(
Straight from the DNR )
Wisconsin Outdoor Report as of August 4, 2005
NORTHERN REGION
Brule River State Forest - This last week has again been hot and humid. The Bois Brule River and the Bear Beach State Natural area have remained popular spots to cool off. The Bois Brule River is flowing at 108 Cubic feet per second (CFS) on 8-3-05. The 60 year minimum for this day is 109 CFS. The 60 year average is 153 CFS. Goldenrod and Pearly Everlasting have started blooming. The berries on Clintonia are blue now. These berries are not edible so it is good to show the difference between clintonia berries and blueberries to children. Bunchberry plant berries are now very visible with their striking red clumps of berries. Canoeists are reminded that glass is prohibited on the river and unopened or empty beverage containers must be secured in a larger container that is securely fastened to the canoe.
Cumberland DNR Service Center area
Polk and Barron counties - A pair of white pelicans was seen on Townline Lake in eastern Polk County. There were also 10 trumpeter swans on this lake. Trumpeter swans seem to be doing quite well in Polk County and production is being seen in more locations each year. Wildlife management personnel will be banding and neck collaring young of the year trumpeter swans in the next month. Canada goose family groups are joining and young of the year can now fly. They are flying out to fields to feed and prospects for the early Canada goose season, which begins in less than a month, are excellent. White-tailed deer production is excellent, with many sets of twins and even triplets being seen. Antler development on the bucks is excellent due to the mild winter last year. As deer begin to move more, vehicle collisions are increasing on the major highways. Black bear hound hunters are having a fair training season due to the extremely hot weather, which makes running dogs difficult. Bears are not hitting baits as aggressively as they could be due to blackberry, raspberry, and cherry crops, which are ripening or are continuing to ripen. There are many sightings of bears by the nonhunting public.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
The Park Falls area has again been experiencing very hot dry conditions. Weather forecasts are calling for a cool front to pass through the area bringing more moderate temperatures and some much needed rain. Water levels are low on area rivers and streams creating some difficulties for paddlers. Water surface temperatures again climbed into the 80s on most area lakes. Fishing activity has slowed and success has been mixed. Panfish continue to be found in deeper water and the bite has tapered off. Walleye success has been limited with most of the activity after dusk. Some bass were being caught but low numbers were being reported. Anglers were catching a few musky but most were smaller fish. Boating activity continued to be steady and many people were enjoying being on or near the water during the recent high temperatures. Please be observant while boating on area lakes as many activities are taking place in and around campgrounds and picnic areas. Be sure to display proper light when boating after sunset to avoid accidents. Both unsuccessful and successful turtle nests can be found near water-bodies as remnants of the eggs successfully hatched or predated by an intruder can be found scattered about the nest site. Raspberries are plentiful and easily located along road edges and forest openings. Stop and try a few raspberries and enjoy the mosaic of wildflowers in bloom.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Water levels on most of the natural lakes in the area are at very low levels with the light amount of rain in the last month, with the flowages maintaining 'normal' water levels. Even with the hot weather of late, submergent weed densities continue to be generally low on most lakes and algae blooms still have not been reported to be too heavy on any lakes. River and stream levels have also been running at very low levels and canoeists, kayakers and anglers should take note. With the warm and pleasant weather of the past week, both recreational boating and fishing pressure showed an increase on many local waters. Largemouth and smallmouth bass have been the main species of interest lately and action could be termed very good. The largemouth seem to have taken up shop near firm overhead cover such as logs, stumps or bog edges and fewer fish have been found cruising the weed beds. As such, top-water baits have become less successful, with soft plastics and bass jigs getting most of the action. All the major bass waters in the area have been producing some great action and they include Miller Dam (Chequamegon Waters Flowage), Nelson Lake and the Chippewa Flowage. Smallmouth have also gotten into their typical summer pattern and have been relating real close to woody structure. The best action has been on the larger flowages, with small plastics and spinner baits catching most of the fish. Musky activity has also bumped up a notch and most anglers have been reporting some consistent action along weed edges and amongst the less dense weed beds. Bucktails and top-water baits have been the favorite lures of late. Walleye angling has been generally slow and fish have been tough to come by. Some success has been reported on the deep weed edges and deep rock/gravel bars, with leaches and night crawlers being the best baits. A few walleye have been caught on minnow stick baits fished along weeds edges after dark. Panfish action continues to be fair -- most people have had no trouble catching bluegill and rock bass, but fish have generally been small. Look for the bigger panfish to be suspended near cover in the mid-depth ranges (8 to 14 feet).
Flambeau River State Forest - The North Fork of the Flambeau River is at a normal level for this time of year. Fishing action has been slow due to the warm temperatures. ATV trail users please be cautious when using the Flambeau ATV trail system from Hwy. "W" to Mason Creek as it is under construction and users should be watching for heavy equipment.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Area fishing guides report that walleye and smallmouth bass action is on the rise. The warm lake temperatures are considered to be a contributing factor. As we have been reporting this summer, musky action continues to be good. Musky anglers are having good success finding suspended fish in deep clear water lakes. Fish can be found following schools of cisco and other bait-fish suspended over deep water in clear water lakes. In addition, top-water and smaller profile bucktails were producing some nice fish. Largemouth bass, pike, bluegill, and perch strikes continued to be steady. Walleye anglers were having moderate success fishing weed lines with leeches in 12-20 feet of water. Blueberries are past their peak, however raspberries are now ripe with a few blackberries starting to show up. With fall just around the corner, hunter safety courses are being offered. Now is a good time to enroll your children in these sessions if they will be eligible to hunt in the upcoming hunting seasons. Check the DNR Web site for updates on the class offering dates and schedules. With the increase in ATV use and popularity, we remind ATV operators that it is a good idea to brush up on the rules and regulations for operation of ATVs. This summer area conservation wardens are encountering a number of ATV operators who are, for the most part, inadvertently committing violations. One of the bigger problems is ATV trespass. Operators need to remember that ATVs can only be driven on designated routes and trails or on property with permission of the owner. ATVs must be registered in order to operate in Wisconsin. A trail pass is needed for any out of state registered ATVs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - Descent temperatures and sunny skies greeted the many anglers that went out into Lake Michigan from the Menominee, Little, and Peshtigo Rivers over the weekend in search of brown and rainbow trout and chinook and coho salmon. Unfortunately breezy conditions meant that the anglers needed to bring their sea legs as well. Despite the wind, most anglers were able to hook up with some fish. Fishing was good out near Green Island, Trout Bar, and down to the Peshtigo Lighthouse. The majority of fish caught were smaller chinook with some smaller coho as well with a bonus brown or rainbow. Productive depths varied but most fish were coming in at 60 feet down or deeper on all color varieties of spoons and fly/dodger combinations. Best times to catch fish were from sun up to around 9 a.m. Walleye were also being caught while trolling crawler harnesses with bright colored blades producing the best out from Little River down to the Peshtigo River in 8-15 feet of water.
Oconto County - The perch bite is still going on out from the Oconto Harbor but rough water has been making things a little difficult. Perch fisherman were still getting near 10 fish limits in water ranging from 25 to 38 feet of water using small fathead minnows with aggressive gobies still dominating much of the catch. Early morning to around 10 a.m. has been the most productive times in part due to calmer water in the morning hours. Anglers in search of walleye were still getting fish from County Park II down to the Pensaukee River while trolling crawler harnesess in combination with larger stickbaits in natural colors from 7 to 12 feet of water with an occasional northern pike showing up as well.
Shawano County - Rivers and streams are still very low. Smallmouth action on the Wolf River has been excellent. Trout anglers should use caution when angling in trout streams - especially if catch and releasing. Due to warm weather and warmer water temperatures trout can become stressed very quickly. Panfish action has been good to excellent on smaller area lakes.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - The Fox River continued to produce sheepshead and catfish on most days. On good days, there were some reports of some pretty good mixed bags, but there was not any real pattern as to where and when. Night crawlers fished on the bottom pretty much guaranteed catching catfish. The mouth of the river was yielding some white bass and white perch. Walleyes were still a pretty rare catch. Trolling right down the middle of the channel with crawler harnesses or stick baits produced some action, with the best areas are between the 172 bridge and Mason Street. Mid day was pretty slow all around, except for small channel catfish, which can be caught all day long. Some pretty large cats (up to 36 inches) continued to be caught at Voyager once in a while. Suamico River action has slowed down a little. Perch action has been almost zero on the Suamico itself; a few are caught by shore anglers at the boat landing, but they are extremely small. However, action has been good out on the west shore of the bay. The most success is out in 20-25 feet near the lighthouse using minnows. It was not rare to get limits in 3 to 4 hours, and they have been a pretty good average size of 8-9 inches. Duck Creek has been very slow so far. Some white bass and sheep head have been caught during the day on crawlers, and the catfish action was good, just like the rest of the bay. Some random perch action off the Howard boardwalks under the I-43 bridge. Bay Shore Park was in full swing for perch. The parking lot has been overflowing every weekend. Getting a limit has been easy, as some were coming off the water after an hour or so. They were not huge, but they do average 8-9 inches. Even better news is all the small ones out there, which will probably be in the 8 inch range by next year or the year after. Expect to catch a lot of gobies, especially on any one of the reefs. For example, Two mile reef has been producing nothing but gobies. The best perch action with fewest gobies seemed to be straight out on the flats in as much as 35 feet. The white perch are returning as well, so be ready for a few of those.
Manitowoc County - Fishing has slowed a bit this past week, but anglers are still catching Chinooks with some rainbows and lake trout mixed in. North and east winds continue to scatter the fish making cool water hard to find. Fish were being caught in 65 to 200 feet of water on spoons and dodger/fly combos and with j-plugs. Green glow and blue/silver spoons were working well. Manitowoc and Two Rivers Piers: Warm water near shore has limited fishing success on the piers over the last 2 weeks. A few Chinook salmon were being caught with spoons on the south pier in Manitowoc and some rainbows and Chinook were reported to be caught earlier in the week on the Two Rivers piers. Manitowoc and Two Rivers Harbors: Fishing has been slow, but some perch were reported being caught in Two Rivers harbor using minnows.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County The area received a little rain this week along with several cooler days. Unfortunately by the weekend conditions were back to hot, humid and dry. Despite the rain its still very dry, be careful with fire. Not a lot to change in fishing action. With the notable exception that salmon action has slowed down a little. Out on the big lake both sides of the county were producing good catches of chinook salmon and a few rainbow trout, along with the occasional lake trout, brown and coho. White, green and blue flies behind white dodgers continued to produce most of the fish along with green Crocodiles, Pro-Kings, Evil eyes, silver spoons and J-Plugs. Baileys Harbor, Rowleys Bay and points north were also producing excellent catches of fish. The early and late hours continued to be the best time to be on the lake. Smallmouth action has slowed down; however, a few fish were still coming in all over the county. The majority of the fish being caught near shore were on the small size, with live bait producing the action. Out on the reefs, plastics, crank baits and spinner baits, were producing the larger fish. Perch fishing continued to be good on minnows, worms, crabs and leeches in 20 to 40 feet of water near weed beds, mud flats and reefs. Northern pike action continued steady in weedy areas of Sturgeon Bay. Small sucker minnows and Rapalas continued to be hot. Walleye action was fair at night for anglers bouncing a night crawler in a harness off the bottom around Potawatomi Park, Sherwood Point and Larsons reef. Chaudoirs Dock has also been doing well. Be ready for a few more white perch here than at Bayshore, but the gobies are not as severe. Little Sturgeon Bay has seen some pretty heavy fishing as well as boating pressure. There has been some slight perch action off Squaw Island in 8-10 feet of water. The only drawback was they were extremely small, and many have been throwing them back. The rough water has been keeping boats inside the interior of the bay in shallower water the last few days. Bait such as leeches and minnows have been working pretty well for bass along the rock bars at 10 feet on the east shore where most of the bass action has always been. Anglers were catching many undersized ones, but the larger ones were also there. Sawyer Harbor has been somewhat steady for bass, and the average size was a little bigger. The action has been pretty decent off Cabot Point and the reefs to the east of the islands. Perch were found out in the flats instead of on the rocky areas. Both crawlers and leeches were working for perch, but they have been so small that very few have been keeping any at all; bigger perch were in deeper water.
Peninsula State Park - All hiking and biking trails are dry and in excellent condition. A Campfire Advisory is in effect. Conditions remain very dry. Please use extreme caution when using fire, and keep all campfires small and attended at all times! The waters of Nicolet Beach have received periodic accumulations of algae (Cladophora). Swimming has been less than ideal in areas immediately adjacent to shore. The problem has subsided somewhat in recent days, but a wind shift could change conditions. American Folklore Theatre is in full swing with three presentations this season. Plays are scheduled every evening except Sunday. Tickets may be obtained prior to the show. Arrive early as many nights sell out! The Birch Creek Music School "Ambassadors" will be offering two more Summer Jazz concerts in the park at Nicolet Beach on August 2 and 9, at 1:30pm.
Kewaunee County - The weather has been mostly hot and humid throughout the week. The current Lake Michigan water temperatures are between 66-70 degrees. The dominant species caught, chinook salmon, are still being taken in good numbers, however, they are still coming in rather small. Mixed bags of rainbow trout, lake trout, and coho salmon have also been taken. Anglers have had the best success fishing in 60-150 feet of water from the surface to 80 feet down. As the sun comes up many anglers will follow the fish into deeper waters. Dodger / fly combinations, spoons, and j-plugs have all equally taken fish. Some hot colors used were aqua, pearl, and green flies as well as green, orange, and sliver spoons. Pier fishing has remained slow again this week in both Kewaunee and Algoma. A few chinook and rainbow have been taken, but anglers had to put in a lot of hours while using alewives and spoons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTHEAST REGION
Anglers have adapted to the steaming hot days by starting fishing trips well before sun up or just before dark. Lakes were getting a lot of fishing pressure, even on weekdays. Fishing on the deeper lakes has been excellent; especially for suspended panfish. These lakes offer cool, deep, well-oxygenated waters that keep all fish active. By noon, the lakes belong to water skiers, jet boaters and swimmers; and the heat has brought out a lot of them. By evening, they again belong to the angler. Stream water levels remain very low. Rain has just been evaporating in the heat of the day. With the exception of catfish, stream fishing was poor. This was probably due to stream-dwelling fish having to contend with low water and oxygen levels and hot water temperatures. Turkey hens have combined their broods and are on the move in search of food. A field crew observed a pair of hens and 15 young. Those hens need to cover a lot of territory to find food for 17 hungry mouths! Young turkeys now average about 16 inches tall. With the exception of a few horse flies, hikers and bikers do not have to contend with many nuisance bugs. Great parks for hiking along shaded paths include Pike Lake, and both units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Beaches are also available at these parks as well as Big Foot Beach and the Richard Bong State Recreation Area.
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan fishing off the piers and in the harbor has been slow. Trollers off Sheboygan have been catching chinooks 50 to 70 feet down in 70 to 110 feet of water. Spoons in blue, watermelon, orange, and glow-in-the-dark have produced the most. Up to 50 Sandhill Cranes have been congregating on the south side of the Sheboygan Marsh Wildlife Area in northwestern Sheboygan County over the last week. They are best observed east of Hulls Crossing Road or west of School Road, south of Hulls Crossing Road, about an hour or two before dusk.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington fishing off the pier and in the harbor has been slow. Trollers off Port have been catching mostly chinooks, along with a few rainbows. Fish have been found from 50 to 65 feet down in 70 to 145 feet of water. Both spoons and flies in green, blue, and pearl have been effective.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee shore fishing for perch has been hit-or-miss using minnows off McKinley pier. Trollers off Milwaukee have been catching good numbers of chinooks. The best bite has been early in the morning, and fish have been caught north of the harbor 40 to 60 feet down in 70 to 105 feet of water. Green and silver spoons have all been productive.
Racine County - Shore fishing in Racine has also been slow, but trollers have been catching limits of chinooks in 100 to 120 feet of water. Both spoons and j-plugs have been effective in a variety of colors.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha a few perch have been caught from shore at daybreak. Fish have been found off the end of the south pier as well as on the lake side of the Southport Marina breakwall. Both jigs and minnows have been producing. Trollers off Kenosha have been catching chinooks, with the majority taken early in the morning.
Walworth and inland Racine and Kenosha counties - Hot weather has caused fishing success to slow down on some of the smaller and shallower lakes in the area. On the other hand some of the larger and deeper lakes like Delavan and Geneva have been producing for anglers fishing for suspended bluegills and other panfish. Waxworms and red worms on very small jigs and bare hooks have worked well while drifting across some of the deeper lakes in the region. Lake Beulah has been good for largemouth bass and bluegills. Northern pike were hitting suckers and chubs on the bottom of Geneva Lake. Panfishing has been fairly good on Lake Elizabeth and the Twin Lakes. Browns Lake anglers reported good action on bass and northerns. During these hot days it is more important than ever to be one of the first anglers out in the morning, not only to catch fish but also to avoid all the other recreational boating that disturbs fishing.
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Water levels are very low in Sheboygan Marsh with no water being discharged at that point on the Sheboygan River. The Marsh water level itself is below the dam spillway. Low flows on the Sheboygan River are evident all the way down to Sheboygan Falls. Fishing action seems to have slowed a bit, although good bass and panfish fishing was available on most lakes in the area. Drifting with slip bobbers at 15 to 25 feet down was probably picking up nice sized bluegills. The fish tend to be closer to the surface during low light periods (dusk and dawn) and deeper when the sun is up and shining.
Waukesha County Fishing for bluegills this past week has been excellent. Best catches coming from Pewaukee, Pine, and Okauchee over deep water. Look for suspended fish 11-21 feet down. Waxworms and weed worms on ice jigs and small spinners are producing. Largemouth bass were also providing excellent action during low light times. Buzz-baits and plastics over weed flats are working best.
Kettle Moraine State Park - Pike Lake Unit - All trails are open for hiking. Summer is a great time to view wildflowers while walking the forest trails. With the dry weather recently, mosquitoes have not been bad. While you are not required to stay on trails, it is a good idea due to the large amounts of wild parsnip in the forest. Wild parsnip can cause a burn like reaction on the skin when it is exposed to the wild parsnip plant. The swimming beach area is marked and is open for the season. There are no lifeguards on duty in the state forest. Water quality remains good in the beach area.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Grant County - Water levels remain low through out the Mississippi River Pools and Wisconsin River in spite of recent rainfalls. Bluegill anglers were commenting on the lack of available brush piles, snags, tree limbs etc. for fishing and the water levels have left many of the old fishing spots dry or in 1-2 inches of water. Anglers reported catching bluegills in deeper water areas. The water temperatures have declined from the high temperatures of the last two weeks to the 70s. Catfish anglers reported catching several nice eating-sized channel catfish on stink baits in the evening and morning hours. Smallmouth bass fishing has improved with many sub-legal sized fish (less than 14 inches) being caught and released along the rock rip-rap along the railroad grade and associated trees and snags. Several bass anglers reported catching a few catfish as well using crank baits and jigs.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Dane County - Lake Kegonsa was yielding some nice bluegills last week with anglers catching the fish in about 30 feet of water on the bottom, drifting on the east side of the lake. Many of the bluegills were 9 and 10 inches long and were being caught on red worms mostly. A few crappies were taken as well. Lake Monona bluegills have been biting also on Monona Bay and off of the Monona Terrace. Avoid the hot part of the day and fish after 6 p.m. as thats when they bite the best. An unconfirmed report of a 59 inch musky caught on the north end of Lake Waubesa was also received. Lake Mendota white bass were still biting.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEST CENTRAL REGION
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Young turkeys are flying and are roosting in trees. Other young upland game birds such as pheasant and ruffed grouse are also growing rapidly with high protein diets of various insects like grasshoppers and ants. Recently cut hay fields are a good place to view these upland birds. Warmer temperatures will have wildlife looking for good water sources and moving more at night and dusk and dawn.
Perrot State Park - Blazing star and butterfly weed are just a few of the flowers blooming along the trails. Fishing activity has been heavy on the Bay.
Merrick State Park - Wildflowers blooming now include purple bees balm, cardinal flowers, vervain, rock spurge, jewel weed, horse mint and mullen.
Great River State Trail - The vivid red of the cardinal flowers can be seen around the Lytles Landing area.
Crawford County - The Mississippi River water level rose early in the week because of heavy rains throughout the upper watershed. By the end of this week the Mississippi River stage was back down to 7 feet. The Wisconsin River also rose early in the week due to all the rain in the water shed, but it stabilized by the end of the week. The Kickapoo Rivers water level came up a bit with the rain but by the end of the week was down near normal. The Kickapoo got pretty murky with the higher water. Barge and recreational boating traffic is very heavy on the Mississippi, especially on weekends. Now that the Mississippi Rivers is around that 7 foot mark many submerged dangers are being exposed. Dead heads, wing dams, and slough closures all pose dangers to boaters. Some backwater areas and mud/sand flats could also cause problems. Those who are unfamiliar with the Mississippi River or Wisconsin River should seek out a river map, use a depth/fish finder and slow down. Walleye and sauger action was pretty good for the most part this week. Most anglers found that fishing on the weekend is tough because of all the boat traffic. The best times to fish have been early in the morning or early in the evening. Anglers using live bait have been mainly using night crawlers or willowcats. The Roseau Slough, the Black Slough and wing dams around the Prairie du Chien and Lynxville/Ferryville area were some places where fish have been active. The islands along the main channel outside Lynxville and all the way up to Lansing have been producing some nice walleye. Bluegill action was very good this week. The receding water is making bluegills more accessible. The upper and lower portions of the Ambro Slough, many areas of the East Channel, Hunters and Catfish Sloughs, and even some of the flats along the main channel have been producing bluegills. Even in the Main Channel along rocky shorelines and lower flow areas big bluegills have been taken. Most anglers were using a chunk of night crawler or a waxworm. There has also been some action in the snags along the sloughs. The Cold Springs area remained very slow. Perch and crappie action has been spotty. White bass action was pretty slow this week. Both channel and flathead catfish have started to bite a little better now that the water is warming up. Sheepshead were very active and are biting on night crawlers. Bass anglers found action to be similar to walleye fishing. Some good days followed by some slow days. Spring Lake area, Garnet Lake, the main channels and most sloughs have produced bass. Some largemouth bass have been taken along woody shorelines and weeds in the back sloughs. Most bass anglers were using plastics, jig and pig, top water spoons, or spinner baits. Bass anglers fishing on Pool 9 have found bass along the weed edges along the small channels. Northern pike action was spotty this week. White Pelicans can been seen on Pool 9 and on some days they are soaring high on the air currents all the way down to Prairie du Chien. However most are staying in Pool 9 above the Lynxville dam. Queen Anns Lace is in full bloom along the roadsides. Large groups of mallards can be seen in the Ambro Slough area on the St. Feriole Slough in Prairie du Chien. Most of the waterfowl have gained their flight feathers. Young turkeys, pheasants and grouse are now able to fly fairly well. Whitetail deer fawns are going bigger and are now capable of escaping most dangers.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Monroe County Fishing activity remains low in the county. Water levels are still below normal and many area ponds are blooming under the summer sun and heat. Deer remain plentiful in the evening hours and many sandhill cranes can be seen in fields. The grasshoppers are abundant and turkeys and other wildlife have begun feeding heavily on them. Recent heat has kept many indoors but evening boating activity has picked up on some area ponds and lakes.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - The hot weather has brought many visitors to the park to boat, swim, and canoe. Fishing has been slow but kids have been having some luck fishing the pond north of the park entrance. Park along County Road G and walk in to the pond. Campers and other park users have been catching catfish from shore at night. The lake has been staying fairly clear but there was some green algae at the beach Monday morning. Three wells are being converted from hand pumps to pressurized systems (north and south shelters and beach). Water is available at the park office or group camp. Black-eyed Susan, blazing stars and other plants are flowering along roads and in the savanna. Summer is a great time to take pictures for the park photo contest. Only two months left!! Categories include: people using the park, wildlife, plants, and open (landscapes). Campsites were filling up on weekends but the park does have five non-reservable sites. The park has been seeing increased camping during the week.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - With the recent rains, the prairies are in bloom. Our trails and mound stairway are in good hiking condition. The barred owls are hooting in the evening, and a wide variety of songbirds and turkey vultures have taken up annual residence in the park. Campsites 1 through 41 are open.
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/
