Wisconsin finally seems to be getting a break in the rainy weather pattern of the summer. After yet another week with up to 5 inches of rain falling in some areas of the state, a calmer and more settled weather pattern is forecast for the next week.
With heavy rain again this week in then north, major river systems continue to run well above seasonal norms, making paddling on rivers difficult. But if the forecast holds and water levels begin to drop, there could be some excellent opportunities for late summer and early fall paddling on rivers that are normally too low this time of year. In the south, major rivers crested late last week and have now begun to recede, though many rivers are still high. The Kickapoo and Wisconsin rivers are still high and running dirty. The Kickapoo River crested last week at around 15.6 feet, but as of Wednesday was at 9.3 feet and falling. The lower Wisconsin was also dropping, though most sandbars still remain submerged.
Despite the additional rain and almost constantly changing weather anglers found both musky and bass to be fairly active in the past week on northern lakes. Musky were active along the weed edges and in the shallower weed beds, with top-water baits the most productive. Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass has been more consistent than any other time during the summer and some decent catches have been made in the last week. Largemouth especially seemed to be finally settling into a more typical summer pattern, relating to the thick cover, woody structure and bog edges. Walleye action continued to be very erratic, with anglers reporting the very tough bite has continued through most of this summer.
The changing weather pattern briefly brought some cooler water to near shore Lake Michigan, which improved shore fishing at some harbors and piers, with brown trout showing up in greater numbers. However, trollers report action continued to be slow in the last week, with many boats only coming in with one two fish, mostly chinook salmon. Walleye action was picking up on Green Bay, and perch fishing remained good on the Door County side of the bay.
Remaining permits for the 2010 fall turkey hunting season go on sale on a first-come, first-served basis starting noon this Saturday, August 28. There are 46,800 permits available after the drawing for Turkey Management Zones 1-5; there were no leftover permits available for Zones 6 and 7 after the initial drawing. The fee for turkey permits is $10 for residents and $15 for nonresidents.
And next Wednesday, Sept. 1 marks the start of the fall hunting seasons in Wisconsin, with the statewide opening of the early Canada goose and mourning dove seasons. The early Canada goose season runs through Sept.15 statewide and requires a $3 early Canada goose permit. The early season is for harvest of resident Wisconsin breeding Canada geese, which population surveys show are up 12 percent from 2009.
Bluebirds and blackbirds are gathering. Bluebird concentrations tend to number about 10 to 20 birds, but blackbird flocks can reach several hundred to more than a thousand birds, comprised of red-winged blackbirds, grackles, and starlings. The large flocks can cause local nuisance problems with their noise and crop damage. The last of the monarch butterflies are emerging and they too will soon be gathering for their southward migration to Mexico.
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
Hayward DNR Service Center area
Tuscobia State Trail - The gravel surface trail is in good riding condition. There are a number of campgrounds along the trail that accommodate ATV riders. Subtle hints of autumn are appearing on the trail; deer, bear and grouse are common visitors along the trail.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Despite several more inches of rain late last week and continued high water levels, fishing success was fair to good on most waters across the Northwoods. Almost constantly changing weather did keep anglers on the lookout for approaching storms, but anglers did find both musky and bass to be fairly active in the past week. Musky success showed a little surge and most anglers reported some good action from small and medium-size fish (28 to 40 inches) . Quite a few musky seemed to be active along the weed edges and in the shallower weed beds. Top-water baits, large plastics and slower moving stick baits were the most productive. Almost any time of day has produced action and was mostly dependent on local weather conditions. Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass has been more consistent than any other time during the summer and some decent catches have been made in the last week. Largemouth seem to be finally settled into a more typical summer pattern and have been relating to the thick cover, especially woody structure and bog edges. Jig/craw combinations and Texas-rigged worms have been the most productive and have to be fished close to the wood, tight to the bog/marsh edges, or in open pockets in the weed beds. However, the top-water bite for largemouth continues to be very slow. Smallmouth bass have been a bit tough to find in the large, clear lakes, but action continued to be good on the flowages and larger rivers. Soft plastics and crayfish-colored crank baits (and large-sized as well) have been the favorite baits, and the smallmouth have been relating to wood near deeper water areas. Walleye action continued to be very erratic, and most anglers report the very tough bite has continued thru most of this summer. A few decent catches have been made and those have occurred in the river sections of the larger flowages. Leeches and crawlers fished along the deep edges, and in/along the weeds have produced most of the walleye that have been caught. Panfish action continues to be fair. Larger bluegill have still been a little tough to find but some decent catches of crappie, perch and rock bass continue to be reported.
Flambeau River State Forest - Both the North and South Forks of the Flambeau River continue to run high. ATV trails are open with some ongoing repairs. Due to wet conditions users are reminded of the importance to stay on the trail and stay out of the ditches. We have many newly repaired and seeded areas along the trail that have been damaged and rutted due to some users going off trail and into ditches. So much so, that additional seeding will be necessary. Because of this damage, there will be increased law enforcement on the trails who will be issuing citations for damage done to the trail system. Mosquitoes are still out in full force. Blackberries are ripe and golden rod is in full bloom. Fall colors are starting to show in the forest and the last of this year's monarch butterflies are emerging.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Water temperatures have dropped into the low to mid 70s. Weeds are still a bit of a problem trolling on the bay. Fishing pressure has been fairly light with the brunt of the boaters crossing to Door County to shop or to swim, there has been a lot of jet ski action in this hot weather.
Marinette County - Fishing the Peshtigo Harbor area has been slow with a few fresh water drum and the occasional smallmouth bass being caught on live bait as well as spinners and cranks. Action on the Menominee Rivers was still fair for walleye during the hours of darkness, with anglers trolling stick baits from the mouth of the river up to and around Bum Island. Fishing salmon has come to a dead halt in the last week with anglers putting in their time with little to show for it.
Oconto County - Stiles Dam continues to provide some excellent panfish on slip bobbers and worms for bluegill, minnows for crappies. Anglers at Pensaukee Landing, Oconto Breakwater Park, and Oconto Park II were experiencing some good catches of perch in 8 to 16 feet of water using crappie rigs or slip bobbers tipped with minnows. The walleye bite has come on strong again with fish being caught in 16 to 20 feet of water trolling crank baits or crawler/harness.
Governor Thompson State Park – The park’s 16 miles of mowed hiking trails are ready for adventure. Visitors can check a few geocaches on their way. Flowers on the hiking trails are blooming, and people are reporting many wildlife sightings. Construction is progressing on the new 50-site campground. Throughout the summer construction crews have been working on building the new campsites, adding topsoil, leveling and graveling the driveways and loop roads. The first 45 sites of the campground and shower building are expected to open during the 2011 camping season.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Anglers fishing the mouth of the Fox River have been catching drum, white perch and catfish. Most are using night crawlers or minnows on the bottom. Voyageur Park anglers have been catching a few perch as well but most have been too small to keep. Shore anglers have been catching perch in the Suamico River. Most of the fishing pressure has been at the county boat landing. Anglers have been using night crawlers fished off the bottom or bobbers. Anglers are also catching a few walleye but for the most part it has been slow. Bayshore Park anglers have been finding satisfactory numbers of perch early in the mornings with some good catches reported. Walleye anglers have been struggling over the last few days. Most fish that are being caught have come on crawler harnesses.
Manitowoc County - Strong west winds early in the week switched out of the north by Thursday and diminished hopes of colder water moving in. Less humid conditions with temperatures along the lakeshore made for comfortable fishing conditions. The northerly winds were light over the weekend, which caused some light fog offshore that lifted by mid-morning. Water temperatures at one point during mid-week dropped to around 60 degrees around the pier heads but the fishing remained very slow. By Sunday, water temperatures remained in the 64-66 degree range out to 100 feet of water. At the ramps, boats were averaging zero to two fish per boat with a few boats landing four or five. The fishing action appears to be very slow, with several boats at the Two Rivers and Manitowoc ramps not landing a single fish. With fishing so slow, there hasn’t been any certain depth to target. Some success appears to be in the 60 foot range up and down the lakeshore with some boats having success in the 110 to 150 depths straight out of Two Rivers southward off of Manitowoc. The chinook appear to be scattered off the lighthouse north of Two Rivers, with several reports coming in of success anywhere from 50-150 feet. A few 4-year-old chinook were beginning to show up outside the pier heads but only here and there. Target the 40 foot depths with your riggers using green or wonder bread colored J-Plugs and flasher/fly combos. With small amounts of fish being landed and warm water, there has been little pattern to depths where fish are being caught and what colors you should use. Pier fishing off of Two Rivers resulted in about two 4-year-old salmon caught per day. Anglers had success using green champs with an occasional rainbow or brown trout off of Two Rivers and Manitowoc also using green champs. Using spinners and little cleos in the Manitowoc marina will get you a few northern pike, mostly in the 20 inch range but an occasional 30 incher has been caught.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - The third week of August was another beauty in Door County. Despite a mid week thunderstorm that hammered most of the county with heavy rains and strong winds, temperatures were comfortable and good for fishing. Light to moderate winds persisted all week with some affect on the number of anglers hitting the water. The bite on Lake Michigan has remained slow compared to the previous summer months. Anglers out of Baileys Harbor reported going out nearly ten miles in 200 feet of water to find fish, but only came in with an average catch of one to two. Fishing out of Gills Rock and Ellison Bay has been minimal, although reports of one to two fish being caught has been common there too. The bank reef out of Sturgeon Bay has been the lone bright fishing spot for a few boats these last few weeks with some nice catches still being reported. Flasher fly combinations fished down deeper have produced fish, as well as a small variety of spoons. Perch fishing in Sturgeon Bay has produced very few keeper size fish. Little Sturgeon Bay walleye fishing has slowed some but continues to produce good catches of fish. Also perch fishing has been good with anglers fishing the weeds inside the bay. Some nicer fish have been reported around Chaudoir’s Dock and along the Southwest shore of the county. Anglers have been finding good numbers of perch over the last few days with much of the action coming early or late in the day. Anglers that have been launching out of Rite’s Cove have also been doing well on perch with some very nice fish being reported. An increase in walleye anglers was seen this week with most anglers working out of Sister Bay and Fish Creek. Trolling stick baits and pulling crawler harnesses has been the popular choice, anglers report catching an abundance of sheepshead as well. A few very nice catches of smallmouth bass were seen this week with a good number of fish pushing the 5-pound mark. Fishing in Rowley Bay with a variety of plastics has worked as well as using leeches suspended with bobbers. Northern pike fishing has been very minimal but looks to pick up as we move into the fall months.
Kewaunee County - This week started off with awesome weather for fishing with temperatures only reaching the mid 70s and being cloudy for the majority of the day. This weather and a western wind helped lower surface temperatures near shore down to 60 degrees but a large storm system did move through the county on Friday that brought heavy rain and strong eastern winds. The wind blew the warm water back toward Wisconsin and surface temperatures on Sunday went back up to 70 degrees. The fishing on the Kewaunee pier is starting to heat up slowly but surely. Anglers are reporting catches of brown trout almost daily and the occasional king salmon is starting to get caught by the anglers on the pier. The lure of choice right now appears to be a green and chrome spoon. Kewaunee anglers were experiencing more success early in the week compared to after the storms passed. The depths that seemed to produce the most fish ranged from 90-130 feet of water and about 60-70 feet down. The hot colors for the week were sparkle green flies with chrome flashers. It seems that the brown trout have returned to the piers in Algoma this week. The early parts of the week yielded catches of up to 4-5 fish per day of brown trout. The average size of the trout is around 6 pounds and the fish are being caught on either green/chrome or blue/chrome spoons. There are also large schools of baitfish that are circling the piers and occasionally anglers have reported seeing the brown trout cruising back and forth along the rocks on the south pier. The fishing out of Algoma was pretty good this week until right before the storm system hit Algoma. There were reports of multiple boats limiting out early in the week and the average catch per boat was around four fish. The anglers fishing in depths ranging from 60-110 feet of water reported success. The hot lures this week were wonder bread or aqua pearl flies with chrome flashers.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - – In Sheboygan trollers have been catching just a few chinook and rainbow trout. Most fish have been 20 to 60 feet down in 60 to 120 feet of water. Shore fishing in Sheboygan has improved somewhat, with a few browns and rainbows taken off the north pier on spoons and alewives.
Ozaukee County - Trollers in Port Washington have found some chinook, and rainbow and brown trout, and those with the most fish have been working 200 feet of water or more. Spoons and J-plugs have been productive. Shore anglers in Port Washington have had some success fishing for perch off the pier, and jigs and minnows have taken the most perch.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee trollers have been catching a few chinook and lake trout, but fishing has been generally slow. Fish have been caught in 60 to 90 feet of water, and glow spoons and J-plugs have taken the majority of fish. Shore fishing effort in Milwaukee remains low, and few fish have been reported. Perch fishing off the boils and the Oak Creek power plant has been slow, but boats working the South Shore breakwall have found some perch in the weeds along the rocks.
Racine County - Fishing effort in Racine has been low, but those out fishing have had some decent success. Trollers continue to catch rainbows in 220 to 260 feet of water, and closer to shore chinook in the 12 pound range have been hitting out past the reef. Early mornings have been best, and J-plugs and spoons have both produced fish. Shore anglers in Racine have been catching a few chinook off the south pier, near the mouth of the river. Castmasters and crank baits have taken fish.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha trollers have been catching some chinook in 50 to 70 feet of water, and rainbows have been hitting out in 250 to 270 feet of water. Various colored spoons fished 50 feet down have been effective for the steelhead, and J-plugs and spoons have both taken chinook. Shore anglers in Kenosha continue to catch brown trout in the harbor on white tube jigs, and the best bite has been in the evenings and into the night. Kenosha boaters looking for perch have been catching a few at the bubbler, off the 75th Street jetties, as well as off the breakwall, but anglers have had to work hard to find the fish.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - Its algae bloom season. The lake remains a bit discolored as does the Willow River above and below the lake. People were swimming at the beach this week and it was not crowded. Local schools have started so weekday traffic is a bit lighter. There is a pile of firewood at the boat launch parking lot at the far end as of Wednesday. Some dead trees were cut down and the best of the dry wood was piled. It is all sizes and the wood is not trimmed to fire pit length. A few grilles were replaced in the beach picnic area this week. The 2010 deer hunting regulations are available at the park.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Large flocks of bluebirds and blackbirds are gathering. Bluebird concentrations tend to number about 10 to 20 birds, but blackbird flocks reach several hundred to more than one thousand birds. Roosting flocks of blackbirds, comprised of red-winged blackbirds, grackles, and starlings, can cause local nuisance problems with their noise, droppings, odors, and depredation on crops. Fortunately these types of problems are temporary, as most blackbirds migrate south for the winter.
Perrot State Park - Trails are in good condition. Water levels are extremely variable this summer due to the drawdown on Pool 6. At times, the bay is VERY low, but after heavy rains, the water can be very high. The level can change over the course of the day and large boats may have difficulty reaching the Mississippi River from our boat landing. Caution is advised! Mosquitoes are out and about. Campers are advised to remember their bug spray since there is none to be purchased in Trempealeau. Please remember that there is no food or gas to be purchased in Trempealeau at this time, so campers are encouraged to do their shopping on their way to the park. Compass plant, cup plant, monarda, coneflowers, goldenrods, sunflowers, queen anne's lace, snakeroot, partridge pea, blazing stars, indian grass, big bluestem, little bluestem, jewelweed and ragweed are currently blooming in the park. Blackbirds are starting to gather in larger and larger numbers in the bay and Hummingbirds are frantically feeding at feeders. Walnuts are dropping leaves and walnuts and black cherries are raining down.
Great River State Trail - The trail is open and in good condition. Prairie flowers are blooming along the sides of the trail and the sweet smell of Bergamot fills the air. Water levels on the Black River are very high and there is much more water in the channels. Goldenrods, Button Bush, Swamp Milkweed, and Joe-Pye Weed are the stars of the show. Prairie grasses such as Big Bluestem and Indian Grass are in full bloom right now and riders are encouraged to stop and pick any ripe blackberries that they come across. Mosquitoes and gnats are out in pretty good numbers and users are encouraged to be prepared.
Crawford County - Flooding on area rivers has subsided considerably. The Kickapoo and Wisconsin rivers are still high and running dirty. River stages are as follows: Kickapoo River: Last week the river stage in Gays Mills and Steuben crested around 15.6 and 13.4 feet respectively. As of Wednesday the Kickapoo in Gays Mills was at 9.3 feet and falling. Like wise in Steuben the river was at 9.04 feet and falling. Swift current, dirty water, and lots of debris make up the Kickapoo right now. The Mississippi River was at 11.2 feet and slowly falling. There is an incredible amount of weeds floating down the river along with other debris. The Wisconsin River dropped about 2 feet this past week, but even so most of the sand bars are still under water. The river stage at Muscoda was at 2.42 feet and falling. Most trout streams are clearing up nicely. Some are running a bit high and a little cloudy. They are expected to settle down and clear up within a couple days. Mississippi River boaters are still finding large amounts of vegetation floating downstream. Although not wide spread other debris like trees and tree limbs continue to cause navigation problems. Keep a sharp eye open and slow down. Boaters should use caution in this area as some of the buoys are under water because of the increased flow. Fishing has been disrupted due to the high water. Heavy current, dirty water and floating debris and weeds are causing problems for anglers. Earlier this week bluegill anglers were doing very good. Some nice sized bluegills were taken. Some anglers report taking limits of “gills”. Anglers have been finding some pretty decent bluegill action in the backwaters that have recently flooded. The increased volume of water moving down river has changed where the bluegill are holding. Traditional summer time hot spots are now difficult to fish because of the floating vegetation. Fishing with a cane pole in the backwaters has been very effective. Perch fishing has been very good in some areas. Perch have been taken along the deeper weed edges in light current and in backwater sloughs in deeper water. Primarily anglers are using a chunk of night crawlers on a dead line. Perch anglers, like bluegill anglers will have to move around to find active fish and decent spots to fish. Crappie action has been spotty to very slow. Anglers have been targeting flooded timber and using small jigs tipped with plastics or minnows. White bass action has been very spotty with this high water. Some white bass action can be found along wing dams and up near the Lynxville dam. Even with the high water action for both smallmouth and largemouth bass has been pretty good. Look for smallmouth bass on the main channel on wing dams, closing dams, and rocky shorelines. Smallmouth bass fishing is a bit difficult due to the large volume of weeds floating down the channel. The Wisconsin River has seen some very good smallmouth bass action too. Largemouth bass are being caught in all types of cover. Right now the best location to fish is the flooded back water areas. Top water baits are the way to go. Largemouth were being taken on a variety of top water baits fished in the weeds. Bass were also being taken along weed edges and in the timber. A variety of artificial baits have worked. Even with the high water walleye and sauger were being taken, but fishing conditions are tough. Anglers will have to move around a bit and try different tactics. Wing dams are difficult but not impossible to fish. Probably the best bet is some of the deeper back water sloughs. Drifting with live bait (leeches or night crawlers) and trolling are the most popular tactics but weeds are causing a lot of problems. Areas to check for walleye and sauger would be up near the Lynxville dam, McDonald’s Slough, the “S” curve by Harper’s Ferry Slough, wing dams, Roseau Slough, and the Wisconsin River. Up on Pool 9 near Lynxville and Ferryville try the Deer Island complex and the area of the main channel by Lansing. Action has been pretty good. Most anglers are targeting northern pike by trolling in back water sloughs and lakes. Check for northerns where feeder streams enter the main river. Most bass anglers report catching northerns incidentally to bass fishing. Sheepshead (freshwater drum) are very active even in the high water. Sheepshead were being caught on night crawlers throughout the area. Catfish, both channel and flathead had been spotty. However fishing conditions are a bit tough as most cats are caught fishing off the bottom. Floating weeds and other debris makes that type of fishing difficult. Catfish fishing on the Wisconsin River is still pretty good. Trout: fishing conditions are improving. There still is a variety of insects to deal with and heavy shoreline vegetation. Fly fishers, spinners and live bait are working well even with the high water. Gnats, deer flies, horse flies and mosquitoes are still out. River bottoms are especially bad. The gnat hatch as slowly diminished. Deer and horse flies are really bad in some areas. Poison ivy and stinging nettle are also out. Parsnip is dying back. Black raspberries are no longer available. Black bear sightings have tapered off although there are a few still roaming the Crawford County area. Area residents should not be overly concerned, however pet food, garbage cans and bird feeders should be secured or removed so the bears don’t make a habit of returning to those areas.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest - All ATV trails with the exception of the Oak Ridge trail have been groomed this week and are in good condition for riding. The oak ridge trail remains closed but if conditions remain dry we hope to reopen this section soon. Crews are hard at work upgrading the entire system to make the trails less susceptible to large rainfall events. Those portions that have been upgraded faired very well even with the heavy rains we have received this summer. After Labor Day weekend we will work on our section of the Oak Ridge Trail. This work should prevent this section of trail from being closed regularly in the future.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Many visitors have been enjoying the warm weather swimming at the beach. People have been catching fish from the pier and at their campsites. The kid's fishing pond has had many visitors catching and releasing small bluegills , bass and some crappies from the pier at the pond. Trails are in great condition for hiking with the warmer weather and many visitors have been camping, picnicking and fishing. The bugs are not as bad as in earlier weeks and beaches are still great for swimming. There are not too many mosquitoes but there has been some biting flies.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - Many wildflowers are still blooming in the prairie. The stairway up the bluff remains closed. A $354,600 project to replace it has been approved. We expect to seek bids for the project sometime this year. The petroglyph viewing platform at the base of the mound is still open and several miles of hiking trails are available.
Last Revised: Thursday August 26 2010
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