Fall colors are now being reported as just past peak in far north central to northeastern Wisconsin, but at or approaching peak throughout much of the rest of the state on the Department of Tourism’s Fall Color Report . Rain statewide this has brought down a lot of leaves, especially from species like ash that turn early.
All people out enjoying fall colors or hiking and biking this weekend should be aware that a four-day antlerless deer hunt is being held in many areas of the state this weekend. Check the DNR Web site or current deer hunting regulations for a map showing what areas of the state are open to hunting. All hunters, except waterfowl hunters, are required to wear blaze orange clothing in any are open to gun deer hunting, and hunting safety specialists suggest all people out and about this weekend in areas open to deer hunting wear blaze orange or brightly colored clothing.
Even after a pretty tough winter in parts of the state and a harvest of more than 520,000 deer in the 2007-08 seasons, the deer herd is still a good deal larger than established population goals in much of Wisconsin. Wildlife biologists estimate that the herd numbers between 1.5 and 1.7 million animals going into the fall 2007-08 hunting seasons.
During this hunt, only antlerless deer may be shot in these units, and this is an excellent opportunity for deer hunters to earn a buck harvest sticker if they will need one for this fall’s traditional nine-day season. There are 57 Deer Management Units across Wisconsin that will be under Earn-a-Buck regulations for 2008. In these units, hunters must “earn” a buck sticker authorizing them to shoot a buck by first shooting an antlerless deer, unless they were prequalified by having shot an antlerless deer in one of these units last year. Check the deer hunting pages of the DNR Web site for more information.
In the north, fall lake turnover, coupled with some unsettled and generally windy weather, have made for some tough fishing conditions in the last week. Water temperatures have dropped into the mid-50s and most of the shallow weeds and lily pads have begun to die back. Musky success could only be considered fair. Walleye fishing has been steadily improving with the cooler water temperatures and action has become more consistent. Smallmouth and largemouth bass have pretty much retreated to deeper water and most bass anglers have wrapped up their gear for the season.
Lake Michigan tributaries continue to see the bulk of fishing action over the last week Chinooks were being still caught on the Menominee, Little, Peshtigo, Twin, Manitowoc, Ahnapee and Kewaunee rivers. In the southeast, shore anglers have been catching a mix of chinooks, coho, rainbows, and browns at the Sheboygan, Port Washington, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha harbors. Southeast tributaries continue to run low, but a few salmon and steelhead have been reported on the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Root rivers. The salmon run will be winding down in a couple of weeks.
The Mississippi River was at 7.2 inches this week at Prairie du Chien. Surface water temperatures on the Mississippi River are around 60 degrees and water clarity is very good. Fishing action was fair to good this week.
Waterfowl hunters have reported there have still been a lot of wood ducks in the Wisconsin River bottoms. There have been some sightings of ring necks and bluebills. The first significant migration of canvasbacks should occur this week along the Mississippi River flyway, although peak numbers will not occur for about two weeks.
Mushroom hunters have been scouring the woods for the very popular gourmet Hen-of-the-Woods. They are one of the largest fungi and may grow to a weight of 25 pounds.
Dark-eyed juncos arrived in the La Cross area this week. Sandhill cranes flocks have reached the hundreds in some parts of central Wisconsin as they get ready to go south. Frogs should be burrowing into the mud for winter season.
Five state parks and forests have special Halloween and autumn activities planned this weekend, including jack-o-lantern and haunted walks, hay rides and more. Check the state parks events Web page for details.
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
Can you see the antlers?
Cathrine Khalar Photo
Brule River State Forest - Although colors are past peak around the Brule River State Forest area, it is still beautiful with the gold and rust colors of the aspen and oak trees. Tamarack trees are starting to turn yellow. As of Oct. 15, the Bois Brule River is flowing at 132 cfs (cubic feet per second). The 62 year average is 147 cfs. There will be an antlerless deer hunt October 16-19. Dead vegetation, trees that still have their leaves on, and position of the deer's ear can "camouflage" a deer's antlers sometimes making it difficult to determine if the target is antlerless or not. Check out the picture at right. Is the bottom deer antlered or not? Look closely, this will be very important during the upcoming antlerless deer season (October 16-19). Dead vegetation, trees that still have their leaves on, and position of the deer's ear can "camouflage" the deer's antlers sometimes making it difficult to determine if the target is antlerless or not. In this case, it is not. The old hunter safety class rule, know your target and beyond is not only an important rule for safety, but also it is a good rule to make sure that the proper target is harvested. The old hunter safety class rule, know your target and beyond is not only an important rule for safety, but also it is a good rule to make sure that the proper target is harvested. It is that time of year again when a couple of pesky creepy crawlers start making a menace of themselves. Adult deer ticks are becoming more visible and are looking for a blood meal before becoming inactive during the cold of winter. Don't forget to put one more month's supply of frontline on the pets! Another pesky critter that came out in force last weekend is the Multicolored Asian lady beetle. These insects are actually around all summer eating plant pests such as aphids. In the fall, near the timing of the killing frosts the beetles make their grand appearance. Warm days tend to bring these lady bug lookalikes out in swarms. They are looking for a place to call home for the winter...unfortunately for us, they really like our nice warm homes. It can be difficult to keep these insects from coming in as they will find areas of the house that are not sealed. They also like to congregate near the warm walls or doorways of houses, which gives them easy entrance whenever someone opens up a door. To prevent them from coming in to the house try to seal up any openings that they may be entering into, also keep a broom at doorways to sweep the beetles away from the door before entering. Pest control agencies will also spray houses for homeowners. A good way to rid of the beetles that get into the house is to wait toward night, when they tend to cluster into the corners along the ceiling, then take a vacuum hose and suck them up. The Brule River State Forest fall annual public meeting will be held on Nov. 13, 2008, at 7 p.m. at the Brule Town Hall.
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Copper Falls State Park - The fall colors are at past peak and are coming down fast. Come out and enjoy the colors. Off Season Camping is also an option at this time of year. For those willing to brave the elements, camping this time of year offers peace and solitude.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Fall turnover, coupled with some unsettled and generally windy weather, have made for some tough fishing conditions in the last week. Water temperatures have dropped into the mid-50s and most of the shallow weeds and lily pads have begun to die back. Musky have been drawing most of the angling attention and success could only be considered fair. Action on artificials seems to have dropped off, though quite a few anglers are still tossing bucktails, stick baits and soft-bodied lures with some success. More and more anglers have been dragging live suckers around and the best action has come on the small to medium-sized bait. Most of the catches have been of musky in the 32 to 38-inch size, but a few nice 40-inch-plus fish have been seen. Walleye fishing has been steadily improving with the cooler water temperatures and action has become more consistent. Crank baits and jig and minnows combinations have both produced some good success and some decent catches of walleye in the 14 to 16 inch size have been reported. Smallmouth and largemouth bass have pretty much retreated to deeper water and most bass anglers have wrapped up their gear for the season. Panfish action has been fair, with some nice catches of larger crappie coming from fish suspended near the deeper water areas.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Fall colors are at peak and some leaves have begun to fall. Relatively quiet weather will prolong the colors, but a good wind or heavy rain in the next week will knock most of them down.
Upper Wisconsin Basin fisheries report (Oneida, Vilas, Lincoln, Langlade, Forest and Florence counties) - Fishing pressure is generally on the light side with most angler seeking musky and walleye now. Walleye can be found out on weed lines bordering deep water and fished with slip bobber rigs baited with minnows. Small crank baits like shallow running Shad Raps are also excellent choices if anglers prefer casting - work the points and rock bars that have access to deep water nearby. Most action is occurring near dark to after dark. Musky action has been spotty but successful anglers were using small bucktails and spinner baits (much like one would use for bass). There have been a number of reports from anglers who've caught musky while fishing for walleye -- the musky hit a small jig and minnow combination or their small walleye crank bait. Musky are using the similar locations as walleye and you should seek out weed lines near deep water to have the best success.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - Smallmouth and walleye are making their appearance again in the Menominee River. Rap's and plastics are the baits of choice. The walleye bite starts shortly after dark. Chinooks were being caught by the Hattie Street Dam using spoons and spawn sacks. Little River is still the hot spot for salmon with many fish being caught just after dark. The Peshtigo River Dam is also showing good numbers of salmon.
Oconto County - Oconto Park II has good numbers of salmon showing up both inside the landing and outside the breakwater. Spoons and spawn sacks are proven winners. The perch bite out by Young's Reef is still in full swing. Perch were being caught by the can out of Oconto Breakwater Harbor in 30 feet of water using minnows. Stiles Dam is seeing its share of chinook salmon with anglers using spawn, spoons and flies.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - On the Fox River of Green Bay, fishing activity has been minimal. At the mouth of the Fox, musky have been biting fairly well. Both trolling and casting has been working. The walleye bite in the lower bay has been slow. Trolling crank baits at night seems to be the better approach. The yellow perch bite has picked up off Bayshore. Anglers that work hard at it and move around will have the best chances of great success. Numerous large perch have been caught. The perch seem to be biting best in 20 feet of water. Both minnows and crawlers are working. Northern pike were also biting well. Casting or trolling crank baits (color doesn’t seem to matter) has been working.
Manitowoc County - In Two Rivers this week, fishing was a little slow for chinook anglers trolling on Lake Michigan. The number of boat anglers that were fishing this week was lower than what has been seen over the past several weeks. Angler pressure inside the harbor and off the south pier was slower this week than what was seen last week. Anglers were mostly castings spoons with mixed success. On the East Twin River, anglers had a good week of fishing catching salmon from the lower river all the way up to the dam in Mishicot. Angler pressure at the dam picked up this week and anglers fishing near the dam landed some nice catches of chinook salmon. Most anglers were casting spoons or stick baits or used a bobber with a spawn sac. On Thursday afternoon one angler fishing near the dam with spawn sacs landed two very nice coho salmon that were in full bright red spawning colors. The cohos weighed in at 6 and 6.5 pounds. On the West Twin River anglers also had a good week of fishing. Salmon anglers had good success all week landing some large catches of chinook salmon. On Thursday, a group of anglers had an exceptionally good day catching many chinook salmon and one rainbow trout. Manitowoc anglers had a good week of fishing this past week with most anglers fishing around the marina or the mouth of the Manitowoc River. Some nice chinook salmon were landed throughout the week. Anglers fishing off the north pier over the weekend were able to land brown trout and a few rainbow trout using a spawn sac and bobber. A couple boat anglers had a great day inside the harbor landing a few nice Arlee strain rainbow trout and chinook salmon. These anglers were drifting spawn sacs with a bobber. On the Manitowoc River anglers had a good week of fishing on the river upstream as far as Union Road. Catch rates were pretty good for anglers wadding into the river. Fly fishing was also very productive for many anglers. On the Branch River a few nice chinook salmon were harvested just upstream of the junction with the Manitowoc River.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - The first part of the week was predominantly cloudy, rainy and cool. The end of the week produced truly beautiful conditions with sunny skies, gentile breezes, and mild temperatures. The beautiful weather, along with the gorgeous fall colors, combined to make it a great time to be in Door County There were a lot of chinook salmon swimming in the Sturgeon Bay Lake Michigan Ship Canal as well as in all of the harbors up and down both sides of the peninsula. Some good numbers of the Kings are reportedly being taken. Other than for salmon, the fishing could best be described as a little slow this past week. For smallmouth bass action, the deeper waters off of the points from Sherwood Point north were producing a few smallmouth for anglers fishing tube jigs, grubs and jerks baits. Shore anglers fishing the Stone Quarry County Park have been catching a few smallmouth. Walleye fishing was also reported to be on the slow side. Sherwood Point, Henderson Point, Dunlop Reef and the flats, along with the shoreline areas off or Potawatomi and Peninsula State Parks, and the waters around Washington Island were all reportedly producing a few walleyes for anglers willing to work for them. Crank baits, crawler harnesses and Rapalas seem to be good bets for walleyes. A few northern pike continued to be taken along the channel between the bridges in Sturgeon Bay as well as well as out of Sawyer Harbor, Little Sturgeon, Sand Bay, Riley’s Bay and the area around Washington Island. Northern pike were also being caught with crank baits almost in deep water between Henderson and Snake Island. The yellow perch in the Chaudoir’s dock area were still spotty. Early to midmornings near Sugar Creek and Rite’s Cove give anglers the best chances of success. In the Little Sturgeon Bay/Sawyer Harbor area, the yellow perch bite is doing very well. Fishing minnows in 5 feet of water has been giving the most consistent results. Numerous large perch have been caught in this system. The musky bite has slowed down quite a bit.
Peninsula State Park – Fall colors in northern Door County are at their peak. All trails are open and in very good condition, though somewhat dry. Pelicans, cormorants and eagles have been seen over the waters of Green Bay. Interesting wildflowers include the fringed gentians along the park's shoreline. Asters are their peak. All campgrounds are open through Oct. 19. After that date only the Tennison Bay campground remains open. Peninsula State Park golf course is open until the end of October. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse is open for tours seven days per week through Oct. 26.
Strawberry Creek Spawning Facility – Fisheries crews collected a daily quota of approximately 400,000 eggs at the Strawberry Creek Weir on Oct. 10. Although there were likely close to 1,000 fish in the pond, crews processed only 284 fish to get the eggs and left the remainder in the pond. The salmon run is likely at or just past peak. There is a good chance that the final spawning date to collect Wisconsin hatchery eggs will be Thursday, Oct 16. Wisconsin has been asked to provide eggs for other states that have had difficulties collecting this fall. Therefore, it is possible that Thursday will be a long day of collecting eggs after the Wisconsin quota has been filled. Any fish processing days after this week are uncertain at best.
Kewaunee County - The Lake Michigan tributaries continue to see the bulk of fishing action over the last week. Both the Ahnapee and Kewaunee rivers have drawn many anglers still in search of Salmon during their spawning run. Fish are primarily biting out of aggression by this stage in the spawning run so most typical baits such as spawn sacs, spinners, spoons, streamer flies, etc., should serve the same purpose if there are fish around. The piers and channel shorelines in Algoma and Kewaunee continue to see some action as well with some success. The salmon run will be winding down in a couple of weeks or so, but should remain the main attraction through this next week.
Wautoma DNR Service Center area
White -tailed deer are starting to make scrapes and rubs. Quite a few deer/bow hunters are out but it isn't too crowded. Most hunters who see a car in the state parking areas will go to a different location out of respect. Fisher sightings are common in Marquette and Waushara counties right now. A bear den has been spotted in the Wild Rose area. Sandhill cranes are gathering by the hundreds in this area getting ready to go south. Frogs should be burrowing into the mud for winter season.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Fall colors are at peak. Now is the time to get out and enjoy! Anglers have been bringing in jumbo perch and white bass off of Rainbow Park in Oshkosh. Smallmouth fishing has been great in the rocks on the west shore of Winnebago. One area waterfowl hunter reported a successful morning at Rush Lake. The bag was one drake mallard, one drake pintail and two hen gadwalls. Several flocks of high flying geese were observed flying above the "gin" clear water. Mushroom hunters will be scouring the woods for the very popular gourmet Hen-of-the-Woods. These large 'leafy' mushrooms are easy to positively identify and are usually found growing near the base of an oak tree. They are one of the largest fungi and may grow to a weight of 25 pounds. There have been several sightings of large groups of dragonflies this past week. It is thought that certain cold fronts in the fall will stimulate dragonfly migration. Regional terms for the dragonfly abound, often alluding to the insect's shape. In the New England area they are referred to as a darning needle and often just called a needle. Sturgeon spearers are reminded to purchase their 2009 Winnebago sturgeon spearing license before the deadline at the end of the month. Friday, October 31 is the last day sturgeon spearing licenses can be sold for Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan anglers fishing off the piers and in the marina have been catching a few chinooks and rainbows on spoons and crank baits. In the Sheboygan River some chinooks, coho, and browns have been caught near the Kohler dam and in Esslingen Park on both flies and spawn.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, shore anglers have been catching a mix of chinooks, coho, rainbows, and browns in the harbor and near the power plant. Spawn and skein have caught the most fish, but a few have been taken on spinners as well. Water levels on Sauk Creek are relatively low, but anglers have been catching a few browns, coho, and chinooks on spawn.
Milwaukee County - Shore anglers in Milwaukee have been catching a few browns near the base of McKinley pier. Anglers on the Milwaukee River have reported a few salmon and steelhead below the falls in Estabrook Park, and the Estabrook dam gates are now open. Some chinooks have been caught on the Menomonee River near Miller Park and near the dam on Oak Creek.
Racine County - In Racine shore anglers have been catching a few chinooks and coho near the mouth of the Root River and off the south pier. Glow in the dark spoons fished at dawn have provided the most action. Water levels on the Root River remain low, but anglers have caught chinooks, coho, browns, and steelhead throughout the lower stretches of the river. Small egg imitation flies and drifted spawn have taken the most fish. The Root River Steelhead Facility is now running, and DNR crews will be processing fish on Thursday, October 16.
Kenosha County - For shore anglers in Kenosha, a few chinooks have been caught in the harbor and off the piers on crank baits. Fishing on the Pike River has been relatively slow.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Iowa County - Waterfowlers have reported a lot of wood ducks in the river bottoms to the west of Spring Green, although not as many teal. There have been some sightings of ring neck or ring bill and bluebill, but not in the numbers that hard core waterfowlers are awaiting. The wood ducks are very spooky now making jump shooting difficult but possible if one is quiet approaching the water. Bucks are starting to leave more scrapes in the woods with the rut approaching in mid-November. Squirrel hunters have reported plenty of game to hunt in the Hwy. 14 and Hwy. 23 river bottom areas near Spring Green. Fall turkey hunters report good success in the Barneveld area both north and south of Hwy 18/151. Not as many geese have been sighted this year up until this last week and they are beginning to arrive in force in the area. More sandhill cranes are being seen in the Arena area than any year before. Walleye and small mouth have been biting on the river and river users are reminded that the STH 14 boat landing will be closed for at least a year while the Highway 14 bridge is replaced. The closure will begin in October of this year.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Sauk County
Devil's Lake State Park - Foliage is now only about 70 percent turned to colors. Mountain bike trails are open to bicycles until first snowfall. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but concession operations, including boat rentals, are now closed for the season. Water facilities, including running water bathrooms, showers, and RV dump/fill stations are now turned off for the season. Northern Lights and Ice Age campgrounds are now closed for the season. Quartzite Campground remains open until snow plowing is required. From then on, 14 campsites are kept open throughout the winter. Parfrey's Glen State Natural Area is closed and will remain closed until repairs can be done, likely at least throughout the fall, winter, and spring. Barricades are posted at the entrance. No admittance is allowed, including walking in on foot. The Aldo Leopold Half-Marathon and 5K Run will be held at the park on Saturday, Oct. 25. Up to 500 backcountry runners will experience the broad vistas and spectacular trails of Devil’s Lake while under the duress of running 13 miles. This event is sponsored by the Aldo Leopold Foundation and Great Lakes Endurance.
Dane County
Governor Nelson State Park - The wooded areas of the park are very close to being at peak colors. All hiking trails are open for viewing the fall colors. One boat landing pier is still available. All fishing piers have been removed for the season. The beach bath buildings have been closed for the season. The boat landing restrooms will be open until the evening temperatures drop below freezing.
Fall colors are near peak at Governor Nelson State Park
WDNR Photo
Lake Kegonsa State Park - The autumn color is beautiful in the park. The campground is open through Nov. 1. The flush toilet / shower building is scheduled to close for the season on Monday, Oct. 27. The park's annual Candlelight Hike is scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 18 from 6-9 p.m. This event is weather conditions permitting. Sorry, no pets are allowed on the White Oak Nature Trail.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
St. Croix County
Willow River State Park - The oak leaves are beginning to turn color. The best leaf color is in progress or very close. Some ash trees are already bare. White-tail deer does and fawns are still being seen commonly. The bucks have scarcely been seen, even by the park staff. Wild turkeys have been seen regularly. This coming weekend, Oct. 18-19 is the last time anyone will be at the firewood shed. Firewood sales will be Friday and Saturday night only. All the electric campsites in the main campground are taken for the weekend. There are still a few left on the parking lot at the beach. In Hudson, there’s plenty going on with a fishing tournament and many other events centered at Lakefront Park. One cross country ski trainer trained in the rain last week. It wasn’t bad in the forested areas in a light rain. The lack of wildlife movement was obvious. A noisy flock of blue jays came by the Trout Brook trail. Training continues weekly; Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Nature Center parking lot, 5:30 p.m. Call to confirm the trainers are going on bad weather days. (715) 386-5931. The Oak Ridge and White-Tail trails have buckthorn marked for removal. That’s what the little orange pieces of flagging tape are for. Please leave them on the plants. A group of volunteers got some of it out last week starting at the group camp area. To see an area where some fairly intensive work was done a year ago, go to the Trout Brook Trail between the parking lot and the junction with the Oak Ridge trail. No chemicals were used and there is relatively little new growth. The Halloween Bash is Saturday, Oct. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Nature Center. This is a non-frightening event for small kids. Each year they get to “meet” various forms of life that live at the park, among other things for young people to enjoy. Past animals have included a bear, a butterfly, and a rabbit. Entry to the event is $2 per person with a park sticker on the vehicle. There is a construction zone inside the park near the entrance. Expect to find workers and equipment crossing the road on weekdays or working close by. Please do not walk into the construction area on the road or in the new campground. The Knapweed (Orange) trail will be re-routed to bypass all of the construction work.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Dark-eyed juncos arrived in the area this week. Noted Wisconsin ornithologist Sam Robbins stated in his book "Wisconsin Birdlife" that even though birds know nothing about political boundaries, the US - Canadian border approximates the summer and winter range of the dark-eyed junco. These birds generally summer north of the border and spend winters south of it. Sparrow-sized juncos are easily identified by their uniformly slate-gray head, back, and breast, along with white outer tail feathers. The bill and belly are whitish. Juncos readily patronize bird feeders, where they prefer to feed on the ground. They are fond of black oil sunflower, white proso millet, cracked corn, peanuts, and grain sorghum. Juncos often feed among tree sparrows, fox sparrows, white-throated sparrows, and white-crowned sparrows. The first significant migration of canvasbacks should occur this week, although peak numbers will not occur for about two weeks. Peak numbers of coot, green-winged teal and wigeons should occur within the next week. Deer hunters headed out for the mid-October antlerless hunt should keep in mind that mushroom and nut gatherers, hikers, duck hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts will be in the field at the same time and they may not be dressed in highly visible clothing.
Merrick State Park - The trees are changing fast and should be at peak color this weekend. All trails are in good condition. Panfish are hitting along the wing dams. Duck season reopens Oct. 18. Hunting is allowed in the back waters so visitors should be prepared to hear gun shots. The flush toilet/shower building is closed for the season. Drinking water is available at the dump station.
Crawford County - Crawford County is pretty much at peak fall colors. Visitors can view deep red maple and sumac, bright yellow hickory and aspen, and many shades in between. Most of the oak trees really stand out because many are holing onto their green color. The Mississippi River rose a couple inches by the end of the week. Presently the river is at 7.2 inches. The forecast for the Mississippi River is rise a couple more inches and level off around 7.5 inches by mid-week. Surface water temperatures on the Mississippi River are around 60 degrees and water clarity is very good. The surface water temperature fluctuated depending on the day. The Wisconsin and Kickapoo River are low but flowing at average rates for this time of year. Water clarity is good. All the trout streams are in good condition. All of the boat landings in the Crawford County area are open and usable. With the low water boaters and duck hunters have to use caution at boat landings. Be careful backing in large boats at some ramps because drop offs have developed at the end of the landing pad. Most landing are weed-free at the present moment except in Lynxville. The ramp in Lynxville, depending on wind, has had quite a bit of weeds blocking the ramp. Boaters on the Mississippi River are urged to use caution with the low water. Wing and closing dams continue to be a danger. If you are unsure of where you are traveling stay in the navigation lane or slow down and utilize a depth finder. Besides wing dams, sunken trees and snags present dangers to boaters. Fishing action was fair to good this week. Decent sized bluegills are starting to bite. Some decent action in the Prairie du Chien area was reported. Try fishing around the barges by the city boat ramp, wing dams on the Main Channel, in downed trees on the Ambro Slough or on the Main Channel in around 8 feet of water. Main Channel “gills” have to be sought out…move frequently until fish are located. One tactic that has been used with some success is to drift a piece of crawler along the bottom until fish are located. Some decent bluegill action was reported further upstream near the “S” Curve by Harper’s Ferry Slough. Up in Pool 9 near the Lynxville/Ferryville area bluegills have been biting out in the flats and long the deeper channels. Cold Spring has produced some very nice catches of bluegill, but not every day. Large and smallmouth bass fishing has been a bit spotty. Some decent days were followed with very slow days. Anglers are using a variety of artificial baits to include plastics, spinner baits, and crank baits. Look for bass on wing dams, closing dams, weed edges, flats, under water points, and in the timber. Walleye and sauger action was spotty too. Some decent action reported on some of the wing dams, deeper back water sloughs and near the dam at Lynxville. Walleye and sauger anglers are either trolling crank baits along wing dams, flats, or drop offs along the main channel or dead lining or casting a jig tipped with crawlers. Some anglers have had success drifting a chunk of night crawlers off the bottom. Some live bait anglers are switching over to minnows with limited success. Crappie and perch action was very spotty but some reports of fast action have come in. Some days anglers will find a school and have very good action. But the next day those fish have moved on. Crappie have been taking small minnows, tube jigs, and small spinners in and around the timber in the water. Perch are still taking a liking to live bait like night crawlers chunks tipped on a jig and worked quickly through the weeds in shallower water. White bass action was spotty also. Watch for white bass feeding on the top of wing dams, along rocky shorelines, below the lock and dams and at the mouth of the Wisconsin River. If you find a school of actively feeding white bass cast a small jig/twister tail, small spinner, or just about anything bright colored and flashy. Northern pike action was slow this week. Most northern are caught incidental to bass fishing. Casting crank baits, spoons, or spinner baits seem to work the best. Try these baits in the timber and weeds. Try fishing on Big Lake, the bottom end of the Ambro Slough, and the Lower Bottoms outside Prairie du Chien. Also try up by the Lynxville dam. This past weekend the first part of the waterfowl season closed. Duck hunters on the Wisconsin River found lots of ducks, mostly wood ducks and teal. In most areas of the Wisconsin River bottoms decent water levels exist. Also a very good crop of wild rice and acorns grew this year. The combination of decent water levels and food have made the Wisconsin a good spot for ducks. Mississippi River duck hunters found action slowed a lot later during the first season. Warm weather made hunting success decline. Duck hunters in the Prairie du Chien found the going tough especially with the warm weather. Some wood ducks, mallards, pintails, and teal were found in the Lower Bottoms. Hunters up the Ambro Slough complex report spotty action. Up in Pool 9 (Lynxville and Ferryville) hunters saw very spotty action. The islands from Lynxville to Lansing saw fair action on Canada geese, mallards, teal, and other dabblers. Hunters that walked in from Rush Creek, Sugar Creek, and Copper Creek found action also. Up near the Lansing Dike hunters report fair numbers of wood ducks and some teal. Overall, the last few days of the first duck season weren’t that great. Crawford County archery deer hunters are finding decent activity. Although most of the leaves are still clinging to their branches whitetails are starting to become more active. Archery hunters are noticing some farmers starting to harvest soybeans and corn. Crawford County is earn-a-buck this year and registration stations are beginning to register a fair number of antlerless deer. Squirrel hunters are finding very good numbers of squirrels this year and success has been good even with all the leaves. During last week’s warm spell the mosquitoes, hornets, Asian beetles and box elder beetles came out in force. Most notably were the Asian and box elder beetles. Stinging nettle is still out, especially in the low lands. Most of the nut trees have dropped their crop.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park - Fall colors are at 100 percent in the area. The ash trees are dropping their leaves quickly, the maples and oak have turned, and the sumac is in full red color. Park trails are in good condition. The open water game fish action has been good this past week. Bass action on spinner baits and float baits has been productive, walleye action has been spotty. There has been good musky action on Cornell flowage and below the Cornell dam. Pan fish action has been increasing in the bays as the water temperature begins to drop. Species of birds seen or heard include: ravens, loons, robins, a variety of wrens, phoebes, piliated woodpeckers, great horned and barred owls, and bald eagles. The South (electric) campground road paving project has been completed.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Fall colors are nice along Hwy 58 between Mauston and the park. There is some color in the park - mostly browns, orange, some yellow and occasional red. The park is open for early and late season for bow hunting (no special hunting permit is required). New hunting maps are available for the park and wildlife areas. Small game, waterfowl and trapping are allowed in the Yellow River Wildlife Area and in Buckhorn Wildlife Area only, not in the park. 54A is not part of the October four-day antlerless hunt. Deer can be registered at the park office when it is staffed. All other hunting is allowed in Yellow River Wildlife Area. Visitors have been enjoying the fall weather hiking, canoeing, fishing, camping and checking out sites for future visits. Remember, park stickers are required for Launch C and D and there are no additional launch fees. Campsites are closed to reservations. Sites 8, 9, 16, A1-A8 and B1-B3 will be open for this weekend and are first come basis.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - Fall colors are starting to be nice and the park was busy this past weekend with visitors hiking the 303 steps up to the top of the mound to view the changing leaves. Camping is now closed for the season and the main gate will be closed Oct 27. Hunting is not allowed in the park. There is a hunter parking lot on Cypress Ave for the Roche-A-Cri natural area east of highway 13. This years pumpkin walk/haunted hayrides is this Saturday, Oct. 18 from 3-9 p.m. A naturalist program will be held at 4:30 p.m.
Last Revised: Thursday October 16 2008
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