Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report

The beach at Newport State Park near Ellison Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Warm weather and warm water slow some fishing, but action remained good in some areas; Perseid meteor shower this weekend

Apart from the beginning of the week and end of last weekend, when storms moved quickly across much of the state, these past few days have afforded a welcome calm on the weather front. Rain and storm events are predicted for much of central and south central region on Thursday and Friday, but the weekend looks much clearer.

Anglers across the state took advantage of the lull in restless weather and came out in droves this past weekend. Fishing on the Flambeau and Chippewa rivers remained good for smallmouth bass. Musky fishing has slowed in the Northwoods due to the warm waters, but some fish were still being caught. Some largemouth bass and northern pike were being caught on shallow weed lakes and some bluegills were being caught on the bottom near deep weed edges with crappies suspended along wood structure.

The warm weather and warm water also seemed to slow the bite at southeastern Lake Michigan harbors. Anglers from Sheboygan to Racine reported catching rainbow and lake trout, chinook salmon and sheepshead, but success was sporadic overall. The walleye bite slowed off Oconto near the Pensaukee landing, but remained good to the south off Geano Beach. Walleye fishing was also good off Brown County with anglers out of Bayshore Park reporting catches of 10 fish per boat and limits also reported near the Suamico River. Fishing pressure continued to be high off Door County with Little Sturgeon Bay seeing an equal mix of walleye and perch fishermen, along with pleasure boaters.

Spots are starting to fade on the white-tail fawns, as they are looking like small copies of their mothers. Many birds are beginning to gather in large flocks as many will begin their journey south in the near future. Bur oaks in the area appear to be having a stellar acorn drop in the south. Squirrels and chipmunks are busy harvesting black walnuts, acorns, and hickory nuts.

The frequent rain throughout the summer has kept woods and the prairie lush for people heading out to bike, hike or otherwise ride the trails this weekend. Flies and mosquitos seem to be winding down.

Berries are ripening across the state and wildlife are gearing up to race you to the first bite. Many areas are reporting a bumper crop of blackberries. Everything from small birds, to chipmunks, to turkey broods feed on blackberries, which make stands of brambles a great place to view wildlife and grab a snack. Out in the fields the "golden trend" continues as black-eyed susans, goldenrod, sunflowers and others continue to bloom.

This weekend is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower and several parks are hosting the UW-Madison Astronomy Department's Universe in the Park programs including Newport State Park on Friday, Blue Mound, Governor Dodge and Potawatomi state parks, the southern and Pike Lake units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest and Richard Bong State Recreation Area on Saturday, and Peninsula State Park on Sunday.

There will also be three Shakespeare in the Park performances this weeken on Friday at Lakeshore, on Saturday at Rib Mountain and on Sunday at Mirror Lake state parks.

Wisconsin: Enroll in the Deer Management Assistance Program to maximize the wildlife sightings on your property!

How can you improve your property for wildlife? Sign up for DMAP to immediately receive access to an online library of deer and habitat management resources and learn more about providing food and cover for deer and other wildlife, timber harvesting guidelines, collecting biological data on harvested deer and much more. 

For a more interactive experience, all enrolled DMAP cooperators can participate in one or more deer and habitat management workshops. The 2016 summer workshops will feature the latest Wisconsin deer research updates, DMAP cooperator success stories, how to plant trees and shrubs with wildlife value and more, tying it all together with a tour of a local DMAP property. 

The summer DMAP workshop schedule is:

• July 22: Jefferson County
• July 30: Sawyer County
• August 13: Buffalo County
• August 27: Juneau County

To learn more or sign up for DMAP, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keyword “DMAP.”

Wisconsin weekly Outdoor Report

Green Bay

Great weather brought out crowds for holiday weekend followed by storms that brought down trees, power lines across the south

Sporadic and punctuated rain and storm events across the state have tempered off into cloud cover and light rain, after what was an excellent Fourth of July weekend. Severe winds in southern Wisconsin took down trees and power to some areas earlier this week, but most trails have been cleared or will be going into this weekend.

Water levels are continuing to drop closer to average across the state. Many sandbars were submerged on the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, but there are still sandbars showing. It looks like it will be an excellent weekend to take a canoe or kayak down any of Wisconsin's major rivers.

The holiday weekend's pleasant weather saw large increases in angling pressure across the Northwoods. Panfish and bass produced erratic action, with rock bass and pumpkinseed showing the most consistent success, along with some musky bite. Large and smallmouth bass have both settled into their summer residencies, deeper along weedy and woody edges. Walleye success seems to be a hit or miss proposition, with just a few reports of decent action being found.

On Green Bay, fishing pressure was relatively high this week with Fourth of July traffic. The walleye bite was inconsistent, and walleye anglers were having a tough time finding active fish. But anglers were catching decent numbers of yellow perch although the average size was about 6 inches. Smallmouth bass were a little tougher to come by but anglers were still finding a few fish.

Along Lake Michigan, fishing pressure and reported successes out of both Kewaunee and Algoma made for the busiest weekend of the year to date. Both landings were full and good numbers of chinook salmon were coming into both ports, including some weighing well into the mid to upper 20-pound range and even a 30 pounder was recorded in Kewaunee. Success was also good in southeastern harbors, with good numbers of chinook and coho salmon along with some rainbow and brown trout coming in to Sheboygan, Port Washington, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha, including many limits.

White-tailed bucks are starting to get some very noticeable antler growth. Rabbits and squirrels are beginning to give birth to their second litters. Songbirds such as wrens, chickadees, sparrows, and bluebirds have fledglings.

Along the prairie and oak savannas compass plants are flowering, as is pale Indian plantain and purple prairie clover should bloom within the next week or two. Be mindful of invasive and/or poisonous weeds along roadsides and trails. Wild parsnip is in bloom at this time and its oil will cause burning when exposed to sunlight, even on cloudy days.

Along other edge habitat, including bike paths and hiking trails, blackberries are beginning to set their fruits. Look for their ripening in a month or so and be prepared for competition; more than 100 bird species eat blackberries, including robin, cardinal and ruffed grouse.

Scarlet tanagers, cerulean warblers and yellow-throated vireos will continue their song for a short while longer as their young leave the nest and begin to feed themselves. Brightly colored butterflies, amazingly camouflaged moths, and boldly patterned dragonflies are being seen in many areas. Unfortunately they have been joined by many mosquitoes, deerflies and "ankle-biters" out in force with the recent rains and humidity to be a nuisance to outdoor recreationalists.

Wisconsin Weekly Outdoor Report 6/10/2016

Musky fishing picking up on northern lakes and Green Bay; recent rains have raised water levels on Wisconsin and other rivers

Recent rains have added to high water levels across the state. The Wisconsin River is short on sandbars for the moment, but levels are dropping any may be near more normal levels by the weekend. That water will be welcome refreshment for those outdoors, as temperatures are expected to enter the mid-80s to high 90s. Mountain bike and all-terrain vehicle trails are wet and muddy some may be closed so call ahead to check on trail conditions.

Erratic weather and strong winds throughout the past week had kept fishing pressure sporadic throughout much of the state. However, angling success for species from panfish to trout, musky to northern pike, has been improving. The mayfly hatch on some northern lakes has put-off the walleye bite some, but musky anglers have been out in pretty good numbers and nearly all have been seeing fish, with good number also being boated. Bass action has been generally good on northern lakes, with some very nice catches of largemouth being made in the last week. Panfish action has been very good in between the rain storms, with bluegill, pumpkinseed and crappie providing some excellent. The bluegill nesting period is still occurring on many waters and some very nice fish have been found near the spawning beds.

On Green Bay, catch rates are on the rise along the east shore with anglers toward the end of the week into the weekend finding good numbers of hungry walleyes and the occasional yellow perch. Musky action was also good on the lower bay with multiple anglers catching 50-inch muskies. Walleye action also continued to be good along the west shore off Oconto and south to the Suamico River. Smallmouth bass anglers brave enough to battle the wind and waves along windy Door County shorelines did very well this past week with reports of 40-50 fish days.

Lake Michigan trout and salmon fishing is picking up with trollers reporting strong success for coho, rainbow and brown trout. Fishing pressure along the Milwaukee shoreline increased this week with a nice stretch of calm stable weather. Nice catches of coho salmon continue to be landed along with a few brown trout in the 5 to 6 pound range.

Greater numbers of does are dropping fawns and turkey broods are starting to band together and move about. Deer will be browsing for forbs or flowers in open areas, which provide the protein in their diet for antler and milk production. Velvet antler growth is now becoming quite visible on bucks. This is also the time of the "molt migration," during which geese begin heading north for the summer, where they will spend time until returning in early fall.

Spiderwort, wood phlox, columbine and Canada mayflower are in bloom. Yellow lady's slipper orchids are in bloom in Door County. Dragonflies, including the 12-spotted skimmer, common whitetail and dot white-face are being seen. Yellow swallowtail butterflies are numerous right now and a few monarchs have been observed. Crickets have responded to the temperature change and have been chirping songs of the coming summer.

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