Updated every Thursday.
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/#topThe heavy rains that fell across southern and central Wisconsin in the past few weeks have raised water levels on lakes and rivers, with many still over their banks as of early this week. A number of lakes and rivers have expanded slow-no-wake rules in place, including the Rock and Crawfish rivers, Dane County chain of lake, and some Racine and Kenosha area waters. Local municipalities and counties are responsible for implementing slow-no-wake rules. Check with local officials for current restrictions. Areas of northern Wisconsin also received up to a couple inches of rain this week, but due to the severe previous drought conditions, the rain was generally not enough to raise water levels significantly on lakes or rivers, however wildfire danger levels have returned to low statewide.
With the erratic weather of the past week, fishing activity has been quite variable across Wisconsin. Musky have been the highlight in the Northwoods. Nearly all anglers were reporting sightings, follows and strikes -- with quite a few catches also being made. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing has been variable, but some days have provided some excellent action. Walleye success has remained slow, with many of the anglers having given up until the fall patterns set in. Panfish activity has been fair with some decent crappie and bluegill found suspended around deeper water cover. Rain and high water levels kept fishing activity very limited in central and southern Wisconsin this week. For those anglers who were out, largemouth bass action remained good and some perch were being caught. Catfishing was reported as good on rivers, with some white bass also biting. Perch and bluegill fishing has been very good in Lake Winnebago system. Limits of walleye were being reached on the Wolf River.
The lake sturgeon hook and line season begins Saturday, Sept. 1. This will be the first year for the new regulations to go into effect with a minimum size limit of 60 inches. A fishing license is required along with a sturgeon tag available at all license vendors for $20 for residents and $50 for non-residents. The season will continue through Sept. 30 with a limit of one fish per season.
Unfavorable weather conditions made fishing difficult at times this week for anglers trolling on Lake Michigan. The cooler temperatures combined with a little rain, and winds out of the west resulted in lower water temperatures. Those who ventured out landed chinook salmon and a few anglers also caught fair numbers of lake trout and brown trout. Shore fishing has generally been slow. On Green Bay, some yellow perch were being caught up toward Sturgeon Bay, and smallmouth action picked up with some bass tournaments being held.
The 6 to 12 inches of rain fell that fell mid August in the upper drainage basins of the Mississippi, Kickapoo, and Wisconsin rivers significantly raised water levels of those rivers. The Mississippi River was hovering around the 7 foot mark before the flooding, but after the rain crested near 14 feet. The Mississippi is expected to drop and by the Labor Day Holiday Weekend it should be around the 8 foot mark. The Kickapoo River flood was the worst in history. The Kickapoo and Wisconsin rivers are also starting to drop but at a slower rate than the Mississippi. Navigating these river systems continues to be dangerous because there still is a lot of debris floating downstream.
On the bright side, the recent rains have many marshes filled with water, just in time for the start of the waterfowl migration. Shallow flooding of low lying areas provides many seeds that would not otherwise be available to ducks, rails and other birds.
Chipmunks and squirrels have been very busy getting ready for winter by harvesting and storing acorns, hickory nuts, black walnuts, and various other seeds.
Indian pipe, harebell, wintergreen, common mullein, white snakeroot, marsh skullcap, lesser daisy fleabane, Joe Pye weed, pearly everlasting, spotted jewelweed, and some of the aster varieties are blooming, and grapes, elderberry, plums, apple, and many other fruits are ripe and ready for picking
A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277.
A new report is put on the line each week.
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NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - Red squirrels are "coming out of the woodwork." These busy little squirrels are endlessly collecting their winter caches of food. Watch out as they nip off cones and the ends of branches (with cones)…the pinecones that they are sending to the ground could give a good knock on the head of unsuspecting hikers. Ground bees are reported to be very aggressive now. The Brule Archery Club is planning on hosting an archery shoot at the Afterhours trails on Sept. 15. More details will be available soon. On August 24, a student delegation from Japan visited the Brule area. Approximately 60 people toured the Brule Hatchery and about 30 participants paddled the Brule River. Of the Japanese delegation, there were 12 students (10 girls, two boys), three chaperones (two middle school teachers and a principle), the mayor of Ami-Machi Japan, his secretary, the head of the town council, three professors (two from Ibaraki Prefectural Medical University), the superintendent of schools and several civilians. There was also most of the Superior host families and their kids as well as several of the Superior delegates.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - With the erratic weather of the past week, fishing activity has been quite variable across the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Musky have been the highlight in the area, and action continues to be very good. Nearly all anglers were reporting sightings, follows and strikes -- with quite a few catches also being made. Most of the musky have been in the 28 to 38-inch size but a few 40-plus-inchers have also been reported. Artificial baits were still providing most of the action and some of the favorite lures have included jerk baits, bulldawgs and top waters. With cooling water temperatures, the musky have been found in a variety of locations -- including the shallow break lines, mid-depth weed beds, and the deeper weed edges. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing has been variable, but some days have provided some excellent action. Smallmouth success has been generally good on the local flowages and larger rivers, with fish being found near cover around deeper water areas. The best baits have been spinner baits and small plastic finesse lures. Largemouth action showed a little more consistency in the past week, with most of the fish being found in the mid-depth areas around cover. The shallow-water bite never seemed to develop this summer and the largemouth have been holding around cover in 3 to 6 feet of water, with jig/craw combinations and soft plastics being the more successful baits. Walleye success has remained slow, with many of the anglers having given up until the fall patterns set in. Panfish activity has been fair with some decent crappie and bluegill found suspended around deeper water cover. Water levels in the area lakes, rivers and streams remain at very low levels despite nearly 2 inches of rain across the area in the last week. Many flowages are even a couple of inches below normal as the continuing dry conditions have kept inflow at below average levels. Wild rice was beginning to ripen on many area waters, with birds and waterfowl starting to flock into many of the rice beds.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - Sturgeon hook and line season will begin on Saturday, Sept. 1. This will be the first year for the new regulations to go into effect on the Menominee River. There will be catch-and-release only below the Hattie Street Dam out to the mouth and above the Hattie Street Dam it will have a minimum size limit of 60 inches. A fishing license is required along with a WI/MI sturgeon tag available at all license vendors for $20 for residents and $50 for non-residents. The season will continue through Sept. 30 with a limit of one fish per season. Anglers fishing near Little River were catching and releasing small yellow perch. This past Sunday there was a large number of boats from the Sheboygan Walleye Club for a tournament out of the Boom Landing on the Menominee River. A good amount of rainfall has arrived to save some of the lawns. The blackberry crop suffered quite a bit from the extended dry spell. Wild grapes are ripe for the picking also. A Hunter Safety Course will be held at the Menominee Woods Field and Stream Sportsmans Club in Michigan on Sept. 7 through 9. In order to register please call the instructor at (906) 863-5197.
Oconto County - Mid week, anglers fishing out of Oconto Park II for yellow perch were able to catch their limit in 10 to 15 feet of water using fathead minnows. However, they had caught and released a lot of fish under 7inches. Fly fishing at the South Branch Oconto River near Hwy 32 afforded an angler to catch and release many smallmouth bass.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - The past week brought cooler weather, much needed precipitation, and low winds that resulted in some quality fishing action on the bay. Canadian geese are starting to show in higher numbers as fall creeps closer. Yellow perch were being caught in some fair numbers up toward Sturgeon Bay. The majority seem to be on the small side, although some nice fish in the 10- to 11-inch range also showed up. Soft shell crabs seem to be the best bet this time of the year. Walleye action has tapered considerably, although quality action continued outside of Geano Beach, and Bay Shore parks. Smallmouth action picked up this week with some small club bass tournaments being held out of Little Sturgeon Bay and Potawatomi State Park. Some of the larger bass were in the 19- to 21-inch range and around 5 pounds. Larson's reef along with the canal in sturgeon bay seemed to produce best. Anglers had luck drop-shotting soft plastics and various other baits. Some quality northern pike action was seen outside of Little Sturgeon Bay with fish ranging up to 35 to 40 inches and in the 10- to 12-pound range. Still no monster musky to report although activity continued to increase in search of these fish as fall sets in.
Manitowoc County - During this past week, anglers in Manitowoc had a fair week of fishing despite unfavorable weather conditions that made fishing difficult at times. Successful anglers trolling on Lake Michigan landed many chinook salmon and a few anglers also caught fair numbers of lake trout and brown trout. Trollers found the greatest success in 70 to 100 feet of water fishing the lower half of the water column with spoons or dodger-fly combinations. Pier anglers had a slow week of fishing only landing a few chinook salmon from the north pier. Bass anglers fishing inside the harbor had a good week of fishing landing some nice smallmouth bass using stick baits or jigs. Anglers trolling on Lake Michigan out of Two Rivers had a fair week of fishing this past week. When the weather allowed anglers to get out on the lake they landed a few nice catches of chinook salmon during the mid-morning and dusk bites. Most anglers fished in 75 to 110 feet of water. Anglers fishing from the Two Rivers north pier had a good week of fishing landing several large chinook salmon. Most anglers used a variety of spoon colors before finding one that caught fish.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - Cooler temperatures made for a pleasant week. The cooler temperatures combined with a little rain, and winds out of the west resulted in lower water temperatures out on Lake Michigan. Please remember that despite the rain, conditions are still very dry and burning bans remain in effect throughout the county. The cooler water temperatures resulted in an improvement out on the big lake, with salmon and trout remaining active. Anglers fishing out on Lake Michigan continued to bring in respectable catches including some nice brown and rainbow trout. The early morning bite remained the most productive. Anglers fishing the Bank Reef continue to report success on fly and dodger combinations fished 50 to 75 feet down along the edges early in the day. Later in the day most of the successful anglers found there fish in 70 to 100 feet of water while fishing fly and dodger combinations 75 to 85 feet down. Off Baileys Harbor the action continued to be good both north and south of town, again in 70 to 100 feet of water. Washington Island, Ellison Bay and Rowley’s Bay also reported fish. Northern pike fishing continued to improve this week. The weed beds in front of the marines and along the channel in Sturgeon Bay, as well as from Little Sturgeon, Riley’s and Sand Bays all produced some nice northerns. Smallmouth bass action also seems to be improving with Little Sturgeon, Riley’s Bay and the Sturgeon Bay flats all produced some small mouths. Tube jigs and goby imitating baits continued to produce some nice smallmouth in the deeper waters. Shore fishing for smallmouth was fair to good in most areas of the county. Night crawler harnesses and crank baits fished in 12 to 15 feet of water should still be producing some walleye from the areas around Larsen’s Reef and Monument shoals. Perch fishing remained on the slow side; however, the southern shore of Green Bay, along with Little Sturgeon and Riley’s Bay were producing some perch. The weed edges between the bridges in Sturgeon Bay and along the buoy line from the Bay View Bridge to the Sturgeon Bay ship canal were also yielding some perch; as is the area off Chaudoir’s Dock.
Kewaunee County - A mixed bag of weather over the last week changed the catch rates a little bit this past week. Rain and cooler temperatures with more favorable winds out of the west have helped to cool the water down a little bit, but it is still fairly warm. With the falling water temperatures more fish were being found closer in to shore. Anglers fishing off of the piers in Algoma and Kewaunee have had a pretty good week fishing off the piers. Kings, browns, and rainbows were being caught. Casting with spoons has still been the tackle of choice for these anglers. Anglers that have been trolling out on the lake have been coming in with some better catches of fish than last week, but fishing remained slow. Most boats were coming in with kings, but there have been some browns and steelhead being caught as well. Browns were still being reported in the shallower waters off of Algoma. Anglers this week found most of the fish out in water of depths between 70 and 100 feet with most being caught in the 70 to 80 feet range. The best choice for tackle has been fly and dodger combos as well as dipsy divers.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Lakeshore team wildlife report - Perch and bluegill fishing has been excellent on Lake Winneconne. Anglers were using night crawler chucks. A few walleyes were also being reported. Perch and bluegill fishing has been very good in Lake Winnebago system-wide with excellent reports coming from around the reefs. Walleye fishing is slow with low numbers being reported. Bluegill, catfish, and perch fishing on the Wolf River and Lake Poygan has been very good. Walleye activity has been very slow on Lake Poygan, but limits on walleye were still being reached in the Wolf River. Medium sized white bass were being caught by the rock wall near Partridge Lake.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - Sheboygan shore fishing has been slow overall, but a few chinooks have been taken off the piers on spoons in orange & silver, blue & silver, or purple. Trolling off Sheboygan has tapered off, with boats reporting only a few fish per trip. Chinooks and rainbows have been taken on spoons and J-plugs fished 40 to 90 feet down in 100 to 120 feet of water.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington shore fishing has been slow, but trollers have been catching chinooks and a few rainbows and coho. Most fish have been caught in 90 to 125 feet of water on spoons or dodger and fly combinations in a variety of colors.
Milwaukee County - Shore fishing in Milwaukee has been slow, with only a few chinooks taken off McKinley pier on glow-in-the-dark spoons. Perch fishing has been slow for both shore anglers and boaters alike. Milwaukee trollers have been catching chinooks, along with a few coho and lake trout, 70 feet down in 100 to 120 feet of water. Spoons, J-plugs, and flies in blue or green have been producing.
Racine County - In Racine near-shore waters remain dirty, and shore fishing has been slow. Trollers out of Racine have been have been catching good numbers of chinooks in 40 to 60 feet of water. Spoons in white, green, and cracked ice have been taking fish.
Kenosha County - Perch fishing in Kenosha has been hit-or-miss for shore anglers in Southport Marina. Crab tails and minnows have produced the most. Boaters continued to catch perch at the bubbler, with the best catches in the morning hours. Kenosha trollers have been catching good numbers of chinooks in 40 to 60 feet of water. Fish have been hitting spoons and J-plugs in green or silver.
Inland fisheries team report
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Fishing action has been fairly good in the area and is likely to improve as fall weather approaches. Some perch were being caught at Big Cedar Lake. Largemouth bass action remains good as well. Trout fishing will improve as water levels return to near normal. Grasshoppers are abundant and trout are actively feeding on them in meadow sections of the Onion River.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Lafayette County - Rain, Rain, Rain. With several days of significant rainfall area streams and rivers are at flood stage and in some cases they have left their banks and low lying areas are flooded. The Tri-County ATV Trail has been officially closed and as of Sunday afternoon Aug. 26 parts of the trail system were still under water. Check with local officials before making the journey to the area trails. The horse trails in the Yellowstone Wildlife Area have been closed. The boat launches on the Pecatonica River system are all flooded and the river is currently very high. On the bright side, area water fowler’s will likely have plenty of water in their favorite slough, wetland, or pond this fall hunting season. Fishing on Yellowstone Lake was good over this past weekend, some anglers were found to be in possession of their bag limits for catfish and crappie. One angler reported she had caught a 27-inch walleye and released it. For the fruit gatherers, grapes, elderberry, plums, apple, and many other fruits are ripe and ready for picking. Be sure to obtain permission from landowners, even in road ditches, before picking.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Sauk County - Boaters need to use caution on the Wisconsin River and surrounding lakes due to the flooding. Sandbars and other obstacles in the river will have changed due to the high water. Boaters are reminded that there will be lots of floating debris including logs and trees. The sturgeon season will open on Saturday Sept. 1 and run to Sept 30, this year. The minimum size limit for sturgeon this year is 60 inches in length. Every person keeping a lake sturgeon will need a harvest tag attached to the sturgeon.
Dane County
Lake Kegonsa State Park - A water quality advisory has been set at the beach due to high levels of e. coli and fecal coli form. Please use caution when swimming at the beach. Be sure to rinse off when you are done swimming and do not ingest large quantities of lake water. Due to very high water levels, Dane County has issued a "Slow, No Wake" order over the entire surface of Lake Kegonsa and the other lakes in the Yahara Chain. This rule will be in place until further notice and will be enforced by the Dane County Sheriff's Department. Boaters should also use caution during these conditions as there is a possibility of large debris floating in the lake off shore.
Jefferson County - Anglers are having good success catching channel catfish on the Upper Rock and Crawfish Rivers by the Jefferson Dam and by Hubbleton. The fish are biting on both night crawlers and shrimp the best. Many fish in the 3- to 5-pound range were being caught. Some white bass were biting on both the Rock and Crawfish rivers in the same locations. Anglers were catching the fish on small minnows. Due to the recent wet weather water levels have risen significantly on the lakes and rivers in Jefferson County. All the rivers and streams as well as Rock Lake and Lake Ripley are currently under an emergency slow-no-wake restriction. The lakes and rivers are beginning to slowly recede but will take time to get back to normal. Dove numbers look good for the upcoming season opener. Harvested small grain fields and standing sunflower plots are holding large numbers of birds.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
St. Croix County
Willow River State Park - The Labor Day weekend looks dry with average temperatures. The Willow River is running discolored, and might clear by the end of the weekend. The lake is also discolored. Reserved campsites are all taken for the Labor Day weekend. Leave the firewood at home unless you live within 50 miles of the park in Wisconsin. Once again the trails are clear of downed trees. Weekday hikers may find maintenance crews doing other work along the trails. Even though the humidity level has dropped, there will be plenty of humidity on the trails, especially in windless areas. Bugs were not an issue for the crew doing the tree clearing along the trails. Weekend Nature Center hours will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
The recent rains have many marshes filled with water, just in time for the start of the waterfowl migration. Shallow flooding of low lying areas provides many seeds that would not otherwise be available to ducks, rails and other birds. Seeds and tubers provide an excellent source of the carbohydrates needed for migration. The wild rice crop along the Mississippi looks good again this year, as well. Chipmunks are busy getting ready for winter by harvesting and storing acorns, hickory nuts, black walnuts, and various other seeds. Chipmunks have fur-lined internal cheek pouches for carrying nuts and seeds which they cache for use at a later time. Instead of relying upon stored body fat to sustain them during hibernation, chipmunks awaken about every two weeks throughout the winter and early spring to feed on their cache of nuts and seeds The fur lining in a chipmunk's cheek pouches prevents saliva from contacting food being carried in the pouches. Contact with saliva enzymes could cause stored food to spoil before consumption.
Crawford County - Flood condition existed throughout the county for most of the week. During the weekend of August 18-19, heavy rain fell throughout the Crawford County area and in the upper drainage basins of the Mississippi, Kickapoo, and Wisconsin rivers. Anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of rain fell during that weekend. Evacuations of the citizens of Soldiers Grove, Gays Mills, and Steuben occurred. As of Monday, Aug. 27, clean up was still ongoing in those municipalities. The rivers are dropping and most of the roads are open. As of Sunday one road, Sand Hill Road south of Gays Mills was still flooded. All the main highways are open. The Mississippi River, before the weekend on August 18 was hovering around the 7 foot mark. Early last week, after the rain, the Mississippi River crested near 14 feet. The Kickapoo River flood was the worst in history. Many “old timers” commented the Kickapoo was higher than they’ve ever seen. The Wisconsin River also rose quickly and flooded low lying homes and crop ground. As of Monday, Aug. 27, the Mississippi River was at 10 feet. The forecast for the Mississippi River is to drop and by the Labor Day Holiday Weekend it should be around the 8 foot mark. That prediction depends on the amount of rain that may fall yet this week. The Kickapoo and Wisconsin rivers are also starting to drop but at a slower rate than the Mississippi River. Navigating the river systems is dangerous because there still is a lot of debris floating downstream. In addition to that a substantial amount of vegetation because uprooted and is drifting downstream. Many boat landings on the Mississippi River are full of weeds. All recreational boaters and anglers must use caution on the river right now. All boaters using the Mississippi River are urged to slow down and keep a watchful eye out to avoid problems.. Fishing action was pretty poor because of the high water. Few anglers were out this week. Bluegill, perch, and crappie action appears to be disrupted for a bit yet. Once the river drop a bit more and stabilize action will pick up. Walleye and bass fishing was about the same. Later this week some anglers were able to find some active bass in flooded areas. A few walleye were taken off wind dams. Catfish were being taken by commercial fishers. Hook and line anglers were having a bit of a problem with floating weeds. Again, fishing activity should pick up by this weekend…if the area doesn’t get much more rain! Trout fishing was disrupted this week due to the high water. However near the end of the week many of the trout streams settled out and clear up and are now in good shape. Few anglers have been out trout fishing this week. Poison ivy and stinging nettle, deer, horse and house flies and mosquitoes are out in force. Most of the parsnip has died back, however it should still be avoided. This is the time of the year where hornets begin to be a real pest at out door events.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park - The open water game fish action has been good this past week. Bass action on spinner baits and float baits has been productive, walleye action has been spotty. There has been good musky action on Cornell flowage and below the Cornell dam. Pan fish have been fairly active in the evenings near weed beds. Species of birds we have been seeing or hearing include: scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, towhees, ravens, rose-breasted grosbeaks, loons, robins, red polls, a variety of wrens, phoebes, turkey vultures, northern juncos, pileated woodpeckers, great blue herons, green herons, great horned and barred owls, osprey, bald eagles and belted kingfishers. The Canada geese have finished molting and the young are flying. Indian pipe, harebell, wintergreen, common mullein, white snakeroot, marsh skullcap, lesser daisy fleabane, Joe Pye weed, pearly everlasting, the pale and spotted jewelweed, rabbits foot clover, marsh hedge nettle, the water lilies, some of the aster varieties, a few great blue cardinal flowers, and wooly yarrow are flowering. The park will be undertaking a major road renovation project from early September to mid-October. Existing pavement on nearly all park roads and parking areas will be ground up and new pavement will be placed over it. The main park road will be widened slightly to accommodate a bicycle/pedestrian lane. All work will be done during daytime Mondays through Fridays.
Chippewa River State Trail - The trail is in good condition overall. There are some migrating waterfowl in the area. Eagles can be seen along the river. Prairie and woodland flowers are abundant.
Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area - Trails have some minor washouts but are in good shape overall. Migrating waterfowl are starting to get a little more active. Sandhill cranes can seen and heard in the area. The prairie is very lush this year. Grasses are thick and tall making it a little more of a challenge to see the forbs.
Red Cedar State Trail - Trail is in very good shape. All the rain lately has given the prairie and woodland flowers a bit of a boost. The Jerusalem artichoke is quite abundant and so tall it may occasionally fall across the trail. Sandhill cranes have been observed with their young along the trail.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park – Trails and campsites are in good condition due to the very sandy soils. Lake level appears to be about normal. Many people have been out catching white bass, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and catfish around the lake. The past weekend fishing was slower than the previous week. Hot summer weather is great for swimming, canoeing and kayaking. Canoes and kayaks are available for renting. There is some algae in the lake - it blows around with the wind. There are a couple beaches at the park, so usually one is clear. There is a cold water rinse shower in the beach picnic area. Many visitors are using the beach in the park. Reservable sites are filled on weekends. There are six non-reservable/first-come sites, which fill up as well and will probably be filled by Friday evening. Mosquito activity is low. Check out the new signs on the barrens nature trail. The trail is great for bird watching. Take photos of the wildflowers, wildlife, sunsets, people using the park, etc. for the annual photo contest. Deadline for the photo contest is Sept 30.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - Come and enjoy the quiet campground setting. Many late summer wildflowers are in bloom in the woodlands and prairies, including Goldenrod and Aster. Take a hike through the prairie to try and catch a glimpse of the Karner Blue Butterfly. Deer and Turkeys have been abundant throughout the park. Take an evening hike and listen to the owls, coyotes, and turkey vultures of Roche-A-Cri. The 2007 photo contest is underway, but the September 30th deadline is encroaching! Remember your camera to catch great summer photos for the contest.
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VHS Update
as of Aug. 30, 2007
Stocking update
The discovery of viral hemorrhagic septicemia, (VHS) in Wisconsin continues to have an impact on operation of state fish hatcheries. Because this new fish disease has been found in fish from Wisconsin’s waters of Lake Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources has curtailed taking brood stock, or parent fish, to produce the next generation of Skamania steelhead to be stocked into the lake. These brood fish are normally captured in fall as they swim up the Root and Kewaunee rivers on their spawning runs. The adult fish are then normally taken to Kettle Moraine State Fish Hatchery where they are kept until the fish are spawned in the first week of February through March.
Because of VHS, the state will not be moving any wild fish from Lake Michigan nor its tributaries into state hatcheries. The DNR will be requesting Skamania eggs from the Indiana DNR if they have some available beyond their own state’s needs. If none are available for 2008, DNR may not be able to stock any Skamania steelhead, which are an important fish for providing fishing opportunities from shore for boats suited to shallow water.
There will also be a reduction in the number of coho DNR stocks into Lake Michigan because of the ongoing quarantine at the Lake Mills State Fish Hatchery. The quarantine prohibits moving fish from the hatchery, thus coho that normally would be transferred to other facilities for raising to a yearling size could not be transferred. DNR staff tried to stock out 105,000 coho at fingerling size to reduce the number of fish at Lake Mills in late July. But water temperatures were too high in any of the tributaries where the fish could potentially be stocked to assure survival, and at the same time, bacterial kidney disease increased in the hatchery due to crowding and stress. Consequently, 105,000 coho – about 20 percent of production -- had to be euthanized so that the remaining fish at Lake Mills could be treated with medicated feed.
The state plans to stock 160,000 to 165,000 yearling coho from Lake Mills in early 2008 as well as 200,000 large fingerlings this fall. An additional 20,000 coho were transferred to a pond in Kenosha; they will be stocked into Lake Michigan as fall fingerlings within the next month. About 105,000 fall fingerling coho will also be stocked into Lake Michigan from the Bayfield Hatchery in the next two weeks.
Boater and angler compliance
Conservation wardens and watercraft inspectors will be out in full force over the Labor Day weekend, educating boaters and anglers on the required steps to help prevent the spread of VHS and invasive species such as Eurasian water milfoil and zebra mussels. Learn more here. [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/rbnews/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=639} Taking those prevention steps is very important as summer 2007 surveys of boaters at landings show that 40 percent of them move their boats from lake to lake. Such “lake hopping” can be part of the fun of fishing and boating, but it also increases the risk they will accidentally spread VHS or an invasive species if they don’t drain their boats of water and take other prevention steps. [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/DNRNews_Lookup.asp?id=82#art6]
Those steps are:
Drain all water from your boat and trailer, containers, and fishing equipment including bait buckets and coolers.
Do not move live fish, including unused minnows, from these waters. All fish must be dead before leaving the landing or shoreline. Ice your catch and discard your minnows.
Do not use minnows unless they were purchased from a licensed Wisconsin bait dealer or you caught them from the water you are fishing.
Remove all visible plants, animals, and mud from your boat and trailer.
Outreach and information
Thirty-second radio spots featuring Joe Thomas, a former star football player for the University of Wisconsin Badgers, will run statewide in September during live broadcasts of the Wisconsin football games. In the spots, Thomas urges anglers and boaters, “While I'm out protecting my quarterback, I want you out protecting our fish” and lists the steps to take to prevent accidentally spreading the disease.
Also, the companion TV spots are airing on cable television fishing shows and during the Brewers and Cubs series in the Milwaukee and Green Bay areas, where the virus has been found in fish.
In other VHS news:
An environmental group has sued Minnesota’s Pollution Control Agency to spurt action to stop the spread of VHS. See an article on the suit in the Duluth News Tribune for information [www.duluthnewstribune.com] (exit DNR).
The Government of Canada announced Aug. 22 that the Great Lakes strain of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia has been detected in fish from Hamilton Harbour and the Thames River in Ontario, marking the first detections of the disease in 2007 in Canada. [www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2007/20070822e.shtml] (exit DNR).
Frequently asked question of the week.
I’m traveling to the Northwoods for the long Labor Day holiday and plan to fish every day. Do I really need to dump out any leftover minnows at the end of the day?
Yes. Dispose of any leftover minnows in a garbage can at the boat landing before you leave a lake or river for the day, even if you will be returning to the same water the next day. People may be understandably reluctant to “waste” bait and the money they paid for it, but the stakes are too high to not do so. Based on VHS testing done on a variety of species in New York, minnows had the highest levels of VHS but didn’t show outward signs that they were infected. Unknowingly introducing infected minnows to one lake or river is bad enough; hauling the same minnows to another water only compounds the problem. While the VHS strain infecting fish in the Great Lakes region is too new for fisheries experts to know exactly how it will affect fish populations, VHS has been shown to infect more than three dozen game and fish species, and it often proves deadly for fish. Given that sport fishing is a cherished tradition in Wisconsin, with more than 40 percent of adults indicating that they fish, and an economic engine, generating a $2.3 billion economic impact and more than $90 million in tax revenues for state and local government, why risk it for a $2.50 bucket of minnows?
