Wisconsin Outdoor Report 7/22/2016

Smallmouth Bass 

Extremely warm weather is blanketing much of the state

As we move toward the weekend, extremely warm weather is blanketing much of the state. Thursday evening, areas of Bayfield and Ashland counties were hit by a second, high-wind storm, following last weekend's, which left massive flooding in its wake. Due to saturated soils from the previous storm, numerous trees were down in the region.

Water levels across the state are variable at this time, with some areas dropping to just above average and others, fed by the past storm and rain events, sitting much higher. This has led to large fluctuations in both angling pressure and angling success over the past week and weekend.

Those on the northeastern sections, between Manitowoc and Marinette, were seeing more consistent walleye success. Anglers in those counties were also landing catfish, smallmouth and sheepshead, with intermittent mentions of perch success. The smallmouth bass bite picked up this past week and anglers were catching bass of all sizes throughout Door County. Decent numbers of yellow perch are being caught off of Little Sturgeon Bay and Sawyer Harbor. Anglers fishing on the southeastern sections of Lake Michigan, from Kenosha all the way up to Sheboygan, were consistently landing chinook, coho and rainbow trout, with a smattering of browns and freshwater drum. Early in the week a large number of anglers caught their limit of trout and salmon on McKinley Pier in Milwaukee, but by Thursday the water temperature dropped down to 45 degrees and the fish moved out.

Anglers in the Northwoods were combatting washouts and road closures this week, but that didn't stop them from working up consistent musky action. Topwater baits near weed edges or beds have been successful. Largemouth bass have also settled into their summer patterns and decent catches are resulting. Smallmouth seem to have moved back to deeper water and walleye are proving similarly challenging. There has been some success for crappie, perch and rock bass, but sizable bluegill still remain tough to find.

Off the water and on the prairie, the bouquet of blooming flowers continues to change as spiked blazing star, rattlesnake master, American germander and more make their first appearance this year. Accompanying the growth are sounds and sights from cicadas, grasshoppers, butterflies and more.

With the second hay harvest of the year, turkey broods will be taking to the cut fields looking for the previously mentioned insects. Fawns are also beginning to move more independently from their mothers and feed on the plants around them. The elk bachelor bulls from the Clam Lake herd are still spread throughout the south part of the forest and their antlers are almost fully developed.



Blackberries and blueberries abound in the woods and edges of waterways and trails, get to them before the birds and have a fantastic, warm, weekend in Wisconsin's outdoors!

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for May 24, 2012

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With a warm Memorial Day weekend in the forecast, conservation wardens are expecting there to be lots of activity on Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers and are reminding people to be sure they have a life jacket for each person on board that is readily accessible or, better yet, being worn. Wardens are also reminding people not to launch a boat or leave a boat landing with aquatic weeds on boats or trailers, and to follow the proper rules to avoid spreading aquatic invasive species or the deadly VHS fish disease.
Many state park and forest campgrounds are reporting that reservable sites are booked up for the holiday weekend and that they expect first-come sites to fill up quickly. People can check on availability of sites through the park reservation website. Campers are also reminded that firewood rules in place to help avoid the spread of emerald ash borer and other insects and diseases require firewood brought to state properties to be from Wisconsin, from within 25 miles of your destination, and not from a quarantine area. And despite nearly complete green-up in northern forests, fire danger remains high in some areas and there were still 74 wildfires this week, including a 74-acre fire in Vilas County.
Water levels have begun to drop and most river systems and were approaching normal summer levels in most locations. The lower Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers both dropped, and there are once again abundant sandbars on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. Water levels were still good for paddling on the North and South forks of the Flambeau River.
Some fantastic salmon fishing was reported this week on Lake Michigan and Green bay with many reports of bag limits of chinook coming in along with some coho, and brown and rainbow trout at many harbors. Walleye fishing also continued to be good on both the east and west shores of Green Bay, and smallmouth bass action was good at many locations along Door County, with many fish caught during last weekend’s Sturgeon Bay Smallmouth bass tournament. Perch season has opened on the bay, but has been slow so far.
Inland, walleye fishing continued to be fairly good in the Northwoods, though the rain and cold front that came through last weekend seemed to put a damper on what had been a rather consistent bite for walleye and panfish. Both bluegill and pumpkinseed have begun nesting and good numbers of crappie continue to be found near shallow water cover. Largemouth and smallmouth bass activity has also been increasing. Largemouth have started to build nests on many lakes, but varying water temperatures seem to continually chase the fish back to deep water. Northern pike success continued to be good around newly forming weed beds.
The spring turkey season came to a close this week, and last period hunters were reporting some toms and jakes were alone and ready to come into calling locations, with some reports of toms still actively gobbling.
There were reports of trumpeter swan cygnets hatching this week, and loons chicks have been seen on Northwoods lakes already, so boaters are being cautioned to operate at slow-no-wake within 100 feet of shorelines were loons may be nesting, and to give loons wide berth on lakes.
There were many reports of butterflies being seen this week, including cabbage white, clouded sulphur, little yellow, spring azure, mourning cloak, American lady, painted lady, red admiral, monarch, and eastern tiger swallowtail. Dragonflies are also emerging. Eastern gray-tree and green frogs as well as toads are calling profusely.
New wildflowers that can be seen are wood betony, nodding trillium, star flower, wild ginger, and fringed polygala. Prairie plants in bloom include golden Alexanders and lupines and foxglove penstemon and pale purple coneflower are in the bud stage.

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• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for May 3, 2012

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• March produces second black bass state record in Oklahoma

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for May 3, 2012

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wisconsin’s general inland game fish season opens this Saturday and state fisheries managers say the early spring that arrived this year should result in some excellent fishing conditions for anglers. In the north, ice-out was early and water temperatures have climbed into the low to mid-50 degree range even on northern lakes. Most lakes across the north are about three to four weeks past the main walleye spawning period, so the fish should be fully recovered and getting back to active feeding. Northern pike should also have recovered from their annual spawning ritual and look for them to be active near any new green weeds that are starting to grow in the shallows. In addition, crappie, bluegill and perch have been starting to get active near the shallow and warm bays

Walleye fishing activity was picking up on Lake Winnebago, which is open all year to walleye fishing, and limits of fish were being caught by anglers. Lake flies have emerged along the shoreline and while these flies can be a nuisance they are non-biting and harmless, and are an important food source for sturgeon and other fish. The walleye bite has also been exceptional so far this year on the upper Fox and Wolf rivers.
Water levels have been coming up on the Mississippi River with the recent rains. Fishing has been slow in some areas but picking up in others. Anglers were still catching a fair number of northern pike and smallmouth bass action seems to be picking up near La Crosse and Genoa, but walleye action has been slower.
High winds again in the last week have continued to slow fishing activity along Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Some good walleye fishing was reported off Oconto on the west shore of Green Bay and a few nice walleye were caught at Little Sturgeon Bay in Door County. When trollers were able to get out on the lake, they were catching a mixed bag of chinook and coho salmon along with, rainbow, brown, and the occasional lake trout.
Musky season opens May 5 in the southern zone and new this year the statewide minimum length limit has increased to 40 inches from 34 in order to help boost natural reproduction. Just in time for the opening day of the 2012 inland fishing season, anglers have a new and easier way to figure out what fishing regulations are on their favorite inland lake. A new searchable database allows anglers to search by lake, by county and by multiple counties to pull up an interactive map and a listing of the fishing regulations for that water. Go to the DNR website and search for “fishing regulations" to reach the database.
As boaters head out for the opener this weekend, conservation wardens are reminding them to check safety equipment. This includes a life jacket for each person on board, make sure batteries are covered and tied down, and that navigation lights working. Fisheries managers are also reminding people to help keep Wisconsin fish and lakes healthy by following rules to avoid spreading the VHS fish disease and aquatic invasive species like Eurasian water-milfoil and zebra mussels.
Turkey hunters continue to report hens have been nesting for a while, thus a few toms are searching pretty hard for hens. More and more gosling and duckling broods are being seen. There were about 30 bluebird chicks growing in boxes at Perrot State Park.
Birders reported a major migration event for Neotropical birds in the last week, which stalled out over southern Wisconsin due to recent storms, resulting in 18 different species of warblers seen at the State Capitol in Madison on Tuesday

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• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for April 26, 2012
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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for February 23, 2012

Image via Wikipedia

Some much needed snow fell across northern Wisconsin this week, leaving from 3 to 5 inches of fresh snow in the far north central and northeast parts of the state. The new snow allowed snowmobile trail groomers to get out and revive trails some in Iron, Vilas, Oneida, Forest and Marinette counties. Trails were being listed on the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions Report (exit DNR) as good to fair in most of those counties, with some poor areas remaining due to heavy use.

Much of the rest of the state remains free of snow, and warm weather continued in the last week, worsening ice conditions on many southern lakes. State recreational safety specialists say shoreline are opening up on many southern lakes, and even some larger lakes, like the Madison area lakes and Beaver Dam lake, have areas of open water. Wardens are recommending ice anglers remove shelters now and not wait for the March 4 deadline to remove shanties from southern lakes. Lakes in northern Wisconsin continue to have a fairly solid foot or more of ice, but river systems are opening up.

Ice fishing success on northern lakes has continued its season-long slow trend, with all species showing very erratic action. Walleye have provided some fair action at times during the past week, but success has been confined to short periods during the day. With the constantly changing weather, fishing for northern pike has also been variable. Panfish action continues to be on the slow side, with anglers really having move around and search for the active fish. Ice anglers on the frozen smaller bays of the Bay of Green Bay continue to report good success for whitefish.

The Wisconsin River is now open through central Wisconsin and walleye fishing has been fair to good below dams, with good numbers of angler reported fishing below the Wisconsin Dells and Prairie du Sac dams. Open water anglers are also having success with brown and rainbow trout on Lake Michigan harbors.

Wildlife officials say the mild weather should be a boon for the deer herd, with strong fawn crops and good buck antler grown usually following mild winters. State wildlife officials will be conducting a series of deer hunter forums around the state in March where hunters can get the latest information on results from last year’s hunts and the outlook for the coming season, and have input on deer management. The format of meetings will vary, but in many cases the local wildlife biologist will provide a brief presentation followed by a question and answer period. Some meetings may also have an open house format,

The mild weather has also been a boon for waterfowl and migratory birds, with large flocks of Canada geese being seen returning to many areas. Tundra and trumpeter swans are being seen in many areas. Sandhill cranes have already returned to southern Wisconsin. Bluebirds and robins are being seen in increasing numbers, with some bluebird scouts already checking out nest boxes. Bald eagles and other raptors are also are being seen in good numbers. Bald eagles remain along the Mississippi River, and this Saturday Prairie du Chien will be celebrating Bald Eagle Appreciation Day (exit DNR) with live bald eagle and raptor programs, birding and nature displays, birding experts on hand, outdoor viewing through spotting scopes and more.

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for February 2, 2012

Image via Wikipedia

Warm weather continues to hamper winter outdoor recreation in Wisconsin, with temperatures in the last week in the low 50s in the south and 40s in the north melting snow and making ice on southern lakes hazardous. Snow depths range from a high of 15 to 17 inches in the far north to bare ground in the south.

Snowmobile trails are rated as good in about half a dozen counties and fair in half a dozen more on the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions Report (exit DNR) but those trails that are open have been receiving very heavy use, and with very little snow in the last week, trails are turning brown and some have thin spots. Trails in the southern two-thirds of the state are closed and state conservation wardens are cautioning that people riding closed trails in some areas are putting future trail easements with private land owners at risk. They ask anyone seeing people riding closed trails to call the 24-hour tip line 1-800-TIP-WDNR.

Cross-country ski trails in the north are still holding up, with trails in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest rated as good to very good. Trails in southern and central areas are not holding up as well. Two of the 11 candlelight ski and hikes scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 4 – ones at Blue Mound State Park and the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest -- have been cancelled due to icy and muddy conditions, but as of Thursday the remaining events were planned to go ahead as hikes or skis if there is enough snow. As always, people interested in attending should call ahead to confirm.

Ice conditions continue to deteriorate in southern and central Wisconsin, with open water appearing on more lakes. There were reports of at least four recreational vehicles and several people going through the ice of southern lakes this week. Ice in the north continues to be fairly good, but many lakes have now developed slush under several inches of snow. Ice anglers in the north continue to report fishing at a mid winter slump, with anglers having to move around a bit to find panfish, and action slower for walleye and northern pike on tip-ups.

There is no safe ice on the main Bay of Green Bay, but anglers continue to fish some smaller bays including Sawyer Harbor and Sturgeon and Little Sturgeon bays, with some success for whitefish and perch. Open water anglers continue to fish the Milwaukee harbor and Port Washington with some success for brown trout and steelhead. The Racine harbor had fishable ice, but conditions are questionable with the current warm temperatures. Anglers have been catching browns through the ice along with some rainbows.

White-tailed bucks are still being seen with antlers on and wildlife biologists say the mild winter may play a role in later antler drop. Deer have not yarded up this winter due to the lack of snow and warm weather. South facing slopes are bare of snow leaving plenty on browse available. There was a report of an active bear this week that apparently got up to wander around and enjoy the 50 degree weather near Wild Rose.

The diver duck population on Lake Michigan near Racine has been very impressive. Hundreds of diver ducks, in full color, have been hanging out in the harbor and near the lagoon. Trumpeter swans were being seen this week on the Mississippi River in Cassville. Red tailed hawks have been spotted which is early for their return migration. A pair of bald eagles has been spotted at Crex Meadows State Wildlife Area this week already busy building and preparing their nest.

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for January 19, 2012

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Much of Wisconsin received snowfall last weekend and this week, but snow depths continue to be marginal for outdoor winter recreation through much of southern, central and northwestern parts of the state. Anywhere from 4 to 6 inches of snow fell last weekend, but the snow was light and fluffy and strong winds caused drifting and bear spots in many locations. Snowmobile trails remain open only in about a dozen northern counties, and are only rated as good in a few of those according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions Report (exit DNR). Cross-country ski conditions faired better, but many trails in the southern half of the state have had minimal grooming and many are reporting there are some bare or thin spots. The good news is that snow is forecast for later this week into the weekend, with higher amounts expected in the southern part of the state.

Cold temperatures that moved into Wisconsin this week have finally frozen over most of the larger lakes that still had open water last week, including Winnebago and Mendota. However, some areas are reporting that certain spots are still being kept open by large numbers of waterfowl that were staying in the area. And conservation wardens are continuing to caution that much of the ice that formed is still very thin, and now covered by a protective layer of snow. There were numerous reports of snowmobiles and ATVs going through the ice on Lake Winnebago in the last week. Wardens are still advising foot traffic only on southern waters and for people to check ice depths regularly and be prepared should they fall through thin ice.

Ice conditions in the north through the central part of the state are generally good with a foot or more being reported in many locations. Many areas reporting fishing action slowed this week, likely due to the new snow cover. The best action continued to be for panfish, with some reports of very nice crappie and bluegill being caught, but with anglers having to move around a lot to find them. Action for walleye was slower, but there were still some reports of nice northern pike being taken on tip-ups.

While ice has also begun to form on some Lake Michigan harbors, there were still anglers open water fishing this past week. None of the harbor ice is considered safe at this time. Similarly, ice is again forming on the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay, but it is not safe. Anglers on Sawyer harbor and Little Sturgeon Bay were reportedly fishing along the shore ice, but with open water not too far out in the bay.

Mid-January generally is the onset of coyote and red fox breeding cycles that last into March. Cold, crisp winter nights afford opportunities to listen for the raspy barks of red fox or the high pitched yipping of coyotes. Pup litters of both species are born in March or April.

Among the waterfowl keeping areas of some lakes open were more than 300 tundra swans that have been on Lake Mendota for a couple of weeks. And more than 100 trumpeter swans have been reported on open water at Willow River State Park in St. Croix County. Visitors to bird feeder have included nuthatches, pine siskins, black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, blue jays, tufted titmice, northern cardinals and American goldfinches.

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Wisconsin Outdoor News from DNR

Image via WikipediaWarm temperatures have continued to dominate the weather scene in Wisconsin this week, with most of the state also receiving some much needed rainfall, including some locally heavy rains in central and southern Wisconsin, which have lead to some rapidly rising and falling water levels on streams and rivers.
The warm weather continues to bring out large numbers of boaters to lakes and rivers, and conservation wardens are receiving many complaints of boats and personal water craft traveling too close to other boats. Water levels had dropped significantly on the Rock and Crawfish River and boaters are urged to use caution as several boats have been damaged by hitting rocks, but levels have risen some with recent rains. Water levels on the lower Wisconsin State Riverway also rose this week. The north has received just light and scattered rainfall in last few weeks and most streams and rivers are near their typical summer low levels. Most natural lakes are also at a low level and many of the flowages are beginning to experience a drop in water levels as well.
Angling success continued to be erratic, with bass providing the most consistent action. Largemouth were being found in thick cover, in the down wood, near the bog edges, in the thick lily pad beds and under mats of vegetation, with smallmouth a little more inconsistent as dropping water levels and warmer temperatures keeping theme on the move. Walleye success has been fair. With water temperatures still in the 80-degree range, many musky anglers have heeded the warnings and let up on fishing pressure. Panfish action has been generally good, with some decent catches of crappie, perch and rock bass reported, but bluegill retreating to deeper water and tough to find. In the south, anglers are having some luck on Beaver Dam area lakes with perch and walleye. Wisconsin River area anglers have been doing very well on catching northern pike, and anglers have still been catching channel catfish throughout the upper Rock and Crawfish rivers .
On Green Bay, walleye fishing continued to be good off Geano Beach on the west shore and Bayshore Park on the east. Perch fishing has improved some in Sawyer Harbor at Sturgeon Bay. On Lake Michigan, west winds last week dropped water temperatures as low as 45 degrees north of Two Rivers. But by the weekend, temperatures rose to 60 degrees at piers to 65 degrees in some lakeshore areas. Angler success out on the lake from most ports continued to be slow, with some chinook reported out of Manitowoc and Two Rivers and a mixed bag of coho, chinook, and lake trout out of Sheboygan and Port Washington. Racine and Kenosha trollers have been catching fewer coho, but more chinook, and rainbow trout.
Some very small spotted fawns are being seen again, indicating some late birthing still taking place. Similarly, some turkeys broods are being seeing with very small poults, indicating there was probably some late re-nesting. The fall shorebird migration is going strong with the peak of adults moving through the Wisconsin at this time. Good numbers of yellowlegs, least sandpipers, and other species are being seen at various wetlands.
Good numbers of swallowtail butterflies are being seen in some areas, while some are reporting fewer monarchs. Black caps are reaching their peak in southern Wisconsin, but large swarms of deerflies continue to make picking difficult.

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