Warm and pleasant weather in the past week has greatly increased recreational activity on lakes and rivers across Wisconsin, but dry conditions especially in the northern half of the state have water levels on many lakes and rivers already at late-summer lows. Many rivers are still passable for paddle sport enthusiasts, but the low levels are making it difficult to navigate shallow rapids on the bigger rivers. The dry conditions have also increased fire danger levels to the “very high” level in central Wisconsin and from “high” to “moderate” in much of the rest of the state. Burning permits have been suspended in a large number of counties throughout central and northern Wisconsin. People should check with local fire marshals or DNR service centers to see if permits are suspended before doing any burning.
With the heat and increased boating activity, anglers have been more active in early morning and evening hours. In the north, largemouth and smallmouth bass action has been very good. Both are well into their typical summer patterns. Largemouth were being found near firm overhead cover such as logs, stumps or bog edges, and fewer fish have been found cruising the weed beds. Top water baits have become less successful, with jigs and soft plastics getting most of the action. Smallmouth have been relating very close to woody structure. Musky activity has picked up, and most anglers have been reporting some consistent action along weed edges. Bucktails and top-water baits have been the favorite lures. Walleye action on lakes seems to have slowed considerably, with little success reported. Panfish action has been erratic.
Due to very warm weather, anglers on southern waters were reporting the thermocline on most lakes is setting-up between 20 and 25 feet down. The thermocline in lakes is the point where warmer surface waters give way to colder and heavier lake bottom waters. Anglers were catching bluegills suspended in 20 to 25 feet of water on waxworms. Northern pike anglers are finding them in 25 to 30 feet of water. Smallmouth bass action has been very good on some of the larger rivers, such as the Wisconsin and Milwaukee.
Perch action continued to be good along both shores of Green Bay, but lots of smaller fish were being taken along with a fair number of keeper size fish. Smallmouth bass fishing continued to be good all over Door County with lots of smaller bass coming out of 5 to 15 feet of water. Anglers trolling Lake Michigan continued to report good catches of chinook salmon, rainbow trout and some lake trout in either the early morning or late evenings. Pier fishing at harbors continued to be relatively slow, but was picking up some with increasing numbers of chinook being caught at Sheboygan and brown trout at the Milwaukee lakefront. Perch fishing from shore has been good at Kenosha.
Water levels on the Mississippi River are low. The river stage was 6.6 feet at Prairie du Chien early this week. Boat operators must use caution when traveling outside the Main Channel. Bluegill action has been very good, but the fish caught were small. Walleyes were being taken on the wing dams on night crawlers or crank baits. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass action really picked up this week.
The dry conditions are starting to have a negative affect on the blueberry crop in the north, which had looked very promising early in the year. Bog blueberries will probably do much better than the upland varieties. Raspberries are ripe now in some areas. Blackberries are still forming but if rain does not come they may dry up also.
The warm, dry weather has been good for native grasslands with big bluestem, Indian grass, and switchgrass starting to head out. Most grassland birds have finished nesting and fledged their young. Young turkeys and pheasants can be spotted working grass fields for insects as this is their main food source this time of year.
Butterflyweed, bergamot, milkweed, and ox-eye sunflower, black-eyed Susan, compass plant, purple and gray-headed coneflower, wild quinine, rough cinquefoil, elderberry, Indian hemp, wild ginger, and mountain mint are all in bloom. The invasive purple loosestrife, fireweed, and spotted knapweed are also putting on their purple show along wetlands and roadsides.
More here...
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/
