spawning beds and bluegills just beginning to move onto beds. The water temps where the crappies have been biting have been around 58 to 60 degrees. There have been some reports of limit catches and anglers are reminded to use discretion in fishing crappies and bluegills when they are on their nests and very vulnerable to harvest.
Reports of fawns really picked up this week, and unfortunately instances of some well-meaning people bringing in abandoned fawns. Again, doe deer normally leave their fawns for long periods of time when they are first born. This is a protective measure against predators as fawns give off very little scent. If you find a fawn all by itself, leave it be. Its mom is close by.
Canada geese broods are being seen in good numbers and wood duck and mallard ducklings are hatching. Sandhill crane colts have been seen with parents as they feed and learn the surroundings. The first trumpeter swan cygnets have been reported at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area in Burnett County.
Jack-in-the-pulpit, smooth yellow violet, Tartarian honeysuckle, black and choke cherries, miterwort, Canadian mayflower, baneberry, nodding trillium, hawthorn, blue cohosh, and starflower are blooming in the north. There have also been reports of wild strawberries beginning to fruit and wild blueberries blossoming.
