Although most of Wisconsin has received rain in the past week, with more than 2 inches reported in some southern and southwestern parts of the state, moderate to severe drought conditions continue across the northern half of the state. Wildfire danger is high in the Brule, Cumberland, Woodruff, and Peshtigo areas. More than 70 wildfires have occurred in the Northwoods in the past week. Burning permits have been cancelled in Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Florence, Marinette, Sawyer, Washburn, and parts of Barron, Oconto, and Polk counties. People working and recreating in these areas need to take all precautions to prevent wildfires.
Fishing success was pretty good in the north in the past week with both the weather and the fish cooperating. Warm temperatures with a bit lower humidity made for some pleasant angling conditions, with musky and bass becoming especially active. Musky success showed a nice little surge and most anglers reported some good action from small and medium-size fish on top-water baits.
Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass has been pretty consistent. Walleye action has been erratic, but a few anglers have been reporting some decent catches on leeches and night crawlers fished along the weed edges and in weed pockets. Panfish action continued to be fair, with some larger bluegill caught near cover in the 12 to 16-foot depth range and some nice crappie have been found suspended over deep water. Water levels in streams, rivers, flowages and lakes continue to be at very low.
The Menominee River in Marinette County has been active for salmon and smallmouth bass. In the south, fishing action has slowed a bit lately, but bass and northern pike have remained relatively active. Panfish have been a little more difficult to find. Trout streams improved and are in fairly good shape with the recent rains.
Perch fishing was good this week off the west shore of Green Bay near the Oconto harbor. Perch fishing continued to be spotty along the east and southern shore, but the southern area of Green Bay continued to produce some walleyes. Smallmouth bass action continued to be good with Little Sturgeon, Riley’s Bay and Sturgeon Bay still producing some smallmouth. Anglers fishing out on Lake Michigan continued to bring respectable catches of trout and salmon, and the early morning bite continued to be the most productive. Good numbers of chinooks were reported, along with occasional rainbows and coho. Water temperatures are still warm so fish were still being found in deeper water. Anglers fishing off piers generally had a slow week. Boaters have been catching good numbers of perch in out of Milwaukee and at the Oak Creek Power Plant. The Mississippi River level at Prairie du Chien remained unchanged this week at 7.0 feet.
Signs that fall is around the corner are showing up. A few lake run brown trout are trickling into the Bois Brule River in Douglas County, but due to very low water levels their numbers are very low. Northern flickers are starting to concentrate along Northwoods roadsides. The first blue-winged teal and coots arrived on the Mississippi near La Crosse last week. Summer molt birds such as ducks and geese are more mobile now with their new flight feathers.
Poorly formed and small acorns are beginning to fall adding yet another nutritious treat for wildlife. Squirrels and chipmunks are busy harvesting black walnuts, acorns, and hickory nuts. Mast crops are important food resources relished by a host of large and small animals. Some animals, such as black bears, gorge themselves on mast in preparation for winter slumber.
Late summer flowers such as goldenrods, pearly everlasting, joe-pye weed, wild cucumber, and large-leaved aster are blooming. Blackberries are still ripening in the north, but they have been difficult to find as most have dried up this year due to the drought conditions. Wild rice is getting closer to being ripe in many northern areas. Remember to obtain the necessary permits required for harvest.
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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NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - The Bois Brule River is flowing at 110 cubic feet per second (cfs). The 62 year average is 132 cfs. Signs that late summer is here and that fall is around the corner are showing up. Lake run brown trout are trickling into the Bois Brule River and even one steelhead was reported. Due to the very low water levels the numbers of lake run fish are very low. . With the continued drought people should consider leaving the dried up shorelines "as is" until wet areas fill up again. If woody debris and vegetation is "cleaned up" from the shoreline that has receded then habitat is being cleared away for fish, aquatic animals and insects when the water levels start going back to normal. Late summer flowers such as goldenrods, pearly everlasting, joe-pye weed, wild cucumber, and large-leaved aster are blooming. Ferns and other herbaceous vegetation are already curing due to the drought…the drought has brought this fall-like condition earlier than is normal. One of the DNR forestry staff at Brule commented that when outdoors it smells more "autumn like" now rather than the smell of fresh summer vegetation. Summer molt birds such as ducks and geese are more mobile now with their new flight feathers and are therefore much more visible. With the lower waters and temporary loss of habitat many of these birds are concentrating in areas where there is more water. Swans are later molters and will be able to fly in early September. Northern flickers are starting to concentrate along roadsides. Their main migration push is Sept. 10 to 15. Lower night temperatures are causing windshields on vehicles to become condensed with moisture. Animals are already getting ready for the winter by building up their fat reserves. Pin cherry and chokecherry, highbush cranberry, hawthorne, rose hips, hazelnut, and blackberries are available for a multitude of animals. Poorly formed and small acorns are beginning to fall adding yet another nutritious treat for wildlife. More acorns should start falling in the next few weeks. Spots on deer fawns are starting to fade. Male cicadas are buzzing trying to attract a mate. Campgrounds have been busy on the weekends with families who are trying to get the last bit of camping in before school starts. Please spare local turtles! Earlier this week a driver was observed going out of his way to run a Wisconsin threatened wood turtle over. From early on turtles have a challenge to survive. Many turtle eggs end up being eaten by animals such as raccoons, skunks, and fox. As hatchlings the turtles are often predated on by several species of animals. Habitat fragmentation and loss of habitat due to development around lakes and rivers can also be a factor in turtle mortality. The wood turtle along with the Blandings turtle can take 15 years to mature and lay eggs, which makes it that much more important to try to protect them. These turtles are also terrestrial during the summer which increases the risk of hit by vehicles when crossing roads
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Big Bay State Park - All trails are open for hiking, use caution around slopes, bridges and boardwalks. The local wildlife is in abundance, with a recent sighting of a black bear not far from the office. Also the deer and raccoons sightings have increased along with a sighting of a fisher on our Lagoon Ridge Trail system. All campgrounds are open for camping. Keep in mind with the camping season under way, resident raccoons and black bear will be on the hunt for a good meal. Please make sure that all food is stored in your vehicle and that your garbage and recycling is properly disposed of in our bins. Note: There are no dogs allowed on the boardwalk or beach areas. The Madeline Island Ferry is providing regular ferry service daily. Contact the Madeline Island Ferry Line at 715-747-2051 or check their website at
www.madferry.com for scheduled times and prices. Big Bay State Park's Annual Sand Castle Day/ Universe and the Park will be held on Saturday, August 18 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. for Sand Castles and starting at 9 p.m. will be the Astronomy Naturalist Program. Just bring buckets, shovels, sand tools and anything else you need to build the perfect sand castle and stay late to see the "Universe". Both events will start at the Big Bay Day Use Picnic Area.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Fishing success was pretty good in the Northwoods in the past week with both the weather and the fish cooperating. Warm temperatures with a bit lower humidity made for some pleasant angling conditions, with musky and bass becoming especially active. Musky success showed a nice little surge and most anglers reported some good action from small and medium-size fish (28 to 40 inches). The fish seemed to be active along the weed edges and in the shallower weed beds. Bulldogs and jerk baits were the most productive. Any time of day has produced action and was mostly dependent on local weather conditions. A weekend musky tournament on Butternut Lake, just outside of Park Falls, produced some good action for participating anglers. A total of 14 legal fish were tallied during the tourney, with the largest being near 41 inches. The winning team notched three legal musky, with the second and third place teams both doubling up. Most anglers though, reported quite a bit of activity -- with many sub-legal fish caught, a lot of follows and short hits, and a fair number of legal fish lost at the boat. Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass has been pretty consistent and some very nice fish have been caught and released in the last week. Largemouth are well settled into their typical summer pattern and have been relating to the heavy cover such as thick weeds, woody structure and bog edges. Weedless top-water baits and soft plastics have been the most productive and have to be fished in the weed pockets, in the wood or tight to the bog/marsh edges. Smallmouth have been a bit tough to find in the lakes but action continued to be good on the flowages and larger rivers. Small finesse plastics have been the favorite baits and the fish have been relating to wood near deeper water areas. Walleye action has been a bit more erratic in the past week but a few anglers have been reporting some decent catches. Leeches and crawlers fished along the weed edges and in weed pockets have produced most of the fish. Panfish action continues to be fair. Some larger bluegill are still being caught near cover in the 12 to 16-foot depth range and some nice crappie have been found suspended over deep water. Water levels in all of the area streams, rivers, flowages and lakes continue to be at very low. The smaller and medium-size flowages have had the most stable water levels but the larger flowages such as the Turtle-Flambeau and Chippewa may be up to 2 feet below normal -- exposing many new rock bars and hazards.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Blackberries are ripening; however, they are difficult to find as most have dried up this year due to the drought conditions. Wild rice is getting closer to being ripe in many northern areas. Remember to obtain the necessary permits required for harvest. Area fishing guides report that bass, pike and bluegill action continue to be good. Walleye and musky action has become spotty to fair. Bass action is hot and heavy with leeches the preferred bait right now. Many catches in double figures have been reported. Bucks are sporting full velvet antlers and look rather impressive this time of year. Good reports of grouse numbers are coming in with numerous broods being observed.
Upper Wisconsin Basin fisheries report (Oneida, Vilas, Lincoln, Langlade, Forest and Florence counties) - Though hot weather has been the norm for the past several weeks, walleye and musky fishing continued to be consistent. Anglers have been concentrating on deeper weed edges for walleye and avoiding shallow structure. Water depths of 8 to 12 feet that are associated with weeds have been places to try and live bait has been working best. Slip bobber rigs using a plain hook and tipped with a leech worked best, but a few folks have been catching walleye on night crawlers as well. Crawlers may also help catch you a variety of fish while pursuing the walleye. Musky have been actively hitting top water baits just about anytime of day. However, lower light hours or overcast days seemed to help trigger the fish more often. Work the mouths of bays, well out from the weed edge -- musky will "hear" the bait working on the surface and come after it from yards away or from relatively deep water. Panfish action has been consistent, although there were reports of many small fish being caught. In hot weather it seems that the larger fish move deep and can be more difficult to catch. Focus on deep weed edges and even out over the deep basin of the lake...bluegill and crappie can be schooled up and suspended. Slip bobber rigs can be equally effective for these species as well. Small red worms and insect-type bait have been most effective.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - The Menominee River has been active for salmon with the average angler getting three to four bites, usually on spoons. Smallmouth bass were still producing some very good action on the river also. Walleye fishing on the Menominee has still been slow, but fish were starting to bite. Water levels have been low on the upper stretches .
Oconto County - Perch fishing has been the hot ticket this week off Oconto County Park 2 and the Oconto Harbor with many anglers getting their limit. Perch were also being found on Little River and the Pensaukee River in good numbers. Minnows and worms have been producing perch. Walleyes were still hitting off the Oconto Harbor on harnesses.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Fishing on the bay was extremely slow again this week. Hot humid weather showed no signs of letting up. Water temps remain in the mid 70s. Many pleasure boaters are getting in their end of summer trips which has made boat landings busy. Sediment removal from the Superfund cleanup site on the Fox River has a large barge and crane removing sediment a few hundred yards from the mouth of the fox that may or may not hinder fishing in this area. Musky anglers are fishing the Lower Fox and mouth area although no legal fish have been reported yet. This was the first week all summer that there were no reports of perch limits. Not only are there few perch being caught, the ones that were caught were on the smaller side. Walleye action was okay the past week with a tournament out of Oconto that had some quality anglers pre-fishing all week. Some nice fish were reported although action remains fairly slow. A few smallmouth bass and northern pike were caught out of Little Sturgeon Bay this weekend from bass anglers pre-fishing for next weekend’s tournament in Sturgeon Bay.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - Hot, humid and very dry sums up this week’s weather. Please be aware that there are burning bans in several areas of the county, so be extra careful with fire. There just hasn’t been much of a change in fishing action this week. Angling activity continued to be good. Anglers fishing out on Lake Michigan continued to bring respectable catches of trout and salmon, and the early morning bite continued to be the most productive. Anglers fishing the Bank Reef reported success on fly and dodger combinations fished 40 to 80 feet down along the edges of the reef. Later in the day the action continued to be out in deeper water with anglers fishing from the surface to 80 feet down over 140 to 300 feet of water. Off of Baileys Harbor, the action remained good on fly and dodger combinations and spoons. Up North, anglers fishing out of Rowley’s Bay, Ellison Bay, Sister Bay and Washington Island reported catching some fish. The Southern area of Green Bay continued to produce some walleyes on night crawler harnesses fished over structure. The areas around Larsen’s Reef and Monument shoals also reportedly were producing a few walleyes in 15 to 20 feet of water, again on crawler harnesses. A very nice walleye was brought into Ellison Bay on Saturday, it was going up on the lucky angler’s wall. Smallmouth bass action continued to be good with Little Sturgeon, Riley’s Bay and the Sturgeon Bay flats still producing some smallmouth early in the mornings on spinner baits. Later in the day the best bet for smallmouth was over structure in 15 to 25 feet of water. Tube jigs and goby imitating baits continued to produce some nice smallmouth in the deeper waters. Perch fishing continued to be spotty. Anglers were trying the southern shore of Green Bay, along with Little Sturgeon and Riley’s Bay and the waters off of Chaudoir’s dock for perch. The weed edges between the bridges in Sturgeon Bay and along the buoy line from the Bay View Bridge to the Sturgeon Bay ship canal were also good places to try for perch.
Peninsula State Park - Conditions are very dry. All of Door County is under a fire ban that exempts campfires in campgrounds only. Peninsula is under a campfire advisory. Keep your fires small and attended! Water levels in Green Bay and Lake Michigan are still very low. Prevailing east-northeast winds occasionally create a build-up of cladophora algae along the park's shoreline. Swimmers are advised that algae may be present along the first 10 to 20 feet along the waterline. There is a bumper crop of cherries in the orchards this year. Trails are ready for summer use, and in very dry condition. Some of the more interesting and commonly seen summer birds: white pelicans, cormorants, wood ducks, mergansers, bald eagles, osprey.
Kewaunee County - A week of nice weather over the county made for an enjoyable week of fishing. Warm weather and calm winds on most days made for some nice fishing days. Increased winds for the weekend did make the fishing some what more difficult. Water temperatures are still warm so fish were still being found in deeper water again this week. Anglers fishing off of the pier in Kewaunee had a slow week, but fish were being caught everyday. The pier in Algoma, however, did not see many fish being caught. Spoons have still been the tackle of choice for these anglers. Anglers that have been trolling out on the lake have been coming in with some better catches of fish than last week, but fishing remains slow. Anglers this week found fish out in water deeper than 75 feet. The best choice for tackle has been fly and dodger combos as well as some dipsies.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - Sheboygan shore fishing has been slow. Trollers off Sheboygan have been catching good numbers of chinooks, along with occasional rainbows and coho. Most fish have been found 50 to 60 feet down in 80 to 100 feet of water. Glow spoons or dodger and fly combinations have been productive.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington shore fishing has been slow overall, but anglers fishing off the end of pier have caught a few chinooks on alewives. Trollers out of Port Washington continue to catch good numbers of fish. Chinooks and rainbows have been taken before sunrise on glow spoons and J-plugs 30 to 50 feet down in 50 to 70 feet of water. After daybreak, trollers have moved out to 100 to 120 feet of water to find the fish.
Milwaukee County - Shore fishing for trout and salmon in Milwaukee has been slow with warm water near shore, but perch anglers have at times been successful off the end of McKinley pier. Boaters looking for perch have been catching good numbers at the south gap, the green can, at the boils, and at the Oak Creek Power Plant. Minnows and crab tails have been taking the most perch. Milwaukee trollers have been catching good numbers of chinooks and a few rainbows anywhere from 70 to 120 feet of water. Glow spoons have worked well in the dark, but after sunrise green, purple, and blue have been producing.
Racine County - In Racine perch fishing for shore anglers has been slow overall, with only a few caught in the harbor near the mouth of the Root River. Minnows under a bobber have been providing the most action. Racine trollers have been have been finding good action in 100 to 150 feet of water. Silver, white, and green spoons have been taking chinooks and a few coho and rainbows.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha shore fishing has been generally slow, although perch anglers have had some limited success at the entrance to Southport Marina and off the end of the south pier. Crab tails have taken the most perch. Only a few browns have been hitting glow spoons in the harbor after dark. Kenosha trollers have been catching good numbers of chinooks anywhere from 100 to 200 feet of water. Fish have been hitting spoons and J-plugs in green, purple, or white.
Inland fisheries team report
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Northern pike and bluegills were biting well from shore at Sheboygan Marsh near the Sheboygan Marsh Park. Fishing action has slowed a bit lately but, bass and northern pike have remained relatively active. Panfish have been a little more difficult to find. Trout streams are in fairly good shape with the recent rains. Grasshoppers are abundant.
Waukesha County - The deep weeds on Pewaukee and Nagawicka lakes have been producing a few bass during the latest warm spell. Northern pike have also been found on a number of Waukesha county lakes, with most of these fish being found suspended over open water.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Wyalusing State Park - Mississippi River level at Prairie du Chien, remains unchanged at 7.0 feet. Some trails remain closed due to washouts and mudslides from the approximately 6 inches of rain Wyalusing State Park and surrounding area received July 17. Trails that are closed include Bluff Trail, Sand Cave Trail, Flint Ledge Trail, Old Wagon Road Trail, Walnut Springs Trail, Sugar Maple Trail, and Indian Trail. Trails that are open are Whitetail Meadow Trail, Turkey Hollow Trail, Sentinel Ridge Trail and Mississippi Ridge Trail. Hikers can hike to Pictured Rock Cave from the parking lot for Sugar Maple Nature Trail, but the rest of that trail is not open. The walkway to Point Lookout is open. The road to the boat landing is now open, but Homestead Hill Road remains closed. Campgrounds remain open for camping. The heavy rain did not due any damage to the camping areas. Many of the spring migrants have moved on. Recent sightings include: robins, nuthatches, red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, red-headed woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, pileated woodpeckers, cerulean warblers, prothonotary warblers, warbling vireos, yellow-throated vireos, Acadian flycatchers, Kentucky warblers, yellow-throated warbler, Northern orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks, scarlet tanagers, bluebirds, bald eagles, turkey vultures, and hummingbirds. Dozens of hummingbird go through about 2 gallons of sugar water a day. Hummingbirds are most active in the early morning, just before dark, and on cloudy, rainy days. The Acadian flycatcher might be spotted about 300 feet from the boat landing on Sugar Maple Nature Trail. The Kentucky warbler and the yellow-throated warbler have been sighted near the Homestead Picnic Shelter on the southern loop of the Turkey Hollow Trail. The prairie is beautiful! Flowers blooming include: purple coneflower, yellow coneflower, upland white aster, spotted Joe pye-weed, butterfly milkweed, great blue lobelia, black-eyed susan, brown-eyed susan, nodding wild onion, cardinal flower, anise hyssop, and button blazing star. Cabbage white, Milbert’s tortoise shell, red admiral, tiger swallowtail, comma, painted lady, hackberry butterflies can be seen in the park. There will be a Basic Orienteering course offered at the park at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, August 18. Join Friends of Wyalusing President Ken Knowles to learn basic orienteering skills (compass work). Ken will have an orienteering course set up at the ball field. Compasses will be provided, or you are welcome to bring your own. Children must be accompanied by an adult. There will be a Bat Program at 8:30 p.m. in the Peterson Shelter. Local bat enthusiast Kent Gorcherding will present a program on the often misunderstood bat.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - The rain Monday night has discolored the Willow River and Little Falls Lake. The upstream area took a lot of rain. It will take a week of dry weather to restore normal color and flow. Work crews are continuing to clean up from the storm Friday, Aug 11. No further damage resulted from Monday night's storms. There are still some trees down. All trails are passable but visitors will find partial blockage in some areas. Hikers encountering work crews will need to be patient and wait if hazardous conditions exist while a tree or limb is being cut down. On the trails, leaves began crunching underfoot a week ago in forested areas. Several varieties of trees have started to shed leaves that are green and colored. The prolonged dry spell from 2006, a light snow winter, and another dry summer has signs of autumn starting in early August. Evening bird calls are fewer. There are no restrictions on campfires or grill use even though dry has been the trend for a long time. Recent rainfall has provided some short term relief. The Willow River and Little Falls Lake are at their normal summer levels. A fairly common question this time of year concerns the waterfall running dry; it does not. Willow Falls flows year round. Weeknight camping on non electric sites shows fair availability Sunday through Thursday nights. The electric sites in the main campground are rarely vacant at any time. The Full Moon Hikes have been drawing around 30 visitors per event with good reviews.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
It sure seems early, but squirrels and chipmunks are busy harvesting black walnuts, acorns, and hickory nuts. Mast crops are important food resources relished by a host of large and small animals, supplying them with fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Some animals, such as black bears, gorge themselves on mast in preparation for winter slumber. Others, such as deer mice or blue jays, cache vast quantities of nuts and seeds for use at a later time when these foods might otherwise be unavailable.
Mississippi River - The first blue-winged teal and coots arrived on the Mississippi near La Crosse last week. Blue wing populations are high this year in the Mississippi and Central flyways. Coot numbers are not as high; however, bag limits will remain high since few people hunt them.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park - The open water game fish action has been good this past week. Bass action on spinner baits has been productive, and there has been good musky action on Cornell flowage and below the Cornell dam. Species of birds seen or heard include: scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, towhees, ravens, rose-breasted grosbeaks, loons, robins, red polls, a variety of wrens, phoebes, turkey vultures, northern juncos, pileated woodpeckers, great blue herons, green herons, barred owls, osprey, bald eagles and belted kingfishers. Canada geese have finished molting and the young are flying. Harebell, common milkweed, water smartweed, rabbits foot clover, marsh hedge nettle, the water lilies, some of the aster varieties, orange hawkweed, wooly yarrow are flowering. The park will be undertaking a major road renovation project from early August to mid-October. Existing pavement on nearly all park roads and parking areas will be ground up and new pavement will be placed over it. The main park road will be widened slightly to accommodate a bicycle/pedestrian lane. Crews will make every attempt to minimized the disruption to visitors and maintain access to the park throughout the project. All work will be done during daytime Mondays through Fridays. There will be times during the week when traffic in the park will need to be delayed or rerouted. People planning a trip to Brunet Island during the construction, may want to call ahead and check the status of the work. The major disruptions to traffic will occur while the old pavement is being pulverized and when the new pavement is placed, tentatively scheduled to occur between Sept. 11 and Oct. 4.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Hot summer weather has been great for swimming, canoeing and kayaking. Many visitors have been using the beach in the park. There is some algae in the lake that blows around with the wind. There are a couple beaches at the park, so usually one is clear. There is a cold water rinse shower in the beach picnic area. Canoes and kayaks are available for renting. Reservable sites are filled on weekends. The six non-reservable/first-come sites fill up as well. Some sites are still available during the week. Mosquito activity is low. There have been biting flies with the hot/dry weather. Check out the new signs on the barrens nature trail. The trail is great for bird watching. Take photos of the wildflowers, wildlife, sunsets, people using the park, etc. for the annual photo contest. Deadline for the photo contest is Sept 30.
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Wildfire Report as of August 15, 2007
Wildfire danger is considered HIGH in the Brule, Cumberland, Woodruff, and Peshtigo dispatch groups in northern and northeast Wisconsin. More than 70 wildfires have occurred in the past week, burning 33 acres. Moderate to severe drought conditions continue across the northern half of the state, causing the cancellation of burning permits in Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Florence, Marinette, Sawyer, Washburn, and parts of Barron, Oconto, and Polk counties. People working and recreating in rural areas need to take all precautions to prevent wildfires. People should avoid parking or driving vehicles, including ATVs, on dry grass. Keep campfires small and make sure they are fully extinguished before leaving the area. Don’t set down hot equipment, such as chainsaws, on dead or dry vegetation. Many recent fires have been caused by fireworks. With hot and dry weather conditions across much of the state, the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources urges residents and tourists to refrain from lighting off any fireworks. For more information, contact your local DNR ranger station or go to [http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/Fire/]. Wildfire danger is low in the Dodgeville dispatch group and moderate in the Black River Falls, Park Falls, Waupaca, and Wisconsin Rapids dispatch groups.
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VHS Update
as of Aug. 16, 2007
Public Hearings continue next week on VHS Permanent Rules
Public hearings started Aug. 14 statewide and run through Aug. 23 on proposals that would make permanent the emergency rules already in place for controlling and preventing the spread of VHS in Wisconsin’s waters. More information on the rule proposals, including dates, locations and times of these hearings, as well as other ways to comment on the can be found on the DNR Web site.
National VHS experts gather in Madison to discuss disease, future steps
Fish farmers, aquaculture officials and state fisheries experts convened last week at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to address a key challenge to keeping VHS from entering state or private hatchery operations with fish eggs brought to the hatcheries. While trout and salmon eggs have long been disinfected to avoid the spread of disease because they are known to be susceptible to viruses, the eggs of coolwater species such as musky and walleye commonly haven’t been disinfected. There’s a lack of scientific research on whether coldwater disinfection methods are toxic to coolwater eggs, and if they’re not, if they’re effective in killing the virus. Jeff Kampa, a DNR fisheries researcher, reported his findings to answer the first question about toxicity, Attendees pulled together a list of research needs to help answer the second question: which methods are effective. The session was sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, UW-Extension and the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association.
In the afternoon, leading fisheries experts on VHS detailed the disease’s history, recent discovery in the Great Lakes region, efforts to develop a quicker, more precise VHS test, and regulations to step the disease from spreading. The speakers included Gael Kurath, of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Fisheries Research Center, and Rod Getchell and Jim Casey of Cornell University. Some of the key points from their presentations are:
VHS was found in European freshwater trout dating to the late 1930s and continues to cause epidemics in European trout farms; it first appeared on the U.S. West Coast in 1988 in marine trout and salmon, and started to be noticed in marine fish off the eastern Canadian province of New Brunswick from 2000-2004. It was first detected in Great Lakes freshwater fish in 2005. The virus found in Wisconsin is a new genetic strain that’s most closely related to the virus found in the Pacific Northwest, rather than the strain found in Europe.
VHS is one of nine pathogens of aquatic animals that has to be reported to federal and international officials within 24 hours of discovery because of its sudden-effects and high mortality
DNA analysis shows that VHS has only recently been introduced to the Great Lakes. The strain of virus isolated in 20 different Great Lakes fish tested for the disease are nearly identical, suggesting the disease hasn’t had time to evolve and develop more diverse strains.
Often, diseased fish do not show outward signs of their infection. New York state’s VHS monitoring program in 2006 found that bait fish had the highest levels of the disease but no apparent outward signs of VHS. And Cornell researchers also reported that 30 percent of the coho salmon they tested that looked healthy had VHS.
A VHS test under development is able to produce results in one day instead of 28 and is more sensitive, detecting VHS in more fish than the internationally approved method used now, which cultures cells. However, the new test is specific to the current genetic strain of VHS found in Wisconsin. If a new strain evolves or is introduced, the rapid test may not be able to detect it.
Kurath predicted that the virus will become more widely distributed in the Great Lakes, it will infect additional species and the disease will occur on a periodic basis.
She also predicts that surviving fish will become immune, leading to the disease striking primarily young fish. She also predicts the disease will have population-level effects for some species. But she predicted the disease will become less explosive in most years.
It will be important to prevent the spread of the virus to other freshwater systems in the U.S. and Canada as well as to the commercial aquaculture industry.
This session was sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which has been performing VHS tests on many of the fish collected in Wisconsin for testing.
Bait harvest permits
Information for bait harvesters has been updated on the VHS web page. Under emergency rules, all registered bait dealers who collect minnows, crayfish or frogs from the wild are required to obtain permits to collect from specific lakes or river stretches, and to keep records. The permits and record-keeping requirements are aimed at monitoring possible sources of VHS.
Most frequently asked question of the week
Can I catch bluegills on one of those waters, put them in my live well and move to another water to use them on my setlines?
No. The new rules say it's illegal to transport live fish away from Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Winnebago and the Mississippi River. Never move live fish away from those waters and introduce them to another water. You must kill all live fish, including unused minnows, once you leave for the day from Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Winnebago and the Mississippi River or any of their tributaries up to the first barrier impassable to fish. While fishing the same water body, however, you can move your boat to a new location, or walk along the shore to a new location, and fish with live fish or live fish eggs in your bait bucket or live well within that same water body.
Last Revised: Thursday August 16 2007
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/#top
