Spring is coming on strong across Wisconsin with snow and ice rapidly disappearing from most of the state, river walleye runs and Great Lakes tributary trout runs picking up, large numbers of migratory birds moving into the state, some Canada geese already reportedly nesting, and the first unconfirmed reports of chorus frogs calling.
As of late this week, only far northern Wisconsin was reporting snow on the ground, with whats left rapidly melting. Up to a foot of snow remained in some isolated areas of Iron and Vilas counties, but snowmobile trails and ski trails were pretty much in poor condition if open at all. Ice was rapidly disappearing on lakes through the central part of the state. Deep slush has formed on many northern lakes, making access difficult and treacherous.
The Brule River saw a lot of activity for last weekends trout opener, with reports of good steelhead action. There were still a few ice anglers out on Chequamegon Bay but the ice conditions are deteriorating. Lake Michigan tributary action for steelhead trout is heating up. Most anglers were using spawn; although some report success on tube jigs tipped with wax worms or even corn. Stream flows are just about right for fishing and with rain predicted for this weekend, steelhead action should be getting better on Kenosha Countys Pike River, Racines Root River; or the Milwaukee River and Oak Creek in Milwaukee County and even the Sheboygan River has been productive, with good numbers of steelhead and a few brown trout taken over the weekend.
Those ice anglers still active on northern lakes reported crappie action was improving with fish still being found in deeper water, though this should change as conditions change and fish move toward shallower water. In the south, warm, sunny days brought panfish into the shallows, with some of the larger lakes seeing some pretty heavy open water fishing pressure, with nice-sized crappies and bluegills reported.
Walleyes were moving up the Wolf River with Eureka, Fremont and Winneconne starting to see some fish. Walleye action has been good on the Fox River, with most of the action still down in the depths of the channel and not up near the shallows of the dam yet. Spring walleye and sauger fishing picked up on the Mississippi River with the warmer weather, with anglers reported walleye and sauger below the dams at Gutenberg and Dubuque, although there were few legal size fish caught.
Bears are coming out of winter den sites and have been active in the north, so now is the time to remove bird feeders or other food sources from yards until there is more natural food sources for bears. Ticks have been reported out already in a number of locations. Leopard frogs and painted turtles were seen sunning themselves along a pond on in Brown County this week and there were unconfirmed reports of chorus frogs calling this week in Dane and Fond du Lac counties.
Large flocks of tundra swans, some with up 1,000 birds, were reported moving along the Lake Michigan shore in Oconto County. Woodcock and sandhill cranes are doing mating flights and displays. A common loon was seen on Lake Mendota. Two fluffy white great horned owl owlets were seen in a nest in Dane County, where a Canada goose was also already seen setting on eggs. Northern harriers, also called marsh hawks, have been seen flying low over the contours of the ground searching for mice and voles. Large numbers of ducks and geese are being seen along the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. And birders report that a major migration has begun this week with strong southerly winds triggering a mass movement of birds from the Gulf Coast up through the central part of the nation that has been picked up on radar.
Pussy willows are opening up and skunk cabbage flowers are up and open in central and southern Wisconsin. Maple syrup gathering is continuing with good production reported.
And a reminder that March 31 is the expiration date of 2005-06 hunting and fishing licenses; 2006-07 licenses are on sale now at all license outlets.
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/
