Wisconsin’s wet summer of 2010 carried through yet another week, with the entire state receiving additional rain, with some very heavy rain of 5 to 6 inches reported in the northwest. All major river systems continue to run extremely high for late summer.
In the north and central parts of the state, the St. Croix, Chippewa, Flambeau and Black rivers were all running at nearly twice their normal flow for August. In the south, the Kickapoo River has flooded and closed some roads and canoeing is not advised because of fast current, floating debris and low to no clearance under some bridges. Most sandbars on the lower Wisconsin River continue to be submerged. The Rock and Crawfish rivers also are very high, though there has been some easing of slow-no-wake ordinances in Beloit and the ordinance has been lifted from Lake Monona in Madison.
Despite a big change from hot and muggy weather to breezy and cool conditions this past weekend, fishing success continued to be pretty good across the north. Smallmouth bass was a highlight of the past week, with anglers reporting some real nice catches of 16- to 18-inch fish. Musky action also continued to be good, with musky getting increasingly active the last few weeks. Walleye fishing continues to be very slow and panfish action has been fair.
A walleye tournament out of Oconto last weekend had anglers scouting all over Green Bay, with the most success reported off the West Shore of the southern part of Door County and along some of the reefs between Egg Harbor and Sister Bay. Salmon fishing on Lake Michigan slowed considerably this week out of most northern ports, with some trollers reporting the slowest action of the summer. Trollers out of southeastern ports continued to report fair action with chinook and some coho, rainbows, and lake trout reported.
Anglers fishing Lake Michigan and Lake Superior are reminded to steer well clear of any potential obstructions including commercial trap nets. In Lake Michigan, such nets are set off Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and in Door County and the Bay of Green Bay. In Lake Superior, nets are set in several locations, including between Houghton Point and Bayfield. People can learn more about trap net safety on the Great Lakes through a new page on the DNR website.
The Mississippi River was at 10.74 feet Tuesday and rising and forecast to stay steady around the 11.5 foot mark for a week or so. Boaters are finding a large influx of vegetation and debris floating downstream. Fishing has been disrupted due to the high water.
Bonus antlerless deer tags for regular deer management units, and hunting access permits for state park deer management units go on sale starting this Saturday, Aug. 21. Tags will be available for 47 regular deer management units and hunters must purchase a tag to shoot antlerless deer in those units this fall. Nineteen regular deer management units will not have any antlerless tags available for sale this year to encourage herd growth. Every gun and archery deer hunting license will include an antlerless carcass tag valid for units designated as Herd Control or Chronic Wasting Disease management. Tags and permits for odd numbered units will be available for sale at noon Saturday and tags and permits for even numbered units will go on sale beginning noon Sunday. Tags and permits will be available for purchase at any DNR licensing sales location, through the DNR Online Licensing Center, or by phone toll free at 1 (877) 945-4236.
Blackbirds are starting to gather in larger and larger flocks and hummingbirds are frantically feeding at feeders. Walnuts are dropping and black raspberries are ripe in the south and ripe blueberries are still being found in the north.
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 - The highs have been in the mid 70s with the lows in the low 50s. There are still some ripe blueberries. Huckleberries are near peak ripeness. Blackberries are just starting to ripen. The flies and mosquitoes are light. Campsites have been filled almost every night. Access to Madeline Island and the park is usually by use of the Ferry Line service. The ferries depart from Bayfield and carry passengers and vehicles of all sizes. They run seven days per week.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Area river and stream levels continue to be a little high, but most are still fully accessible for canoeists or bank anglers. Water temperatures also continue to be rather warm and have consistently been in the low 80-degree range (though they may start dropping with the recent cooler weather). The bug crop is also very high yet, with lots of mosquitoes, gnats and 'ankle biters' around to irritate outdoor enthusiasts. Despite the big change from hot and muggy weather to breezy and cool conditions this past week, fishing success has continued to be pretty good across most waters in the Northwoods. Smallmouth bass seemed to be the highlight of the past week with area rivers and flowages providing some very good action. Anglers have reported some real nice catches of 16 to 18 inch fish, with a couple of 4+ pound smallies caught and released in the past few days. Most of the fish were found near wood and structure along hard bottom areas that were also close to deeper water. Spinner baits, top-water baits, and larger finesse plastics were the most successful baits. Musky action also continued to be good. Fish have been getting increasingly active the last few weeks and most anglers report plenty of activity. Bucktails, bulldawgs and top-water baits continue to be the lures of choice and most of the fish have been found along the weed edges and in the less-dense weed beds. No lunkers have been reported, with most of the fish in the 32 to 38-inch size. Largemouth bass fishing has been erratic - some days produce some great action and other days yield very few bites. The largemouth do seem to be favoring the woody cover and the deeper weed and bog edges. Top-water action has been very slow, while soft plastics and jig/craw combinations have provided most of the success. Walleye fishing continues to be very slow with very few reports of any success. The few catches that have been reported have come from deep-water structure such as cribs and rock humps, with leaches and crawlers being the favored baits. Panfish action has been fair, some decent bluegill and crappie have been picked up suspended over mid-depth structure. Rock bass however, seem to be especially active and have provided many anglers with at least some sort of action!
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Fishing pressure has been light over the past week due in part to the hot and humid conditions. Water temperatures on the bay have been near the 80 degree mark.
Marinette County - Peshtigo River bass anglers have had some success fishing the slough areas by the mouth of the river using spinner and crank baits. Heavy currents in the river is making fishing difficult. On the Menominee River early morning and evening fishing for walleye, sheephead, and catfish remains good. Trolling crawler/harness and stick baits works well. Salmon fishing reports have been spotty at best with no clear indication as to success rates.
Oconto County - Fishing at the Stiles Dam remains good with some mixed catches of crappie and bluegill. Slip bobbers and minnows for the crappie and bobbers and worms for the bluegill, cast and drift is method most anglers are using. The perch action on the bay from Pensaukee landing to Oconto Park II has slackened considerably with the best success coming in deeper water (16 to 20 feet). Walleye in this same area are still willing to bite when you find them, with crawler/harness and crank baits the baits of choice and once again the fish seem to be in deeper water.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Perch fishing has been spotty over the last few days at Bayshore Park. Most anglers have been using a run and gun type method of finding fish. Walleye fishing has been slow, but starting to improve over the last week with anglers trolling harnesses in a purple or white color. Walleye anglers are also encountering lots of drum and catfish while trolling.
Manitowoc County - Light southerly winds early in the week gave way to increasing strong west winds by late Sunday. Hot and humid conditions with light winds created heavy fog offshore along the lakeshore until late in the week when the humidity dropped and the winds picked up. Temperatures remained in the 80s all week with scattered rain and thunderstorms. Water temperatures remained scattered in the 66-70 degree range. Angler success remained relatively low with an average of 0-4 fish per boat with quiet shore fishing. The fishing action appears to be at its worst this summer, with several boats at the Two Rivers and Manitowoc ramps not landing a single fish. Success appears to be in the 50-60 foot range up and down the lakeshore with some boats having success in the 110 to 150 depths straight out of Two Rivers southward off of Manitowoc. The chinook appear to be scattered off the lighthouse north of Two Rivers, with several reports coming in of success anywhere from 50-150 feet. Sundays’ strong west wind is forecasted for a few days and should bring in the cooler water along with the good fishing. Many of the fish caught in the 50-60 foot range came off of downriggers near the bottom. J-Plugs on the downriggers and glow spoons early on the dypsy have had the most success recently. With reports coming in with little to no success recently, experiment with your pump handles and spoons and flasher/fly combos on your downriggers. Fishing activity off the piers has slowed this last week with no reports of trout or salmon caught, but the strong west wind is bringing hope to area anglers that the salmon will begin to come in. A few 8-10 inch perch have been caught in the Manitowoc Harbor near the marina and off of the south pier. Use small jig heads with night crawlers or fathead minnows either jigging or using bobbers.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - Another hot and humid week was had around Door County, including possibly the hottest day of the year so far. Heat indexes mid week reached into the mid 90s, however reduced considerably going into the weekend. A few days of high winds limited fishing on both the Bay and the Lake, however there were still some reports of fish being caught. Salmon fishing has slowed for most anglers along with most fishing spots county wide. Fishing pressure out of Ellison Bay, Gills Rock, and Rowley’s Bay has been at its lowest point in the last few months, producing minimal reports along with minimal fish being caught. Fishing out of Baileys Harbor has been somewhat consistent with average catches between two and four fish. Fishing out of Sturgeon Bay for Salmon has been slow for most anglers but some very nice catches are still being reported. A few boats were able to find their limit quite easily this week despite the general consensus that fishing was poor. Although they didn’t divulge their baits or strategy, they said a change in their presentation and baits from the summer norm was what brought the fish into the boat. A Walleye tournament out of Oconto this weekend had anglers scouting all over Green Bay. Most success was had off the West Shore of the southern part of Door County, along with fishing some of the reefs between Egg Harbor and Sister Bay near Chambers Island and North towards the Horseshoe Reefs. Perch fishing has remained decent but slow in terms of size. Many small fish are still being seen which gives some anglers optimism that the next few years will produce some good fishing. Working minnows near the bottom in 15-20 feet of water has been the popular choice for anglers recently. Few reports were had this week for anglers pursuing Smallmouth Bass, however it is likely the fish can still be found in their usual places along the flats in Sturgeon Bay and other rocky areas in 8-15 feet of water. On a positive note, the Egg Harbor marina and boat launch that has been closed for construction since early April opened just over a week ago for public access and fishing opportunities. Sturgeon Bay walleye fishing picked up in the ship channel over the last few days. Most anglers have been trolling harnesses or cranks at night to catch fish. Larson's reef has also been good over the last few days with anglers pulling limit catches when the wind has worked in their favor. Anglers are finding good numbers of perch in Sawyer Harbor. Anglers are targeting pike with large crank baits, and are having mixed results. Little Sturgeon Bay anglers have been catching good numbers of perch in the weeds. Most anglers have been using a night crawler with a slip bobber. Anglers trolling for walleye are finding good numbers of fish around Henderson Point. Bass anglers are reporting some success over rocks with tube jigs. Chaudoirs dock- Anglers have been catching some sizable perch just to the north in 15-20 feet of water. Due to the inclement weather, fewer than normal boats are actually getting out. Walleye anglers have also found fish willing to bite with most trolling in 20 feet of water.
Kewaunee County - This was another week of up and down weather that caused some havoc for anglers in Kewaunee County. The high heat and humidity in the early parts of the week raised water temperatures all the way up to 74 degrees at the surface in both Algoma and Kewaunee. The latter half of the week brought cooler temperatures and a strong western wind that actually dropped the surface temperatures in Algoma along the pier to 61 degrees and brought the surface temperature out deeper down considerably as well. This week was similar to last week on the Kewaunee pier with very little fish activity being reported. A couple lucky anglers managed to land some smallmouth bass and some larger carp but that comprised the majority of the fish that were netted. The boaters out in Kewaunee didn’t seem to hook into many fish this week with a few of the days averaging only 2 fish per boat. Anglers have been trying depths ranging from 70 feet out to about 240 feet of water with varying success. Here the hot colors for flies were the same as in Algoma but spoons were a little more successful with wonder bread and bloody nose spoons catching the majority of fish. It was another slow week on the Algoma Pier but one rainbow trout was caught earlier in the week. A few anglers have been catching northern pike lately on fire tiger spoons but the fish have been very elusive this week. The fishing out on the lake really started strong earlier in the week as quite a few boats came back with limits on King Salmon but as the week progress the fishing cooled of a bit. The more successful anglers were fishing in depths of 70-120 feet of water and about 50-70 feet down. This week Flasher and fly combos out did the spoons with the hot colors being white or chrome flashers with aqua-pearl flies. Also quite a few fish were caught on J-plugs and glow moonshine spoons.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Kettle Moraine State Park - Pike Lake Unit - All trails are open and generally in good condition. Trails east of Powder Hill Road have some wet and muddy areas. Temporary planks are on the trail in these areas to help hikers avoid the mud. The accessible trail pier is in place for the season. The lake water is tested four days a week for elevated bacteria levels. Any warnings will be posted.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan trollers have been catching a few chinook and rainbows. Most fish have been scattered from the surface to 80 feet down in 40 to 130 feet of water, and spoons and J-plugs have been productive. Shore fishing in Sheboygan remains relatively slow, with a few chinook and rainbows taken off the south pier on alewives, and a few chinook have been caught off North Point on spoons.
Ozaukee County - Trollers in Port Washington have found some chinook, coho, rainbows, and lake trout. Fish have been 25 to 70 feet down in 50 to 110 feet of water. Spoons, flashers and flies, and J-plugs have all produced on occasion, but action has been fairly slow. Shore anglers in Port Washington have had some success fishing for perch off the pier. Jigs and minnows have taken the most perch.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee trollers have been catching mostly chinook, along with a few lake trout and rainbows. Fish have been caught in 60 to 110 feet of water, and flies and J-plugs have taken the majority of fish. Shore fishing effort in Milwaukee remains low, and few fish have been reported. Perch fishing off the boils and the Oak Creek power plant has been slow, but boats working the South Shore breakwall have found some perch in the weeds along the rocks.
Racine County - In Racine some chinook have been taken by trollers in 20 to 60 feet down in 120 to 160 feet of water. Rainbows and chinook have also been biting in 220 to 260 feet of water. Shore fishing in Racine has been generally slow, but a few perch have been caught in the basin near the boat launch. Effort from the piers has been very low.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha trollers have been catching some chinook nearshore in 25 feet of water, and others have been hitting further out, around 150 feet of water. J-plugs, spoons, and some flies have all taken fish, and silvers and greens have been the most productive colors. Shore fishing in Kenosha has started to pick up, with browns and occasional rainbows hitting white tube jigs and spoons near the Holiday Inn. The best bite has been in the evenings and into the night. Perch anglers have been catching a few off the rocks by the south pier as well as in Southport Marina. Both minnows and crab tails have been producing. Kenosha boaters looking for perch have been catching a few at the bubbler and off the 75th Street jetties.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Wyalusing State Park - Trails are in good hiking condition. All reservable sites have been taken, but as of Thursday morning, there is a nice selection of non-reservable sites, including 3 bluff sites. Electric sites will be difficult to obtain. At this point, all sites are on a first come, first served basis. With the spring migration over and the fall migration not yet started, birding is not as popular at this time of year as it is in the spring and fall. Summer residents in the park include: yellow-billed cuckoo, black-billed cuckoo, common nighthawk, whip-poor will, Eastern wood peewee, Acadian Flycatcher, least flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, great crested flycatcher, Eastern kingbird, house wren, Eastern bluebird, Veery, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Catbird, brown thrasher, Yellow-throated vireo, warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo, blue-winged warbler, yellow warbler, yellow-throated warbler, cerulean warbler, American Redstart, prothonotary, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Rose-breasted grosbeak, indigo bunting, Eastern Towhee, chipping sparrow, field sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, song sparrow, swamp sparrow, and Baltimore oriole. The swarm of humming birds at the park office feeders continues to delight park visitors and campers. The “hummers” are a favorite subject of many photographers. Humming birds can be seen at any time of the day, but the best time to see the ‘swarm” is on rainy or cloudy days and right before dark.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - Little Falls Lake remains high and discolored as is the Willow River. Trout anglers will find it tough going anywhere in the area given the amount of rain and more is due. Every small river in the area hit flood stage or bank full about a week ago including the Kinnickinnic. At the office, we have a screen showing photos from around the park. Park staff shot photos of Willow Falls at maximum flow. Eventually there will be some video from the park being shown. We can also show weather reports on the screen. The campground has been full on weekends. All of the 300 campground electric sites can be taken on weeknights. Please report trees down on trails if you find one. Park staff checks regularly but sometimes trees fall between inspections. The park staff is aware of the washouts and repairs will be made when crews are available.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Late summer and early fall are good times to do some birdwatching. Oftentimes fall migrants do not move through an area as rapidly as they do during the spring migration. Therefore, birdwatchers may have a little more time to actually "watch" the birds. Fall warblers can challenge even the most observant birdwatcher, making for difficult but rewarding identification lessons. Remember that most birds do not sing in the fall to the extent that they do in the spring, which means birdwatchers need to rely more on keen eyesight and less on their hearing to locate and identify birds.
Perrot State Park - Trails are in good condition. Water levels are extremely variable this summer due to the drawdown on Pool 6. At times, the bay is VERY low, but after heavy rains, the water can be very high. The level can change over the course of the day and large boats may have difficulty reaching the Mississippi River from our boat landing. Caution is advised! Currently, the Trempealeau River is way above its banks and canoeing is not advised due to the high and very fast water. Call the park for current conditions if you are considering canoeing the bay. Mosquitoes are out and about. Campers are advised to remember their bug spray since there is none to be purchased in Trempealeau. Please remember that there is no food or gas to be purchased in Trempealeau at this time, so campers are encouraged to do their shopping on their way to the park. Compass plant, cup plant, monarda, coneflowers, goldenrods, sunflowers, queen anne's lace, snakeroot, partridge pea, blazing stars, indian grass, big bluestem, little bluestem, jewelweed and ragweed are currently blooming in the park:. Blackbirds are starting to gather in larger and larger numbers in the bay and Hummingbirds are frantically feeding at feeders. Walnuts are dropping leaves and walnuts and black cherries are raining down. On Saturday, August 21, at 10 a.m. there will be a program on Early People of the Mississippi River Valley. Join Connie Arzigian, from Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center for an in depth look at the early people who once lived in our park. Connie will also be demonstrating a unique tool called an Atlatl, which is a sight not to be missed!!
Great River State Trail - The trail is open and in good condition. Water levels on the Black River are very high and there is much more water in the channels. Prairie flowers are blooming along the sides of the trail and the sweet smell of Bergamot fills the air. Goldenrods, button bush, swamp milkweed, and joe-pye weed are the stars of the show. Prairie grasses such as Big Bluestem and Indian Grass are in full bloom right now and riders are encouraged to stop and pick any ripe blackberries that they come across. Mosquitoes and gnats are out in pretty good numbers and users are encouraged to be prepared.
Crawford County - Flooding conditions exist on most area waterways. Heavy rains fell in the upper basins of the Kickapoo, Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Flood waters began entering Crawford County last week and have caused several road closures. Motorists are urged to use caution in the Gays Mills and Steuben areas as the Kickapoo is approaching the moderate flood stage. The Mississippi River was at 10.74 feet Tuesday and rising. During the next few days the river will continue to rise and crest at 11.5 feet this weekend. The forecast is for the river to stay steady around the 11.5 foot mark for a week or so. The Wisconsin River stage in Muscoda Tuesday was 4.75 feet and rising. Most of the sand bars are under water on the Wisconsin River. The Kickapoo River stage was at 15.43 feet in Gays Mills. It was expected to crest Tuesday or Wednesday around 15.6 feet. State Highway 171 in Gays Mills is closed at the Kickapoo River bridge. Several other town road are also closed due to high water. In Steuben the river is at 12.21 feet and rising. It is expected to crest on Wednesday or Thursday at 13.4 feet. Local trout streams are still running high and a bit dirty. They are expected to settle down and clear up within a couple days. Boaters are urged to stay off the Kickapoo river due to swift current and floating debris. Mississippi River boaters are finding a large influx of floating vegetation floating downstream. Additionally debris is being pulled off the shorelines and floating downstream. Keep a sharp eye open and slow down. The “slow-no-wake” zone on the Mississippi River is in effect for the summer boating season. The main channel is marked with buoys in the McGregor Iowa area. Fishing has been disrupted due to the high water. Heavy current, dirty water and floating debris and weeds are causing problems for anglers. Earlier this week bluegill anglers were doing very good. Some nice sized bluegills were taken. Some anglers report taking limits of “gills”. Anglers have been finding some pretty decent bluegill action in backwater snags. Also try fishing along deeper weed edges. Some angler are finding bluegills in deeper channels (8 to 12 feet) that have light current flowing through them. Most anglers are either “dead-lining” or using a worm and bobber. Bluegills are active all over the place, so keep moving and trying different areas to find decent fish. The increasing volume of water moving down river will most likely affect the bluegill activity. Floating vegetation will also cause problems. Perch fishing has been very good in some areas. Perch have been taken along the deeper weed edges in light current and in backwater sloughs in deeper water. Primarily anglers are using a chunk of nightcrawlers on a dead line. Perch anglers, like bluegill anglers will have to move around to find active fish. Crappie action has been spotty to very slow. Anglers have been targeting flooded timber and using small jigs tipped with plastics or minnows. White bass action has been very spotty with this high water. Some white bass action can be found along wing dams and up near the Lynxville dam. Very good action for both smallmouth and largemouth bass has been reported. Look for smallmouth bass on the main channel on wing dams, closing dams, and rocky shorelines. Small mouth bass fishing might be hampered now that a large volume of weeds are floating down the channel. The Wisconsin River has seen some very good smallmouth bass action too. Largemouth bass are being caught in all types of cover. Large mouth are being taken on a variety of top water baits fished in the weeds. Bass are also being taken along weed edges, newly flooded areas and in the timber. A variety of artificial baits have worked. Even with the high water walleye and sauger are being taken, but fishing conditions are changing for the worse. Angler will have to move around a bit and try different tactics. Wing dams are probably the best bet, although some the deeper back water sloughs are producing fish. Drifting with live bait (leeches or nightcrawlers) and trolling are the most popular tactics. Areas to check for walleye and sauger would be up near the Lynxville dam, McDonald’s Slough, the “S” curve by Harper’s Ferry Slough, wing dams, Roseau Slough, and the Wisconsin River. Up on Pool 9 near Lynxville and Ferryville try the Deer Island complex and the area of the main channel by Lansing. Northern pike action has been pretty good. Most anglers are targeting northerns by trolling in back water sloughs and lakes. Check for northerns where feeder streams enter the main river. Most bass anglers report catching northers incidentally to bass fishing. Sheephead (freshwater drum) are very active even in the high water. Sheephead are being caught on nightcrawlers throughout the area. Catfish, both channel and flathead had been spotty. However fishing conditions are a bit tough as most cats are caught fishing off the bottom. Floating weeds and other debris makes that type of fishing difficult. Catfish fishing on the Wisconsin River is still pretty good. Trout: Fishing conditions aren’t the best right now. But in a few days the water will settle down. Once that happens anglers will be met with a variety of insects and heavy shoreline vegetation. Fly fishers, spinners and live bait are working well even with the high water. Gnats, deer flies, horse flies and mosquitoes are out. River bottoms are especially bad. Poison ivy, parsnip and stinging nettle are also out. Black Raspberries are ripe. Black bear sightings have tapered off although there are a few still roaming the Crawford County area. Area residents should not be overly concerned, however pet food, garbage cans and bird feeders should be secured or removed so the bears don’t make a habit of returning to those areas.
Last Revised: Thursday August 19 2010
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