SOUTHEAST REGION
Cold winter temperatures have formed ice cover on all but our deepest lakes. On the deep lakes, only the shorelines are iced-in. Some anglers are venturing out trying the shallow lakes that froze-over first. We advise extreme caution because ice conditions are highly variable this time of year.
There is an interesting and unique fish that is actively spawning, right now, in area lakes. The inland cisco, also known as the lake herring or Tulibee, is a silvery-scaled member of the trout family found in deep, clear-water lakes like Lake Geneva or Big Green Lake. Unfortunately, declining water quality in several of Southeast Wisconsins deeper lakes has caused the cisco to become extinct in those lakes. But, in several area lakes the cisco lives on and is quite abundant. Cisco are spawning now in water from 5-10 feet deep along rocky shorelines. The males arrive on the spawning grounds first, with females arriving within two to three days. Spawning only occurs at night. Cisco like to spawn at the surface, and their splashing often draws attention, especially on quiet nights. Fertilized eggs drift slowly to the bottom where they lay, protected in the gravel, until early April. Adult cisco rarely exceed 16 inches in length; with most spawning-sized fish about 12 inches in length. At one time there was an extremely popular ice fishery for cisco in Waukesha Countys Pine Lake. In the 1950s it was common to observe up to 200 anglers out on the ice bobbing for Tulibees. They used small red and gold beads strung above gold hooks with wax worms for bait; often fishing in water 80 feet deep. The Tulibees could be found any where in the water column, from the bottom, right up to the surface. When a school of Tulibees came through, action got hot. Between schools, anglers traded outdoor stories and liquid refreshments. On Pine Lake, its the anglers, not the fish that have become extinct. Pine Lake still has an abundant Cisco population. But, there do not appear to be any anglers carrying on the Tulibee fishing tradition. Since cisco are very good to eat, that seems unusual. A few other southeastern Wisconsin lakes where the wild cisco still roam are Big Cedar, Gig Elkhart, Beulah, Oconomowoc and Okauchee. The inland cisco occurs naturally in more lakes in northern Wisconsin. Even there, it is a fishery whose time seems to have passed.
Dec. 10 is the deadline to submit your Spring, 2006 turkey hunting applications. For bear hunters, another important date is the Jan. 13, 2006 deadline to submit your bear hunting permit application. Both can be done on-line or at any DNR service center. Just in time for Christmas, 2006, state park admission stickers ($25 regular, $10 seniors), and trail passes ($15) are available at any DNR service center near you. With cross country skiing close on the horizon, both make excellent Holiday gifts. If snowmobiling is for you, you can now purchase registration stickers for your new snowmobile at any DNR service center too.
The cold snap that has hit Wisconsin has caused some ice to form on the slower moving stretches of most area tributaries.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee the Milwaukee River near the Summerfest grounds remains free of ice, and anglers there have been taking a few browns on shiners. Some boaters have reported taking good numbers of browns near the Oak Creek Power Plant, but please use extra caution if you venture out onto the lake this time of year.
Racine County - In Racine water levels on the Root River are decent, and water temperatures are just above freezing. The most successful anglers have been drifting spawn sacs in the deeper pools, especially in the mornings. Both steelhead and browns have been taken from Lincoln Park all the way upstream to the Horlick dam.
Walworth and inland Racine and Kenosha counties - Recent cold weather has created some ice but it is only 1 to 2 inches thick and dangerous. Ice fishing on most lakes is not recommended. Anglers are open water fishing on Geneva Lake and are catching yellow perch and black crappie along the shorelines on waxworms and minnows. Walleye and northern pike are hitting trolled lures in 15 to 20 feet of water after dark.
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Anglers are starting to venture out on some lakes to check ice conditions but few were actually fishing on the weekend of Dec. 3 and 4. The shallow lakes are generally ice covered and also have a blanket of snow that is insulating them somewhat from freezing quickly. Conditions vary a great deal between the lakes. The deepest lakes such as Big Elkhart and Big Cedar are still mostly open. The deep water in those lakes takes much more time to cool down to the point of making ice. There were a couple of anglers on the South Ditch of Sheboygan Marsh on Dec. 5. The expected cold weather should help build ice over the coming days. BE CAREFUL out there!
Kettle Moraine State Park - Pike Lake Unit - The area received a light dusting of snow Wednesday Nov. 30. No where near enough to ski on, however. All trails are open for hiking. Most trees have lost their leaves for the season so it is a great time to see some of the glacial land formations that are normally hidden by vegetation. The campground and dump station are closed for the season.
Kettle Moraine State Forest, Southern Unit - The Southern Unit received 4 to 5 inches of snow last weekend. The Scuppernong trail is groomed for only the classical style of cross-country skiing. The trail was packed and a track was set. The conditions are considered as poor. The Nordic trail, which is groomed for the skating style of skiing and usually has a track for classical, is just packed at this time. The condition remains in fair to poor condition. At the McMiller trail system, which is usually also groomed for both skating and classical, was only packed for the skating style and the condition remains in poor condition. Once the trails are groomed for cross country skiing, hiking and pets are no longer allowed. Hiking and mountain biking are allowed on the John Muir, Emma Carlin, and the Ice age trail. As for the snowmobile trails the gates now are open, but more snow is needed. We would like to remind all trail users, mountain bike, equestrian, cross country skiers that a trail pass is required. We are now selling the 2006 passes they are valid for 2005-2006 season, the daily is $4 and the Annual is $15. 2006 Stickers Resident are $25 and Non-Resident $35. They will be valid for the rest of 2005 and all of 2006. Remember that they make nice gifts too. We also would like to remind all trail users that Southern Kettle Moraine is in the 77C CWD HRZ zone for the gun deer season, which is open through Jan. 3, 2006. All hunters are required to wear blaze orange. We encourage all trail users to also wear bright colored clothing (blaze orange). For current snow, and trail conditions please call the trails number at (262) 594-6202. Lapham Peak is closed to hunting, and they do have nice trails. Lapham Peak is located on Hwy C just South of the City of Delafield and Hwy I-94, and North of Hwy 18. Ottawa Lake Campground remains open year round.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Grant County - Rabbit hunters have reported good hunting conditions and success with the past snowfalls. Ice fishing is tenuous at this time due to the thin ice conditions and heavy snowfalls. Ice anglers should check on ice depth prior to accessing any backwater areas. Muzzleloader deer hunters reported seeing many deer a field with several nice bucks sighted. The recent snowfalls have greatly enhanced the contrast in the woods for viewing deer. In the last two days, many flocks of Canada geese have been observed late in the afternoon headed south. The majority of the Mississippi River is ice covered. There are several flocks of diving docks visible off of Potosi Point and downriver at the Corps of Engineers campground.
Horicon DNR Service Center area
Dodge County - The Dodge County ATV Trail on the Wild Goose State Trail from Hwy. 60 to Hwy. 49 opened effective 8 a.m., Dec. 7. The trail will remain open as long as the trail surface remains frozen and not subject to damage from riding. Updates to the Trail Status can be heard on the TRAIL STATUS LINE at 920-386-3705 (24 hours/day). The trail status line should be checked prior to riding the trail. Also the Dodge County Trails website will carry updated trail conditions during the week.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Sauk County
Devils Lake State Park - There is 4 to 5 inches of snow, just enough to cross-country ski on some trails. The trails have been packed, but not tracked, and are in barely useable condition for those skiers who are eager enough for a first-of-the-season experience. The lake is 90 percent or more frozen over on the surface, but the ice thickness is very thin. Venturing onto the ice is strictly a your judgment, your choice, your risk activity. However, it is fairly clear that it would be somewhere between hazardous and foolhardy to go onto the ice in its present state this early in the season. The sledding hill is snow-covered but not thickly covered or packed. Now that the first snows have come to stay (maybe?) for the season, hiking trails are now officially become undesignated as safe-use areas. People may hike (non-ski) trails, but only as a your choice, your risk activity.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
St. Croix County
Willow River State Park - Ice fishing has not started yet on Little Falls Lake. A visitor reported just over an inch of ice on the weekend. Park staff does not monitor ice conditions. The first ski trail work has been done with the roller to start a base. Four inches of fluffy snow did not pack down to much of a base. Grass, dirt, and rocks are poking through the rolled trails. Any rough spots are bumpy. Skiing is possible on all the trails. There is no classic track cut. Skiers should note there are additional loops on the Purple and Red trails. The purple trail's new loop along the meadow is quite bumpy and it will take a lot of snow to make it passable for grooming equipment. When the trails are opened for skiing (signed as open to skiers only) designated ski trails will be closed to hikers and pets. Hikers, snowshoers, pets and skiers will have the multiple use trails, roads, and parking areas open to them including access to Willow Falls from two trails. When adequate snow cover exists, snowshoers often hike off trail. Winter trail maps will be available at the office. As snow comes on, so will the snowplow. Roads are plowed first, then the open parts of three parking lots. Visitors who arrive and find a partially plowed lot should park in the plowed area so the snowplow can finish that lot. If it's not plowed, please park on the same side as others. The lots are at the office, the boat launch, and the Nature Center. The Nature Center lot will have the most room and the boat launch has the least. The gun hunting season for deer in the park is over for 2005. Zone 60M, which surrounds and contains the park, remains open for gun hunting until Dec. 11. Deer hunting is open for archery in parts of the park. From Dec. 8 to 11, hunters in the park may take antlerless deer only. Hunters must wear blaze orange in the park until the end of gun hunting in 60M. The 2005 deer hunting map is available at the park office. The park rangers have the maps in their vehicles also. Daily or annual stickers are required on vehicles in addition to a deer hunting license in order to hunt deer on park property. Open hunting areas are posted as such. Trails bordering or within open hunting areas will be posted with information including a map showing the open hunting zone. Participation in the archery season is always very light.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Looking for some late season hunting opportunities? How about setting your sights on squirrels? These abundant mammals are found statewide and offer plenty of challenges for beginning and advanced hunters alike. Squirrels remain active throughout winter but will hole up for several days during the nastiest winter weather. With a daily bag limit of five and an open season that runs through Jan. 31, there are numerous opportunities for hunters. A snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca) has migrated into the La Crosse area. Snowy owls spend most of there time in the arctic and come winter they will move southward into Canada and northern United States. Some years they may go further south into mid to southern U.S. when food becomes scarce.
Mississippi River - The Mississippi River bordering Wisconsin is 90 percent, or so, ice covered. Most waterfowl have migrated. Large tundra swan migrations occurred last weekend. Sizable numbers of bald eagles are present, especially in the vicinity of Lake Onalaska.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park The park has a minimal amount of snow cover at the moment. Not enough for strapping on the skis yet. The inlet bays around the islands have frozen over and the local ice anglers have been starting to venture out. Water levels on the flowage do fluctuate during the winter, so stay cautious when traveling on the ice.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - The lake is starting to freeze. The park does not monitor ice conditions. Campsites 8, 9, 16 are open for winter camping. Site 8 is a drive-in site and has electric for $5 per night. These are shore sites so they are $3 more per night. All other sites are closed. Get drinking water at the office during open office hours or in the group camp. 2006 park stickers are in! Buy them at the park office or self register for them and they will be sent to you. Check out the new badger mount in the park office. The 2006 photo contest started on Oct. 1.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The park's main gate and campgrounds are closed for the season. The park may be accessed through the hiking/skiing trailhead located at the winter parking lot, just off of Czech Ave, at the southern end of the park. Visitors who self register for 2006 annual park stickers will receive stickers by mail.
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