Wisconsin experienced some changing and variable weather conditions in the past week, ranging from hot and humid to dry, to cool and damp. The entire state has received rainfall in the last week ranging from an inch to two, and fire danger is now low statewide with no burning restrictions in place.
Trees across areas of northern Wisconsin that experienced drought conditions this summer are showing early signs of stress-induced color change, with branches of maples already beginning to turn a dull red and some birch and popple showing tints of yellow. Some elm and sumac are also showing some early color.
The variable weather this week made for some erratic fishing success. In the north, the most consistent action has been with musky. Bass fishing has been inconsistent -- with some days producing good action while other days find the bites hard to come by. Walleye fishing has been fair, with many anglers using leeches and crawlers along the weed edges and in weed pockets. Northern pike action has been good in the last several weeks and panfish action continued to be fair.
Some nice walleye were being taken from the Menominee River at Marinette. Perch and walleye fishing improved a bit over the last week on Green Bay, with good catches reported from Sturgeon Bay south along the east shore of the bay. Bass fishing has also been very good over the last week. Fishing out on Lake Michigan was fair early in the week because of favorable weather conditions, but dropped to poor over the weekend because of windy weather. Anglers trolling on the lake reported mixed catches of chinook salmon and rainbow, with some brown and lake trout also landed. Some salmon have already begun to get darker as the fall spawning run gets closer, and there have even been some fish spotted up the Kewaunee River. Shore and pier anglers at Port Washington have been catching brown and rainbow trout. Milwaukee and Racine angers have had success with chinook salmon and brown trout, and Kenosha anglers were still finding a few perch along with brown trout and some chinook salmon taken near the mouth of the Pike River.
The Mississippi River rose some and was at 7.7 feet this week at Prairie du Chien. The rise slowed bluegill fishing a little, but some nice sized bluegills were still being taken off the wing dams along the main channel. Walleye and sauger action was fair, with early morning and later in the best time for walleye action. Smallmouth and largemouth bass have been very active.
There were 4,224 applications for the 2010 Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing license lottery, with 500 successful applicants authorized to purchase an Upriver license for the 2010 season. People who applied, but did not get authorized to purchase an Upriver license for 2010, earned a preference point, and can still buy a license for the Lake Winnebago season. Whether buying an Upriver Lakes or Lake Winnebago license, they must be purchased no later than Saturday, October 31.
White-tailed deer fawns are beginning to loose their spots and bucks are showing good antler growth. Barred Owls have been calling. Large flocks of bluebirds and blackbirds are gathering. Bluebird concentrations tend to number about 10 to 20 birds, but blackbird flocks reach several hundred to more than a thousand birds. Flocks of blue-winged teal and a few coots have arrived around La Crosse. Additional white pelicans have also arrived. There are now several hundred around La Crosse. Luna moths are being seen in some areas. The large, fluorescent green moths, often seen in the moonlight, only live for about a week.
A variety of mushrooms are popping up in the forests in response to the plentiful rainfall this week. Prairie flowers in bloom include compass plant, prairie dock, whorled milkweed, butterfly weed, early goldenrod, yellow, purple and pale purple coneflower, bergamot, black eyed susan, Joe-Pye weed, and leadplant.
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
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Variable and almost constantly changing weather in the past week has made for some erratic fishing success in the Northwoods. The most consistent action has been with musky, with anglers having a lot of sightings and follows, as well as quite a few hook-ups and catches of fish in the 34 to 42-inch size. The mid to late afternoon hours have produced the best action, and the favorite lures have been plastic jerk or crank baits and top-water baits fished near the deep weed edges. Bass fishing has been real inconsistent -- with some days producing good action while other days find the bites hard to come by. Largemouth have been found in thick lily pad beds and near mid-depth structure such logs/stumps, weed lines, and bog edges. Soft plastics and frog imitations have been the lures of choice and the late afternoon period has produced the best action. Smallmouth fishing has shown some consistency on the local rivers and flowages, with the best success coming on finesse plastics fished near rock and woody cover along deeper water areas. Walleye fishing continues to be fair, with many anglers using leeches and crawlers along the weed edges and in weed pockets. Some anglers have also found walleye on the deeper gravel and rock bars in 12 to 18 feet of water. Northern pike, an often overlooked fish in the summer, has produced some good fishing in the last several weeks. Continued cool water temperatures seem to have favored this species and action has been good around the near-shore weed beds. Spinner baits and small crank baits have worked the best - but a wire leader should be used to minimize the bite-offs. Panfish action continues to be fair, with some decent catches of crappie, bluegill and rock bass being reported.
Antigo DNR Service Center area
Council Grounds State Park - A bald eagle is frequently spotted flying along the river. A barred owl was spotted along a trail near the campground. A black bear has been frequenting the park. Campers are advised to keep all food in their vehicles and properly dispose of any garbage that may be in their campsite. Campsites will be available on a first come basis starting on Monday, September 7.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - Smallmouth bass are feeding in and around the Peshtigo Harbor, crank baits and spinners are working well. Little River is seeing some success with perch in 12 to 14 feet of water south of the landing, look for the weed beds. The Menominee River smallmouth bite from the Light House pier to Stephenson Island has been good as of late, minnows are working best. Some nice walleye are also being taken from the Menominee drifting crawlers in the holes from the train bridge to the turn basin. Salmon anglers are congregating on both the Light House and the Government piers before first light and are starting to catch salmon on spoons. The forests are taking on a fall feel to them as the berry season winds down and goldenrod is flowering. A variety of mushrooms are popping up in the forests in response to the plentiful rainfall we have been receiving. This year’s fawns are beginning to loose their spots and bucks are showing some good growth of their antlers. Turkey poults are varying in size and in good numbers. Cooler mornings are setting in and shorter daylight hours.
Oconto County - Fishing pressure remains moderate to heavy on the weekends with light pressure during the week. Temperatures at the landings are running from the mid 60s to the low 70s with good water clarity. Perch anglers have been reporting some success from Pensaukee to Oconto Park II. They were finding fish in 8 to 14 feet of water adjacent to weed beds. Minnows and slip bobbers or crappie rigs were working the best. The dam at Stiles was still producing some nice bluegills on crawlers and leaf worms. Anglers at the Oconto Breakwater were reporting some brown trout activity on the north side of the causeway in the pre dawn hours.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - - The perch and walleye fishing have improved a bit over the last week at Bay Shore Park. There was a few good catches of perch reported last week. The walleye were hitting crank baits in 20 feet of water.
Manitowoc County - In the Manitowoc/Two Rivers area trout and salmon anglers had a slow to fair week of fishing. Fishing early in the week was fair because of favorable weather conditions and dropped to poor over the weekend because of windy weather conditions. In Manitowoc boat anglers targeting trout and salmon had mixed success trolling on Lake Michigan. Most boat anglers were trolling in 20 to 70 feet of water near the harbor mouth or along the shoreline south of Manitowoc. Anglers used a variety of baits such as spoons, stick baits, or J-plugs to land fish this week. On the piers, anglers had a slow week as well. Early in the week pier anglers fishing the early bite landed some large chinook salmon and a couple nice brown trout. In Two Rivers, most boat anglers also trolled in shallower water depths this past week. Catches this week were mixed with chinook salmon and rainbow trout dominating the catch, although a couple of brown trout and lake trout were also landed. On the piers anglers had a slow week as well. Catches were small this week and mixed between chinook salmon and rainbow trout and couple brown early in the week.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - Perch fishing has been fair over the last week at Sturgeon Bay with a few limit catches reported. Anglers were having to sort through a lot of small perch, most anglers were having the best luck on worms. Also the bass fishing has been very good over the last week with some nice sized bass being reported. Also a few walleyes have been caught. Anglers at Little Sturgeon Bay reported some nice sized perch being caught off Henderson Point. Also the walleye fishing has picked up over the last week with anglers catching walleye and a few bonus brown trout in 40 feet of water. The perch fishing continues to improve at Chaudoir’s Dock; there has been a very good morning bite for perch over the last week with a lot of fish being caught. Most anglers were running north in 12 to 40 feet of water.
Potawatomi State Park - Some plants and animals to look for in the park during August include Luna moths, eastern kingbirds, and northern heart-shaped asters. Naturalist programs this weekend include: Underwater Archaeology, Friday, August 28, 8 p.m.-- the scow schooner Ocean Wave was discovered off the coast of Whitefish Dunes State Park in 2004 -- come to the amphitheater to see photos and find out about this fascinating discovery; Chainsaw Carving Demonstration, Saturday, August 29, 1 p.m. -- chainsaw carver Dennis Nellis will demonstrate his art outside Potawatomi's Nature Center; Folk Music Concert, Saturday, August 29, 7 p.m. amphitheater -- enjoy an evening of music under the stars with the talented Charlene Orffeo.
Kewaunee County - Weather this past week was warm and humid to start the week and then it became rainy and cooler as the week went on. Winds on most days were light out of the south, but strong winds moved in for the weekend, which made for unfavorable conditions on the lake. Some salmon have already begun to get darker as the fall spawning run gets closer, and there have even been some fish spotted up the Kewaunee River. Anglers have been reporting some good success casting spoons for trout and salmon off of the piers in Algoma and Kewaunee. Fish are starting to be taken at all times of the day, but more were being caught at sunrise and sunset. Anglers that have been going out on the lake had some good fishing to start the week, but fishing became difficult as the week went on. Kings and steelhead still account for most of the catch with there being more kings than steelhead being caught. Anglers were finding more salmon in close to shore this week. Most fish were being caught in water depths between 30 and 70 feet with most anglers fishing over water that is in the 50 to 100 feet range. Most anglers have been using a combination of dipsies and flashers and flies, but spoons and J-plugs have also been having success as well. The most common colors seem to be either a bright green or blue.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
There were 4,224 applications for the 2010 Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing license lottery, with 500 successful applicants authorized to purchase an Upriver Lakes spearing license for the 2010 season. Letters were sent to successful applicants last week. The number of applicants has seemed to level off just over 4,000 (4,224 this year and 4,031 in 2009). Successful applicants can only purchase an Upriver Lakes license. People who applied, but did not get authorized to purchase an Upriver Lakes spearing license for 2010, earned a preference point, and can still buy a license for the Lake Winnebago season. Whether buying an Upriver Lakes or Lake Winnebago license, they must be purchased no later than Saturday, October 31. It appears there was a fairly decent shad hatch this year on the Lake Winnebago system, which could have implications for sturgeon movement and behavior come February.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Havenwoods State Forest - Trail conditions are good. Prairie flowers in bloom at Havenwoods include culver's root, mountain mint, cup plant, rosinweed, compass plant, prairie dock, marsh milkweed, whorled milkweed, butterfly weed, early goldenrod, rattlesnake master, yellow coneflower, purple and pale purple coneflower, bergamot, Joe-Pye weed, and leadplant.
Kettle Moraine State Park - Pike Lake Unit - All trails are open to hiking and in good condition. The lake water is tested four days per week for elevated bacteria levels. Any advisories will be posted. Swim area buoys will remain in place through Labor Day weekend. Join the park naturalist for a "Fireside Folklore" program on Saturday August 29. Meet at the nature trail parking lot off Powder Hill Road at 8:30 p.m.
Kohler-Andrae State Park - Nature trails and hiking trails are open. Flowers currently blooming include nodding pink onion, wild bergamot, yellow coneflower, black eyed susan, purple prairie clover, and purple coneflower. The blazing star has buds and should be blooming soon. The Wisconsin Great Lakes Beach testing is conducted Monday through Thursday. Results can be viewed at
http://www.wibeaches.us.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan anglers fishing on the piers have been catching a few rainbow and brown trout. Both green & silver spoons and alewives have been producing. Sheboygan trollers have been taking mostly chinooks along with a few coho and rainbows, and the best catches have been 25 feet down in 40 to 60 feet of water.
Ozaukee County - Pier anglers in Port Washington have been catching a few brown and rainbow trout on alewives and spoons, and shore anglers near the power plant have been taking browns and chinook salmon on spawn. Trollers out of Port have reported chinooks, coho, and browns taken 20 to 30 feet down in 40 to 70 feet of water. Green or orange spoons have produced fish, as well as glow-in-the-dark J-plugs.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee McKinley pier has produced some late night chinook salmon taken on glow-in-the-dark spoons or alewives. Brown trout and chinook have also been caught from shore behind the Summerfest grounds, and a few chinook have been caught off the pier in Grant Park on spoons. Trollers out of Milwaukee have been catching chinooks, coho, rainbows, and browns 20 to 30 feet down in 30 to 60 feet of water; and browns have also been taken by boaters in the harbor and around the gaps.
Racine County - Shore anglers fishing off the Racine piers and in the harbor have been catching chinook salmon and brown trout on silver spoons. Trollers out of Racine have been finding good numbers of chinook in front of the harbor, as well as chinook, and rainbow and brown trout east of the reef marker in 50 to 60 feet of water. Glow-in-the-dark or green spoons and pearl J-plugs have been producing.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha anglers in Southport Marina are still finding a few perch, and live bait fished slowly on the bottom has produced the best. Shore anglers in the Kenosha harbor have been taking brown trout on silver spoons or white tube jigs, and chinook salmon have been taken near the mouth of the Pike River and in upstream locations. Kenosha trollers have been catching chinook near the mouth of the Pike and in 30 to 50 feet of water north towards Racine.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Devil's Lake State Park - Mountain bike trails at Devil's Lake are open. If the trails get muddy after heavy prolonged rains, they may be closed to mountain bikes as long as they remain wet and easily damaged. The park has a reputation for surprises, and that goes for rattlesnakes too. But few people ever get to see one. Each year, the park gets over a million visitors, and we receive rattlesnake sightings from about half a dozen people. A snake was spotted July 30 in a seldom-visited area of the park. If you are lucky enough to see a rattlesnake, just stay several steps away from it, leave it alone, and enjoy your fortunate sighting of the creature. Parfrey’s Glen is open again after being closed since the floods of June 2008.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - Non-summer continues with weekly rains and totally green prairies. Luckily we have missed some of the bigger wind damage events. Please report down trees blocking trails if you encounter any. The chain saw crew will clear the problem promptly. Fishing reports have been spotty with some crappies caught off the dam with a fly rod. Trout anglers have had scattered luck. Camping availability remains good Sunday through Thursday nights. Weekend availability is hit or miss on a cancel since the park tends to be full on weekends. Construction work is in progress in various parts of the park on new campgrounds and a new fishing pier. Saturday, September 5 features a Full Moon Hike at the Nature Center. The event begins indoors with a presentation on birds with Ed and Angie Colosky. After the presentation, all go out for a hike. Meet at the Nature Center at 7 p.m. A park sticker is required on your vehicle.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Large flocks of bluebirds and blackbirds are gathering. Bluebird concentrations tend to number about 10 to 20 birds, but blackbird flocks reach several hundred to more than a thousand birds. Roosting flocks of blackbirds, comprised of red-winged blackbirds, grackles, and starlings, can cause local nuisance problems with their droppings, odors, and depredation on crops. Fortunately these types of problems are temporary, as most blackbirds migrate south for the winter. Flocks of blue-winged teal and a few coots have arrived around La Crosse. Additional white pelicans have also arrived. There are now several hundred around La Crosse.
Perrot State Park - Water levels are normal and fishing is slow. The trails are a bit narrow but are in good condition. Queen Anne's lace, blazing stars, coneflowers, brown eyed susan, goldenrods, monarda, jewelweed, ragweed, boneset, snakeroot, Indian grass, and big bluestem are currently blooming in the park.
Great River State Trail - The trail is open and in good condition. Prairie grasses are starting to shine and turtles and snakes are frequent treats.
Crawford County - Last week the river began to slowly rise. As of August 27 the river was at 7.7 feet. The forecast for the Mississippi River is to remain steady. Boaters on the Mississippi River are still urged to use caution, even though the river rose some what. Wing dams and closing dams could cause damage outboard motors. Additionally sunken logs and rock piles outside of the main channel pose a serious danger to lower units. Boaters unfamiliar with the area should stay in the navigation channel or slow down and trim up their motors. The Wisconsin and Kickapoo Rivers have settled down and are in good shape. The sand bars on the Wisconsin River are in great shape for camping. All trout streams in the area are in good shape with normal flow and water clarity is fair. The rise in water level on the Mississippi impacted the bluegill fishing a little. Action slowed somewhat. Even so, some nice sized gills were being taken off the wing dams along the main channel of the Mississippi River. Try fishing the shallower portions of the wing dams closest to the main channel. The Ambro Slough, Black Slough, Fish Lake, the Upper and Lower Doubles and Big Missouri and Gremore Lake might begin to produce better as the water rises. Try fishing the “snags” on theses backwaters and sloughs or find weed edges. The most popular bait has been a chunk of night crawler or garden worms. Fishing at Cold Spring continues to be slow. Cold Spring is considered inland water, not boundary waters. Different fishing regulations are in effect there and non-residents must possess a non-resident fishing license. Boaters should also be aware that Cold Spring is a designated slow no wake area. Perch fishing was slow again this week. Try fishing a chunk of night crawlers along deeper weed edges, or in 4 to 5 feet of water adjacent to the weeds. Walleye and sauger action was fair. Generally the early morning hours and later in the day has been the best for walleye action especially during the weekends when recreational boating traffic is the heaviest. Trolling and casting crank baits or drifting with live bait is the primary method of taking walleyes. Jump around on wing dams to find active walleyes. Night crawlers and leeches have worked well too. Smallmouth and Largemouth bass have been very active. Smallmouth can be found on closing dams and wing dams or rock shorelines on the Main Channel. Largemouth bass can be found in a variety of habitats. Plastics, spinner baits, and crank baits have worked well. Bass anglers report catching a lot of undersized fish. Catfish, both flathead and channel, activity was spotty. A variety of live baits have produced cats. Move around until active fish are located. Channel cats have been a bit more active than the flatheads. Sheepshead have been very active. A piece of night crawler fished off the bottom has been the best tactic. White bass action was very spotty. Watch for surface feeding fishing and work those areas in the Main Channel. Northern pike action continued to be very good. Look for northerns where small feeder streams enter the river or try fishing the weed edges. Many popular bass baits have worked well for northerns including spinner baits and plastic top water baits. Trout fishing has been very good even though vegetation and insects are staring to make fishing a bit more difficult. Many local streams produced some very nice brown and brook trout. Insects like mosquitoes, deer flies and wasps are out in large numbers. Mosquitoes are really a problem in the river bottoms while the deer flies are in the wooded areas. The wasp or yellow jackets are very aggressive and can be a disruption to out door activities. Lightning bugs can be seen in large numbers after dark. Stinging nettle and poison ivy still pose a problem for outdoor enthusiasts. Some tree species like elm and sumac are starting to show slight color changes. Otherwise most tree species are still lush green.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Campsites have been full on weekends and about half full during the week with the three non-reservable sites being taken early. The two beaches and picnic areas have been busy with people swimming and enjoying the warm weather. The swimming area was green in the park part of Sunday afternoon. If it happens to be that way, we have 2 places people swim and it usually blows back out into the lake. The accessible fishing pier is located by the north shelter. There are still openings for the handicapped cabin in Sept and Oct. Canoes and kayaks are available for renting at the park and many visitors have been enjoying them. Visitors on the weekend saw great blue herons and osprey while paddling the canoe trail. We have an adapted kayak and beach wheelchair for use by people with disabilities. There are few bugs now so remember to bring some bug spray. People have been hiking all over the park and taking pictures for the photo contest. GPS units are available to check out as well as a binder of geocaches at Buckhorn and Roche-A-Cri. Barred Owls have been calling all over the park in early evening. This Saturday at 8:00 pm meet at the amphitheater to learn about owls and try to call some in on a hike of the nature trail.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The campground is open and we have had many sites open on the weekends. The weather is perfect for taking photos for the annual photo contest and hiking the trails. The picnic shelter by the mound/kiosk is reservable and has volleyball net and horseshoe pits. GPS units are available to checkout for the day. Repair work will be starting on Hwy 13, which will include a new turn lane into the park. Expect some delays during the week or earlier on Friday. The road and park entrance will remain open during construction.
Last Revised: Thursday August 27 2009
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