Wisconsin's inland fishing season opens this Saturday, May 7, which is late a date as it can open on the 2011 calendar, but state fisheries managers say that's setting up nicely for anglers, because with this year’s cold, wet spring, the later opener should lead to warmer temperatures, lower stream flows, and more active fish.
The later opener will give walleye, musky and other game fish a little more time to wrap up spawning and closer to post-spawn feeding binges. They'll be in close to shore, giving shore anglers a chance to find them in the weeds. This late date also coincides with Mother’s Day weekend, so it would be a good weekend to take mom out and spend some quality time on the water.
Most northern lakes and flowages have been ice free for about two weeks, and even the largest lakes are now open, but the unseasonably cold weather has kept water temperatures down in the low 40-degree range. Walleye have just completed their spawning on all but the largest lakes. Northern pike have also completed spawning and action should be fair. The cold water temperatures have kept both largemouth and smallmouth bass in deeper water and generally inactive. Perch have mostly their completed spawning and crappie are about two weeks away from spawning, with bluegill and pumpkinseed likely beginning in three to four weeks. Most rivers and streams in are seeing relatively high flows, so trout anglers may want to consider the high-water conditions in their opening day plans. Mayfly nymphs have been seen moving in many waters.
Lake Michigan tributaries have been still running high and muddy, though some have dropped considerably in the last week. The spring steelhead run is over, however a few spawned out fish remain in the Menomonee and Root rivers. High winds and low fishing success have kept most trollers of the lake, but a few brown and lake trout were reported south of Milwaukee.
Sturgeon have just about completed spawning on the Wolf River system, though this activity has also been slowed considerably by the cold spring weather, and some sporadic sturgeon runs and spawning could last into late May as water temperatures finally warm up. People from 77 countries around the world watched DNR crews work and the sturgeon spawn at the Shawano spawning site on the Wolf River Cam this spring. Links to the cam are available on the sturgeon spawning page of the DNR website.
Migrant birds continue to arrive, but overall the spring migration is at least a week to 10 days behind schedule. Birders are reporting the first large influxes of warblers and other long-distance migrants into the southern tier of counties this week. The first orioles and humminbirds of the season have been reported. Early nesters are now feeding young, with reports of goose and mallard broods, fledged gray jays up north and eagles feeding young. Recent arrivals at Horicon Marsh include good numbers of white pelicans, cormorants, herons, rails, greater and lesser yellowlegs among others. This weekend is the 15th annual Horicon Marsh Bird Festival from May 6 to 9 and bird enthusiasts and families can participate in more than 50 tours, hikes, demonstrations and other bird-related activities.
A large number of trees are leafing out and maples are flowing in southern Wisconsin. Hepatica and the bloodroot are in bloom. There are still few reports of morel mushrooms, but that could change this weekend with rain and warmer temperatures in the forecast.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statewide Birding Report
Despite the late Spring, bird migration has picked up considerably over the past week. Birders are reporting the first large influxes of warblers and other long-distance migrants into the southern tier of counties. Backyard birders are reporting their first orioles and humminbirds of the season. Early nesters are now feeding young, with reports of goose and mallard broods, fledged gray jays up north and eagles feeding young. Rare birds reported this week include a lingering pacific loon in Madison, black-throated gray and prairie warbler in Middleton, yellow-breasted chats along Lake Michigan, continued reports of eared grebe in multiple locations, and swainson's hawk in Sauk County. Birders should expect to see more migrants arriving every day throughout the state over the next week. New migrants will include everything from warblers, thrushes, vireos, orioles, hummingbirds, rails, and flycatchers. We are at the beginning of shorebird migration, but birders may want to begin checking mudflats and shallow waters for these exciting species. As always, please report your bird sightings to Wisconsin eBird (
www.ebird.org/WI) so that we can better track our migrant bird populations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statewide Wildfire Report
In the past week, 26 fires burned 9 acres in DNR wildfire protection areas. Three structures were destroyed and six others were threatened during these fires. The main causes of wildfire the past week were debris burning and equipment. Fire danger can vary from one day to the next this time of the year, depending on weather and dryness of the vegetation. Check the current fire danger page of the DNR website for statewide fire danger and burning permit restrictions.
Firewise Tip: Create firebreaks around your home. Use rock and stone landscaping materials next to buildings. Keep your lawn raked free of debris and mowed short. Clear a 10-foot space around propane tanks. Be mindful when you do spring planting around your home or cabin; use Firewise recommended plants and shrubs whenever possible.
Northern Region Wildfire Report - In Woodruff & Parks Falls Dispatch Groups, six fires burned a total of 1.7 acres this week. Debris burning was the leading cause of wildfires. Fire danger has been High across the region this week. The Brule Dispatch reported one new fire for the week, giving them a year to date total of 17 wildfires burning 53 acres. Cumberland Dispatch reported five new fires for the week for 1.5 acres, giving them a year to date total of 24 wildfires burning 15 acres. Fire crews in both dispatch groups have been able to make good headway on this year’s prescribed burn projects. Three wildlife prescribed burns for 254 acres were conducted in the Brule area this week, while in Cumberland there six were prescribed burns on 160 acres. May 1 was the 52nd anniversary of the West Marshland Fire; the largest forest fire in the recorded history of Burnett County. At its peak, the West Marshland Fire was estimated to have been consuming 1,300 acres per hour. The fire’s destructive path was over 10 miles long and, in some locations, 5 miles wide. By the end of the fire’s run, 17,560 acres of forest and wetlands were destroyed along with numerous homes, cabins, and outbuildings.
Northeast Region Wildfire Report - In parts of the region where DNR is responsible for wildfire suppression, seven fires burned 3 acres this week. The main causes were debris burning and equipment. Two structures burned when sparks from a torch started a fire in Green Lake County. This time of year, tent caterpillars are building their nests in trees. Tent caterpillars are native insects, and although they make unsightly nests, they rarely kill trees. The public is cautioned to not burn the nests. Controlling caterpillars is fairly easy and most effective this time of year when the caterpillars and their tents are small. Each evening, the caterpillars return to their tent. Near dark, go to the tent and wearing rubber gloves, pull the tent and its inhabitants out of the tree and plunge the bundle into soapy water. Next morning the caterpillars will be dead and you can discard the mess. If the tent is out of reach, tear up the tent with a stick and spray in soapy water or a contact insecticide such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
South Central Region Wildfire Report - Two fires burned 0.3 acres this week. A fire in Sauk County, caused by debris burning, threatened one structure. A fire in Columbia County started when ash dumped the day before ignited grass and pine needles. In this case, the ashes hadn’t been completely extinguished and windy conditions exposed embers still smoldering in the pile.
West Central Region Wildfire Report - In the parts of the West Central Region where the DNR is responsible for wildfire suppression, eight fires burned 5 acres in the last week. The fires were caused by debris burning, equipment use, and two small Monroe County fires were caused by arson. Thursday, May 5 marks the sixth year anniversary of the Cottonville Fire which was caused accidentally by a property owner who lit a small fire in an attempt to make it safer to burn at a later time. The Cottonville Fire went on to burn more than 3,400 acres and destroy 90 structures in northern Adams County.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORTHERN REGION
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Most lakes and flowages in the Upper Chippewa Basin have been ice free for about two weeks, but unseasonably cold weather has kept water temperatures down in the low 40-degree range and slowed up spawning progress for walleye and musky. Walleye have just completed their spawning ritual on all but the largest of the lakes and musky are just beginning on most waters. For walleye, many males will continue to be found along rocky shorelines and islands for the next week or so. Most of the larger females have retreated to deeper water for a short recovery period, but a fair number are starting to show up in the shallow, mud-bottom bays and weed flats for their post-spawn feeding binge. With a continued warming trend forecast for the weekend, look for a very good walleye bite for the game fish opener. Northern pike have also completed their spring spawning ritual and action should be fair, with the fish being found along emergent vegetation lines and over old weeds beds. The cold water temperatures have kept both largemouth and smallmouth bass in deeper water and generally inactive. But once water temperatures top 50 degrees, look for both species to start showing up in shallow water and in a more active feeding mode. For panfish, perch have mostly their completed spring spawning period and their skeins of eggs can be seen along shore in 2 to 4 feet of water. Crappie are about two weeks away from spawning, with bluegill and pumpkinseed likely beginning in three to four weeks. Some nice crappie and bluegill have been showing up in the shallow, warmer bays and action could be good if water temperatures get up to 50 degrees in these warmer protected bays. Trout stocking has been completed on most trout lakes and prescribed streams, and anglers should find good action on opening morning. Most rivers and streams in northwest Wisconsin are seeing some relatively high flows, so stream anglers may want to consider the high-water conditions in their opening day plans. Mayfly nymphs have been seen moving in many waters so that may be a clue as to the type of lure to use (small spinners).
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORTHEAST REGION
Governor Thompson State Park - The boat landing and fishing piers on Caldron Falls are ready for the opening of the fishing season. Two inland lakes in the state park, Woods and Huber Lakes may also accessed by anglers. Now is a great time to see areas of the park that will later be covered in summer foliage. The new visitor center is open for business.
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
This past week has seen cold, wet, and windy weather. Rivers are running high and dirty with water temperatures in the mid 40s at the boat landings, with temperatures in the bay are running slightly cooler. Fishing pressure especially on the bay of Green Bay remained moderate to heavy.
Marinette County - Anglers are reporting some nice catches of brown trout in and around the Peshtigo reef trolling in 7 to 10 feet of water, Stick baits have been the lure of choice for both walleye and trout. Up river from the mouth of the Peshtigo and down river from the Peshtigo Municipal Landing anglers were having good success for walleye using jigs tipped with minnows and gulp alive. Reports from the Menominee River are showing a good walleye bite from the turn basin down to the mouth. Some anglers are using jigs with minnows or plastics while others are trolling with deep diving crank baits.
Oconto County - Suckers are the prevalent species being caught at the Stiles Dam with only the occasional pike and walleye being caught. Oconto Breakwater anglers have been successfully targeting walleye, pike, and a few brown trout on the bay. Trolling with planer boards and stick baits 75 to 100 feet back in 6 to 8 feet of water has been producing the most fish. The same is true for the anglers at Oconto Park II, with some of the best fishing directly out from the mouth of the landing.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Manitowoc County - Strong southwest winds dominated the later part of last week into the weekend with temperatures in the mid-40s. Wind chills dropped as low as the mid-30s with the chilly winds, leaving much of the lakeshore relatively quiet. The lakeshore received heavy rain and thunderstorms Tuesday, but by the weekend the water levels were at their lowest levels yet this spring. Tributary water temperatures rose to 48-51 degrees. Water clarity has improved and water flows are returning to normal. Water levels dropped more than a foot this past week, but there still remains limited flooding along the East Twin River. Due to the windy, cold weather this week combined with little angler success, the lakeshore and tributaries saw limited angling pressure. Low fishing pressure with little success continued throughout all the tributaries for steelhead. Anglers at Shoto on the West Twin River averaged two to three steelhead near the dam and wading downstream. Floating spawn continues to be the most successful way of landing steelhead, but a few fly fishers have had luck this past week. A few females over the weekend were still spawning, but the numbers are significantly lower than the last few weeks. Many anglers out this past week were targeting suckers using night crawlers at Mishicot on the East Twin River and Shoto. Anglers had no trouble landing their desired amounts of suckers and appear to be in high densities at both the Shoto and Mishicot dams. A few anglers continue to catch a few catfish in the Two Rivers and Manitowoc harbors, but the numbers are considerably lower compared to previous weeks. Anglers may also want to try locations up and down the Manitowoc, East, and West Twin Rivers. Sucker guts and other parts continue to work on bottom for the catfish. The boat ramps showed little activity this week with little success reported. A few incidental catches of lake trout were reported early in the week in 6-20 feet of water south of Manitowoc. The lakers ranged 7-9 pounds with no specific colors more effective than others. No brown trout were seen or reported this week.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Potawatomi State Park - Hiking and biking trails are drying out after a cold, wet April. Mushroom hunters are searching for morels in the park, but have not found many yet. The Door County Highway Department is finishing up some campsite driveway improvements in the park this week. Buoys have been set in Sawyer Harbor marking the deepest channel out for boats. Trees have not leafed out yet.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
DNR fisheries crews had a very productive day dip-netting and tagging lake sturgeon below the Shawano Dam Wednesday, May 4. Two crews captured and tagged 340 sturgeon including 72 females. In addition they completed egg collections for the Menominee Tribe, and for our DNR restoration projects on the Milwaukee, Kewaunee, and upper Fox Rivers. Spawning activity was good but not as heavy as normal at this stage of the run at the Shawano site. Cold water (still 8 degrees or so below optimum) is drawing out the run. Water temperatures were 45.1 degrees Tuesday, and despite sunshine all day and very warm weather, temperatures at the end of the day only rose to 47.8 F. Normally at this stage of the run water temps would be at 58 F. Eventually the water will warm up into the 50s and at that point a few sturgeon will likely begin spawning again. The biggest fish crews have seen to this point have been in the 150-170 pound class. Spawning activity is rapidly dropping off at sites other than Shawano. Shawano is about the only public access site that people can still come out to get a look at fish yet this spring. People from 77 countries around the world watched DNR crews work and the sturgeon spawn at the Shawano spawning site on the Wolf River Cam through yesterday. Information and links to the cams are on the sturgeon spawning page of the DNR website.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTHEAST REGION
Sheboygan County - White-crowned, white-throated, and clay-colored sparrows have arrived. Marsh marigolds are blooming. Many trees are in bloom as well.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - – In Sheboygan, fishing on the lake has been difficult due to high winds, which have made fishing nearly impossible. The few boats that have gone out were fishing in from 10-50 feet of water and were trolling with plugs. Fishing has been generally slow, although a few brown trout and lake trout have been caught. The near-shore water remains muddy, and the temperature has increased to 50 degrees in the harbor. Fishing pressure has been down because of low catches. Most anglers have been casting spoons or using minnows off the bottom. Both the Pigeon and Sheboygan rivers have dropped considerably since last week, and temperatures have increased to 52-54 degrees. Fishing pressure has been low with catches of northern pike being reported. Most have been fly fishing with woolly buggers or casting spinners.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, trolling has been difficult out on the lake due to the recent high winds. Fishing pressure at the power plant has been light because of inconsistent weather and few fish being caught. Fishing on Sauk Creek has been slow, and anglers have reported that the steelhead run is over. The water level has dropped about two feet, and the flow has decreased dramatically.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee, trollers have been catching fair numbers of coho, browns, chinook, and a few lake trout. Most fish have been taken south of the harbor around 30 feet of water. The Bender Park launch is currently closed, with dredging slated to take place later this month. Shore fishing in Milwaukee has been slow at the lakefront, except for the occasional days when browns and coho have been accessible off McKinley pier. Fire tiger crank baits and jigging gulp have been effective at times. The steelhead run is just about over in the Milwaukee area tributaries, however a few spawned out fish remain in the Menomonee River.
Racine County - Fishing conditions have improved on the Root River in Racine. Most anglers have been concentrating at the Horlick Dam and downstream into Quarry Lake Park. Fishing has been relatively slow, although some steelhead remain in the area. DNR crews shut down the Root River Steelhead Facility on Wednesday, April 20. A total of 766 rainbows were captured at the facility, with eggs collected from both Chambers Creek and Ganaraska strains. Combined with spawning at the Besadny facility in Kewaunee, egg-taking goals were met.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha fishing has been slow both in the harbor and on the Pike River. Effort has been almost non-existent recently from shore as well as from boats.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Wyalusing State Park - After cresting at 21.4 feet on April 15, the Mississippi River remains at flood stage – 16 feet. This year’s flood tied for the fifth highest flood on record. St. Feriole Island is now open to pedestrians and vehicle traffic. Park bird feeders are once again stocked and very active. Birds at the feeders include rose-breasted grosbeaks, eastern towhees, orioles, gold finches, cardinals, blue jays, and chickadees. The hummingbirds returned on Friday, April 29. There are only a few hummingbirds at this time. Recent migrant bird sightings as of Saturday, April 30 include: chimney swift, least flycatcher, eastern phoebe, tree swallow, rough-winged swallow, barn swallow, house wren, ruby-crowned kinglet, blue-gray gnatcatcher, gray catbird, solitary vireo, yellow-throated vireo, blue-winged warbler, Nashville warbler, yellow warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, black-throated green warbler, yellow-throated warbler, pine warbler, palm warbler, blackpoll warbler, cerulean warbler, black and white warbler, American redstart, prothonotary warbler, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, eastern towhee, American tree sparrow, chipping sparrow, field sparrow, song sparrow, white-throated sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, and Baltimore oriole. The shower/flush building is open in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground and the flush building is open on weekends. The dumping station is open. On Sunday, May 8 there will be a bird walk led by Chris West at 8 a.m. at Point Lookout. The StarSplitters of Wyalusing will begin their monthly astronomy programs on Saturday, May 13 at 8:30 p.m. The Friends of Wyalusing will meet Monday, May 9 at the park office at 6 p.m.
Horicon DNR Service Center area
Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - The continued cool spring has slowed down the progress of the season this year, but while slow, things continue to advance. The hepatica and the first bloodroot are in bloom with the main flowering of spring wildflowers occurring over the next several weeks. Migrant birds continue to arrive, but overall the spring migration is at least a week to 10 days behind schedule. However, a few warm days with southerly winds will quickly make up for lost time if the weather should change. Recent arrivals at Horicon Marsh include white pelicans (a few arrived several weeks ago and then progress ceased with the cold weather but they are now appearing in greater numbers), cormorants, black-crowned night herons, green herons, sora and Virginia rails, greater and lesser yellowlegs among others. Yellow-rumped warblers have been present for a few weeks and the first palm warblers are just coming in. Over the next several weeks will be the great rush of spring songbirds with a tremendous variety of birds passing through the area as they return from their tropical winter grounds. The migrant Canada geese recently departed, leaving only the local nesting giant Canada geese behind. These birds are currently incubating eggs and the first goslings should appear any day now. Normal hatching of Canada geese at Horicon Marsh is the last few days of April through first week of May. A pair of osprey have taken up residence on a nest platform that was erected near the Education Center. They appear to have begun incubating eggs in the past day or two. So, some of the early arrivals are already well into the nesting season while other spring birds are just arriving or yet expected to come as we enter early to mid-May. Among the best times to enjoy the bird life at Horicon Marsh is during the annual Horicon Marsh Bird Festival this weekend. For detailed information on events, go to
www.horiconmarshbirdfestival.com.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Devil’s Lake State Park - In the last three weeks the park has seen 4 inches of snow, green grass, snow shovels in use, trees budding, a thermometer reading 81 degrees, birds singing at 4 a.m., people in swimsuits by the lake, but NOT in the lake, and a person mowing the grass while wearing a winter coat and gloves. It’s that weird time of year, but it means…summer is approaching! The lake flies have been out in force along the shoreline, but they’ll be gone probably in a few days. Weekends are busy when the weather is nice, but weekdays are still fairly sedate. The tell-tale vertical rectangular holes left by a bug-chasing pileated woodpecker are easy to spot along the north shore entrance road. Trails are clear and in good condition, though some spots may be muddy. Mountain bike trails are closed to mountain bikes. Bike trails will be closed as long as conditions are muddy enough to make the trails easily damaged by bike tires. Usually, this means bike trails are closed most of the time until mid-May or June, then open most all of the summer. All campsites in Quartzite Campground are open for camping, and Northern Lights Campground will be open the weekend of May 6 and then on May 13, all camp areas will be open nightly for the summer. Some shower and running water restroom facilities are now open, but not all. Both RV dump/fill stations are open. The north shore Chateau will re-open for the season on Saturday, May 21. Parfrey’s Glen remains closed to entry due to significant flash flooding that occurred in 2008 and 2010. Those floods washed out trails, boardwalks, and bridges. If all goes well with trail planning and construction, Parfrey’s Glen may be opened to the public in the fall of 2011.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - The Willow River has been running high and rain was falling early this week. Prospects for normal flow and clarity on the fishing opener weekend are not good. White-tail deer are shedding their winter hair. The deer look kind of splotchy right now but they are okay, not sick. Frog calls have been limited due to the cool weather. Trails are holding up well with all the moisture since it has not come in downpours. If you are out right after the rain, you will find puddles and mud. It does not take long for the water to drain and the mud spots to firm up again. The black flies often called no-see-ums have been out in abundance. They get beneath your clothing and leave an itchy welt that takes a few days to go away. Enclose pant legs with socks and use bug juice around sleeve openings to prevent the problem. Any trail along the river will have the bugs as do the upper level trails. Leaves are not out yet so you can still see some distance off the trail. When the weather finally does warm up, trail users will be in for some very humid conditions as trails dry out. The controlled burn area is starting to green up quickly. Work on the bypass lane at the office is expected to begin any day. Work on the two parking lots continues. The lot surfaces will be gravel. The 300 campground loop is open with running water in buildings and the dump station is open. The Group Camp is open. Water is available there. The 100 and 200 campground loops will be open May 13. Those are new campgrounds with almost no shade trees.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Spring migration is making for great birding and the weather is great for hiking and fishing! Turkey season is going on in the area this week. Hunters with permits for zone 1 can hunt in the Yellow River Wildlife Area (the park is closed for turkey hunting). Boat boarding piers and the accessible fishing pier are in and people have been out fishing. Canoes, single and double kayaks are available for renting.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The main gate is open for day use! The campground is still closed for the season. The stairway up the bluff is closed due to deteriorating lumber.
Last Revised: Thursday May 05 2011
