NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - The Brule DNR Weather Station measured close to 7 1/2 inches in the past couple of days and it was still raining as of Wednesday. Many areas have had even more rain in the Northern region. This has caused some creeks and rivers in Bayfield County to fill their banks, flow over roads, and create some hazardous driving conditions. On the bright side, the wetlands, ponds, and lakes are getting some much needed water to bring the levels back up. The rain is expected to continue until Wednesday night mixing with snow. The Bois Brule River is now very high and fast due to the rain. The river was flowing around 125 Cubic Feet per Second (CFS) before the rain. It is now flowing 468 CFS and rising as of Wednesday Oct. 5. The 60 year average is 156 CFS. The weekend forecast is calling for sunny skies and seasonal temperatures. There were many people out enjoying the colors in the Brule River State Forest last weekend. The colors are just past peak but they are still brilliant. A fresh push of northern geese and ducks have come through the area with the weather system. Visitors are encouraged to visit the Stony Hill Nature Trail. New interpretive signs were just put up by Brule River State Forest Naturalist, Justin Yarrington. These signs were put up to bring hikers into the "Brule past". Information about the Civilian Conservation Corps. (CCC), logging, fires, geology of the area, and much more can now be found on this trail.
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Warm weather in the area makes one think it is still summer but fall is in the air. Lake trout fishing on Lake Superior closed on Sept. 30. Anglers can still fish for salmon and other trout. Fall brings back the opportunity to fish near shore and anglers will find fish in the shallower water. Tributary streams have low water levels but anglers are still picking up some chinook and cohos. Inland lakes were producing walleye and panfish. Duck hunting has slowed since opening weekend with hunters still seeing teal and a few mallards. Most of the local ducks are now somewhat gun shy. Colder weather will bring in additional flocks of ducks and improved opportunity. Goose hunting has really slowed. Few flocks have been seen but again colder weather may improve goose hunting as well. Grouse hunters are having a hard time with the leaf cover and lack of birds. One can still find some good hunting but you have to work for it. For the people looking for great scenery and picture taking opportunities Northern Wisconsin is at its finest. The leaf color is great this year and will only get better in the coming days.
Cumberland DNR Service Center area
Interstate Park - Fishing action is slow, and the St. Croix River is low. The leaves are starting to turn color in the St. Croix River Valley. Peak color usually comes around the second weekend in October. All hiking trails are open and in good condition. Late summer wildflowers blooming in the park at present include: Goldenrods, white snakeroot, orange jewelweed, yellow jewelweed, many asters, gentians, and big blue stem grass. All campgrounds are open and in good condition. The water in the campgrounds will be turned off after the weekend of Oct. 8 and 9.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Warm temperatures continued in the Park Falls area this week, but forecasts call for much cooler conditions as the week progresses. Heavy rains are causing some localized flooding and causing many rivers to rise well beyond levels experienced this summer. Anglers enjoyed the beautiful weather but fishing success was only fair. Archery hunters are monitoring deer activity and are beginning to see some nice bucks traveling alone toward the evening hours. Fall colors are at peak or beyond in many areas and high winds and heavy rain have caused many leaves to fall. Waterfowl activity has been minimal with during the warm weather though some geese are moving with the north winds. Fall turkey season opened Oct. 1 and opportunities look promising. Turkeys should be found searching for acorns near oaks. Loons are still in the area but should be departing soon. State law prohibits shining after 10 p.m. from Sept. 15 through Dec. 31. Also check local ordinances in your area, which may prohibit shining. . Toads, frogs, chipmunks all begin hibernating in early October.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The northern part of the Upper Chippewa Basin received anywhere from 3 to 7 inches of rain from Tuesday to Wednesday morning. Stream and river levels are high and will continue to rise for the next day or so, with many approaching flood stage. Lake levels were also on the rise, with the drainage lakes seeing a very quick rise in water levels. Many pier owners reported water lapping near the top of their docks. With the combination of some windy and erratic weather, and the fact that nearly all of the major hunting seasons are open, overall fishing pressure has really dropped off on the waters in the north. There have still been quite a few musky anglers out and they have been enjoying some mild temperatures and good action. Most of the catches have been of smaller fish in the 30 to 38-inch size but most anglers have reported follows by some larger fish. Artificial baits such as bucktails and stick baits have been the most productive baits, with most of the action coming along the deeper weed edges. Sucker anglers have been having some good success, with the smaller-size bait in the 10 to 14-inch range giving the most action. However, it's been hard to keep the suckers alive with the unseasonably warm water temperatures. Walleye fishing has been inconsistent as the warmer temperatures seem to keep the fish in a little deeper water. With any kind of cooling trend, greater numbers of fish should show up in the shallows and increase fishing success. Large fathead minnows have been the best bait and the deep break lines have produced the most consistent action. Anglers are reminded that the general inland trout season closed on Sept. 30 with most streams, rivers, and spring ponds closed to trout fishing. Many stocked trout lakes do remain open and can provide some excellent late-fall fishing. These trout lakes that are open can be found in the Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide pamphlet.
Flambeau River State Forest - The north and south forks of the Flambeau River are extremely high with flood conditions. There has been over 8 inches of rain during the past two days and there have been a considerable number of road and trail washouts. Forest users are advised to use caution as there are washouts at Beaver Dam Landing and on Camp 41 road. ATV users please be aware of a trail washout on Bear Creek Road at Hacket Creek, and expect many other washouts along the trails. There are multiple other washouts on forest roads, so again please use caution. Trees in the forest are at about 60 percent leaf drop.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Area Conservation Wardens and guides report that musky fishing is picking up and walleye fishing stays steady. Musky anglers were employing the use of sucker rigs and reporting increased success. Anglers are reminded that dragging a sucker behind the boat while utilizing a trolling motor to propel the boat along the shore is a violation of the trolling restrictions and citations are being issued. A few largemouth bass have been caught, although they will become less active as the lakes continue to cool. Smallmouth bass have moved into deeper waters about 15-20 feet. Perch activity is reported as sporadic but they are being caught on weed edges or in flowages with submerged wood in about 6-12 feet of water. Bluegills were hanging about the weed edges and have been somewhat aggressive. Crappies are beginning to school in shallow weeds. Unseasonably warm weather is delaying any turn-over in area lakes. Recent surface temperatures averaged about 60 degrees. Archery hunters are reporting that deer appear to have moved or are moving into their more normal fall patterns with some nice deer being taken. Concentrate in areas with oak trees as the acorn crop is a bumper one this year. Weather changes have brought in some new ducks with some positive reports now trickling in. Grouse hunters are reporting a few birds in the are but they are beginning to find them on the higher ground as opposed to the lower edges at the beginning of the season. Woodcock are now reported to be migrating through the area. Fall colors will be peaking soon in the area.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - Fishing on the lower Menominee River from the dam to the mouth was picking up over the past week and weekend. Anglers targeting sturgeon were seeing new fish entering the river with many legal fish (50-plus inches) being caught below the dam on night crawlers with mornings from 5-9 a.m. and evenings from 5-8 p.m. being the most effective. Salmon have now made it up to the dam and were being caught regularly by anglers using spoons and some being caught on night crawlers or by fly-fishing from the dam down to the railroad bridge. Salmon fishing on the Little River was also in full swing with many anglers fishing from the Bayshore bridge down to the mouth and also wading out into the bay. Most fish were caught on spawn sacs fished on the bottom with a bell sinker or also with colored yarn. Some fish were also caught by anglers throwing spoons out into the bay approximately 75-100 yards off shore. Fishing the Peshtigo River was slow over the weekend with a few salmon caught near the dam on spawn sacs and small spoons. Read regulation booklet for information regarding the closed times for fishing in the fish refuge starting Oct. 1.
Oconto County - Salmon fishing on the Oconto River was picking up as many anglers were able to catch chinook salmon fishing from the end of the Breakwater pier while throwing spoons. Most fish harvested were done in the early mornings before and a little after daybreak and also in the evening and throughout the night. Hot colors have been blue & silver Little Cleo's in 2/5 and 3/4 oz sizes. Perch fishing is starting to taper off in the Bay out from the Oconto County parks and Oconto River. Some anglers were still catching fish in deeper water 30-38 feet on minnows and night crawlers. Smallmouth bass action was also going good with anglers catching larger fish along weed lines just downstream from the Harbor boat landing while pitching tube jigs. Fish were also being caught on the reefs just north of the Oconto River on crank baits and tube jigs.
Shawano County - Smallmouth are beginning downstream migration to over wintering areas. Inland trout season is now closed for most waters unless specifically listed in regulations pamphlet. The fall fishing bite should pickup as water temperatures start to decrease. The musky action on Shawano Lake has been reported as good.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - The walleye are beginning their fall run up the Fox, as boats are starting to hook into some small males vertical jigging with minnows in the channel up near the dam. That is great news, since there hadn't been much all summer except a few sheepshead and catfish. Still not too much walleye action at Voyager, but that should change soon with more normal October weather. Still zero perch action on the Fox, but there has been some smallmouth action up near the dam as well as some spotty action out at the river mouth. They have been hitting mostly twisters and tubes, but minnows have been doing okay at the mouth. The Suamico River has received more fishing pressure in the last few weeks than all summer, mostly because the perch are finally biting, even though they are quite small. The perch action has also improved the west shore of the bay. Some larger ones were being found in 20-25 feet around the lighthouse. Also, the west shore of the bay around Geano beach is showing some good signs of fall walleyes. Duck Creek has been very slow so far. Mostly white perch and bullhead have been caught during the day using crawlers. However, the perch action has showed a spark of hope and many are trying their luck off the boardwalks in Howard. Bay Shore Park has been doing very well. A few days last week were pretty tough, as some parties were having some trouble finding big ones and settling for some borderline keepers. That should be all over as the water cools back down and the big ones show up again. The gobies seemed to have calmed down a little bit, but there is still plenty out there, especially out on the reefs in less than 20 feet. The walleye action has been so-so along the east shore south of Bayshore; sometimes anglers found them, sometimes they didn't. Some 22-26 inchers were caught during the evening in recent weeks, but no information to report this last week.
Manitowoc County - Fishing was spotty last week, but anglers who put in the time looking for fish were catching fish. Anglers were catching mostly chinook salmon, but an occasional rainbow and coho were also caught. A few fish were being caught upriver, but the main push is yet to come. Cooler temperatures later this week along with some rain may bring more fish in. Anglers were also catching a few fish in the marina. Fishing pressure was low on the Branch River this past week. The dam in Mishicot on the East Twin River was producing a few fish. Anglers were also catching a few fish downstream at the access roads crossing the river. Fishing pressure has picked up quite a bit on the West Twin River, but few fish were being caught. Look for more fish to move in with cooler temperatures the next week or so. Action has slowed a bit the past week in Two Rivers, but a few chinook were still being caught. Some nice smallmouth bass were caught in the harbor along with a few perch. Few boats have been out recently from the Two Rivers and Manitowoc ramps, but those venturing out did catch some nice chinook near shore.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County Chaudoirs Dock has been doing pretty well for perch action during the last week, but still not as well as Bayshore. Anglers were marking them straight out from the landing at 20-25 feet, but there were also a lot of white perch. They are more plentiful here than at Bay Shore, but not even near the numbers seen a few years ago. Little Sturgeon Bay has died down a bit, except for some remaining perch anglers and late bass anglers. Bait such as leeches and minnows have still been working sometimes along the rock bars at 6-8 feet on the east shore where most of the bass action has always been. Also, some bigger ones have been showing up, as we have seen some at 20-plus inches casting tubes in Riley's Bay. There has been relatively no perch action in Little Sturgeon itself. Sawyer Harbor has been seeing a little tougher action for bass this last week. The rock pile off Cabot point and the drop off shore of Pott Park has been producing the only action. Anglers looking for perch were fishing to the east of the islands right in the harbor, but unfortunately the gobies were also there. Both crawlers and leeches were working for perch, but most have been on the small size. Larson's Reef has been steady for evening walleye action, a couple slow days in there, but that should be temporary.
Strawberry Creek Spawning Facility - On Monday Oct. 3 the facility harvested over 500 chinook and about 700,000 eggs for the DNR hatchery system. The next planned harvest day at Strawberry Creek is Thursday Oct. 6. A harvest at Besadny Fisheries Facility in Kewaunee will take place on Saturday, Oct. 8 in conjunction with an open house being held there. Another harvest at Strawberry Creek is tentatively scheduled for Monday Oct. 10. The facility is located on Strawberry Avenue off of County Highway U, east of Sturgeon Bay and south of the ship canal.
Peninsula State Park - All hiking and biking trails are dry and in excellent condition. Fall foliage is at approximately 25 percent, at best. Expect peak colors in mid October. All campgrounds except Tennison Bay will be closing for the season on Oct. 16. Peninsula State Park golf course is open until the end of October. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse is open and providing guided tours seven days per week between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., until Oct. 17. The annual "Spooktacular" hike is being held Oct. 8 from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Nicolet Beach overflow/amphitheater parking lot. American Folklore Theatre has ended its season in Peninsula State Park's amphitheater.
Kewaunee County - On Lake Michigan anglers have had the best success trolling in deeper water. The bulk of the catch has been rainbow trout and smaller sized chinook salmon. Anglers have been trolling in anywhere from 80-400-plus feet of water and 40-150 feet down using spoons, dodger/flies, and j-plugs. Some anglers have had success catching spawning chinooks trolling near shore while using spoons and stick baits. Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, brown trout, and a few coho have been taken off of the piers and harbors of both Kewaunee and Algoma. Various spoons in blue, green, and silver have worked the best as well as marshmallows and spawn sacs. Over the weekend there was a decent run of chinook salmon in both the Kewaunee River and the Ahnapee River. Most of the fish were taken on spawn sacs and flies with a few taken on spoons and marshmallows. The Besadny Fisheries Facility in Kewaunee is having an open house on Oct. 8 and will be demonstrating the egg collection process in the morning with a guided tour of the facility at 2 p.m.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Prairie enthusiasts can be busy collecting prairie grass seed right now. Switchgrass, Indian grass, little bluestem, Virginia wild rye and sideoats grama are ready with big bluestem soon to follow. Prairie forb species ready for harvest are yellow coneflower, sneezeweed, Canada milkvetch, blue vervain, green headed coneflower, bergamot and white false indigo. The prairies are a blaze with whites, purples and pinks of the various asters. A sure sign that the prairie growing season is coming to a close. With cooler weather around the corner, this is a good time for prairie owners to remove any and all woody brush encroachment. Best to treat the cut stem with a proper herbicide to prevent resprouting. Wildlife viewing opportunities will continue to improve as leaves are beginning to drop from deciduous trees. Archery hunters were seeing more sign of increased white-tailed deer buck activity with rubs and a few scrapes. Along with area farmer's fall corn and soybean harvest well ahead of schedule due to the dry, warm summer excellent viewing opportunities in the evening of white-tailed deer, wild turkey and Canada geese in Fond du Lac County. Over the weekend, waterfowl hunters in Fond du Lac County were greeted with dry or very low water levels in area wetlands despite almost 3 inches of rain the last few weeks. The severe drought continues to hold on. The few wetlands that have water have concentrated the waterfowl along with the hunters. Eldorado Wildlife Area main impoundment remains dry with very low water levels on Mullet Creek Wildlife Area flowages. It will take significant rains to get these areas back to normal fall water levels. The most common waterfowl species being harvested were wood ducks, blue-winged teal and mallards. Area fall turkey and pheasant hunters should see good number of birds, very similar to 2003. Large number of pheasant and turkey broods have been observed gorging on the high density of grasshoppers in alfalfa and idle grassland fields due to the dry, warm summer. Fall turkey season started Oct. 1 and will continue for 40 days. The fall pheasant opener is Oct. 15 and continues through the end of December. Please be aware, area reptiles and amphibians are beginning to migrate to their wintering habitats. Tiger salamanders and common garter snakes were observed last week. Please do not take them home. Observe, take pictures and let them continue to migrate to their wintering habitats to ensure species survival.
High Cliff State Park - All trails open and in very good condition. Fishing has slowed down a bit--water quality is very good. The bathhouse at swimming beach is closed for the season. Watch for various bird migrations following the ledge--geese are plentiful. Fall colors are just beginning--peak will occur in about two weeks. Recent rainfall has the park green and alive.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Despite a few rain showers, water levels on our lakes and streams remain near or at record lows. Some boat launches are hard to use because the end of the launch ramp does not reach the edge of the water. It may be too late to restore lake water levels in time for winter. Fisheries managers are beginning to plan for the possibility of winterkill of fish populations in some shallow lakes due to low water levels, deep snow and ice-cover. If the winter of 2005-2006 is severe, there will probably be some winterkills on at least a few Southeast Region lakes. Across the region, fishing is picking up and game fish are starting to enter their fall patterns. There were some panfish being caught from Waukesha County lakes by anglers fishing deep. It seems successful walleye anglers were fishing long into the night. As expected, northern pike are starting to hit in northern counties and should start biting in southern counties as surface waters cool. In the south, surface water temperatures were still too warm for most game fish to use the shallows of our lakes. Fall color is just beginning and is at about 10 percent. Leaves of sumac bushes have turned deep red and are lighting up our roadsides. Archers have registered about 100 deer taken from the CWD zones; indicating archery deer hunting is pretty good for the few that seem to be out. Warm weather may also be keeping some bow hunters fishing on the lakes and out of their tree stands. The duck hunting opener was judged as very good by most hunters contacted. There is definitely a flight of wood ducks in our area. Conversely, goose hunting has not been that good. Local giant Canada geese have found their refuges and are hard to pattern. Don't forget duck hunting is closed between Oct. 10 and 14 in the Southern zone. White puff- ball mushrooms are just about every where in the woods; but other edible mushrooms have not appeared in any numbers yet. More rain is probably needed.
As of Oct. 1 fishing on the tributaries is not allowed from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise. Night fishing hours reopen on Saturday, May 6, 2006.
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan shore anglers have been catching a few chinooks off the piers. Both spawn and spoons have been productive. Flows on the Sheboygan River have been steadily dropping since last week and are now just below average for this time of year. Anglers on the Sheboygan River have been taking chinooks on both flies and spawn. Trollers off Sheboygan have been catching chinooks outside the harbor to 80 feet of water. Spoons in blue, green, and glow-in-the-dark have produced the most.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington shore anglers fishing the harbor have been catching a few chinooks and rainbows on spawn sacs or spoons in green & silver and blue & silver. Shore anglers near the power plant have been taking a mixed bag of chinooks, coho, and browns on spawn. Trollers off of Port have been catching chinooks and a few coho from the harbor out to 80 feet of water. Both spoons and J-plugs in glow-in-the-dark, white, and silver have been effective.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee anglers fishing off McKinley pier and near the Summerfest grounds have been catching a few chinooks, rainbows, and browns on spoons and alewives. Flows on the Milwaukee River are good, and anglers have been taking chinooks at Estabrook Park. The gates on the Estabrook Park dam are tentatively scheduled for opening on Oct. 17. Flows are low again on Oak Creek, but anglers working near the dam have been catching chinooks and coho on spawn. Trollers off Milwaukee have been catching good numbers of chinooks, along with a few cohos in and around the gaps and out to 60 to 80 feet of water. Spoons and J-plugs have been productive from 15 to 45 feet down. DNR fisheries staff will release about 10,000 7- to 9-inch walleye fingerlings in the Milwaukee River this week. With initial financial support from sport-fishing clubs, the department embarked on a pilot project in 1995 to raise and annually stock walleye fingerlings in the lower Milwaukee River in an effort to re-establish a self-sustaining walleye population. With the completion of the initial seven-year plan, a revised walleye management plan has been developed to guide future walleye restoration efforts in the Milwaukee River estuary.
Racine County - Shore anglers in Racine have been catching a mixed bag of chinooks, coho, and browns in the harbor and off the piers. Both spoons and spawn have been effective. Racine trollers fishing from the harbor out to 70 feet of water have been taking chinooks and a few coho on glow-in-the-dark spoons. Fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Monday October 3. So far this season we have passed upstream approximately 1040 chinooks, 120 coho, 5 steelhead, and 87 browns. And additional 75 skamania strain steelhead and 50 coho have been taken to the hatchery for later spawning. Fish will be processed at the weir again most likely on Thursday. Water levels on the Root are relatively low again. Stream anglers have been taking good numbers of browns on spawn in Washington Park. Good numbers of chinooks, along with a few coho and browns, have been caught below the weir in Lincoln Park. Anglers working upstream at the Horlick dam have been catching good numbers of chinooks. Most fish throughout the river have been taken on spawn or flies such as egg sucking leeches and small nymphs.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha Pike River anglers have taken good numbers of chinooks on spawn near the mouth, as well as on flies near the access at Highway A.
Walworth and inland Racine and Kenosha counties - Water temperatures are still warm for this time of year. Fishing has been a little slow. Anglers using suckers and chubs in 14 to 28 feet of water were catching some northern pike, largemouth bass and walleyes. Bluegills and yellow perch were biting on night crawler pieces, waxworms, and leaf worms. Stream anglers were catching white bass on the Fox River.
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Northern pike are becoming active. Anglers were reporting catching fair numbers of undersize northern pike from Big Cedar Lake near West Bend. Those reports are encouraging given the low numbers of pike seen in surveys up to a couple of years ago when a 40-inch minimum size limit was initiated to restore the fishery. We're still a few weeks away from the fall "turnover" when fishing can really turn on.
Kohler-Andrae State Park - There is a touch of fall in the air. Colors are starting to change throughout the park. The sumac is red and the tops of the maples are also turning red. Acorns are dropping. Leaves are falling from the ash trees. All hiking and nature trails are open. The trailer dump station, showers, and flush toilet facilities are scheduled to close for the season on Oct. 17. Cold weather may require closing earlier. There will be a Fall Open House Oct. 9 with free admission and activities scheduled throughout the day, including a Fall Hike 10:30-11:30 a.m.; Solar Viewing & DVD on Saturn noon-1 p.m.; Childrens Games noon -1 p.m., Smokey Bear 1-2 p.m. and a Sing-a-long 2-3 p.m.
Kettle Moraine State Park - Pike Lake Unit - The forest is about a week or two from peak fall color at this time. All trails are open for hiking. The cool crisp air of the fall season is a great time to view the explosion of fall colors while walking the forest trails. Be sure to check out the view of the forest from atop the observation tower on Powder Hill. Swimming buoys marking the beach area have been removed for the season. There are no lifeguards on duty in the state forest. Water quality remains good in the beach area.
Waukesha County - Recent cold fronts have been providing challenging fishing conditions. Bluegills have slowed down but were still providing some action. Try slip bobber fishing over deep weed cuts in 11-19 feet of water. Best bites were coming during mid-day periods on waxies and ice jigs. Walleyes were starting to hit on the clear water lakes at night, with night crawlers being the best bait. Some people have started to troll for trophies. Musky are beginning to enter fall patterns. Speed trolling large crank baits over weed flats are beginning to produce nice fish. A nice 50-inch musky was caught and released on Okauchee. Pewaukee has been very active with several 42 to 48- inch muskies taken.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Grant County - Anglers reported good catches of smallmouth and largemouth bass throughout Mississippi River pool #11 on artificial lures with emphasis along the rock rip rap shore areas. Bluegill anglers were reporting good success in most back water areas as well as OLeary Lake below Lock and Dam #11. Anglers reported catching nice keeper size crappies in Bertom-McCartney Lake downstream from Cassville. Waterfowl hunters reported seeing good numbers of ducks on the opening weekend despite the blue bird weather of blue skies and temperatures in the 80s. The first few hours on opening Saturday found most hunters with the opportunity to harvest wood ducks and blue-winged teal. There were a few mallards, gadwall and green-winged teal in the mix. Many Canadian geese were observed in pool #11 although most stayed out of range. There are several hundred white pelicans feeding and loafing in Pool #11 downstream of Cassville on the inner islands near Snyder Slough. The neck collared trumpeter swans and their one youngster can often be seen on the upper end of Pool #11 near Ackerman cut upstream from Schleichers landing. The soybean harvest appears to be approximately 50 percent complete with many field areas opening up. The corn and silage harvest has begun. Dove hunters had reported good success on recently picked seed corn fields near Cuba City.
Iowa County - This weekend marked the opening of wild duck season in the southern zone of the state. Hunters did have some success with wood ducks west of Spring Green. Shovelers and mallards were also seen in the area. However, with limited rainfall that has been occurring, duck numbers could decrease due to a very low or even no back waters in the area. This weekend also marked the opening of the fall turkey hunting season. Turkeys were spotted near cornfields and along edges of woods. Sample stations have reported little action with archery deer hunters. Mostly does have been caught but a couple bucks have been brought in. As for vegetation, fall colors are starting to emerge and peak foliage should be around mid October.
Lafayette County - The waterfowl season has opened and is in full swing. Hunters in saw a few birds on Yellowstone Lake and enjoyed some success. Primarily geese, mallard, teal, and wood ducks were harvested. Walnut and oak trees had a good year for nut production this year. Walnuts and acorns are plentiful and should provide a good food source for area wildlife (including those Woodys). On that note, walnut and cherry timber sales are very high right now, and your local DNR forester warns against door to door timber sales persons and potential scams. Should someone contact you directly, consult your forester prior to entering into any agreements for timber sales.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Dane County - The fishing hotspot in the area has been the Babcock locks in McFarland for the past few weeks where anglers are still catching lots of largemouth bass and some good sized bluegills. The area is very crowded and wardens have been issuing citations for possession of undersized fish, fishing without licenses, and littering. Other dam areas on the Yahara River are slow. Musky anglers have been having some success on Lake Waubesa. Some good bluegill fishing can be had on all the lakes by boat in the next few weeks as the fish move back into shallow water. Lots of duck hunters were out over the weekend with spotty success. Ducks were using some potholes but not others, so scouting has been essential. Hunters on the bigger rivers and lakes had good success. Some geese migrated into the area with a cold front last week. Most cornfields are still unpicked but a lot of soybean fields have been harvested. Turkey hunters focusing on hay fields, wooded areas with acorns, and cornfields should have good success. Bluebirds are migrating through the area and checking nest boxes prior to leaving.
Jefferson County - Anglers are catching a few catfish along the Crawfish River by Hubbleton using night crawlers. Most of the fish are in the 1 pound range. A few walleye were still biting near the mouth of the Rock River. Anglers fishing from the boats were having the best success using a jig and a minnow or twistertails. A few white bass were also being caught in this area. Some crappie have been biting at the mouth of the Bark River on small minnows in the evenings. The fish that have been caught are 10 inchers. Duck hunters on opening weekend had good success the first day and then success tapered off the second. Many limits of wood ducks were observed on the Rome Pond public hunting grounds. On the Mud Lake public hunting grounds mostly mallards and teal were observed being harvested along with a few wood ducks. Water levels are low so must hunters either needed a go-devil or canoe to get around. Warm weather on the opener affected the dogs, which had to be watched for overheating. Archery deer hunters in Jefferson County have been having good success. Registration numbers are looking good with many hunters shooting an antlerless deer to earn their buck sticker for the upcoming earn-a-buck season beginning the end of October. Water is finally flowing over the dam in Jefferson now that the dam is closed and the fish ladder mostly completed. The water levels on the Rock and Crawfish rivers are still low but better than they were two weeks ago due to the last rainfall.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Weather conditions for the opening of waterfowl season were very mild with generally clear skies and warm temperatures throughout the weekend. Water levels were generally good on area rivers backwaters and potholes. A short weather front skirted the area on Sunday afternoon but did not produce much rain in the La Crosse area. Waterfowl hunters had moderate success on wood ducks, teal, mallards and some success harvesting gadwalls widgeon and pintail on Pools 7 of the Mississippi River. Several waterfowl hunters also had success harvesting Canada geese on Pool 7. Waterfowl hunters hunting further inland on the La Crosse and Black Rivers had good success on wood ducks and to a lesser extent teal and mallards. Waterfowl hunters are reminded that as the weather conditions cool canvasback ducks will begin congregating to feed on wild celery on Pool 7 and the 1 per day canvasback season will not open until Oct. 15. Waterfowl hunters should carefully review maps of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge prior to hunting and be sure to avoid closed areas. Archery hunters continue to experience mild hunting conditions with several having success harvesting deer throughout the lacrosse area. Deer hunters are again reminded that the free Zone T tags issued with both archery and gun deer hunting back tags are not valid in DMU 59D, a regular season River Block Unit in 2005. Please review the 2005 Deer Hunting Regulations carefully prior to heading a field. Deer hunters wishing to harvest antlerless deer in 59D need to purchase bonus antlerless permits at the La Crosse DNR Service Center or other license sale outlets. The free Zone T tags issued with deer hunting licenses are only valid in designated Zone T, EAB and CWD units throughout the state. Large flocks of migrating bluebirds, robins, and catbirds are passing through the area. These migrating birds make many multi-day stops, fuel up on readily available foods, such as berries, and continue their leisurely southward migration. Wild turkeys have been very active recently, feeding heavily on grasshoppers, crickets, acorns, and other seeds. Box elder bugs and Asian lady beetles are looking for the winter refuges. Ways to prevent entry into houses is through commercial products or sealing cracks around windows doors etc.
Mississippi River - Waterfowl hunters were greeted by exceptionally warm weather over the opening weekend. Large numbers of people participated, although total numbers were a little lower than recent years. Overall the number of birds bagged was similar to recent years. Turtles are moving toward wintering areas. They have regurgitated the contents of their digestive tracts in preparation.
Crawford County - The Mississippi River stage rose about one foot this week just in time for the duck season opener. The water level was around 8.2 by the end of the week. Both the Wisconsin and Kickapoo rivers saw a rise with the recent rains. Mississippi River still has numerous submerged dangers. Even if the water comes up a bit dead heads, wing dams, and slough closures all pose dangers to boaters. Some backwater areas and mud/sand flats could also cause problems. Barge traffic is beginning to slow some what on the Mississippi River. Recreational boating traffic has slowed quite a bit now that most schools are back in session. There is still a lot of wild celery floating down stream. The floating weeds made fishing difficult in most areas. Walleye and sauger action remained spotty. The best action seems to be in the morning or early in the evening. Anglers using live bait have been mainly using night crawlers or minnows. Most walleye anglers are casting or trolling crank baits along rocky shorelines or wing dams or in deeper channels or casting or jigging lead head jigs to locate walleyes. There has been limited action at the Roseau Slough, the Black Slough, wing dams around the Prairie du Chien and Lynxville/Ferryville. The islands along the main channel outside Lynxville, north and south of Cold Spring, and all the way up to Lansing have been producing some nice walleye, but not every day. Bluegill action was pretty spotty this week. Gremore Lake, the upper and lower portions of the Ambro Slough, Garnet Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and many of the sloughs action has been very spotty. Even in the Main Channel along rocky shorelines and in lower flow areas bluegill fishing has been slow. Most anglers were using small pieces of night crawlers are fishing right on the bottom while others are using a bobber. Cold Springs was very spotty again this week. Perch action has been spotty. Crappie action has been very spotty with some reports of good catches up near DeSoto Bay on Pool 9. Striper (white bass) action was pretty slow this week. Some white bass were being taken up near the Lynxville dam and in the Prairie du Chien area. Both Channel and Flathead Catfish continue to bite fairly well. Catfish were being caught in Pool 9 outside of Ferryville. Most catfish are being taken on cut bait, stink bait or night crawlers. Sheepshead are still 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. Most anglers report catching many under sized bass. The Spring Lake area, Garnet Lake, the main channel 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. Smallmouth bass have been active along the Main Channels especially along rocky shorelines and wing dams. Northern pike action was spotty this week. Areas to try for northern pike would be the Ambro Slough area around Big Lake and Fish Lake, the top end of Hunters Slough near the waste water treatment plant, and any back water area along the weed edges next to deeper water. Inland trout anglers ended the season on a quiet note. Few were out during the last days of the season. The inland trout season ended Sept. 30. White pelicans can still been seen on Pool 9 in the area between Lynxville and Ferryville. The backwaters of the river systems are holding good numbers of wood ducks and other wild duck species. Numerous turkey vultures and other birds of prey can still be seen in the area soaring on the thermals up and down Pools 9 and 10. Most of the whitetail bucks have rubbed off their velvet. Red winged blackbirds are beginning to show signs of staging as large flocks can be seen flying throughout the county. Several species of bats can be seen feeding heavily on insects. The best time to view bats is around sunset or shortly there after. Watch for bats in open areas. In the river bottoms the Cardinal Flower is in full bloom. Many fall prairie flowers are starting to bloom. Fall appears to be arriving a little early as this week some red and yellow colors have been seen. Black walnut, elm, and sumac are starting to loose their leaves. Some maple trees are starting to turn color. Oak trees are still green. There appears to be a very good acorn, walnut, and hickory nut crop this year. Some farmers have begun chopping corn and the soybeans are getting ready to be harvested. There have been very few mourning dove hunters out. As more corn and soybean fields are picked the mourning dove hunting should improve. Successful dove hunters are finding the birds using picked grain fields, freshly cut alfalpha or corn fields. Duck hunters saw a large population of wood ducks this opening weekend. Most duck hunters either limited out on wood ducks or had their chance to do so. Many teal and a good number of mallards are in the area. Duck hunters in the Wisconsin River bottoms found similar action except the water levels there were a little lower. Archery deer hunters are finding a few scrapes along the field edges and in the woods. Most are small in size and not very active yet. Deer numbers look very good and reports of a couple nice bucks were taken this week. Most of Crawford County lies in Deer Management Unit 74B. All deer hunters are reminded that 74B in NOT a T-Zone this year, therefore the free T-Zone tags that come with both gun and archery deer licenses CAN NOT be used in 74B.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Monroe County - Opening weekend of the waterfowl season saw limited success among hunter who braved the warm weather on area ponds and lakes. Those that were successful brought in mallards, wood ducks, and geese. Most waterfowl was observed on Monroe County Flowage. Hunters should be warned that many swans are filtering through the area and could be mistaken for geese. One swan was shot in southern Jackson County on Oct. 2 by a hunter who didn't properly identify his target. Fish are still biting on area ponds. Abundant acorns in the woods have got squirrels in a frenzy too.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Fishing has started to pick up a little with the cooler weather earlier in the week. The park and wildlife areas A and B are open for the early season of bow hunting (54A). This area is not a T-zone. Only regular bow tags or bonus permits for 54A are allowed. Small game, trapping and waterfowl are allowed in Wildlife areas A and B only. Fall turkey is allowed in wildlife Area B only (15). Pick up hunting maps with rules at the park office. The park office will register deer during open office hours. Some campsites are starting to close for the season. Check with the park office for availability. The 2006 photo contest started on Oct. 1.
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