In the north, walleye fishing has slowed, though some anglers are finding success fishing deeper holes or during the evening hours up to two hours before sunrise or two hours after sunset using artificial lures tipped with minnows. Northern pike and musky fishing has picked up, with many bag limits of northern being taken on artificial lures and some nice size musky being caught in the shallows and weed beds. Bass fishing is excellent on most lakes. On the Chippewa Flowage, musky fishing has been gradually improving with more follows and hits reported, but still considered slow and walleye success continues to be generally slow, with the best action found on mid-lake rock/gravel humps, in mid-depth weed beds and the open pockets within these beds.
On Lake Michigan, fishing on southern Green Bay was a little slower this week, but in Two Rivers, fishing was excellent this past week. Anglers casting spoons off the north pier had a great week catching many Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, brown trout and smallmouth bass. The Chinook were as large as 17 pounds, rainbow trout between 4 and 7 pounds, and brown trout were as large as 8.5 pounds. Anglers trolling on Lake Michigan had success across various depths this week. Anglers fishing out of Sturgeon Bay did very well out on the Bank Reef early in the day and the action up around Baileys Harbor also remained good although the fish seemed to have moved out into deeper water than in the past few weeks. Further south on Lake Michigan, recent strong west winds have cooled off nearshore waters, bringing trout and salmon into shallow water where the fish are more accessible to pier and shore anglers. On other inland waters, walleye fishing in Lake Winnebago is still productive. Anglers are hooking walleyes using a cranker harness and crank baits, and are having good luck in the mud flats. Walleye activity has also been reported in and around reefs using crawlers and leeches, but these walleyes are in the smaller size range. Perch activity is beginning to pick up in Lake Winnebago. Fishing remains good to excellent in the Southeast region. Bass and bluegill are providing most of the action in Waukesha, Sheboygan and Washington County lakes.
Around the state, wildlife is abundant. This past week, broods of turkey, woodcock and grouse have been seen in the National Forest just north/west of Drummond, so now is a good time to just take a drive and have a look. Numerous young waterfowl are being seen on area lakes and many visitors have enjoyed watching young loons with their parents. Turkey poults are being observed in good numbers along roadways. Whitetail does with fawns are crossing roadways. Please give wildlife a break and slow down. The Canada Geese are just finishing molting. When adults are molting and new flight feathers are developing they cannot fly. Bird species that have been observed include scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, towhees, golden finches, ravens, rose-breasted grosbeaks, loons, robins, redpolls, a variety of wrens, phoebes, Canada geese, turkey vultures, northern juncos, pileated woodpeckers, great blue herons, green herons, barred owls, ravens, osprey, bald eagles and belted kingfishers. Painted and snapping turtles have been digging nests throughout the park property. Fireflies, dragonflies, and monarch butterflies are in great abundance. Many plants are also blooming and bearing fruit. Daisies, black-eyed Susan, chicory and Queen Anne’s lace are just a few of the flowers visible on the landscape. Wetland areas are beautifully decorated with blooming water lilies. Raspberry development continues and some good picking should be found when the berries ripen. Boaters need to remember to check their boats for life jackets before setting out – each person on board needs to have a size-appropriate life jacket on board available to them. ATV enthusiasts are active on trails and some area trails can be quite busy, so please ride safely. Wardens are contacting many adult ATV riders on public trails accompanied by children who are not wearing helmets. Children under 12 are required to wear a helmet at all times while riding on areas open to public use. Children at least age 12 but under age 18 are required to wear a helmet when riding on areas open to public use except when traveling in order to hunt or fish. Please protect yourself and young riders. Hunter Safety courses are underway -- please check the DNR Web site for upcoming classes or call the DNR Service Center in your area.
A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277.
A new report is put on the line each week.
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NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Southern Bayfield County - Eau Claire Chain - Though walleye fishing has slowed, some are finding success fishing the deeper holes, while others are finding success during the evening hours, up to 2 hours before sunrise,and 2 hours after sunset with artificial lures tipped with minnows. Northern/musky fishing has picked up, with many bag limits of northern being taken on artificial lures and some nice size musky being caught, fishing the shallows and weed bed areas. Bass fishing is excellent on Upper/Middle/Lower Eau Claire, leaches and leaf worms working best, along with artificial top baits. Pan fish are still biting but have moved to deeper water, white/yellow and white/red baits working best. Evening walleye fishing on weed beds when there's a chop on the water has been paying off for those fishing walleye on Namakagon Lake, jigs with a minnow has been working well. Pan fish are still in the shallows with leeches/worms working best. Northern fishing has picked up, many fishing for bass are picking up northern on/near weed beds in the shallows. Bass fishing has been excellent this past week on Lake Owen, though the sport traffic has picked up, early morning fishing is really paying off with artificals/floaters working best. Pan fishing also excellent the past two weekends on Lake Owen. Though some fish are still in the shallows, many have moved into deeper water with leeches and worms working best. On the smaller surrounding lakes, pan fishing still very good, though the bigger fish have moved into deeper waters with leeches/worms/minnows working best. Northern fishing is very active in the shallow weed beds. Bass fishing excellent on surrounding lakes, plastics being tipped with leeches/minnows working well. Boaters, please keep a look out for loons, many now have their young, so may be moving a little slower when being approached, take care to leave plenty of room when seeing them. And don't forget to check your boats for life jackets before setting out -- each person on board needs to have one size-appropriate life jacket on board available to them. June berries are just about through and blueberries started early and already on their way out, so pick quickly. Due to the dry weather conditions, take care with fires and smoking. This past week, broods of turkey, woodcock and grouse have been seen in the National Forest just north/west of Drummond, so now is a good time to just take a drive.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area - The Park Falls area experienced some hot dry weather but moderation is forecast. The Flambeau River water levels are low and paddlers are experiencing some minor difficulty in a few areas. Boating activity was heavy over the holiday weekend as visitors enjoyed water sports. Fishermen were having better success during morning and evening hours though some panfish were being caught during the day near weed edges and areas with structure and cover. Musky fishermen report fair success with some nice fish being caught. Bass fishing continues to be good on the Flambeau River but walleye success has not been as steady. Numerous young waterfowl are being seen on area lakes and many visitors have enjoyed watching the young loons with their parents. Daisies, black-eyed Susan, chicory and Queen Anne’s lace are just a few of the flowers visible on the landscape. Wetland areas are beautifully decorated with blooming water lilies. Raspberry development continues and some good picking should be found when the berries ripen. Antler development is progressing and whitetail bucks sporting some nice racks have been seen. ATV enthusiasts are active on trails and some area trails can be quite busy, please ride safely. Wardens are contacting many adult ATV riders on public trails accompanied by children that are not wearing helmets. Children under 12 are required to wear a helmet at all times while riding on areas open to public use. Children at least age 12 but under age 18 are required to wear a helmet when riding on areas open to public use except when traveling for the purpose of hunting or fishing. Please protect yourself and young riders.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The hot and humid weather of the past week has made for some real inconsistent fishing action - and the cold front of the past few days should keep things mixed up as well. Bass fishing, both for largemouth and smallmouth, has been especially erratic and many anglers have reported some very slow days of fishing. The bass have yet to fully set up in their typical summer pattern (in woody cover, under bog edges, etc.) and many have still been holding in and along the edge near any dense weedbeds. Submergent weed density also seems to be relatively low for this time of year, as many local flowages and lakes have only light to moderate weed growth in many of the shallow bay areas. Some good largemouth bass action has been reported from the Chippewa Flowage, but most other lakes have been experiencing low success. Musky fishing has been gradually improving with more follows and hits reported, but still considered slow. The best success has come on medium-size crank baits and bucktails, with surface baits seeing some action. With normal weed beds not setting up in their usual places or densities, this may also be affecting the musky feeding behavior. Walleye success continues to be generally slow, with the best action found on mid-lake rock/gravel humps, in mid-depth weed beds and the open pockets within these beds. Panfish action has been fair, with some decent catches of crappie and bluegill still being made along deep weed edges.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - Moderate summer weather is bringing along the blackberry crop which will begin ripening soon. Turkey poults are being observed in good numbers along roadways. Whitetail does with fawns are crossing roadways. Please give wildlife a break and slow down. A recent bass tournament on the Menominee River produced a good number of bass with nice size ranges, all were released. Boaters are hitting the waterways due to warmer weather and recreation opportunities. Be courteous to other boaters at the landings and on the water. Also while at the landings be sure to knock off the lake weeds that may be hanging on to your boat and trailer as you could be transporting aquatic species to other water bodies. Inland trout stream water levels are normal at this time although more precipitation is needed. Hunter Safety courses are underway -- please check the DNR website for upcoming classes or call your DNR Service Center in your area.
Oconto County - Warmer weather is bringing out more boaters and fishermen. The fishing tip of the week is to fish top of the water baits on calm evenings producing nice largemouth bass on weedy shorelines. Wild strawberries are ripe, followed by ripening raspberries. Turkey poults and grouse young are being observed.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Fishing on southern Green Bay was a little slower this week. Some high winds along with some thunderstorms made fishing difficult. Water temps were in the upper 60s to lower 70s. A few perch are still being caught, although not many limits were reported. Walleye action continues to be steady throughout the bay. Some decent panfish action along with a few perch can be caught along Sawyer Harbor in the early mornings and twilight hours. Mayflies continue to hatch on the calm nights. Drum and catfish continue to be caught throughout the bay. Fishing along the Fox, Duck, and Suamico Creeks continue to produce quality action with catfish and drum and a few walleyes and white bass being caught. Smallmouth action of late has been slow with most of the fish spread out at varying depths, although some large fish are continually caught offshore.
Manitowoc County - In Two Rivers, fishing was excellent this past week. Anglers casting spoons off the north pier had a great week catching many Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, brown trout and smallmouth bass. The Chinook were as large as 17 pounds, the rainbow trout were between 4 and 7 pounds, and the brown trout were as large as 8.5 pounds. Anglers that were trolling on Lake Michigan had success across various depths this week. Most anglers were fishing in waters shallower than 80 feet. Good fishing conditions allowed anglers to land large catches of mixed species. In Manitowoc, fishing was great throughout the week. Anglers casting spoons from the north and south piers had a great week of Chinook salmon fishing. Anglers have had the most success casting green or orange Champs spoons during the early morning or late afternoon bite. Anglers that were trolling on the lake also had a great week. Sunday morning was busy with large catches of Chinook salmon, rainbow trout and a few lake trout and brown trout. Trout anglers had the most success trolling in 40-55 feet of water using J-plugs and spoons at sunrise.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - The weather this week in beautiful Door County started out less than beautiful, with the first three days being wet and stormy. Beginning on the afternoon of Independence Day the weather took a change for the better, and the end of the week was nice, with above average temperatures and sunny skies. Even with the rain the beginning of the week the conditions are still very dry. There is a burning ban in effect for sections of the southern part of the county, so please be extra careful with fires. With the storms passing through the county the first part of the week, the angling seemed to have slowed down a little, however the nice weather we had beginning on the 4th picked things up to almost as good as last week. By the weekend, the action out on Lake Michigan was very good to excellent all over the county. Anglers fishing out of Sturgeon Bay did very well out on the Bank Reef early in the day by fishing the edges of the reef in 80 to 90 feet of water and 40 to 75 feet down. Later in the day the action seemed to move out into deeper water with anglers reporting success in 150 to 200 feet of water and some going even deeper. Fly and dodger combinations along with spoons remain the baits of choice. The action up around Baileys Harbor also remained good although the fish seemed to have moved out into deeper water than in the past few weeks. Lots of nice Chinook salmon in the 15 to 20 pound range came into all the ports. Lots of rainbow and lake trout are also coming in. Rowley’s Bay, Ellison Bay, Sister Bay and the Washington Island all continue to report nice catches. Smallmouth bass continue to be caught all over the county. For the smallies try fishing in 5 to 15 feet of water with top water lures and spinner baits or try deeper offshore structure in 20 to 25 feet of water with crawler harnesses and goby imitating baits. Perch fishing remains very good with the southern shore of Green Bay, along with Little Sturgeon, Riley’s Bay, and the waters around Chaudoir’s dock producing lots of perch. Minnows fished on or near the bottom in 20 to 34 feet of water are producing lots of perch in those areas. The weed edges in 12 to 15 feet of water between the bridges in Sturgeon Bay, Little Sturgeon, Sand Bay, Riley’s Bay and the flats are also producing limit catches of perch. The Egg Harbor Marina and the Fish Creek city dock continue to produce nice catches of perch on night crawlers and soft shell crawfish. Larson’s Reef, Monument Shoals, Chambers Island and the area off of Peninsula State Park are continuing to produce some walleyes on crank baits and night crawler harnesses. The northern pike action continued fair this past week with mostly smaller northerns being taken from the weeds in Sturgeon Bay and Little Sturgeon; try some deeper areas for the larger northerns. Big bucktails continue to produce a few muskys from the weed edges in Sturgeon Bay.
Kewaunee County - Very nice weather over most of the week with some hotter weather over the weekend made for some a nice week of fishing. Winds have been favorable for most of the week however stronger winds at the end of the weekend made the lake rough and dropped the surface temperatures back down into the 40s. Anglers fishing of the pier and in the harbor in Kewaunee had another good week of fishing. It slowed down some from last week, but kings and steelhead were still being caught. The best success has been on silver spoons. Anglers fishing off the piers in Algoma have reported very slow fishing over the last week. Anglers that have been trolling out on the lake have been coming in with some good catches of kings and rainbows. Anglers have also been catching a few lake trout and Coho’s as well. Many good catches of fish have been coming in during the middle of the week, but fishing really slowed down over the weekend. Anglers have been fishing in shallower waters this week again as the fish have still been holding close to shore. Most anglers were fishing in water depths of about 50 to 90 feet. Some anglers were having success in deeper water as well. Fish are being caught anywhere from the surface all the way down to 100 feet. Anglers have been reporting that there really hasn’t been any particular tackle that has been working the best over the last week as it has really changed day to day.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area - Recent high temperatures and high winds have slowed things down a bit. However, walleye fishing in Lake Winnebago is still productive. Anglers are hooking walleyes using a cranker harness and crank baits. They are having good luck in the mud flats. Walleye activity has also been reported in and around the reefs using crawlers and leeches. Walleyes in these areas are on the smaller size range, though. Perch activity is beginning to pick-up in Lake Winnebago. Perch in the 10-12 inch class are being hooked in 12-14 feet of water. Anglers are using nightcrawler pieces or leaf worms. Be advised that anglers are going to have to work for perch in the deeper areas. Smaller perch, 8-10 inch class, are being picked up in shallower waters on the same baits. Catfish, walleye, and the occasional white bass are being hooked in the Fox River. In the Wolf River, catfish, walleye, and panfish are being hooked. For catfish, cut-bait or stink-baits are being used. For walleyes and panfish, nightcrawlers or leeches are bait of choice.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Havenwoods State Forest - The park is in full bloom! Lovers of native flora exploring the trails of Havenwoods will find prairie coreopsis, black-eyed Susan's, oxeye plant, prairie dock, white beardtongue, purple and grey-headed coneflowers, Indian hemp, New Jersey tea, false white indigo, mountain mint, butterfly weed, wild quinine, rough cinquefoil, hoary vervain, rattlesnake master, and leadplant. Seen/heard around: Sedge wren, spotted sandpiper, 6 great blue herons, a mother wood duck and six ducklings, leopard and bull frogs, blue dasher dragonflies.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report -- Recent strong west winds have cooled off nearshore Lake Michigan waters, bringing trout and salmon in shallow and accessible to pier and shore anglers.
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan, shore anglers fishing both the north and south piers have been catching browns and Chinooks after dark and in the pre-dawn hours. Alewives have taken the most fish. Trollers off Sheboygan have been catching mostly Chinooks, along with occasional lake trout, rainbows, and Coho. Fish have been found 30 to 50 feet down in 40 to 80 feet of water. Fish have been hitting J-plugs, flies, and spoons, with green being the most consistent color.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, shore anglers fishing off the pier have been catching decent numbers of Chinooks in the early morning hours. Most fish have been caught on the lake side of the pier or right off the end. Both spoons and alewives fished on the bottom have been productive. Pier anglers have also caught some keeper size perch on jigs. Trollers out of Port Washington have been catching mostly Chinooks and rainbows 40 to 65 feet down in water 70 to 120 feet deep. Both spoons and flies have taken fish.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee, shore anglers continue to catch good numbers of perch on crab tails off McKinley pier. Boaters fishing for perch have been catching good numbers around the main gap and south gap, as well as at the boils and off the Oak Creek Power Plant. Trout and salmon fishing from shore should improve over the next few days with the drop in nearshore water temperatures. Milwaukee trollers have been catching good numbers of Chinooks, along with a few Coho, lake trout, rainbows, and browns. Most fish have been caught in 50 to 80 feet of water on spoons in blue, green, or watermelon.
Racine County - In Racine, perch fishing for shore anglers has been slow, but boaters continue to find a few fish at the bubbler and off the rocks near the DeKoven Center. Jigs, minnows, and crab tails have all been productive at times. Anglers fishing off the piers have been catching good numbers of steelhead and a few browns on spawn sacs or spoons, including a 14.5 pound steelhead taken over the weekend. Racine trollers have been catching good numbers of Chinooks and steelhead. Most fish have been taken on green or white spoons in 50 to 90 feet.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha perch fishing from shore has been sporadic, with the ends of the piers providing the most action but only for a short time in the mornings. Jigs and minnows have taken the most perch. Anglers fishing for perch from boats have been catching them at the bubbler and at the breakwall on jigs, minnows, and crab tails. Shore anglers fishing the Kenosha harbor for brown trout have been catching good numbers late in the day and after dark. White tube jigs and silver spoons fished slowly have taken the most browns. Kenosha trollers have been catching Chinooks and steelhead in 60 to 90 feet on green spoons or large dodger and fly combinations in white, green, or blue.
Inland fisheries team report - Fishing remains good in the Southeast region. Bass and bluegill are providing most of the action:
Sheboygan, Washington and eastern Fond du Lac Counties - Largemouth bass fishing remains excellent on most inland lakes. Some of the bigger bass have been taken on floating artificial frogs in the "slop". Not much good bluegill action has been reported but most successful bluegill anglers are pretty tight lipped about such action. A few walleyes were being caught on Big Cedar Lake.
Waukesha County - Fishing has been excellent over the past week with recent warm weather. Bluegills are starting to suspend on area lakes, best bites coming from Beaver, Pine and North lakes. Try drifting small jigs tipped with waxies and red worms down 12-18 feet of water. Also bass have been providing action during low light time around deeper weed cuts. Jigs and deep cranks fished slowly have been producing fish.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Lafayette County - The Fourth of July week is now behind us and the race of summer is on, or at least what is left of it. Over the past few weeks several people were catching crappies and walleyes on Yellowstone Lake. In both cases, small fish are being caught, and the walleyes are too small to keep. Be mindful of young wild animals while a field and traveling our rural roads. Young turkey, pheasant, and upland game birds are being seen along side the roads and sometimes in the road, so please slow down. The multi-use trails in the county are in good condition. All the trails in the county are open for the season.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - Two programs will be featured at the park this week, a hike and a lecture. Join Kari Hussey for a hike up the Oak Ridge Trail and then down through the campground on Thursday, July 12th. Meet at the Nature Center at 7:00 p.m. The Oak Ridge Trail is quite hilly. On Saturday, July 14, Mike Reiter brings his Skulls and Bones exhibit to the Nature Center at 7:00 p.m. Reiter continues to add new pieces to the exhibit. Ask to see the deer feet from animals that had too much corn in their diet. Both events are free with a vehicle admission sticker. The Nature Center is staffed by volunteers on weekends 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and occasional weekdays. The Willow River is at normal July flow and clarity. Another cold front came in, this time with some rain. A 37” northern pike was caught near the dam on the weekend. The best photographic light of the year is coming soon to the Willow Falls area. Later in the month, the sun will shine right up the canyon starting around 5:00 p.m.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area - The Canada Geese are just finishing molting. When adults are molting and new flight feathers are developing they can not fly. During this time the geese will congregate in wetland areas that provide food and safe roosting areas such as back water bays or farm ponds. It also provide wildlife professionals an opportunity to trap and tag the geese and the information gathered is used to develop population estimates, harvest rates, and track migration routes. This molting period correlates to young geese developing adult feathers or plumage and soon all geese will be flying again.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park - We would like to remind everyone that when you observe or come across young birds or animals do not touch them and please leave them as they are. Their parents are very likely to be close by, and are quietly waiting for you to move on. Generally, they will wait until you leave the immediate area before attending to their young. Species of birds we have been seeing or hearing include scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, towhees, golden finches, ravens, rose-breasted grosbeaks, loons, robins, redpolls, a variety of wrens, phoebes, Canada geese, turkey vultures, northern juncos, piliated woodpeckers, great blue herons, green herons, barred owls, ravens, osprey, bald eagles and belted kingfishers. The painted and snapping turtles have been digging nests throughout the park property. The fireflies, dragonflies, and monarch butterflies are in great abundance. Wild bergamot, brown-eyed Susans, lesser daisy fleabane, the water lilies, some of the aster varieties, orange hawkweed, wild columbine, oxeye daisy, wooly yarrow, blackberry and raspberry vines are flowering, the common and wood strawberry are producing fruit. The open water game fish and panfish action has been very good this past week. Panfish are still active in the shallows. Bass and northern pike action has been productive, and there has been good musky action in the area. Brunet Island State Park north campground is open with pit toilets and drinking water available. The south campground is open with electric sites, hand water pump, and a campground shower facility. The park dump station is open. Please register at the park office between 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Hikers have many great opportunities within the park. Whether it’s using the island’s trail system, exploring the wilder areas of the park, or a brisk walk on the park road, you’re sure to enjoy these beautiful woodlands.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Warmer weather is great for swimming, canoeing and kayaking. Algae are starting to appear in the lake. There is a cold water rinse shower in the beach picnic area. Canoes and kayaks are available for renting. Many visitors are using the beach in the park. Mosquito activity is moderate - remember your bug spray!! Check out the new signs on the savanna/pond nature trail. Saturday night is Universe in the Park at the amphitheater. Take photos of the wildflowers, wildlife, sunsets, people using the park, etc. for the annual photo contest. 2007 youth deer hunt applications are now available. Deadline is July 15th.
Roche-A-Cri State Park –Campsites are still available for this weekend. Come and enjoy the quiet campground setting. Deer and turkeys are abundant in the park. Deer fawns and turkey poults have been sighted throughout the park. Many summer wildflowers are in bloom in the woodlands and prairies including butterfly weed, milkweed, common mullein, and black-eyed Susan. Blueberries and black raspberries are beginning to ripen. Take a hike through the prairie to try and catch a glimpse of the Karner Blue butterfly. The 2007 photo contest is underway - remember your camera to catch great summer photos for the contest.
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VHS update as of July 12, 2007
Stocking update
Stocking trucks have been rolling in the two weeks since the Department of Natural Resources lifted its self-imposed May 16 ban on stocking fish -- but many trucks are considerably lighter than normal. The final numbers stocked from each facility and the system as a whole won’t be known until the end of the year, but it’s clear the total will be less than the 14 million originally planned, according to Fisheries Director Mike Staggs.
Stocking of cold water species has resumed since the moratorium was lifted June 25 for those operations meeting strict safeguards. Hatcheries have since reported the following:
The old Wild Rose hatchery has stocked 254,539 Lake Michigan strain chinook salmon in Lake Michigan;
Nevin Hatchery in Fitchburg has transferred 54,900 wild brook trout fingerlings to cooperative rearing ponds in western Wisconsin maintained by fish clubs, and has stocked 37,500 small wild brown trout fingerlings;
Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Hatchery in Spooner has stocked 160,000 small fingerling walleyes;
St. Croix Falls Hatchery has transferred 58,200 brook trout to the Brule River Hatchery and 30,100 brown trout to Brule for further raising;
Osceola Hatchery has transferred 59,710 small fingerling rainbow trout and 55,000 small fingerling Timber Coulee Brown Trout for further raising;
Les Voigt Hatchery in Bayfield has stocked 263,250 chinook.
Some fish perished during the extra month they spent in their rearing ponds during the moratorium because they ran out of the plankton they eat as fry or because of water quality-related health problems. The rearing ponds were not replenished with fresh water and then flushed for fear of sending potentially virus-contaminated water downstream. Some surviving fish will not be stocked because their health has deteriorated to the point they are unlikely to survive the ride or stocking into a new waterbody.
The fisheries management program has enacted strict safeguards to minimize as much as possible the risks of hatchery operations spreading VHS. Consequently, some of the fish from three facilities where the risk of accidentally transmitting VHS is judged to be higher will not be stocked. These facilities – the old Wild Rose facility, Kettle Moraine Springs and Lake Mills -- hatched fish, or received fish, from eggs collected from Lake Puckaway and Lake Winnebago, both within the Lake Winnebago watershed where VHS was detected after the egg collection occurred. These facilities have been quarantined by the state agriculture department. All test results involving those fish have been negative for VHS, but DNR tests a representative sample of fish, not all of them, and does not want to take any chance of potentially introducing the virus to new waters. Some fish from these three facilities already have been, and more will be stocked, into already VHS-infected waters if the stock is appropriate for the waterbody being considered to preserve their genetic diversity and strength. Any fish that we are not able to stock will be euthanized in accordance with veterinary standards and landfilled.
Boater and angler compliance
Warden Jason Higgins worked with organizers of the Omro Kiwanis Sheephead Tournament (fish not playing cards) to assure VHS regulations were followed regarding possession of crayfish. At the pre-tournament meeting, organizers updated the 250 participants (124 boats) on the regulation requiring crayfish to be dead and preserved by methods other than freezing or refrigeration, provided informational handouts and had salt (a legal preservative) available for those anglers who were not aware of the VHS emergency rule.
Most frequently asked question of the week
How do I disinfect my boat and equipment?
DNR recommends that if you are spending time in VHS-infected waters, to disinfect personal protective gear, small equipment and the inside and outside of larger equipment such as boats, trailers, live wells, bilges and pumps before entering another body of water. A solution of 1/3 cup chlorine bleach per 5 gallons of water can be used to properly disinfect these items. Follow these steps to help stop the spread of VHS and other aquatic invasive species:
Remove all aquatic plants, animals and mud from your boat, trailer and equipment.
Drain all water from your motor, live well, bilge, etc.
Do not move live fish from one waterbody to another and dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.
Scrub or spray equipment with the disinfection solution and leave wet for 10 minutes.
Rinse with clean water, or if you are going to a different lake on the same day, you can rinse the boat with water from the new lake before you launch. This is best done over gravel and away from the lake. Disinfection can also be done at home. It does not have to be done at the boat landing unless you plan to go to another lake immediately.
As a general practice, organize your schedule so that your time spent in infested waters is always done last.
Last Revised: Thursday July 12 2007
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/#top
