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 June 14, 2012

The Wisconsin River delta into the Mississippi River taken at Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin flows from the near right to the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River flows from the right to the left. Iowa is visible in the distance on the other side of the Mississippi River. Prairie du Chien is just out of view to the right. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Areas of Wisconsin have received some scattered showers in the last week, but many areas of the state are quite dry, with very little rain reported so far in the month of June. Water levels on lakes and rivers are mostly dropping, with the exception of the Mississippi River, which is still running 3 to 4 feet higher than normal at Prairie du Chien because of heavy rains in northern Minnesota. The lower Wisconsin River is running very low, with numerous sandbars making navigation difficult on some stretches.

Windy and variable weather made for some tough fishing conditions at times this week, though success has continued to be pretty good. Mayfly hatches are subsiding in the north and allowed for a more consistent walleye bite. Musky success continues to be very good, with anglers reporting quite a few catches and some multiple fish days. Panfish have been the highlight of the week, with some good catches of bluegill and pumpkinseed reported. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass action during the northern catch and release season has been very good. Most bass have finished up their spawning activity, and with that, the success on larger fish should begin to improve as the northern bass harvest season opens up on Saturday.

Very good walleye fishing continued to be reported on the east shore Lake Winnebago, but there are still cautions about blue-green algae on Lake Winnebago and on other waters across the state. Exposure to this algae poses a health risk to people and pets. Avoid contact with blue-green scum, and shower or rinse off after swimming in any water body.

High water has slowed Mississippi River fishing, but some good fishing for bass and catfish has been reported in the deeper holes below sandbars and against steep banks on the lower Wisconsin River, while bass and catfish were reported farther north near Wausau.

Along Green Bay, some very good walleye action continues to be reported along both the east and west shores. Smallmouth bass fishing has kicked into high gear along the Door County shoreline, with good catches reported at many locations. Some perch have also finally been reported in some areas. The phenomenal chinook salmon fishing reported out of Lake Michigan harbors has slowed some, but fishing has still been good to very good with coho salmon and brown, rainbow and lake trout now making up more of the bag.

With Father’s Day this Sunday, kids looking for a fun way to get out with dad can download a free Father’s Day Fishing Certificate from the "Fishing Wisconsin" DNR Web page to take dad out for a fun day on the water.

White-tailed deer are wearing their red summer coats and bucks are developing velvet-covered antlers. Black bear breeding season in full swing, and sows have chased off yearling bears, so these young bears are on their own for the first time and they are being sighted at back yard bird feeders. Remove feeders to avoid unwanted black bear encounters.

Snapping turtles are being seen all over right now depositing their eggs in the gravel most often near a roadway that is adjacent to water.

Sandhill crane chicks are growing rapidly and can be viewed feeding with parents in wetlands and agricultural fields. Ruffed grouse broods are being seen in the north. Warblers, tanagers, and orioles are beginning to fledge young in the south.

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• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for June 7, 2012

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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 Hunters: Outdoor Report as of September 8, 2011

Image via Wikipedia

The pleasant late summer weather that prevailed across the northern part of the state made for some very good fishing conditions. Musky continued to provide very consistent action and most musky anglers are reporting a lot of sightings and follows. Bass fishing -- for both largemouth and smallmouth -- is just starting to become erratic, with smallmouth fishing showing the most consistency on the rivers and flowages. Walleye fishing continues to be fair, with a few more anglers starting to target walleye. Panfish action continued to be good with bluegill, crappie and rock bass all providing success.

In the south, walleye fishing has been excellent below dams on the Rock River. Limits of catfish were also being reported on various sections of the Rock. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good on the Lower Wisconsin River and on some Rock and Jefferson county lakes. Water levels continue to drop on the Mississippi River and are nearing normal low water levels for September. The level at Cassville was 7.8 feet this week. Bluegills were biting throughout both Mississippi River pools 10 and 11. Bass anglers noted good numbers of smaller 10- to 12-inch fish with few over 14 inches. Walleye and sauger anglers were trolling wing dams with some success.

The sturgeon season opened this weekend and good numbers of sturgeon were caught below the Prairie du Sac dam, including a 63-inch sturgeon that was kept and several 50-plus-inch sturgeon released. Initial success on northern rivers was fair, with good numbers of sub-legal fish caught, but legal-size 60-inch sturgeon hard to come by.

On Green Bay, anglers off Oconto continue to report good catches of perch and walleye. Perch fishing was good off Door County at Little Sturgeon Bay and Chaudoir’s dock. Along Lake Michigan, most tributaries are running low and fall salmon and trout runs have not begun. Many trollers were working closer to harbors, with chinook salmon making up most of the catch, but also brown and rainbow trout and some coho.

Early Canada goose and mourning dove hunters were greeted with very warm conditions for the opener last week, but conditions have improved after the recent cool down. Some hunters had early success, but are now finding it difficult to locate geese due to standing crops and geese taking refuge in towns and in the federal refuges Dove hunters have had good success over sunflower fields on the public hunting grounds in the south.

There have been increasing reports of whitetail bucks rubbing velvet from their antlers from archery hunters out scouting before their opener Sept. 17. Many fawns are losing their spots and getting adult coats.

The slow but steady southward raptor migration has begun, with numerous red-tailed hawks, broad-winged hawks, and kestrels being seen moving along the Mississippi River. A variety of ducks have been gathering on Horicon Marsh, with thousands of mallards, blue-winged teal and wood ducks feeding on the north end of Horicon Marsh. Several hundred great egrets were also seen on the marsh last week.

Just a few maple and birch leaves have begun to turn in the north. Walnut and oak trees have begun dropping nuts, and the white oak family that also includes bur and swamp oaks are producing a tremendous acorn crop this year.

Wisconsin Outdoor Report as of August 18, 2011

Image via Wikipedia

Moderate temperatures and low humidity in much of the state made for more pleasant conditions for outdoors activities. Angler survey shows August is still a good time for fishing for many species, and anglers in many parts around the state proved that over the week.

In lakes and rivers in the Upper Chippewa Basin, which includes Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties, anglers enjoyed some pleasant fishing conditions, with musky and bass becoming especially active. Musky success showed a nice little surge and most anglers reported some good action from small and medium-size fish. The fish seemed to be active along the weed edges and deep break lines, with jerks baits and swim baits the most productive. Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass has been consistent and some very nice fish have been caught and released in the last week.

Rough boating conditions on Lake Michigan over the weekend in Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties kept fishing pressure down. In Racine, once the lake settled down, trollers have been catching chinooks along with a few rainbows and coho. Most fish have been found in 80 to 140 feet of water, and flashers and flies as well as spoons have produced. Green glow-in-the-dark, purple, and blue spoons have produced, as well as blue and green flies. Perch fishing has dwindled in Racine, and shore fishing for trout and salmon remains slow as well.

In Lake Michigan near Kenosha, fish have moved further offshore since the weekend winds. Trollers have recently had success catching chinooks and a few rainbows and coho in 90 to 140 feet of water. Perch fishing has slowed in Kenosha for both boats and shore anglers. A few brown trout have been caught in the harbor, but those have been few and far between.

Walleye fishing is still going good on the Wolf River in Waupaca County. Drag a half of a night crawler on the bottom and you'll have a chance at some great success. Crappies are starting to bite too.

Anglers on the Wisconsin River have been finding good smallmouth bass fishing in Columbia and Sauk counties now that waters have returned to near normal stage. Topwater lures seem to be the key.

On the Rock River, catfish are still being caught as well as some panfish. Some catfish are being found dead along that river so DNR is asking anyone finding a fresh specimen or a catfish near death to contact local fisheries staff so they can obtain a sample for testing to try to pinpoint the problem.

The cicadas are out and calling throughout the afternoon hours and it's a great time for butterfly watching. Monarchs and yellow swallowtails have been seen in numbers as well on various wildflowers like compass plant, bergamot, and cup plant.

Reports of deer are picking up. At Willow River State Park in west central Wisconsin, the deer fawns are losing their spots. Look for a doe and two fawns on the hillsides not far below the boat launch along the road. They tend to be out around evening meal time.

At Brunet Island State Park, it's been birds, birds, birds. Bald eagles, kingfishers, scarlet tanagers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, great blue herons, red winged blackbirds, sandhill cranes, red polls, and robins are just the start of the list staff have reported.

Wildflowers are putting on a show as well.

An updated web page Natural Resources Monthly, links to more information about August phenology, activities at their peak this time of the year, including butterfly watching, and online resources to help find new outdoors experiences and information to enjoy. Go to DNR's home page at dnr.wi.gov and look on the left-hand side for "natural resources."