A major winter storm left as much as 12 to 20 inches of snow across southern Wisconsin, with lesser amounts reported across the central and northern part of the state. Snow depths now range from foot to 2 feet across the entire state. Snowmobile trails are open across the entire state, with conditions generally ranging from good to excellent, however strong winds caused major drifting in some areas. Cold temperatures that followed the snowfall have made it difficult for groomers in some areas to smooth out the snowdrifts, so some trails are being reported as rough and sledders are urged to slow down and use caution in these areas.
Park and forest Cross-country ski trails should be in good to excellent condition statewide by this weekend. Crews are first focusing on getting roads and parking lots plowed, and will then focus on grooming trails. Many trails had been groomed by Thursday, and most parks were expecting to have trails groomed by the weekend. Again, high winds are causing some trails to blow over after grooming. The snow arrived very timely, as the highest number of candlelight ski and hike events (click on the "All Candleligh Events" tab) will be held over the next two weekends, with 10 events this Saturday, Feb. 5 and another dozen events scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 12. As always, people should call ahead to confirm events will be held as scheduled.
Ice conditions continue to be good on nearly all inland lakes, with most waters having between 14 and 18 inches of solid ice. However, there is no deep snow cover on many lakes, making travel more difficult. Fish still appear to be in a mid-winter period of inactivity and success has been very erratic. Panfish anglers have experienced the most consistent success, with perch continuing to provide the best action.
Green Bay anglers have still been catching perch, walleye and whitefish. The perch fishing has been slow off Door County, but whitefish were being caught. Voyageur Park has been producing some nice catches of perch and some walleye. Anglers along the west shore continue to have success for perch. The Mississippi River is once again on the rise, and was at 9.8 feet at Prairie du Chien. Ice conditions remain pretty good, with ice thickness averaging 14 to 22 inches in the backwaters. Ice fishing has been pretty good, with some nice bluegill and perch being taken along with some crappie.
Kids 15-years-old and younger can discover the fun of ice fishing at the 20th annual Kids’ Ice Fishing Clinics on Saturday, Feb. 5, at park ponds and lagoons in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. Participants receive instruction on the proper use of equipment and techniques, knot tying, safety and much more. The free clinics last 45 minutes and begin every hour on the hour starting at 9 a.m., with the last one starting at 2 p.m. No pre-registration is necessary for the clinics. Equipment and snacks will be provided and it’s all free; just dress warm.
Birds taking advantage of the bird feeders include: cardinals, blue jays, juncos, chickadees, nuthatches, red-bellied woodpeckers, purple finches, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, mourning doves and gold finches. Bald Eagles have been common along the Mississippi, Kickapoo Wisconsin and Rock rivers this winter. Many waterfowl, including Canada geese, mergansers, and golden eye are also spending the winter on open waters.
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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 Afterhours cross-country ski trail is in excellent condition, with an 8 inch base. Trails were groomed Feb. 1. There is about 19 inches of snow in the forest. There will be a Learn to Ski at Afterhours program Feb. 6 at 12:30 p.m. Pre-register by Thursday at 715-372-5004. Rental equipment is available.
Pattison Falls State Park – Cross-country ski trail conditions are very good, with a snow depth of 18 inches. They were last groomed Feb. 1.
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Copper Falls State Park - Winter is in full swing. The Park has received more than 75 inches of snow so far this year. For the month of January the Park had measurable snow 21 of the 31 days of January. The park currently has 20 inches of snow on the ground! Cross-country ski trails, both classic and skate, are in excellent condition and were last groomed on Feb. 2. The Multi-use Waterfall and Red granite Falls trails were also rolled on the Feb. 2. Please call the park at 715-274-5123 for up to the minute grooming reports. We have added and changed our winter trail system and now offer 21.9 km of classic trail, 10.5 km of skate trail, and 5.5 km of multi-use trail. The park has had a few winter campers over the past few weeks. Copper Falls maintains 6 sites for winter campers.
Hayward DNR Service Center area
Tuscobia State Trail - Trail conditions are excellent with fresh snow daily and on-going grooming. The trail is open for ATV & UTV use in Sawyer and Washburn counties.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Ice conditions continue to be good on nearly all lakes across the Northwoods, with most waters having between 14 and 18 inches of solid ice. However, there is about 7 to 9 inches of heavy, grainy snow cover on the lakes and this has made 4WD vehicles a necessity for getting around on most waters. There are some packed and plowed trails on a few waters and this has allowed for some additional access for many anglers. A few reports of slush spots have begun to come in, but they seem to be limited to small areas where deeper snow has been piled up from the strong winds of late. The 'Storm of the Decade' in southern Wisconsin seems to have missed the North, and the relatively stable and seasonal weather of the past week has made for some decent fishing conditions for anglers. However, the fish still appear to be in a mid-winter period of inactivity and success has been very erratic. Most of the regular walleye ice anglers have reported inconsistent and generally slow action, with most anglers saying they're lucky to catch 1 or 2 fish per trip. No one tactic has been better than the other, as muck/sand flats, deep break lines, weed bed edges, and gravel drop-offs have all been experiencing relatively slow activity. Panfish anglers have experienced the most consistent success, with perch continuing to provide the the best action. The perch are still being found in relatively shallow water, and some good catches have been made in 4 to 8 feet of water with a medium fathead and rosey red fished on a bare hook. For most anglers, crappie have been especially tough to find this winter and a successful trip has usually been just 4 to 6 fish. Northern pike activity has also slowed up in the last week as the continued cloudiness and increased snow cover seem to have slowed up the fish and made them reluctant to bite. Large suckers or golden shiners fished over the top or along the edges of any old weed beds have been producing the pike that have been reported.
Flambeau River State Forest - Flambeau Hills cross-country ski trail is in excellent condition .Entire trail was groomed on Tuesday. Candlelight Ski event is planned for this Saturday, Feb. 5. Located at Flambeau Hills parking lot on Cty Hwy W, approx. 16 miles east of Winter. 1,000-plus candles will illuminate a 1 mile loop on the trail. No fee required, Skis not required for this event, hiking and snowshoes are OK. Campfire and hot chili also provided. Dusk until roughly 10 p.m.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest – All cross-country ski trails have been groomed and are in very good to excellent condition. Escanaba and Madeline trails were groomed Jan. 31. Raven Trail and McNaughton trails were groomed Feb. 1. A section of the McNaughton skaters loop from the parking lot to the first intersection is closed due to logging. An alternate parking area at the McNaughton boat landing will be kept open for this reason.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Governor Thompson State Park - The 6-mile cross-country ski trail system is open and groomed for both classic and skate skiing. Please remember pets are only allowed on the Red or Otter Trail. No hiking is permitted on the groomed ski trails. The 2.5-mile green snowshoe loop has been mechanically packed and is open to hikers and snowshoers. Pets are permitted on this trail.
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
With good ice and a fresh snow anglers and snowmobilers alike were out in force this past weekend.
Marinette County – Anglers are gathering at the Hattie Street Dam in search of walleye early mornings and after dark are the best times to fish. Jigging Rap's and Moon Glows are two good baits to try. 6th Street Slip anglers are still catching perch, walleye and the occasional whitefish in about 18 feet of water.
Oconto County - Anglers in the Geano Beach area report some white fish, perch, and pike being caught off shore. Oconto Breakwater Park is seeing it's share of anglers plying their trade for pike, perch and white fish. Some perch anglers have been driving out to the sucker and catching some larger fish. Pike fishing has been slow in the Oconto Parks area large shiners and smelt are being used.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Voyageur Park has been producing some nice catches of perch lately, fishing just off shore jigging with minnows. Walleye are also being caught in the same area using jigging spoons tipped with minnows. Perch size has been reasonable while the walleye have been on the small size. Sunset Beach area has also been producing some perch although the bite has slowed some. Jigs and minnows or wax worms are a good bet
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - Sturgeon Bay anglers have been fishing around Bullhead Point for perch with some success. Perch are also being caught in small numbers off the State Park. Most anglers have to be patient and move quite a bit to find fish. White fish continue to dominate the catches for most anglers at Little Sturgeon Bay. Whites are being caught off Lime Kiln road in the south to Sand Bay in the north. Anglers have been fishing anywhere from 12 to 50 feet of water. Anglers are having the best luck on Swedish pimples tipped with a minnow head or wax worm. Perch fishing has been slow over all. Most perch are being caught by accident by anglers fishing for whitefish. Sugar Creek anglers have been targeting perch and whitefish. The perch fishing has been slow but a few whitefish are being caught. Perch fishing has been slow off Chaudoir’s Dock for the last week or so with most anglers targeting perch in 30 feet of water. Whitefish have been keeping perch anglers busy with some action. Perch fishing has been good over the last week at Dykesville, with good numbers and size being caught. Most anglers are finding the best luck in 20 feet of water. Anglers are also catching good numbers of whitefish as well with jigging spoons being the best presentation. Fishing pressure has been light over the last couple of weeks at Volk’s landing. Most anglers that have been venturing out are having some success on perch.
Potawatomi State Park - The park received more than 5 inches of new snow this past week. Ski and snowmobile trails were groomed on Feb. 2 and are in good shape for this coming weekend. Ice anglers on Sawyer Harbor are catching perch and whitefish. If weather conditions change, please call the park office at 920-746-2890 for the most current trail conditions.
Whitefish Dunes State Park - With the latest snowfalls totaling over 10 inches of new snow, the cross-country ski trails are in excellent condition. Our volunteer groomer has roll and track the red, yellow and green trails. Current snowshoe/hiking trail conditions are excellent with the addition of 7 inches of fresh snow. The Black Trail is open for hiking and snowshoeing with two loops to enjoy. A short loop is 1 mile round trip from the shelter building; the longer loop allows for over 2.5 miles of forested trail. Those wishing to see the wetland in winter will complete almost 2 mile hike, please remember to turn around at the boardwalk and return on the same trail. There is no hiking or snowshoeing allowed on or next to any ski trail (Red, Yellow or Green). Diving ducks are seen daily off the shore throughout the park. Here are a few of the commonly seen birds: red breasted merganser, common merganser, bufflehead, and common goldeneye. Other birds seen on land include bald eagle, chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, pileated woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, cardinal, blue jay and crow. Mammal tracks are seen throughout the park. Voles, field mice, squirrel (red and grey), white-tailed deer, coyote, and porcupine tracks have been seen.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Kettle Moraine State Forest – Lapham Peak Unit - The lighted cross-country ski loop has been groomed and will continue to be groomed it as drifts re-form. When the winds stop the trail should be in good shape. The ski trails from the Homestead Hollow parking lot will be groomed, but they may not be skiable until sometime Thursday, due to the very large drifts and number of passes it takes with the groomer to level them. Lights on until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Kettle Moraine State Forest – Northern Unit – The forest received about 16 inches of snow Tuesday and Wednesday. All cross-country ski trails have been groomed and are in good shape. They will be regroomed and track set before the weekend and should be in great shape. Lots of snow to deal with and groom, will take a couple more groomings to get in great shape.
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit - Heavy snow and heavy wind visited the Southern Unit Tuesday and Wednesday. All of the cross-country ski trails have been packed, however the snow has not set up so it will be soft and slow skiing. Scuppernong trail has been completely packed and a double track set. Conditions are very good. McMiller inner loops have been packed, and classical track was set Wednesday. The blue loop experienced significant numbers of 4 foot high drifts. Nordic trails have all been packed and are in good condition, though soft. A classical track was set late Wednesday afternoon. Snowmobile Trails are open. Call our trail information line, (262) 594-6202, for current conditions and trail availability.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Wyalusing State Park - Wyalusing State Park received approximately 4 inches of light, fluffy snow on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. High winds caused considerable drifting in the park as well as the area. As of today, ski trails are not groomed. Trails will be groomed by this weekend and should be in excellent condition with the fresh snowfall. People have been fishing off the backwaters of the Mississippi River at the park boat landing. . Birds taking advantage of the bird feeders include: cardinals, blue jays, juncos, chickadees, nuthatches, red-bellied woodpeckers, purple finches, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, mourning doves and gold finches. The sharp-shinned has not been seen for a few days.
Grant County - Snowmobile trails are in fair to poor condition especially at road crossings, due to lack of snow and warm temperatures. New snow mid week will improve conditions. Ice fishing remains slow, with spotty reports of "keeper size" fish being caught. Bertom - McCartney area -slow blue gill fishing with a few crappies caught early mornings, Sunfish Lake (a backwater Mississippi River area above lock and Dam #11) reported several nice catches of yellow perch, small bluegills. A few early season sauger anglers have been launching their boats from the Northwest parking lot below Lock and Dam #11 and fishing near the lock wall and corps of engineers barges on the Iowa side. Several 12-15 inch sauger were caught.
Iowa County - With heavy snow across for much of south central Wisconsin snowmobile trails are anticipated to reopen. Make sure to check if local snowmobile trails are open before you go out riding as trail conditions can change quickly. Snowmobilers are also reminded that the 55 M.P.H. speed limit is now permanent so make sure to keep that in mind during the hours of darkness
Horicon DNR Service Center area
Dodge County - Moderate temperatures this weekend found people enjoying the little snow we have on the area snowmobile trails. Beautiful, sunny day, calm before the storm, saw a lot of people out fishing, snowmobiling, walking, etc. Fishing remains slow, with luck if your willing to put your time in. Anglers are reminded to remove all valuable items from their ice shack up leaving for the day or night as recent theft from ice shacks on Beaver Dam Lake are currently being investigated and continue to be a concern.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Devil’s Lake State Park – Cross-country ski trails are in super duper shape after the recent 12 to 14 inches of snow. Ski trails were groomed on February 2. Thanks to the Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park, the Nature Center now has snowshoes to loan to park visitors. There is no fee, but you must check them out and show proper ID before-hand. Hiking trails are snow-covered and icy. Hikers, pets and snowshoers are not allowed to travel on the cross-country ski trails.
Lake Kegonsa State Park - The cross country ski trails were rolled Feb. 1 and 2. All trails should be groomed and tracked on Thursday, Feb. 3 OR Friday, Feb. 4 depending on snow and wind conditions.
Dane County - The fishing bite remains slow on the Madison chain, with very few limits being caught. Recent snowfall has made snowmobile trail conditions good and with cold temperatures, the trails should remain open for awhile.
Jefferson County - The Jefferson and Dodge County snowmobile trails are open. Snow conditions on most of the trails are good however some areas exposed to the wind have limited snow on them. Anglers are catching some decent sized bluegill in the 7 inch range by jigging with wax worms on Rock Lake by Tyranena Park and Elm Point. Success is slow overall though. Northern pike are biting fair on the lake but most are undersized, in the 21-23 inch range. They are being caught on shiners. Coyote hunters have been taking advantage of the recent snowfalls to locate tracks and animals. Several complaints of trespassing by hounds used by the hunters have been reported recently in Jefferson County so hunters are reminded to control their dogs.
Janesville DNR Service Center area
Rock County - The snowmobile trails are open and in good condition with 12 to 18 inches of new snow. Fishing is picking up on Lake Koshkonong with northern pike biting well across the lake on shiners. Some 12-14 inch perch are also being caught on tip-ups and jig poles on Lake Koshkonong. Walleye fishing continues to be slow. Anglers have also been having success catching northern pike through the ice on Sugar River backwaters. Ice conditions are good on Rock County lakes, but there continue to be areas of concern near seams and springs. Coyote hunters have been doing well in the Edgerton and Evansville areas hunting with dogs, but hunting conditions will get tough the next couple days when the snow starts piling up. Trappers have been having good success trapping otter throughout the county. Otter can be trapped with a valid permit through March 31. Bald Eagles have been common along the Rock River this winter from Beloit to Newville. Many waterfowl, including Canada geese, mergansers, and golden eye are also spending the winter on the Rock River and other open waters.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Wildcat Mountain State Park – The park received 8 inches of new snow. Crews are hampered by blowing and drifting snow making grooming difficult. The cross-country ski trails should be ready by Saturday.
Crawford County – The county has received several significant snowfalls and snow depths are now 12 to 20 inches, but high winds are causing substantial drifting. All the snowmobile trails in Crawford County are open. Trails had been groomed but this new batch of drifting snow will make trails bumpy. Snowmobilers are reminded to stay on marked trails and continue to check the status of the trails before heading out. For current snowmobile trail conditions please check TravelWisconsin.com or call the Land Conservation Department at 608-326-0270. The Mississippi River is once again on the rise. About this time last week the river got down to 9.3 feet. The past few days the river has jumped up several tenths of an inch and is now at 9.81 feet. The Wisconsin River has had minor fluctuations this week and is currently at the 3.51 foot mark. The Kickapoo River is pretty much at normal winter time flow. A winter storm warning has been issued for this evening in the area. Ice conditions remain pretty good even though caution must be used when traveling on the ice due to the unusually high water levels. The Mississippi River continues to be unusually high for this time of year and many back water sloughs have moderate to strong current flowing under the ice. Flowing water under the ice can rapidly deteriorate ice conditions. Even though, ice conditions are in pretty good shape in the most popular fishing areas. Ice thickness averages around 14 to 22 inches in the backwaters of the Mississippi River and Wisconsin River. Access to most ice fishing locations started to get a little sloppy with water on the ice. Cold weather is forecasted which should freeze the “sloppy” spots and thin ice locations. Ice fishing this week has been pretty good. In the Prairie du Chien area Gremore Lake’s bluegill action has slowed down. Crappie and perch action on Gremore has been spotty. Anglers have been venturing across the Ambro and Black Sloughs to Tilmont Lake. Tilmont Lake is still receiving a small amount of flow on the west side however action this past week was very good. Some nice bluegill and perch have been taken there along with some crappie. There was some decent bluegill action in Fish Lake at times last week. Little Missouri has been hit or miss recently. A few nice perch and bluegills have been caught there. Farther up in the Upper Doubles and Big Missouri action has been good at times. Bluegill, perch and a few crappie have been caught. Spring Lake has been very slow this week. The Fennimore Cut has been very slow because current is flowing through there also. Sturgeon Slough has been very slow primarily due to the high water. Action on McGregor Lake has been pretty good at times. Reports of bluegill and a few perch and crappie have been reported. Cold Spring has been slow this week, that is for keeper fish. Anglers are reporting catching “piles” of 4 to 8 inch largemouth bass. Open water shore fishing at the boat landing has been very slow even though the gizzard shad are now in the channel. Most successful anglers fishing for bluegill, crappie or perch are finding live bait has worked better than plain artificial baits. Largemouth bass action slowed some this week. Some anglers are setting tip up in Gremore, Tilmont, the Upper Doubles and Cold Spring and are having limited success. Open water exists below the Lynxville dam due to the high water. A few hearty souls have pushed small boats off the ice shelf to fishing below the dam. Action has been very good on sauger and fair on walleyes. Ice conditions below the dam are extremely unstable. It is not advised to venture out onto the ice. Northern pike action has been spotty. One 18 pounder was taken on a jig pole on Tilmont Lake this weekend. The lucky angler needed the assistance of other anglers to include gaffing and drilling a second hole to get the fish onto the ice. Many anglers using underwater cameras report sightings of northerns roaming around the backwaters of the Mississippi River. Squirrel season is now closed. Rabbit hunters are finding tough hunting now that new snow has arrived and it is drifting. Coyote hunters are finding hunting conditions pretty good with the exception of cloudy conditions. Bald eagles can still be seen along the Mississippi, Kickapoo and Wisconsin Rivers. Look for open water areas and you might find an eagle perched nearby. Some of the traditional eagle nests are starting to see activity. Several nests are being spruced up for the nesting season. With severe weather moving in make sure bird feeders and baths are clean and full of food/water.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest - Snowmobile and All-terrain Vehicle (ATV) trails were groomed Feb. 1 and 2 and are in very good condition. There is a solid base of about 8 inches of well-packed snow. When trails are open we ask ATVs to stay off the trail whenever the temperatures are 32 degrees or above. This protects the base for future use. Cross-country ski trails were groomed on Feb. 1 and are in near perfect shape. After skiing, warm up in our shelter building, which has heated floors and a fireplace. The annual candlelight ski will be held Saturday, February 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. The event is held at the Smrekar Warming shelter and includes a luminary-lit 1.5-mile trail. Refreshments and hot dogs will be available, along with a raffle and bonfire. This event is sponsored by the Black River Forest Trail Foundation, a nonprofit group that raises funds for the betterment of the hike, bike, and ski trail system. The Trail Foundation will also be offering an instructional day before the candlelight ski on Feb. 5 from Noon to 3 p.m. that day. All are welcome! Come learn proper technique or sharpen up your skills. On Sunday, Feb. 13 the Friends of the Black River will hold their third annual snowshoe hike on the Black River East Bank Trail. Meet at the Ho-Chunk Waste Water Treatment Plant (same place as last year). For more information please call (714) 284-4117. The hike will be along the Black River, the Friends recommend hikers bring water and snacks.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Lake Wissota State Park - Cross country ski trails are in excellent condition.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Cross country ski trails will be groomed between Weds and Fri this week depending on snow fall amounts, staffing schedule and plowing of roads. Snowshoers must stay off to the side of trails and not on the groomed trails.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The campground and main gate are now closed for the season. Parking is available at the winter lot on Czech Ave and that pit toilet is still open.
Last Revised: Thursday February 03 2011
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