Changing and variable weather conditions in the last week continued to keep anglers guessing, but the recent warm and stable weather pattern should provide for more consistent fishing action in the coming week. The current warm spell has increased water temperatures into the upper 60s on northern lakes and this has spurred on a slug of bass and panfish spawning activity. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are well into their spawning period and many dished out areas can be observed in the shallows. Crappie are also full into their nesting period and many dark-colored males have been observed in the shallows along weed lines and brushy cover. Larger bluegill have been congregating near shallow water and spawning colonies may start showing up by the end of the weekend. Walleye fishing success has been erratic with just a few reports of good catches being made.
Water temperatures on the Green Bay were a chilly 51 degrees, coupled with wind and clouds made for tough fishing. Peshtigo Harbor anglers are enjoying success with smallmouth bass. The Menominee River has been producing some nice walleye The Stiles dam area on the Oconto River continued to see some nice smallmouth being caught.
Along Lake Michigan, high temperatures in the 40s with heavy rain early in the week gave way to calm easterly winds by the weekend. Water temperatures rose to 48 degrees lakeside and to the mid-50s in harbors. Coho salmon fishing has shown signs of life as far north as Kewaunee and Algoma. In the southeast trollers have been catching chinook and a few coho at Sheboygan and Port Washington. Milwaukee trollers have been catching decent numbers of chinook, coho, and rainbows. Racine trollers fishing have been catching limits of coho, along with a few chinook and rainbow.
Anglers have been having good luck catching white bass on the Crawfish River north of Hubbleton. The Mississippi River has been rising slowly and was at 9.39 feet Wednesday at Prairie du Chien and is expected to crest at 9.8 feet by the weekend. The Wisconsin River is up but steady. With the rise in water levels panfish activity has been spotty but walleye and sauger action was pretty good, with some anglers are targeting wing dams now that the walleyes are done spawning.
Turkey hunters ended the fifth period hunt with toms actively gobbling early and late in the day. Weather conditions weren’t the best for turkey hunters this time period, but many hunters were able to fill their tag. There are still permits available for the sixth and last period in zones 1 and 3. The last period runs through Sunday.
Many baby robins have been born and some Canada geese are tending their goslings. Local waterways, especially the Mississippi River continue to be a great viewing area for ducks, geese, swans and eagles. A reminder that dogs must be kept on a leash on state lands from April 15 to July 31. Many species of birds are ground nesters and fawns are already being born in the southern part of the state so it is critical not to let dogs run free in wildlife habitat.
There have been numerous sightings of black bears recently, which is typical for this time of the year. Bears are actively scavenging for food as many natural sources of food are not available yet. To avoid problems with bears, take down bird feeders at night or if bears are nearby and make sure that all garbage and pet food is stored away.
American toads, leopard frogs, and gray tree frogs are calling wildly. Green frogs and bull frogs should begin calling toward the end of May as water temperatures approach 65-70 degrees. May is American wetlands month and a new web page can guide you to 100 wetland gems to explore at your own pace and events to learn more about these valuable natural resources and the plants and wildlife they are home to.
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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Statewide Wildfire Report
Wildfire conditions vary between Moderate and High around the state and a hot, dry weekend is predicted. Burning permits may be suspended if the dry pattern and increasing winds continues. People are urged to continue to use precaution with all types of outdoor burning and equipment use. Check the current fire danger and daily burning restrictions for your area BEFORE you light that match. Wildfires continue to burn in the state, particularly where vegetation has not completely greened up. Fires that start in areas with pine trees on sandy soils will burn hot and may behave unpredictably. Twenty eight fires burned approximately 20 acres in DNR Protection Areas this week. The main causes of wildfires were debris burning, railroads, equipment, and power lines. One wildfire in the Black River Falls area near Hatfield, caused by illegal debris burning, burned 1.5 acres and threatened seven buildings in a wildland-urban interface area. A brush fire in Vilas County burned 6 acres - two structures were lost and two others were threatened. Northwest Wisconsin has been under the influence of a very dry Canadian high pressure system since Saturday. Daily relative humidities have been dropping into the teens. Even with a welcomed rain last week and partial green up, the vegetation has a ways to go before it’s fully flushed out. Another annual natural phenomenon that has fire control staff concerned is the drop in pine needle moisture. When the jack pine and red pine produce pollen this time of year, the moisture levels in their needles drops several percentage points. This drop in “live fuel moisture” is one of the factors that can facilitate crown fire conditions (i.e. fire burning in the tops of the trees) in pine-dominated landscapes of the state.
Firewise Tip: Are there any branches close to power lines on your property? Ask the power company to clear them.
Statewide Birding Report
Bird migration is rapidly progressing. Southern Wisconsin is past the peak for neotropical migrants but there are still lots of birds to come. Shorebird migration will peak in the next week. Bird migration is entering peak in northern Wisconsin for the next week. Many of the boreal migrants are now moving in including magnolia, Cape May, blackburnian, Connecticut, bay-breasted, blackpoll and Canada warblers. Early nests have been initiated for many long-distance migrants and broods are now apparent for many early migrants including sandhill cranes. Birders should hit the field this week as bird diversity is now peaking in forests, grasslands, and wetlands statewide.
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NORTHERN REGION
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Big Bay State Park - Trails are in great shape for this years' camping and hiking season. The highs have been in the low 70s with the lows dropping down to the mid 40s. There have been numerous sightings of black bears on the island, which is typical for this time of the year. Park staff has seen wild turkeys for the first time in the Park. The annual Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival birding hike at the park this weekend is fully booked. This year’s bird-watching hike is being led by the festival’s key-note speaker Laura Erickson. There are currently plenty of camping sites available at Big Bay State Park. There are 60 sites at Big Bay State Park with 53 available to pull in with campers and tents and 7 walk in sites available for tenting only. The Shower Building is now open. We have flush toilets and hot showers available for our registered campers. Big Bay State Park is located approximately 6 miles from the Town of La Pointe. Access to the Island and the park are usually done with the use of Madeline Island Ferry Line service. The ferries depart from Bayfield and carry passengers and vehicles of all sizes. They run seven days per week. The frequency varies depending on the time of year. Contact Madeline Island Ferry lines through the internet at
www.MadFerry.com. Rates and scheduled running times are posted on their website.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
The female would then lay herself flat along the bottom in the nest - apparently releasing eggs that the male was instantly fertilizing.
These pictures were taken this May 19 on a Price County lake, and show a pair of smallmouth bass actively spawning. The male is only of modest size (13 to 14 inches), but the female is significantly larger and in the 18-inch range. The male would repeatedly circle the female and appear to lightly bump her, and then would saddle up next to her.
DNR Photos by Skip Summerfeldt
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) – Changing and variable weather conditions late last week continued to keep anglers guessing on most waters across the Northwoods - but the recent warm and stable weather pattern should provide for more consistent fishing action in the coming week. The current warm spell has increased water temperatures into the upper 60s on many lakes and this has spurred on a slug of bass and panfish spawning activity. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are well into their spawning period and many dished out areas can be observed in the shallows, with the males often sitting tight and guarding the nests against predators. Crappie are also full into their nesting period and many dark-colored males have been observed in the shallows along weed lines and brushy cover. Larger bluegill have also been congregating near shallow water and spawning colonies may start showing up by the end of the weekend. Walleye fishing success has been very erratic with just a few reports of good catches being made. Jig and minnow combinations continue to be bait of choice, though leaches and crawlers are quickly becoming more popular. The first few mayflies have also showed up on a few lakes, so the leach and crawler bite will only get better as the spring season progresses. Casting stick baits along shore near dusk has also produced a few walleye, and this method usually produces a little bigger fish than the live bait rigs. Northern pike action has been good with the fish being very active with the warming water temperatures. Just look for newly emerging weed beds and roll a spinner bait over the tops the freshly growing weeds.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Water temperatures on the Green Bay this past week were a chilly 51 degrees, coupled with wind and clouds made for tough fishing on the pond. Fishing pressure was heavy on the weekend with walleye catches below normal.
Marinette County - Peshtigo Harbor anglers are enjoying success with smallmouth bass using crank baits fishing structured areas. The Menominee River has been producing some nice walleye for anglers trolling or jigging in and around the Boom Island area (41 bridge to turn basin). Musky anglers are reporting some success in the Menominee River using crank baits fished close to structure.
Oconto County – The Stiles dam area continued to see some nice smallmouth being caught on small Rap's as well as floating crawlers in current seams. A few browns trout were also being caught in the area of the Highway Bridge. A few walleye were being caught out of the landing from Pensaukee, cold windy weather has slowed the bite considerably from what it was. Panfish and pike were being caught in the slip at Oconto Park II, worms and minnows are the baits being used.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Manitowoc County - High temperatures in the 40s with heavy rain early in the week gave way to calm easterly winds by the weekend. Water temperatures rose to 48 degrees lakeside, with temps rising to the mid-50s in the Manitowoc and Two Rivers harbors. By Sunday, water clarity improved and the calm winds allowed boaters to get on the water resulting in the first signs of successful chinook salmon fishing. Boaters out of both the Manitowoc and Two Rivers ports continued to try their luck with brown trout with no little success. Most angling pressure concentrated south of Manitowoc in 8-14 feet of water resulting in no reported fish this past week. Salmon fishing has shown signs of life with a few fish being caught off of Hika Bay in 130-160 feet of water. Any green spoons and a pearl/white dodger fly combo has had the most success on the downriggers. Sunday showed the first consistent salmon fishing this year north of Two Rivers. The cold water appears to have scattered the fish in this area with fish being reported caught anywhere from 90-150 feet of water or starting outside the trap nets. Most success came on the downriggers 70-110 feet down on various dodger fly combos with little success on spoons. Several large carp and an occasional brown trout have been caught using night crawlers on the bottom off of the Manitowoc piers. Anglers were still reporting success landing steelhead mixed in with several smallmouth bass using plastics and crank baits near the Shoto dam on the West Twin River.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Kewaunee County – Last week started off with the average temperature in the mid 40s with heavy rains but eventually the sun came out and the winds calmed down. The water temperatures in both Kewaunee and Algoma harbors were in the upper 40s at the beginning of the week and rose to an average of 51 degrees towards the weekend. A few rainbow trout and chinook salmon have been caught out on the lake from the boats that have been launching out of the city ramp. The most commonly hit lure being used were either green spoons or a combination of large flashers and flies. Most successful anglers have reported success in deep waters about 5 miles off of shore. The Kewaunee pier has seen no success from the few anglers that have tried their luck. A few anglers have reported rainbow trout still being caught behind Brummer Zoo on stick baits and earthworms. The fishing by Clydes Hill seems to have cooled off as a few anglers have still landed some small brown trout but the amount of fish being hooked has diminished. The Algoma Pier still has seen very little fishing pressure but a few people have reported success on catching catfish on the northern pier with earthworms. The Algoma ramp has seen an increase in use and fishing pressure due to the increasing amount of reports coho and chinook are being caught. The anglers have caught the salmon on spoons with the most successful color being green.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Milwaukee DNR Service Center
Neotropical birds are migrating through. Many warblers were seen last Saturday at Maywood Environmental park in Sheboygan. Highlights include two black-throated blue warblers heard, but not seen, one golden-winged warbler and two scarlet tanagers seen. Also, nodding trilliums, and Jack-in-the-pulpits are blooming as well as many other native flowers.
Havenwoods State Forest – Trails are in good condition. Deer, squirrels, raccoon, turkeys, red-tailed hawks, cooper's hawk, owls, mourning doves, chickadees, nuthatch, downy woodpeckers, song sparrows, meadowlark, bluebirds, wood ducks, and blue-winged teal are being seen.
Kohler-Andrae State Park - All hiking and nature trails are open. Rose-breasted grosbeaks, orioles, and hummingbirds have been observed. All campsites are open. Park showers, flush toilets, water fountains, and the trailer dump station are open for the season. The Wisconsin Great Lakes Beach testing (
http://www.wibeaches.us) will resume in later this month.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan trollers have been catching chinook and a few coho around 100 feet of water or deeper. The chinook have been found from 60 feet down to the bottom, and the coho have been in the top 25 feet of water. Shore fishing in Sheboygan has been relatively slow, although a few whitefish have been taken off the south pier on alewives.
Ozaukee County - Trollers in Port Washington have found a mixed bag of fish scattered from 80 to 240 feet of water. Both spoons and flies have been effective anywhere from 20 to 90 feet down for chinook, as well as a few coho, rainbows, and lake trout. Shore fishing in Port Washington has been slow.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee trollers have been catching decent numbers of chinook, coho, and rainbows. Peanut flies fished 60 feet down in 120 feet of water have taken the most fish. Overall, Milwaukee shore fishing remains slow.
Racine County - In Racine trollers fishing offshore have been catching limits of coho, along with a few chinook and rainbow, in water 140 to 240 feet deep. The coho and rainbows have been hitting in the top 50 feet of water, and the chinook have been 80 to 120 feet down. The coho have been hitting orange dodgers and blue or green flies, and the chinook have been taking white or silver flashers with blue flies. Near shore waters in Racine are still muddy after last week’s rains, but shore fishing should improve as the water clears.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha trollers continue to catch good numbers of coho from 180 to 200 feet of water. Cracked ice or blue spoons or orange dodgers with small flies fished 70 to 90 feet down have been taking fish, and early mornings have been best. Shore fishing in Kenosha remains somewhat slow, and near shore water is dirty.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Jefferson County - Anglers have been having good luck catching white bass on the Crawfish River north of Hubbleton. The fish were biting the best on twister-tails but small spinners and jigs with minnows have also been effective. Anglers are catching some nice catfish in the one to three pound range on the upper Rock and Crawfish rivers. A variety of baits have been used including stink bait and worms. A few late season morel mushrooms are still being found but numbers are limited. Water levels are good for this time of year on the upper Rock and Crawfish Rivers. Boating activity on the local lakes and rivers is picking up with the warmer weather.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - Panfish action has picked up out on the lake. Several campsites remain open in the 100 campground for the weekend. This is a new campground with few mature trees and partial shade on some of the sites. Several sites have no shade. A volunteer will be selling firewood at the camp host site Friday and Saturday nights. We will have a camp host starting the middle of next week. More work on the fishing piers will be done this week.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
American toads, leopard frogs, and gray tree frogs are calling wildly. Green frogs and bull frogs should begin calling toward the end of May as water temperatures approach 65-70 degrees. Turkey hunters participating in the fifth wild turkey hunting period seemed to fare well. Gobblers remain active and receptive to calling.
Perrot State Park - The trails are in good condition. The cold wet week seems to have slowed down the early progression of spring, although things continue to happen a few weeks ahead of schedule. Shooting stars are pretty much done, although trillium continues to hang on. Solomon's seal is our latest blooming addition. Raspberries are soon to bloom, too! Frogs and toads are singing continuously and the first baby turtles are wandering about. Phoebes have fledged their first young and bluebirds are beginning their second nests. All campsites are open. The boat dock has been installed. The Bay shower building and flush toilet building are open every day, but the Upper Campground and shower building is closed during the week. Dump station is open and water is available.
Great River State Trail - The trail is open and maintenance is being done on the bridges. Catbirds, wrens and thrushes dance along the trail as bikers ride by. Wildflowers fill the air with sweet smells and baby bunnies challenge the inattentive rider. Bathrooms at Trempealeau and Lytles Landing are open.
Crawford County - Local river systems received a lot of rain last week. The Mississippi River is rising slowly. As of May 19, the Mississippi River stage was at 9.39 feet and is expected to crest at 9.8 feet by the weekend. The Kickapoo River in the Gays Mills and Steuben area rose rapidly after the rains. The river approached the action stage of 10 feet but is now rapidly dropping. The river stage in Steuben is at 7.59 feet. The Wisconsin River is up but steady. Fishing activity is as follows: Prairie du Chien Area’s Lower bottoms and Ambro Slough Complex: Now that the water level rose fishing activity has been spotty. Anglers were trying some panfishing in the lower bottoms south of Prairie du Chien with limited success. Some crappie and bluegill action has been reported. Anglers fishing in the Ambro Slough Complex have taken some perch, crappie and a few bluegills. Crappies have been caught on small minnows. Cold Spring: The Cold Spring area remains very slow. Most anglers are venturing under the train bridge to the Mississippi River where small mouth and large mouth bass and walleyes are being taken. There has been some bluegill, perch, and crappie action, but generally it’s been very slow. Boat operators are reminded that the Cold Spring area is a slow-no-wake area. Also, Cold Spring (east of the railroad tracks) is considered inland waters. Mississippi River: Walleye and sauger action was pretty good this week. The Lynxville dam area and the McDonald cut were producing some walleye and sauger along with a few perch and northern pike. Some anglers are targeting wing dams now that the walleyes are done spawning. Walleye tactics include dead lining, drifting with jig and minnow, trolling crank baits, or anchoring above a wing dam and working live or artificial baits. Another place to check for walleyes is the “S” curve by Harpers Ferry. Walleye activity has been decent there. Anglers fishing at the mouth of the Wisconsin River have had limited success. Trout anglers are finding that local streams rose rapidly after last week’s rain. Fishing was tough, for a while, in many local streams. Last weekend the streams settled somewhat which made ideal fishing conditions. Turkey hunters ended the fifth period hunt. The toms are actively gobbling early and late in the day. Weather conditions weren’t the best for turkey hunters this time period, but many hunters were able to fill their tag. Left over tags are still available for the later turkey period in Zone 1. Most song birds are either actively building nests or tending their eggs or young ones. Many baby robins have been born and some Canada geese are tending their goslings. Local waterways, especially the Mississippi River continue to be a great viewing area for ducks, geese, swans and eagles. Eagles are actively tending their young along the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park – The maples have leafed out and the cherry species have begun to bloom. The ferns are in the process of unfurling. Miterwort, spring beauty, common and wood strawberry, dog violet, marsh marigolds, trillium are all in bloom. 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. Species of birds seen or heard include: hooded mergansers, common loons, belted kingfishers, sandhill cranes, golden finches, red polls, mallard and bufflehead ducks, red winged blackbirds, phoebes, Canada geese, robins, mourning doves, nuthatches, ravens, black capped chickadees, piliated woodpeckers, great horned owls, and barred owls. There is a pair of bald eagles nesting on Cornell flowage. Campgrounds are open with electric sites and shower facilities available.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - People have been catching fish from the pier and at their campsites. Osprey are back to their nests. Trails are in great condition for hiking with the warmer weather and many visitors have been camping, picnicking and fishing. The mosquitoes have hatched so remember to bring your bug spray. All campsites are open at the park. There are 3 non-reservable, 1st come/1st serve sites. GPS units are available to checkout at the park office. The park is taking reservations for the picnic shelters for this summer.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The main gate is now open and the first loop of camping is open. The second loop of the campground will be open for the holiday weekend.
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