Weather this past week was has been unseasonably cool for late summer, with most of the state receiving less than half an inch of rain. Trees have just started to show their promise of a colorful fall. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Fall Color Report (exit DNR) predicts peak colors are still four weeks to eight weeks off in different areas of the state.
Anglers have been fishing Lake Superior tributaries for lake run browns that are in the river, along with an occasional steelhead. Last year the peak runs of Lake Superior salmon were from the last week of September to first week October.
The Lake Michigan chinook salmon that will be spawning this fall have started to turn dark. The females are getting plump and the eggs are developing quickly. Males are starting to develop the characteristic hooked jaw or "kype." Chinook salmon are starting to move into the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal and a few have been taken by shore and pier anglers and are expected to start entering Strawberry Creek within the next couple of weeks. Some have been spotted up the Kewaunee River.
Poor weather conditions and rough seas made for only fair action out on Lake Michigan. Anglers have been reporting some good success casting spoons for trout and salmon off of the piers in Algoma, Kewaunee, Sheboygan, Port Washington and Milwaukee. Boat anglers that ventured out of the more northern ports had some success trolling on Lake Michigan this week with a good mix of chinook salmon, rainbow trout and coho salmon reported.
The mouth of the Peshtigo River saw a flurry of activity this week for smallmouth bass. Anglers at Oconto were reporting some real quality catches of perch. Perch fishing was fair to good along the Door County side of the bay. Smallmouth bass fishing was fair throughout Door County. Bass action has been great on Lake Winnebago, where the walleye bite has also been picking up.
Water levels have been good on the Kickapoo River for canoeing. The Mississippi River “spiked” last week at 7.7 feet but slowly settled down and was at 7.1 feet Monday at Prairie du Chien. Walleye and sauger action was fair and bass action remained good.
The early Canada goose season opened this week and hunters were reporting good success. This season targets locally breeding “giant” Canada geese and is held before migratory geese move into Wisconsin. Locally breeding geese are being seen in large flocks in preparation for migration. Waterfowl hunters are encouraged to scout area marshes ahead of time as water levels are lower than normal.
The red summer coats of white-tailed deer are starting to turn to the darker winter color. Bucks should start shedding velvet from their antlers soon. Fawns are also changing, their coats are starting to turn dark and they are losing spots.
Fall migration is in full swing. Most orioles are now gone and there should be a large push of warblers in the next week. Nighthawks are migrating. Look for them flying in groups, hunting insects at dusk. Their migration through Wisconsin will be over in a couple weeks. Barred Owls and whippoorwills have been calling in early evening. Large flocks of starlings and blackbirds are starting to show up.
Acorns have begun falling. Berries and other seeds are plentiful now. The reds of the jack-in-the-pulpit and bunchberry and the white of the white bane berry, dogwood, or snowberry, and the blues of clintonia, American yew, or blueberry make woodlots look very patriotic. Other seeds are not as neat to see. Hounds’ tongue and burdock are sticking to pant legs, shoe laces and dog fur.
Some of the late summer/early fall flowers that can be seen now are large-leaved aster, sunflowers, goldenrod, and jewelweed. Jewelweed goes by another name…touch-me-not. If the ripe seed capsule of this plant is touched the capsule will shoot its seeds out.
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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Statewide Birding Report
Fall migration is in full swing. Passerines have been moving for the past two weeks with most of the orioles now gone and the large push of warblers to come in the next week. Shorebird migration is in the latter half with many of the first year birds now dominating the flocks instead of adults. The next big cold front should bring some of the biggest numbers of birds of the year.
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NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Jewelweed
Catherine Khalar Photo
Brule River State Forest - The Bois Brule River is flowing at 108 cfs (cubic feet per second). The 64 year average is 137 cfs. Anglers are busy on the river fishing for the lake run browns that are in the river. An occasional steelhead is also being caught. Last year the peak runs of salmon were from the last week of September to first week October. Although September 22 is the first official day of fall, signs of fall are becoming more apparent. Bucks should start shedding their velvet on their antlers soon. The red coats on deer are starting to turn to the darker winter color…which sure blends in with the vegetation along the roadsides. Fawns are also changing, their coats are starting to turn dark and they are beginning to lose their spots. Canada geese can be found in large flocks in preparation for migration. Some of the late summer/early fall flowers that can be seen now are large-leaved aster, butter and eggs, native sunflowers, pearly everlasting, goldenrod, and jewelweed. Jewelweed goes by another name…touch-me-not. If the ripe seed capsule of this plant is touched the capsule will shoot its seeds out. Milkweed plants have some very noticeable seed pods that will eventually break open to let the wind carry its seeds away... another interesting way plants disperse their seeds. To learn more how plants disperse their seed check out the EEK site at [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/cool/seedy.htm]. Fall colors have just started to show the promise of a colorful fall. In the past few years the colors have peaked around the end of September to beginning of October. Some small acorns have been reported to be falling now. The bur oak acorn crop is reported to be good, the red oak acorn crop is reported to be fair, and the pin oak acorn crop is reported to be poor. A bumper crop of black cherries are ripe and blackberries are providing a tasty treat for wildlife and people. This all has an impact on the bear hunters with the upcoming bear hunt. With the plentiful food sources, bears may not be as interested in the baits. This could mean a lower harvest rate this year for bear.
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Copper Falls State Park - The park received significant rainfall in the last few weeks that has brought the Bad River water levels up. Summer is beginning to fade as the first signs of fall are showing as a few trees are beginning to change colors in anticipation for the brilliant fall color display that will take place in roughly four weeks. September through October is one of the most spectacular times to visit Copper Falls State Park. Camping remains popular through mid October at Copper Falls. If an electric site is desired a reservation is recommended.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - The Peshtigo River mouth is seeing a flurry of activity for smallmouth bass on small spoons and spinners. The salmon have been biting in the Little River area around dusk. Anglers have been fishing on the bottom with spawn sacks and casting cleo's. The Menominee River is giving up a mixed bag of walleye and smallmouth bass from the dam to the turn basin with live bait and lures both working well. Anglers have been fishing the Lighthouse Pier and the Government Pier for salmon and trout. Spoons are the preferred lures.
Oconto County - Water temperatures at the landings are at the 70 degree mark with excellent water clarity. Fishing pressure has been moderate to heavy due to the fact the perch bite has started. The bluegill bite at Stiles Dam remains good with some nice fish being taken on leaf worms and crawlers. Slip bobbering or free floating is the technique that has been working the best. Anglers at the Pensaukee Landing, Oconto Breakwater, and Oconto Park II were all reporting some real quality catches of perch. Suspending minnows near bottom in 9 to 12 feet of water has been working well at this time. Oconto Breakwater Park has been producing some nice chinook salmon and brown trout with anglers fishing with spoons, early morning and evenings.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Manitowoc County - Fishing in the Manitowoc and Two Rivers area this week was a little slower than during previous weeks because of unfavorable weather conditions that included rainy and windy days. Pier anglers in Manitowoc had some success early in the week but by the weekend fishing slowed sharply. Most anglers were casting 3/4 or 1 oz. reflective spoons with green, blue, yellow, or white tape to add a splash of color. By Sunday afternoon many anglers moved to just inside the mouth of the Manitowoc River (downstream of the first bridge); however, fishing was slow with very few trout or salmon harvested. Boat anglers had some success trolling on Lake Michigan this week. Anglers were trolling in 20 to 100 feet of water looking for fish but fishing success was only fair. Harvest numbers varied from two to eight fish per boat. In Two Rivers, pier anglers had a fair week of fishing with some good days and some very slow days. On Sunday afternoon most anglers were fishing on the south pier. Anglers were using a variety of baits including fishing alewife off the bottom, casting spoons or diving stick baits. A few nice chinook salmon were caught that weighed between 14 and 18 pounds. Boat anglers trolling Lake Michigan had some productive trips this week. Boat anglers covered a wide range of water depths with some trolling around the piers in 20 to 60 feet of water while others trolled in 150 to 300 feet of water. Boat anglers harvested a good mix of chinook salmon, rainbow trout and coho salmon.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - Mostly cloudy to partly cloudy days with cool temperatures and showers, along with moderate to strong winds, made for less than ideal weather conditions this week. Poor weather conditions and rough seas made for only fair action out on Lake Michigan. Most of the salmon action was to be found along the edges of the bank reef in 90 to 120 feet of water. Chinook salmon are starting to move into the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal and a few have been taken by shore anglers and anglers fishing from the piers at the Coast Guard station. A few northern pike were being taken along the channel in the area between the bridges in the Bay of Sturgeon Bay, as well as Little Sturgeon, Riley’s Bay, Sand Bay and Sawyer Harbor. Walleye action was slow to fair. Henderson Point, Sherwood Point, the Sturgeon Bay flats and Dunlap Reef, as well as well as the area around Horseshoe Island all produced a few fish. Crawler harnesses and crank baits seem to be the best for walleyes. Smallmouth bass fishing was fair throughout the county. Little Sturgeon, Riley’s Bay and Sand Bay produced a few fish. Plastics, spinner baits, crank baits along with some top waters all produced a few fish when fished along weed edges and over rock piles. Perch fishing was fair to good along weed edges and the can line in Sturgeon Bay as well as off of Chaudoir’s dock. Minnows and night crawlers are the baits of choice for perch.
Strawberry Creek Spawning Facility - There is a lot of activity out at the Strawberry Creek Weir this month as DNR fisheries staff is preparing the facility for this fall's salmon harvest. Current work includes a major rebuild of the salmon processing infrastructure. The chinook salmon that will be spawning this fall have started to turn dark. The females are getting "plump" and the eggs are developing quickly. Males are starting to develop the characteristic hooked jaw or "kype." Chinook salmon are expected to start entering Strawberry Creek within the next couple of weeks. These early run fish are usually not ripe and crews typically don't capture fish ready for spawning until early October. The Lake Michigan water level is up approximately 8 inches over last year. At this time crews are planning to use the pump and pipeline to supplement the flow in Strawberry Creek but probably won't be turning the pump on until approximately October 1. Predicting the timing of the first chinook harvest at Strawberry Creek this far ahead is difficult because weather, especially rainfall events, play a big role in salmon spawning runs. However, it is very likely that by Monday, October 5, crews will be actively harvesting chinook at Strawberry Creek and collecting eggs for the Wisconsin hatchery program. Once spawning begins, Mondays are generally scheduled for harvest days at Strawberry Creek so October 12 and 19 are also likely harvest days.
Whitefish Dunes State Park - Recent rains have helped both plant and animals at the park. With the much needed moisture the mushrooms have emerged and are spectacular. Asters, goldenrods and other fall flowers are showing the last blooms before winter. Hike the Yellow trail for a view of the park’s diverse habitats. Early morning fog brings unique look to the beach. Enjoy a quiet walk as the day starts. View migrating waterfowl and song birds. Watch for the gray fox as he hunts along the shore for washed up fish. Others are also looking for a meal. Keep an eye out for the bald eagle as they scan the shoreline for food. . Hairy and pileated woodpeckers can be seen along the green and yellow trails. Watch for their holes in trees. The pileated creates a rectangular hole while the hairy will create much smaller rounded holes. Fall is almost here with the turning of the leaves. Berries and other seeds can be seen all around the park. The reds of the jack-in-the-pulpit, bunchberry or partridgeberry, the white of the white bane berry, dogwood, or snowberry, and the blues of clintonia, American yew, or blueberry make the woods very patriotic. Other seeds are not as neat to see. Hounds’ tongue and burdock are sticking to pant legs, dog fur, shirts and even shoe laces. Please remember to put these seeds in the trash instead of on the ground to help prevent the spread of invasives. Help the park staff during the weekly work days to control these invasive plants from taking over our park. Dog owners are reminded that the first segment of the beach is now closed to dogs. The dog beach is still open. You can access it by hiking the red trail to the third beach access. Please remember to keep your dog on a leash for their safety and the safety of the park wildlife. A map to the dog beach is available in the nature center.
Kewaunee County - Weather this past week was seasonal for most of the week, but cooler temperatures and rain moved in for the end of the week. Winds were calm out of the south to start the week, but switched to the west and picked up towards the end of the week. Some salmon have already begun to get darker as the fall spawning run gets closer, and there have even been some fish being spotted up the Kewaunee River. Anglers have been reporting some good success casting spoons for trout and salmon off of the piers in Algoma and Kewaunee. Fish are starting to be taken at all times of the day, but more are being caught at sunrise and sunset. Anglers that have been going out on the lake had a slower week of fishing. Kings and steelhead still account for most of the catch with there being more kings than steelhead caught. Anglers were finding more salmon out farther this week due to warmer water. Most fish were being caught in water depths between 50 and 80 feet with most anglers fishing over water that is in the 80 to 120 feet range. Most anglers have been using a combination of dipsies and flashers and flies, but spoons and J-plugs have also been having success as well. The most common colors seem to be either a bright green or blue.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Bass action has been great on Lake Winnebago. The walleye bite is also picking up. The deadline to purchase a sturgeon spearing license is Oct. 3. There are still plenty of extra turkey permits available in Zone 3. Early goose hunters are reporting good success. Waterfowl hunters are encouraged to scout area marshes ahead of time as water levels are lower than normal.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Havenwoods State Forest - Prairie flowers in bloom at Havenwoods include: stiff goldenrod, showy goldenrod, grass-leaved goldenrod, New England aster, tall coreopsis, cheerful sunflower, tall boneset, Canada goldenrod, hoary vervain, whorled milkweed, compass plant, prairie dock, rosinweed, cup plant, rattlesnake master, wild quinine, yellow coneflower, purple and pale purple coneflower, bergamot, ironweed, and Joe-Pye weed.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan anglers fishing on the piers have been catching a few chinooks, rainbows, and browns. Both green & silver spoons and alewives have been producing. Sheboygan trollers have been taking mostly chinooks along with a few coho and rainbows, and fish have been found in front of the harbor as well as in 100 to 125 feet of water.
Ozaukee County - Pier anglers in Port Washington have been catching a few browns and rainbows on alewives and spoons, and shore anglers near the power plant have been taking browns and chinooks on spawn. Trollers out of Port have reported chinooks, coho, and browns taken 30 to 40 feet down in 80 to 100 feet of water. Green or orange spoons have produced fish, as well as glow-in-the-dark J-plugs.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee McKinley pier and the shoreline behind the Summerfest grounds have produced some chinooks and browns, and most fish have been taken on spoons. Shore anglers in South Shore Park have been catching decent numbers of perch on minnows and crab tails. Trollers out of Milwaukee have been catching chinooks, coho, rainbows, and browns 20 to 40 feet down in 40 to 70 feet of water; and browns have also been taken by boaters in the harbor and around the gaps.
Racine County - Shore fishing off the Racine piers has been relatively slow, but in the harbor browns have been hitting silver spoons fished high in the water column. Trollers out of Racine have been finding chinooks in front of the harbor, as well as chinooks, rainbows, and browns east of the reef marker in 60 to 80 feet of water. Glow-in-the-dark or green spoons and pearl J-plugs have been producing.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha shore fishing in the harbor for browns has been hit-or-miss. When the browns are biting, spawn sacs and white tube jigs have been taking the most fish. Chinooks have been taken near the mouth of the Pike River and in upstream locations. Kenosha trollers have also been catching chinooks in shallow water near the mouth of the Pike.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Janesville DNR Service Center Area
DNR fish crews in south central Wisconsin last week and this week sampled Turtle Creek, which runs through downtown Beloit in Rock County. They found a high-quality, warm-water fishery, bringing in some quality smallmouth bass up to 18 inches, along with redhorse, carp suckers and rock bass. Indicators of a healthy fishery were abundant, including gravel chubs, darters and northern hognose suckers. The sampling is part of annual efforts in which fish crews in waders use stream shockers to capture fish so they can be counted, identified by species, and measured before being released. Starting in June and going through August, fish crews rotate through assigned waters to collect fish and assess trends, regulations, habitat, and the potential for fisheries management activities. A slideshow of fish crews in action is available on the Fish Wisconsin Flicker Web site [http://www.flickr.com/photos/fishwisconsin/sets/72157622197754190/show/]
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - It’s been dry for a week but a little cool. Relatively normal and dry weather is predicted for the weekend so it should be a good time for outdoor activity. River and lake levels are at normal. The campground is fully reserved. Saturday, September 05 features a Full Moon Hike at the Nature Center. The event begins indoors with a presentation on birds with Ed and Angie Colosky. After the presentation, all go out for a hike. Meet at the Nature Center at 7:00pm. A park sticker is required on your vehicle.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Nighthawks are migrating. Look for them flying in groups, hunting insects at dusk. Their migration through Wisconsin will be over in a couple weeks. Chipmunks are currently busy harvesting and storing acorns, hickory nuts, black walnuts, and various other seeds. There are two species of chipmunks in Wisconsin. The eastern chipmunk is found statewide, and the least chipmunk lives primarily in about the northern half of the state. Chipmunks have fur-lined internal cheek pouches for carrying nuts and seeds which they cache in their underground burrow for use at a later time. Instead of relying upon stored body fat to sustain them during periods of hibernation, chipmunks awaken about every two weeks throughout the winter and early spring to feed on their cache of nuts, seeds, fruits, mushrooms, and sometimes green vegetation and insects. 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. The chipmunk's genus name, Tamias, is Latin for "storer," an appropriate name since they store vast quantities of food. One hungry least chipmunk was know to have cached close to 500 acorns and 2,700 cherry pits.
Perrot State Park - The trails are in good condition. Water levels are normal and fishing is slow. Queen Anne's lace, blazing stars, coneflowers, brown eyed susans, goldenrods, monarda, jewelweed, ragweed, boneset, snakeroot, indian grass, cardinal flower and big bluestem are currently blooming in the park. Birds are beginning to stage for migrations and our first batch of hummingbirds appears to have moved out. Spotted fawns are still being seen romping about in the meadows and Walnuts are beginning to drop their leaves. Regularly scheduled Naturalist programs will be ending with the Labor Day weekend. On Sunday, September 6 at 6:30pm: Labor Day S'Mores Extravaganza. There will hopefully be a few fall events scheduled as weather permits.
Great River State Trail - The trail is open and in good condition. Resurfacing will begin after Labor Day. Please be aware of heavy equipment occasionally on the trail. Work will only be done on weekdays. Prairie grasses are beautiful and turtles and snakes are frequent treats.
Wildcat Mountain State Park - Water levels are excellent on the Kickapoo for canoeing. Canoe rentals are available nearby in the Village of Ontario. Flowers blooming include lobelia, white snake root, various asters and sunflowers.
Crawford County - The Mississippi River “spiked” last week at 7.7 feet. During this past week the river has slowly settled down and was at 7.1 feet Monday. The forecast for the Mississippi River is to remain steady. Water clarity is very good. The Wisconsin and Kickapoo Rivers have settled down and are in good shape. The sand bars on the Wisconsin River are in great shape for camping. All trout streams in the area are in good shape with normal flow and water clarity is good. Bluegill action was spotty this week. Even so, some nice-sized bluegill were taken in the shallower portions of wing dams closest to the main channel. The Ambro Slough complex has produced some fish in deeper water snags or weed beds. The most popular bait has been a chunk of night crawler or garden worms. Fishing at Cold Spring continues to be slow. Perch fishing was slow again this week. Walleye and sauger action was fair. Generally the early morning hours and later in the day has been the best for walleye action especially during the weekends when recreational boating traffic is the heaviest. Trolling and casting crank baits or drifting with live bait is the primary method of taking walleyes. Night crawlers and leeches have worked well, but some live bait anglers are switching to minnows. Smallmouth and largemouth bass action remains good. Smallmouth were found on closing dams and wing dams or rock shorelines on the Main Channel. Largemouth bass were found in a variety of habitats to include the “slop”, weed edges, wing dams, and in the timber. Plastics, spinner baits, and crank baits have worked well. Channel cat action remains good, but flathead action for some is slow. A variety of live baits have produced cats. Move around until active fish are located. Sheepshead are very active. All you need is a chunk of night crawler fished off the bottom. White bass and northern pike action was spotty. Watch for surface feeding white bass and work those areas. Northern pike have been taken near the sewer treatment plant on the Ambro Slough in the Prairie du Chien area. Many popular bass baits have worked well for northerns including spinner baits and plastic top water baits. Trout fishing has been very good. Some of the vegetation is starting to die back along the streams. Many local streams produced some very nice brown and brook trout. The past couple days have been very cool, especially in the evening. Deer flies and wasps are out in large numbers during the day. Mosquitoes are really a problem in the river bottoms while the deer flies are in the wooded areas all day and night, even with the cool weather. The wasp or yellow jackets are very aggressive and can be a disruption to out door activities. Lightning bug numbers are starting to diminish, but still many can be see dark. Stinging nettle and poison ivy still pose a problem for outdoor enthusiasts. Some tree species like elm and sumac are starting to show slight color changes. Otherwise most tree species are still lush green. Many early season grassed have seeded out. Some bird species have started to flock up already. Large flocks of starlings and to a lesser degree red-winged blackbirds are starting to show up. Most of the upland game bird broods, like pheasant, grouse and turkey can fly. Some whitetail deer fawns are beginning to loose their spots. Many archery deer hunter have been actively scouting their hunting grounds and checking trail cameras.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest – The entire all-terrain vehicle trail system has been groomed within the last two weeks and trails are in good condition, with the exception of a the section of trail from Campground Road to the Clay School Parking lot, which is temporarily closed again due to excessive water on the trails and riders going off trail to avoid these sections. During this time of closure a temporary route has been authorized with the Town of Komensky. Please ride with the utmost respect on this new route. You must stay on the roadway at all times and be mindful of speed. Work is complete on upgrading the wetland crossings on a 1.1-mile section of trail from Wildcat Road heading west. There is some top dressing to be done on the crossings but this work will be done the week after the trails close for the season. As soon as we receive the necessary wetland permits we will begin work on the section that is now temporarily closed.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Barred Owls and whippoorwills have been calling in early evening. Blazing stars, goldenrods, and asters are blooming in the prairies and oak barrens areas. All reservable sites are filled for the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Mill Bluff State Park - All trails are open and in good condition, but be sure to bring bug spray for a more enjoyable hike. The swimming pond and beach are in good condition and is a big draw to the park. The water is tested and always has very good readings. Coneflowers are in bloom at the park, along with blazing stars and some daisies still in bloom. Black-eyed -Susans are nearing their bloom season.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The campground is open and we have had many sites open on the weekends. Repair work is almost complete on Hwy 13, which will include a new turn lane into the park. Expect some short delays during the week. The road and park entrance will remain open during construction.
Last Revised: Thursday September 03 2009
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