Some cold, windy, and rainy weather with even some significant snow in the north for early May put a damper on outdoor activities in the last week. Up to 6 inches of snow was reported last weekend in far northern Wisconsin. While the snow and rain dampened outdoor activities, it also pretty much put an end to the spring wildfire season. Greenup is now complete across the state, and with recent precipitation, current fire danger fell to low statewide.
The weather kept both fishing pressure and fish activity at a minimum on most waters. In the north, the snow and cold rain dropped water temperatures back down into the 50s, and moved many of the panfish that had been starting to stage in shallows to begin spawning back out to deeper water.
The diehard anglers that have been out trying their luck have really had to work at catching their fish. There really hasn't been any consistent pattern yet to the early season walleye bite and anglers have been having some success on both minnows and leeches in 8 to 14 feet of water and the active in the early morning hours and in the hour before dark. Northern pike action has been fair and bass activity is just starting to pick up and there have been the first few observations of largemouth being seen paired up and starting on their nesting period. Anglers are reminded that the "catch and release" season is in effect in the Northern Zone through June 19 and all bass should be quickly returned to the water.
The walleye bite on the Menominee River remained and were also catching smallmouth bass. Anglers reported some bluegill, smallmouth bass and brown trout activity on the Oconto River by the Stiles. Fox River anglers fishing from shore have been finding good numbers of drum and catfish, along with few walleyes at night. White bass were being caught up by the dam in the faster current.
Angling pressure for brown trout died down this past week out of both the Manitowoc and Two Rivers ports. A few boats ventured out over the weekend when winds allowed, but had little success. Brown trout fishing also tapered off somewhat all along Door County. Some fish were still being caught outside of the Sturgeon Bay shipping canal and along the shorelines to the west along Potawatomi State Park. But as brown trout fishing has slowed the smallmouth bass fishing has quickly taken its place. Many anglers were seen county wide preparing for the upcoming bass tournament out of Sturgeon Bay this weekend.
With the recent rain, water levels came up on rivers, especially in the south, but many northern rivers remain at unseasonably low spring levels. The rain muddied some trails, so mountain bikers should call ahead to any park or forest office to be sure mountain bike trails are open before venturing out this weekend.
The cold weather also slowed the return of Neotropical migrants, but an increasing number of warblers and other birds are being seen and the migration should pick up again as soon as temperatures warm up. Some new arrivals include ruby crowned kinglet, magnolia warbler, black and white warbler, and yellow-throated warbler. Flowers in bloom include: columbine, May apples, showy orchid, lady’s slipper, phlox, wild geranium, Jacob’s ladder, spiderwort. A few shooting stars are still blooming and Jack-in the-pulpits are emerging. The cold and rain may also extend the morel mushroom season some, with some mushroom hunters predicting that that temperatures forecast for the upper 60s this weekend, the morel mushroom crop may be rejuvenated.
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 Wildfire Report
Widespread precipitation and cooler temps have kept the fire danger at bay the past week, and as of May 13, fire danger was Low statewide. In DNR protection areas, 33 wildfires burned 26 acres. Even with the small number of fires and acres burned, 44 buildings were threatened during these fires and one was lost. The main causes were debris burning and equipment. Check this site for current statewide fire danger and burning permit restrictions:
http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/Fire/Fire_Danger/Wis_Burn/StateCounties.asp Recently, wildfires have been started by people burning off tent caterpillar nests. These creatures are a native forest insect and, while they do defoliate trees, they don’t often do enough damage to kill trees. A safer method of disposing of the caterpillars is pulling them off and soaking them in a bucket of soapy water overnight. The national Wildland Fire Outlook, May through August, indicates that the northern third of Wisconsin will continue to have “significant fire potential.” March and April were warmer and dryer than normal, due to a moderate El Nino weather pattern. A transition from an El Nino to neutral conditions is expected this summer.
Firewise Tip: Take some time to clean out the areas under decks and elevated porches. The leaves and pine needles that have collected here could be easily ignited by flying embers produced during a wildfire.
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NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - Don't like the weather…wait around a while. In the past week high temperatures have ranged from the 30 to the 60s, with combinations of sun, clouds, rain, and snow. If green vegetation was not poking out from underneath the snow last Friday and Saturday, one would think that it was still winter. Of course this time of year it does not last long and it is just a reminder that it is still spring in the Northland. It is also a good reminder to not put the winter clothing away. Even with last weekend's snow on the ground two fires started up in Douglas County, burning a combined total of almost 17 1/2 acres. The current fire danger is set at low now. Birders will find that there is a number of birds to view. Just a few to note are the blue-headed vireo, ovenbird, and the black-throated green warbler. June 5 there will be a family fun day at the Bois Brule Fish Hatchery and Bois Brule Canoe Landing. There will be catch and release fishing, fly tying and fish filleting demonstrations, gyotaku (fish printing) on t-shirts (bring your t-shirt or purchase one for $5), hatchery tours, canoe trips, turkey calling demonstrations turkey tail mounting demonstrations, and much more. Register at the Hatchery for raffle prizes and gift bags for children. The activities will take place at the hatchery and the Bois Brule Canoe Landing. For more information or to volunteer call 372-5678 or 372-4820
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The cold, windy and rainy/snowy weather of the past week has kept both fishing pressure and fish activity at a minimum on most waters across the Northwoods. The diehard anglers that have been out trying their luck have really had to work at catching their fish. Walleye are the most sought after fish in the Northwoods in May and reports have indicated poor to mediocre success. There really hasn't been any consistent pattern yet to the early season bite and walleye anglers have been having some success on both minnows and leeches. The best action has come in 8 to 14 feet of water and the active bite has been concentrated in the early morning hours and in the hour before dark. Most of the walleye that are being caught have been in the 11 to 15-inch size, but a few fish in the 18 to 23-inch size have also been landed. Many of the anglers have also reported catching smallmouth bass and medium-size musky while jigging or casting for walleye. Panfish action could only be termed fair as the colder water temperatures have driven many of the fish back to deeper water. Both crappie and bluegill have been creeping back up into shallow water on sunny, warmer days, and this has provided some decent action when conditions were right. Look for this to greatly improve with any kind of warming trend. Northern pike action has been fair with anglers catching small to medium-size fish along the newly developing weed beds. Bass activity is just starting to pick up and there have been the first few observations of largemouth being seen paired up and starting on their nesting period. Anglers are reminded that the "Catch and Release" season is still in effect in the Northern Zone and all bass should be quickly returned to the water.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Windy days, cool weather, and snow has put off the walleye in bay for the time being. Anglers are reporting an 8 degree drop in water temperature on the bay. The few fish being caught have moved to deeper waters in the 12 to 16 foot range.
Marinette County – Anglers fishing below the Peshtigo dam reported some catches of smallmouth bass on fly rods using streamers and with casting rods employing small stick baits. The walleye bite on the Menominee River remains good with anglers using jigs and crawlers with a dead drift around transition areas and drop-offs. Smallmouth bass were also being caught using stick baits. The Government and Light House piers have still been producing some nice walleye during the periods of low light.
Oconto County – Anglers reported some bluegill activity by the Stiles dam area using slip bobbers and leaf worms or just drifting a worm with a small split shot in the current. Some nice smallmouth bass and brown trout were also being caught from the dam at Stiles, and below the 141 road bridge, small Rap's, spinners, and worms are the baits of choice.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Fox River anglers fishing from shore have been finding good numbers of drum and catfish. A few walleyes have been caught as well; most are casting, jigging at night to get them to strike. Anglers that have been fishing from boats have been finding some success trolling for walleyes. White bass were being caught up by the dam in the faster current. Lower Green Bay anglers have been trolling deep diving crank baits and crawler harnesses with some fair success. Anglers have been trolling in 10-25 feet of water.
Manitowoc County - Cold temperatures hovering around the freezing mark combined with strong winds and heavy rain mixed with snow left the Manitowoc/Two Rivers lakeshore quiet this past week. Strong southerly winds dominated most of the week while water temperatures dropped to the middle 50s throughout the area. Despite heavy rain during the week, water levels and clarity returned to normal by the weekend. Angling pressure for brown trout died down this past week out of both the Manitowoc and Two Rivers ports. A few boats ventured out over the weekend when winds allowed, but had little success. White and other light colored spoons on the dypsy have had the majority of hits and fish. The most success for brown trout came in the Manitowoc harbor, where anglers landed several using plane silver champs and cleos in several colors. Off the Manitowoc piers, a few 7-10 pound channel catfish have been landed using spawn slightly off the bottom. According to anglers, a few steelhead were still being caught using flies or floating spawn early in the week near the Shoto dam on the West Twin River. Several 17-18 inch smallmouth bass were also caught near the dam using crank baits and jigging large pieces of night crawler. At Cato Falls on the Manitowoc River, the excellent northern pike fishing continued this week mixed in with an occasional smallmouth bass using jointed-stick baits and other crank baits.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - The first week of May brought some warmer temperatures to the county; however, it followed suit to April with blustery conditions. The strongest winds came mid morning on Wednesday out of the southeast with gusts upwards of 35 miles per hour. Despite the prevalent winds, there was sunshine throughout most of the week. Brown trout fishing has tapered off somewhat county wide. Fish were still being caught outside of the Sturgeon Bay shipping canal and along the shorelines to the West along Potawatomi State Park and the Stone Quarry. Fish Creek and Egg harbor on the bay side and Baileys Harbor and Rowley’s Bay on the lake side have also been producing some fish. As brown trout fishing has slowed the smallmouth bass fishing has quickly taken its place. Many anglers were seen county wide preparing for the upcoming bass tournament in Sturgeon Bay. Success has been had using jerk baits, tube jigs, and plastics further inside many of the bays around the county. Fishing in 4-10 feet of water has been most productive. Little Sturgeon Bay anglers have been fishing for bass with some good successes. Most have been fishing in 2-6 feet of water. Anglers are practicing catch and release tactics to allow for the smallmouth to continue their spawn. Northern pike fishing has been steady with most anglers having their success between the bridges in Sturgeon Bay. Trolling stick baits or jigging live bait along the shipping channel in the bay has produced some fish, as well as casting over weed beds and into some of the marinas in town. Walleye have pretty well completed their spawn. Some anglers still targeting walleye have had success on husky jerks and jigging live bait along the shorelines towards Potawatomi Park and out around Sherwood Point. Musky fishing is also right around the corner and some anglers will be out targeting the majestic fish. Some anglers reported hooking into them while trying for northern pike, a good indication that the fish are around.
Potawatomi State Park - All hiking and biking trails are open. The tower is also open. Trilliums, bellwort, and gay wings are in bloom. A swan is nesting in Sawyer Harbor. Bass anglers are launching in Sawyer Harbor in preparation for a fishing tournament this weekend. The campground is open for the season. The accessible cabin is also open. All facilities, including the shower building, and sanitary dump station are now open for the season.
Kewaunee County - The majority of the week had high winds (20-30mph) and very limited fishing on both the lake and in the stream. The rain showers also brought much needed water to the streams and helped raise the water levels. Mother’s Day brought great weather with temperatures in the 50s and very low winds. The Kewaunee ramp saw a few boats launch on Mother’s Day that came back with some great results. Most of the anglers came back with some rainbow trout that were topping 11 pounds. Reports of salmon biting are starting to become more prevalent also. The fish are being caught on different colors of spoons ranging from purple to chartreuse. There have been no reports of fish being caught of the pier in Kewaunee. The area behind Brummer Park has seen low fishing pressure but the few anglers have caught some rainbow trout close to the bridge in worms and stick baits. Clyde’s Hill seems to be the hotspot in Kewaunee this week. Anglers were catching lots of brown trout with occasional strikes from steelhead. A few people have claimed to have caught more than 20 brown trout. The average size of the fish being caught ranges from 6 inches up to 18 inches with the majority being around the 8 inch size. The trout were being caught on small spinners with the best color being purple. The Algoma ramp and pier have seen very little fishing pressure this week due to the high winds but the few boats that launched managed to return with a few rainbow trout. Stony Creek is the only stream that has seen any fishing pressure this week but there have been no reports of any fish being caught there. The clear water does reveal that smaller brown trout are now in the stream. The forrestville dam is still providing panfish above the dam and a few rainbow trout have been caught below the dam on earthworms.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Pike Lake Unit - All trails are open and in good condition. The campground and all campground facilities are open for the season. Swim area buoys are not in place yet, but will be installed before Memorial Day weekend. The forest office is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday afternoons/evenings (Friday opening time varies). Either the office or beach contact station is open Saturdays and Sundays. Weekend hours vary. The main beach toilet building is open for the season. The north beach toilet building remains closed at this time. A portable toilet is available at the nature trail parking area year-round. The accessible trail pier has been installed for the season.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Wyalusing State Park - Trails will be wet due to the recent rains of the past few days. Rain totals in the area range from 2 to 3 inches. Sand Cave Trail will be closed due to the heavy rainfall. Sand Cave Trail was completed in mid November. Even though the trail is now complete, the soil is not completely stabilized. For the next few months, rainfall will necessitate the closing of the trail to protect it. Many spring migrants returned Friday, April 30 after the afternoon storm went through. Early returning spring migrants include: fox sparrow, bluebirds, robins, killdeer, sand hill cranes, turkey vultures, red-winged blackbirds, meadowlarks, pelicans, song sparrows, American woodcock, kestrels, golden-crowned kinglet, belted kingfisher, chipping sparrow, rufous sided towhee. A few cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers, gold finches, bluejays, juncos and nuthatches can still be found at the office bird feeders. New spring arrivals include: greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, solitary sandpipers, spotted sandpipers, yellow-billed cuckoo, common nighthawks, ruby-throated hummingbirds, great crested flycatcher, tree swallows, rough-winged swallows, barn swallows, brown creepers, house wren, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Swainson’s thrush, wood thrush, solitary vireo (blue-headed), yellow-throated vireo, warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo, blue-winged warbler, Tennessee warbler, Nashville warbler, yellow warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, black-throated green warbler, yellow-throated warbler, pine warbler, palm warbler, cerulean warbler, American redstart, prothonotary warbler, ovenbird, northern waterthrush, Louisiana waterthrush, Kentucky warbler, common yellowthroat, Wilson;s warbler, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, indigo bunting, vesper sparrow, Savannah sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, Baltimore oriole, catbird, and brown thrasher. New Arrivals for the week of May 9 through May 13 include: northern parula, ruby crowned kinglet, magnolia warbler, black and white warbler, eastern kingbird, and common loon. Sought after bird sightings: yellow-throated warbler and Henslow’s sparrow. Henslow’s sparrows can be found just past the Astronomy Center. Yellow-throated warblers can be found near Homestead Picnic Shelter near the north loop of Turkey Hollow Trail, in the pines along the roadway to Homestead Picnic Shelter and in the pines at the intersection of Long Valley Road and the road to Green Cloud Picnic Shelter. Flowers in bloom include: columbine, May apples, showy orchid, lady’s slipper, nodding trillium, large flowering trillium, meadow rue, phlox, wild geranium, Jacob’s ladder, spiderwort, Greek valarium and a few amethyst shooting stars are still blooming. Local “shroomers” think that the morel mushroom season is not yet over due to the recent rainfall. They feel with the predicted temperatures in the upper 60s – 70 degrees for this weekend, the morel mushroom crop will be rejuvenated. Homestead Campground, will be open this weekend, but closed for weekday use next week. Showers are not open in Homestead Campground, but campers can use the showers in Wisconsin Ridge Campground. Wisconsin Ridge Campground is open for camping. Water fountains, the shower/flush building in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground and the dumping station are open. The concession stand is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Memorial Day Weekend. The May meeting of the Friends of Wyalusing State Park will be held this Monday, May 17.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - More normal May weather has returned following the snow early on Saturday morning May 8. It’s been a somewhat cool and wet week Area rivers and lakes are low. The rain has not clouded or raised the Willow River. The 100 campground opens Friday, May 14 and several campers have reservations, primarily on the electric sites. If you are thinking about turning up early and setting up Thursday in the 100 campground, the road stays closed and the bathrooms stay locked till May 14. The 300 campground should have electric sites open Thursday night only heading into the weekend if you arrive early for a 100 site. A volunteer from the Friends group will be selling firewood at the camp host wood shed in the 300 campground Friday and Saturday. The time is from 7 – 8 p.m.. Its cash only on firewood; $5 a bundle. The money supports environmental education and other programs developed by the Friends group. Canoes, kayaks, and the paddleboat are available to rent from the Friends group. Stop at the park office for specifics.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Perrot State Park - The trails are in good condition. Flowers continue to bloom about 3 weeks ahead of last year. Shooting star is finishing although a few can still be found around the park. Warblers are out and about, although the cool damp weather has driven them out of sight. All campsites are open for reservations. The Bay shower building and flush toilet building are open but the Upper Loop bathrooms are only open on weekends until Memorial Day. The boat dock has been installed.
Great River State Trail - The trail is open and maintenance is being done on the bridges. Local birds have arrived including blue herons and egrets. Sandhill cranes can often be heard flying overhead. Bathrooms at Trempealeau and Lytles Landing are open.
Wildcat Mountain State Park - The mertensia (also known as eastern bluebells, Virginia bluebells, or Virginia cowslip) are at peak bloom along the along the Kickapoo River. Hiking and horse trails are open. Family, horse and group campgrounds are open.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park – Park trails are generally dry with occasional muddy areas. The maples have leafed out and the cherry species have begun to bloom. The ferns are in the process of unfurling. Miterwort, spring beauty, common and wood strawberry, dog violet, marsh marigolds, trillium are all in bloom. Species of birds seen or heard include: the hooded mergansers, common loons, belted kingfishers, sandhill cranes, golden finches, red polls, mallard and bufflehead ducks, red winged blackbirds, phoebes, Canada geese, robins, mourning doves, nuthatches, ravens, black capped chickadees, piliated woodpeckers, great horned owls, and barred owls. There is a pair of bald eagles nesting on Cornell flowage. Campgrounds are open with electric sites, hand water pump, and a pit toilet.
Last Revised: Thursday May 13 2010
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