Warm humid weather over the Fourth of July holiday weekend had large numbers of people out enjoying lakes and rivers, and kept most state campgrounds filled. Most of the state continued to receive some rainfall in the last week, ranging from less than half an inch in the southeast, to more than 2 inches in central part of the state.
The continued rain has kept many river systems running high, though rivers in the north are again approaching seasonal norms. Some major flowages in the north have returned to near normal water levels. The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage has come up about 2 feet since its low about a month ago, and is now just about 1 foot below full pool. The natural seepage lakes came up some, but many are still very low from the effects of the six-plus years of drought. Major river systems in central and southern Wisconsin, including the Black, Baraboo, Chippewa, Kickapoo and lower Wisconsin were all still running very high this week. The Mississippi also continued to run very high, with a lot of floating debris, except for Pool 6, which is currently undergoing a drawdown intended to improve river habitat.
Most trail systems have recovered from the very heavy rains of late June, but some parks are reporting that mountain bike trails are still closed, so call ahead to confirm trail status. Most of the linear trails on abandoned railroad beds are open and in very good condition, with some exceptional wildflower viewing at this time.
Panfish and musky have been providing the most action on northern waters. Musky activity has continued to improve with the warming water, with good numbers of 32- to 40-inch fish reported. Bucktails and top-water baits have been the most productive lures. Anglers have been reporting decent catches of crappie, bluegill and rock bass. Walleye action continued to be slow. The increased water levels and dark-stained stained water has really thrown bass fishing off, with typical early summer patterns not producing many fish.
On Green Bay, walleye fishing was good in the southern part of bay and northward near Fish Creek. Perch fishing was spotty, with the best reports out of Sturgeon and Little Sturgeon bays. High winds and high waters made fishing on Lake Michigan difficult at times this week. Large capping rollers at 3-5 feet scattered success of boaters fishing a derby out of Manitowoc last weekend. This wind did help drop the surface water temperatures from a warm 62 degrees down to 51 degrees. Fishing off piers was starting to pick up with both chinook and coho salmon being caught. When trollers were able to get out, they generally reported action had slowed some from previous weeks but many were still successful, with chinook being the majority the catch, but also coho as well as rainbow and lake trout. Fishing off southeastern Wisconsin piers and harbors was picking up, with rainbow trout and, chinook, and coho salmon being caught on alewives.
There continue to be reports of many turtles being seen crossing roads. While it is getting late in the turtle nesting season, these turtles may be moving in response to increased water levels on lakes and rivers. If it can be done safely, move turtles off roads in the direction that they were moving to help protect native turtle populations.
Raspberries, mulberries and blackberries continue to ripen and with the bountiful rain recently, it appears to be an excellent crop. However, all the wet conditions have also resulted in a bumper crop of mosquitoes and biting flies, so be sure to pack some repellant if heading out to pick berries.
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
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Big Bay State Park - Campground and trails are in good condition. The raspberries and blueberries are abundant and starting to ripen. Campsites have been quickly filling up, and reservations are highly recommended. The highs have been in the 80s with the lows in the 50s. The park is located on Madeline Island, approximately 6 miles from the Town of La Pointe. Access to the island is usually done with the use of Madeline Island Ferry Line service. The ferries depart from Bayfield and carry passengers and vehicles of all sizes. They run 7 days per week. The frequency varies depending on the time of year. Contact Madeline Island Ferry lines through the internet at
www.MadFerry.com. Rates and scheduled running times are posted on their website.
Hayward DNR Service Center area
Tuscobia State Trail - The trail is in good condition. There has been great wildlife viewing on the trail, as well as an abundance of ever-changing wildflowers. The recent rains brought out good numbers of turtles out on to the trail, enjoying the puddles!
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - With the warm-humid weather, both recreational boating and fishing activity were very high over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend. Water temperatures have warmed into the low to mid 70s on most lakes and this has made for comfortable swimming conditions and increased fish feeding activity. Water levels on the major flowages in the area are near normal and the water continues to be more darkly stained than normal. The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage has come up about 2 feet since its low about a month ago, and is now just about 1 foot below full pool. The natural, or seepage lakes in the area have come up about 4 to 6 inches in water level, but many still remain very low from the effects of the six-plus years of drought. Weed densities have been variable, with some areas showing thicker densities than normal and other areas seeing much lower densities than past years. Stream and river levels are near normal or slightly high following the inch or so of rain in the last week. And watch out for the bugs - the recent rains have provided for a fresh hatch of mosquitoes, deer flies and 'ankle-biters' and all have become a bigger nuisance in the last week. Panfish and musky have been the main species of interest in the last week and success for both has been pretty good. Musky activity has continued to improve with the warming water and most anglers have been reporting some consistent action along weed edges, drop-offs, and in the light density weed beds. Good numbers of musky in the 32- to 40-inch size have been hooked and boated, with a few fish up to 46 inches also reported. Bucktails and top-water baits have been the most productive lures of late. Panfish action has been fairly consistent, with anglers making some decent catches of crappie, bluegill and rock bass. Decent crappie have been found suspended near mid-depth cover and larger bluegill have been caught along deep weed lines. Rock bass have been especially aggressive and been found near any mid-depth wood or rocky cover. Walleye action continued to be slow, with very little success being reported. A few smaller fish have been caught along the weed edges but the walleye anglers have mostly been occupied with rock bass and perch. Largemouth and smallmouth bass have been the real bugaboo in the last few weeks and most bass anglers have been having a very tough time finding quality-sized fish. It seems that the increased water levels and dark-stained stained water has really thrown these species into a funk and typical early summer patterns are not producing fish. Some smaller largemouth have been found near wood in thick weed beds and a few have also been caught near cover along bog edges. But many bass anglers have sworn that the quality-size fish have fallen off the face of the earth!? Smallmouth bass have been even tougher to find than largemouth, and many anglers report catching just a few 8 to 12-inch smallmouth when fishing their favorite early summer spots. Finesse tactics with small plastics have produced a few fish near mid-depth woody structure, but like largemouth, quality-size fish have been tough to come by.
Flambeau River State Forest - The North Fork of the Flambeau River is at a normal level, but the South Fork is still on the high side due to the recent rains. ATV trails are open and in good condition. Roads and trail that were previously closed due to washouts are now open.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Hot and rainy were the main ingredients for last week’s weather. Most of the boats observed were sun worshipers. Swimming, tubing, and jet skiing dominated the rivers and bay. Most anglers worked their trade in the early morning or evenings.
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - Fishing for smallmouth and catfish at the Peshtigo Harbor has slowed some but there are still fish to catch. The salmon bite out and around Green Island remains fair to good with most anglers having success around daybreak. Colors and depths vary from day to day.
Oconto County - A few panfish were being caught by the Stiles Dam using worms and bobbers. Pensaukee saw some action for walleyes, with anglers dragging crawler harnesses. Oconto Breakwater walleyes were being taken by anglers drifting over weeds in 10 to 14 feet of water using stick baits and jigging spoons. Oconto Park II shore anglers were still catching some nice bullheads fishing crawlers on bottom. Geano Beach anglers have been tolling for walleyes with some good success, most fishing in 20 feet of water. A crawler harness with some purple in it seems to be the bait of choice.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Fox River anglers have been doing well from shore fishing rough fish. Anglers have also been catching some big catfish off of Voyager Park at night. Anglers fishing from boats have been catching some nice walleyes jigging or trolling. Bayshore park anglers have been doing well trolling for walleye. Most have been using a crawler harness. Most anglers have been fishing in 10-20 feet of water.
Manitowoc County - Strong southerly winds at 15-25 mph throughout the week slowed fishing for the Manitowoc Salmon Derby along the lakeshore. Water temperatures remained around 63 degrees offshore but dropped to the upper 50s on July 4, creating improved fishing conditions. Air temperatures remained steady around 80 degrees throughout the week. Large capping rollers at 3-5 feet scattered success of boaters fishing the derby, with a limited number of boats fishing the evening hours. Out of Two Rivers, most anglers concentrated in 40-70 feet of water straight out of Two Rivers ranging all the way north to the lighthouse. Other areas with some success include 120-140 feet outside the trap nets and 25-40 feet north of Two Rivers’ north water tower to the lighthouse. The fishing straight out of Manitowoc from 50-80 feet remained the hotspot for boaters during the week. Out of both ports, coolers consisted of mostly chinook salmon with a few small rainbow trout. The tough seas significantly slowed down any steady action for rainbows. Most salmon have been ranging in the 14-17 pound range, with many of the rainbows 5-8 pounds. Using a variety of glow spoon colors on the riggers and dypsy have been good until sun up, then green flasher/fly combos has been hot this last week. Depths on the down riggers have varied from the mid-30s to near bottom depths. Retracting information out of anglers this week was very difficult due to their involvement in the fish derby, but very little has changed over the last few weeks. The pier action slowed down this week, with a few rainbows caught off of Two Rivers using crocodile and cleo casting spoons with no color better than another. The Manitowoc piers had more reports of success, with a small number of kings and rainbows caught. For the salmon, green/silver champs remain the top choice of anglers while using alewife on bottom.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - It was one of the wettest Junes in the last two decades as weather stations in Door County reported over 7.5 inches of rainfall for the month. Inclement weather and some days of high winds were had leading into the Fourth of July holiday, but anglers were still able to utilize the many different fishing niches throughout the county. Salmon and trout fishing slowed somewhat this week with the changing weather conditions. Some spotty thunderstorms, rains, and south winds moved water around the lake and bay causing for some varying water temperatures and fewer fish. Toward the weekend, anglers started reporting good numbers as some of the weather moved out of our area. Most anglers were having success with flasher fly combinations, as well as a handful of different spoons. Fishing out of Gills Rock and near Washington Island really picked up, along with fishing out of Baileys Harbor and Rowley’s Bay. Some fish were seen moving into deeper waters due to the conditions, but moved shallower toward the weekend. Walleye fishing reports have been good, most anglers having luck in the southern part of Green Bay and northward near Fish Creek. Working 15-20 feet of water with husky jerks, stick baits and crawler harnesses have produced some nice fish, mostly working in the upper part of the water column too. Smallmouth bass have moved into the deeper water as well. The bass season around Washington Island is now open and some very nice reports have come from that hot bed area. Working tube jigs over rocky structures has been popular along with using crawlers and leeches as live bait. Perch fishing in the bay continues to be spotty. Anglers working the weed edges and along the shipping channel have found some fish, mostly using minnows and leaf worms suspended near bottom. Sturgeon Bay anglers have been fishing perch in 5-15 feet of water. Most anglers have been struggling to find perch of any size. Minnows and crawlers under slip bobbers seem to be working the best. There have been some reports of a few incidental catches of musky mainly from the perch and bass anglers. Bass fishing has been good with some nice fish being caught up and down the ship cannel. Little Sturgeon Bay anglers have been targeting perch with some success outside of the bay in 15-25 feet of water. Anglers are also finding some perch inside the bay but most have been on the small side. Bass fishing has slowed some but anglers still are finding some nice fish. Anglers at Chaudoir’s Dock have been fishing perch with some good success. The best perch bite has been in the early mornings.
Kewaunee County - The week began with temperatures averaging around the mid to upper 60s and increased toward the end of the week. Unfortunately as the wind increased as the week grew on and caused a few small craft advisories in Kewaunee County during the weekend. This wind did help drop the surface water temperatures from a warm 62 degrees down to 51 degrees and has helped the fishing. Fishing on the Kewaunee pier was starting to pick up with king and coho salmon being caught each day off the end of the pier. The fish were caught on cleos and green spoons. A few steelhead have been caught this week as well but the numbers have been down compared to the last few weeks. The best times to fish were between 10:30 p.m. and midnight. The Kewaunee ramp has seen some on and off fishing this previous week but the fishing in the early part of the week was very successful. It was not uncommon to see boats hauling in limits. The fish seemed to be biting on both flies and spoons with almost any color ranging from purple to blue to green to orange working. The majority of the fish caught were king salmon with a few lake trout being caught as well. There was an increase in Algoma pier fishing pressure toward the beginning of the week but the high winds drove most of the anglers away during the weekend. Most anglers tried their luck with cleos, green, and fire tiger spoons for rainbow trout. Fishing out of the Algoma Ramp was much more successful earlier in the week with the average catch per boat being about 4-5 fish with a few boats limiting out in the morning. There wasn’t one specific color that worked the best but blues and greens seemed to be the most popular choices. The fish caught were found in waters around 90-110 feet and about 50 feet down.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Kohler-Andrae State Park - All hiking and nature trails are open and in good condition. Yarrow, milkweed, butterfly weed, and orange hawkweed are blooming.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan trollers have been catching chinook, rainbow, and lake trout. Most fish have been caught in 60 to 100 feet of water, from the surface to 50 feet down. Shore fishing in Sheboygan has been good, with rainbows, chinook, coho, and a few browns caught off both piers. Spoons and alewives have taken the most fish.
Ozaukee County - Trollers in Port Washington have found a mixed bag of fish between 50 and 200 feet of water. Good numbers of chinook, coho, rainbows, and a few brown and lake trout have been hitting spoons or flashers and flies, and fish have been throughout the water column. Shore anglers in Port Washington have been catching perch on jigs and minnows fished off the harbor side of the pier. Anglers fishing the lake side of the pier have been catching rainbow, chinook, and coho on alewives. Boaters fishing for perch in Port have been catching fair numbers on fathead minnows at the south pier.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee trollers have been catching mostly chinook, along with a few coho and rainbow. Fish have been caught in as little as 40 feet of water or out as far as 120 feet. Spoons have taken the majority of fish, although a few have been caught on flies. The best colors have been blue and white. For shore anglers in Milwaukee, the most consistent spot has been McKinley pier. Chinook have been caught off the pier after dark and before dawn. Most have been taken on alewives, but spoons have started to produce as well. Some perch have also been taken off McKinley pier on small shiners just off the bottom. Boaters launching at Bender Park and fishing for perch have been catching good numbers at the boils off South Milwaukee and near the Oak Creek Power Plant. Small shiners have produced the best.
Racine County - In Racine trollers have been catching good numbers of chinook and a few coho and rainbow. Fish have been near shore, with the best action in 30 to 50 feet of water. Shore fishing in Racine has also been good, with decent numbers of chinook taken off the north pier before sunrise. Both spoons and alewives have taken fish. Perch fishing from shore has slowed, but for those fishing in boats, the perch bite has been fair, with the breakwalls and the bubbler providing good action at times. Minnows and crab tails have both produced, as have jigs.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha the trolling bite remains consistent, with good catches coming from as shallow as 40 feet of water, to as deep as 100 feet. Nearly all methods have produced fish at times. Fishing in the Kenosha harbor has been fair, especially in the evening hours and into the night. Silver & green spoons as well as glow in the dark have been catching fish, as have tube jigs. Most fish have been brown trout, and activity has been good from the Best Western all the way out to the ends of the piers. Perch fishing has been slow from the piers, but better from Southport marina, especially in the early morning hours. Live bait has accounted for a large number of perch. Boats out for perch have been having a good bite in the mornings. Minnows have been the most consistent producer, but others are having luck with jigs and plastic.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Nelson Dewey State Park - The Mississippi River waters are still 5 feet over normal. The debris is heavy in the main channel, so watch out boaters. Several landings are under water. Fishing is slow, due to high water level, but striped bass are being caught at O’Leary Lake.
Wyalusing State Park - Most trails will be wet and muddy due to the recent heavy and constant rain. Sand Cave Trail is temporarily closed because of that rain. The forecast through the weekend is sunny with lower humidity and highs in the mid 80s. If this forecast holds true, the trails should be in good hiking condition and Sand Cave will be opened by the weekend. There is a 30 percent chance of rain on Sunday. Humidity is also expected to drop, making for what appears to be a long overdue perfect weekend for camping, hiking and canoeing at Wyalusing State Park. All reservable campsites are taken for the weekend. As of July 8, there was still a good selection of nonelectric sites, including 5 on the bluff side of the Wisconsin Ridge Campground. This will change as it gets later in the day and people start to arrive for the weekend. Campers are advised to check availability by calling the park at 608-996-2261 before heading to Wyalusing. Birds seen in the park include: great blue heron, trumpeter swan, turkey vulture, bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, turkey, American coot, sandhill crane, killdeer, mourning dove, yellow-billed cuckoo, great horned owl, barred owl, chimney swift, ruby-throated hummingbird, red-headed woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, flicker pileated woodpecker, Eastern wood pewee, Acadian flycatcher, phoebe, great crested flycatcher, Eastern kingbird, rough-winged swallow, barn swallow, blue jay, American crow, black-capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, brown creeper, house wren, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Eastern bluebird, wood thrush, robin, catbird, cedar waxwing, starling, yellow-throated vireo, warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo, blue-winged warbler, yellow warbler, yellow-throated warbler, cerulean warbler, American Redstart, prothonotary warbler, ovenbird, Kentucky warbler, scarlet tanager, cardinal, rose-breasted grosbeak, indigo bunting, Eastern towhee, chipping sparrow, field sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, song sparrow, red-winged blackbird, meadowlark, grackle, cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, house finch, goldfinch, house sparrow. Please note: the above list is not a complete list of birds found at Wyalusing, but is a list compiled by Chris West who led a bird walk on May 29. A new addition to this list is the worm-eating warbler spotted on June 17 on Long Valley Road. Flowers in bloom include: white beard tongue, prairie phlox, prairie onion, white indigo, black-eyed susan, pale purple coneflower and coreopsis, purple coneflowers, Joe-Pye-weed, royal catchfly, mallow, orange milkweed and liatris. It is “alive” with humming birds and butterflies. The humming birds are attracted to the beautiful red catchfly. There will be a Friends of Wyalusing State Park meeting on Monday, July 12 at 6 p.m. in the old park office.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Badger State Trail - Everything is open except for the northern section which is under construction. It is being paved from friend valley parkway north to Fitchburg.
Devils Lake State Park - All campsites were filled for the Fourth of July weekend. Mountain bike trails remain closed due to wet conditions. No swimmers itch has been reported.
New Glarus Woods State Park - The woods are home to blooming wildflowers, with blue birds common. Deer now have fawn, and those can be seen by most visitors. All campgrounds are reserved however group sites are still open but in high demand therefore most likely will fill. Mosquitoes are common in the wooded areas, lots of deer flies.
Yellowstone State Park - There has been lots of boating activity with lots of fishing. As to the type and amount of fish caught, it has been varying sporadically. Surprisingly, mosquitoes and insects of the sort are not a problem due to the parks notable bat population. Certain trails did receive their fair share of damage from recent rains; however that damage has been kept under control. The beach and lake have been used heavily all year and there have not been any reports of swimmers itch to date.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Perrot State Park - The trails are in good condition. Water levels are very low. Fishing is a real challenge and patience is important. The drawdown on Pool 6 is expected to result in the water levels in the bay being about 10-12 inches below normal, once the extra rain waters exit the river system. Thanks to lots and lots of rain, the mosquito hatch is expected to be impressive in the next week or so. Campers are advised to remember their bug spray since there is none to be purchased in Trempealeau. Summer has arrived and the following can be seen in the park: wild quinine, coneflowers, butterfly weed, hoary alyssum, tall beards tongue, large-flowered beards tongue, hoary vervain, prairie larkspur, brown-eyed susans and yarrow. Raspberries and mulberries are ripe all over the park and blackberries aren't far behind.
Great River State Trail - The trail is open and in good condition. Turtles are frequently seen sunning themselves below the bridges and warblers are hiding along the edges of the trail. Raspberries, mulberries and blackberries are ripe along the trail for those with sharp eyes! The water levels on the backwaters are very high due to recent rains. Biting flies are out and aggressive on the bike trails and users are encouraged to be prepared.
Wildcat Mountain State Park - Recent rains have left trails water logged and muddy. The Kickapoo River is still running high. River conditions are changing daily. Kickapoo River Stage and Flow rates can be accessed at [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis] .
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Many visitors have been enjoying the warm weather swimming at the beach. People have been catching fish from the pier and at their campsites. The kid's fishing pond has had many visitors using the new parking lot. Kids have been catching and releasing small bluegills and bass from the pier at the pond. Trails are in great condition for hiking with the warmer weather and many visitors have been camping, picnicking and fishing. There are still some occasional mosquitoes so it is a good idea to bring bug spray. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent - check at park office for fees and to rent them. An accessible kayak and beach wheelchair is available for persons with disabilities to use for free - ask at the park office. Butterfly weed, lead plant, goldenrod, and milkweed are blooming in the park.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - Some coneflowers are beginning to open. The butterfly weed is just showing a little orange on the buds. The stairway up the bluff is closed due to deteriorating lumber. A $354,600 project to replace it has been approved. The petroglyph viewing platform at the base of the mound is still open and several miles of hiking trails are available.
Last Revised: Thursday July 08 2010
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