Water temperatures have reached the low to mid 70-degree range on most lakes, including those in northern Wisconsin. The boating season is in full swing and boating traffic has been heavy on some waterways. Although most of the state received some additional rainfall in the last week, many northern rivers continue to run low, and wildfire danger have risen to moderate levels in portions of central and north central Wisconsin.
Fishing activity in the north has been fair and shown steady improvement in the last week with some nice catches of walleye, bass and panfish reported. The mayfly hatches have subsided and this spurred on walleye action on many waters. Largemouth bass are settling into their early summer pattern of cruising the weed beds and have been active on surface baits and soft plastics. Panfish action continued to be very good with some nice catches of bluegill and crappie still being made. Musky action has been so-so, with anglers reporting a lot of follows and sightings, but few hits.
In the south, the nice weather has brought out lots of recreational boaters, shifting a lot of fishing pressure to the early morning and very late evening. On weekends, most boat landings are filled by 9 a.m. Panfish action has been very good with bluegills and crappies starting to congregate on the deep weed-lines. Bass fishing has been exceptional on many southern lakes, with bass through spawning and heavily feeding. The walleye bite on Lake Winnebago continued to be good with fish being caught by anglers trolling reefs.
Smallmouth bass fishing was fair to good all over Door County. Lots of smaller perch were being caught at many of the harbors. Walleye action was fair to good at night between Sturgeon Bay and Little Sturgeon. Anglers trolling Lake Michigan and Green Bay had another good week catching many chinook salmon, rainbow trout, and a few lake trout.
The Mississippi River was at 7.1 feet at Prairie du Chien this week. This past weekend there was a massive mayfly hatch and fish were gorging themselves on the hatching flies. Bluegill action was getting better now that the water has stabilized somewhat. Walleyes action was much better this week, with walleye being taken on the wing dams on night crawlers or crank baits. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass action also picked up.
Canada geese are molting. During their molt they shed their wing flight feathers and are unable to fly for a couple of weeks while their new flight feathers are growing in. Common tern eggs are hatching on Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior. There was a great ruffed grouse hatch and large broods were being seen. Hen turkeys have started to bring their broods out to feeding areas. Young wild turkeys, called poults, are very vulnerable to predation for several weeks after hatching as they are incapable of flight and roost on the ground.
DNR wildlife staff with help from U.S. Forest Service staff, university and college students, and volunteers from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Natural Resources Foundation monitored elk calf production in the Clam Lake Elk herd from May 15 through June 15. They found 20 calves, although two have already been lost to bears and one apparently to disease. The first calf was found on May 21 and the last calf June 14. The 20 calves found this year are three more than the 17 found last year, and the most ever found. Biologists estimate that there were probably 25 to 30 calves born this year.
Deer have developed their thin, reddish-colored summer coats and are actively feeding along field edges all day long and many fawns are now moving with does along roadways. Turtle egg laying is winding down but please still keep an eye out for turtles crossing the road.
Juneberries are starting to ripen in the north. Daisies, Indian paintbrush, coneflower orange and yellow hawkweed, puccoon, cinquefoil, lupine, and spiderwort are blooming in the prairies and along roads. Wild parsnip has started to bloom in southern Wisconsin. This invasive plant can cause severe skin burns if people are exposed to it in sunlight. Learn to identify and avoid or safely remove this noxious plant.
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/
