NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - The Afterhours Ski Trail is still not in great shape but many skiers were finding that it is still worth the drive to ski it. There was only about 2 inches of base as of Dec. 13 and the trail has not been tracked yet. Snow accumulation is expected in the forecast with highs in the 20s. Updated conditions for the Afterhours Ski Trail can be found on . The Bois Brule River River Gage is now iced up. The river still looks high as does its tributary streams. The winter birds are busy at the bird feeders now. Purple finches, black capped chickadees, American gold finches, nuthatches are looking for protein to keep up their energy to stay warm. For more information about some of our winter birds check out the Wisconsin DNR EEK Site at
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/bird/birdposter/index.htm. With the cold weather and the snow most people do not think about visiting the beach in the winter time. The Lake Superior beach becomes a whole new world during the wintertime and is definitely worth seeing. The waves create fascinating ice formations along the beach and driftwood can be encased within ice making intricate ice sculptures. Just keep in mind that the ice may not be safe to walk on, it is best to stay on the shoreline.
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Gun deer season ended in the Lake Superior area with the close of the muzzleloader season on Sunday. The hunt was quiet with good snow conditions and moderate temperatures. Bow season will continue until Jan. 3 so there is still time to get out and harvest a deer. Fishing is picking up on inland lakes and ice conditions are good on most inland lakes. By good that means safe to walk on but don't think about driving a vehicle out on the ice. Walleye action has been good from mid afternoon to early evening. And hour or two after sunset the bite seems to drop off. Panfishing is productive with a perch jig tipped with a crappie minnow the bait of choice. Lake Superior ice is still on the marginal to unsafe side. Chequamegon Bay has ice cover from East of Ashland West to the shoreline along Hwy 13. The Washburn area and north are still free of ice. The winds come in and blow out any ice that forms. There are a few tents showing up along the Ashland shoreline but the fishing is slow. Once the bite is on the Bay will see a lot of fishing action. Walleyes in the morning and evenings and trout, salmon, during the day. Snowmobile activity is at a standstill. The only area that has significant amounts of snow is Hurley and even there more snow is needed to make trail conditions suitable for good riding. The rest of the Lake Superior basin has seen limited snow except for the South Shore in the area of Herbster and Cornucopia. A short distance inland away from the Lake Superior and the ground has only a couple of inches. Cross country skiers are suffering the same lack of snow conditions.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
A winter storm is forecast to bring a good blanket of snow to the Park Falls area. Skiers and snowmobilers will welcome the snow as snow levels are too little to cover the trails adequately. Ice anglers will experience more difficult travel through the additional snow but ice conditions are good with ice thickness ranging around 6 8 inches following the last weeks cold temperatures. Forecasts call for falling temperatures toward this weekend. Some perch and bluegill were being caught along with a few walleyes as more anglers begin to venture out on area lakes. Anglers should still be wary of the areas where typically the ice may be questionable such as moving water in channels between lakes, where rivers or streams flow into or out of lakes or where springs are known to exist. As always check the ice before travel on any water body. Birds are feeding heavily ahead of the winter storms and rely on high quality food during the extreme cold temperatures. Be sure to have plenty of food and fresh water available if you intend to feed our feathery friends during the winter months. If you plan to be away during the holidays be sure to fill your feeders before leaving.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Seasonable cool weather continued to thicken the ice cover on lakes across the Northwoods. Most lakes have about 6 inches of ice -- with some having a bit more and several having a few inches less. As such, any early season anglers should still be extremely cautious when venturing out and always test the ice before heading out onto the water. Reports from early season anglers continue to indicate some generally slow fishing. Walleye were the target for most early season ice anglers and catches have been hard to come by for most. Many anglers have reported only two or three flags per trip, with the lucky ones able to ice one or two walleye in the 12 to 16-inch size. The most productive areas have been the mud/muck flats, with shiners or suckers fished at the 4 to 8 foot depth. Some angling pressure has also been seen for northern pike and success for that species has been fair. Large golden shiners fished near and over any green weeds have provided the best success. Trout action on Patterson Lake has been good, with some anglers reporting their limit of fish in the 9 to 12 inch size.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Please remember that even though the lakes have begun their freeze-over, ice thickness is not stable. Ice thickness varies considerably as the last of the larger lakes have just frozen over. Before you venture out onto the lakes, please remember to follow these precautionary measures: Use common sense, test the ice thickness before you travel on it, and use the following guidelines for safe and enjoyable ice fishing. 1) Immediately following freeze-up, ice toward the middle of the lake is thinner than the ice along the shoreline; 2) Beware of lakes covered with snow. Heavy snow cover slows freezing and causes overflow seepage of water on top of the ice; 3) Cloudy ice or ice formed by the freezing of slush and overflow or under windy conditions is weaker than clear ice; 4) Ice thickness is not always an accurate measure of its strength. Clear lake ice is strongest. New ice is stronger than old ice; 5) Beware of areas that attract lots of other people. Continuous travel over the same path will weaken thinner ice; 6) Keep weight spread out; 7) River ice thickness can vary throughout the winter in different parts of the river, according to the strength of the current beneath it, and whether we are having a cold or warm spell;
River ice is 15 percent weaker than lake ice. Some of the snowmobile trails have opened however snow conditions are very poor right now. The forecast for this week looks promising for some additional accumulations. Snowmobilers need to remember that if you were born on or after Jan. 1, 1985, state law requires that you have a certificate of completion of a snowmobile safety course in order to operate a snowmobile in Wisconsin. If you are looking for a stocking stuffer consider purchasing park stickers, trail passes, stamps or fishing or wildlife licenses. Anglers are reporting some success on walleye activity but with no real patterns to rely on. Reports indicate that fish are being taken at all times of the day and late into the night.
Upper Wisconsin Basin fisheries report (Oneida, Vilas, Lincoln, Langlade, Forest and Florence counties) - Cold weather with virtually no snow has made for great ice-making. The area lakes have 5 to 9 inches of ice and many anglers are taking snowmobiles and ATVs out in search of fish. Action has been very good, as it typically is in December through mid-January. Bluegills, crappie, and perch are being caught readily in bays 5-9 feet deep with weeds present. Best baits seem to be small rocker jigs tipped with a spike for bluegills and perch, while the crappie were hitting just about anything as long as minnows are the bait. Game fish have also been cooperating with northern pike and walleye hitting in the early morning and evening hours. Tip-ups baited with shiners were the key -- medium size for walleye and large goldens for northern pike. Cloudy, overcast days seem to help and there have been many of those lately which may explain the better-than-average fishing conditions currently going on.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County
Peninsula State Park Snow cover was 4 inches as of Dec. 13, with more snow on the way. Cross country ski trails have been packed but are not tracked for classical skiing. Snowmobile trails and the sledding hill remain closed. A trail pass is required to ski in Peninsula State Park. Peninsula has three marked snowshoe routes. Winter is a great time to visit Peninsula State Park. The crowds are gone, the wildlife is abundant and recreational opportunities abound. Many of the back roads remain unplowed and enjoyed by snowmobilers and hikers. A 6-mile stretch of Shore Road is plowed, providing breathtaking views of the islands off the Green Bay shore.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Some perch have been taken on Lake Winnebago down toward Fond du Lac. Anglers on Lake Poygan were getting some perch and walleyes off the public landing. There is a very large gizzard shad population throughout the Winnebago System right now, from Lake Puckaway to Lake Winnebago. This will probably make fishing for northern pike and walleye more difficult than last year. Little Green Lake has been producing some panfish as has the channels on Big Green Lake. Bluegills were being caught on the Neshkoro Millpond. Most area lakes are frozen over for foot travel, the area received between 5-8 inches of snow on Wednesday which will not help out ice conditions. Be very careful when venturing out onto the ice. The late Zone-T season wrapped up on Dec. 11 and saw good hunting conditions throughout the four-day season with snow cover over all the northeast region. Hunter participation in the area for the season was good, especially over the weekend. Bow hunters with unused tags may continue to hunt during the late bow season until Jan. 3. Pheasant hunting is open until Dec. 30. The snow and cold weather will concentrate birds in cattail and shrub marshes. Hunters will do good to work large cattail/shrub marshes adjacent to permanent grass fields and grain stubble fields. December evenings are a good time to listen for the WHOO, WHOO-WHOO calls of the great horned owl as these large raptors are breeding and will be laying eggs in January and February. These majestic birds are the largest of Wisconsins breeding owls and are year round residents, feeding primarily on rabbits and other small mammals. Horned owls often nest in old red-tailed hawk stick nests and lay two-three eggs. Other wildlife sign to look for this month are the tracks and slides of beaver, otter, and mink along open lake and streams. These furbearers are active throughout the winter and leave plentiful sign where they are present. Winter is a great time to get out and do some mammal tracking to learn about the habits of these otherwise elusive creatures.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
With heavy snows predicted for mid week, our State parks will offer cross country skiers and snowmobilers great conditions for the upcoming weekend. Already open and groomed, all trails in all our Regions State parks will be ready for this weekend. Because deer hunting seasons are still in effect, we suggest trail users consider wearing at least some blaze orange when in the field. If your interested in bear hunting in Fall, 2006, remember your permit application is due Jan. 13, 2006. Although the muzzle loader season ended Dec. 7, ample deer hunting opportunities still exist across the Region. Archery hunting is still open in Metro unit 77M; and the gun hunt for both bucks and does continues in the CWD units until Jan. 3, 2006. T-zone unit 77C still offers archery-only hunting for either sex until Jan. 3. Ice conditions are highly variable; in some places 4 to 5 inches, in others just a crust. Although anglers are out venturing on first ice, we recommend severe caution. The larger and deeper lakes still have some open water. Predicted snow could insulate our ice, further complicating already variable ice conditions. Its probably better to hold off on ice fishing for a few weeks yet. Absolutely, do not consider driving any kind of vehicle on any of our lakes yet. This includes ATVs and snowmobiles. There was a drowning death on Walworth Countys Delavan Lake caused by an ATV falling through the ice.
Most Lake Michigan harbors and tributaries in Southeast Wisconsin have had ice forming over the past couple of weeks. Please use extreme caution on the ice since conditions can change very quickly.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington the power plant discharge is keeping the water open near the mouth of Sauk Creek and in the west slip. For browns, try casting spoons or soaking spawn under a bobber.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee the Milwaukee River near the Summerfest grounds has some ice cover, so fishing there has been difficult. Open water can be found near the confluence of the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers, but fishing has been slow in that area.
Racine County - In Racine most of the Root River is frozen over except for the stretch from the Horlick dam through Quarry Lake Park. On downstream stretches of the river, decent numbers of browns have been taken through the ice near the Fifth Street Yacht Club. Spawn sacs have been producing the most fish.
Walworth and inland Racine and Kenosha counties - The recent cold snap created 2 to 5 inches of ice on most lakes. Geneva Lake still has open water in Williams Bay and in the narrows. Anglers need to be very careful since ice thickness varies widely between lakes and even on the same water body. Northern pike action was good on Camp Lake. Anglers were catching them in 14 to 18 feet of water on golden shiners and suckers. Panfish anglers were catching some bluegill and crappie on Tichigan Lake.
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Ice anglers are venturing out on most of the lakes. They are encountering a wide variety of ice conditions. Some anglers are reporting 5 inches of ice in one spot with 1 inch only a few feet away. Action is mixed so far. A reminder that there is a 40-inch minimum size and one bag limit for northern pike on Big Cedar Lake near West Bend. The reason for the regulation is to rebuild the pike population which was near collapse only a few years ago. A fish survey conducted this past spring indicated that the pike are beginning to rebound. Good luck and BE CAREFUL.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Grant County
Wyalusing State Park Wednesday Dec. 14s snowfall of approximately 5 inches brought the total accumulation to approximately 9 inches of snow. Wyalusing is truly a winter wonderland. Cross-country trails have a 6 inch base. Trails should be groomed by the weekend. Regular visitors to the feeding tree include: tufted titmice, chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, white-breasted nuthatches, juncos, goldfinches, purple finches, red-bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, tree sparrows, and mourning doves. There are dozens of goldfinches on the feeding tree, creating quite a flurry when they all take off at the same time. Two rooster and three hen pheasants have found the seed beneath the feeding tree. Cardinals and blue jays are feeding on seed scattered on the ground below the "tree". Eagles have been seen in the Prairie du Chien area and near Highway 35 between Prairie du Chien and La Crosse.
Horicon DNR Service Center area
Dodge County - Dodge County Snowmobile Trail System opened Wednesday, Dec. 14. However, snow conditions were marginal in many areas. Additionally low lying areas including ditches and wetland areas require extra caution as they may be somewhat soft due to lack of good frost conditions. Watch for blowing and drifting which can cause trail irregularities. Stay on marked trails and ride safely and responsibly. The ATV trail on the Wild Goose State Trail remains open. Trail Status Hotline: (920) 386-3705 or Web site:
http://www.co.dodge.wi.us/planning/recreation/trails-conditions.htm.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Sauk County - Hunters have seen deer return to their normal patterns and the second rut is starting to begin as well. Hunters are reminded of the need to continue to wear blaze orange in any areas still pen to gun deer hunting. Trappers are reminded to be cautious when checking conibear traps under the ice and to keep an axe or ice spike nearby to get out of the trap if they set one off on themselves under the ice. Ice anglers have reported that the bass and bluegills were biting at Bakkens pond by the silos. Anglers were also reporting that they were catching nice bluegill and perch on Long Lake, west of Spring Green on waxworms.
Mirror Lake State Park As of Dec. 12, cross-country ski trails were in very good to excellent condition. The trails were groomed but track was not set. Please call the park office at (608) 254-2333 for the latest update. We had great comments on the skiing at the park this past weekend. The skiers are grateful for the snow and grooming conditions.
Dane County - Ice conditions on Dane County lakes are variable. Some bays are being fished such as Monona Bay on Lake Monona, University Bay on Lake Monona, and Lake Farm Park on the north end of Lake Waubesa. These bays generally have 5 or 6 inches of ice. Lakes Kegonsa, Waubesa, and Monona have frozen over but travel is not recommended as ice thickness is generally 1 inch as of midweek. Some reports of ice up to 6 inches thick on Waubesa off of Babcock Park were received, but nearby river channels pose a threat. Anglers were catching a few northerns at Lake Farm and Warner Bay. Bluegills were biting well on Monona Bay with a few good sized fish mixed in with small fish. Anglers reported an overabundance of weeds at Lake Farm Park on Waubesa. As of midweek, three-quarters of the snowmobile trails in Dane County were open with more snow on the way. Updates on trail conditions can be obtained by calling the Dane County Parks trail information line at (608) 242-4576. Cross country skiers had good skiing with about 6 inches of snow on the ground across the county, with another 4 to 6 inches of snow anticipated by Wednesday.Hunters out were finding a few pheasants and deer but its getting tough to walk through the accumulating snow.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
All La Crosse County Snowmobile Trails remained closed as of Dec. 14, but the La Crosse was getting snow. Snowmobilers interested in using La Crosse County trails should phone (608) 782-4500 extension 1083 before going out to get the most current information on the status of La Crosse County Snowmobile Trails. The area received snow as ice was just beginning to form on Mississippi River backwaters. The snow blanket has slowed ice formation and ice remains thin and unsafe. The additional snow La Crosse is currently receiving will add substantial weight on already thin ice. This added weight will often cause water to come up on the ice creating very dangerous and unstable ice conditions. This new snow will also add additional insulation on the thin ice again reducing ice formation and allowing existing ice to erode from below. Though reports of good early ice bluegill success are spreading and ice anglers are excited to get out there caution and good judgment must be used if considering going on the ice under these dangerous conditions. Always check the ice yourself using an ice spud, wear a personal flotation device, carry some picks you can use to help pull while kicking yourself back onto the ice should you fall through. Don't venture into areas alone especially now with the dangerous ice conditions we have. Remember that especially on rivers and sloughs that ice conditions can change with each step. Think safety first!
If snow falls during the night, one need only step outside to find that visitors have been to our yard, garden, fields, or woods. Though none may be in view, their footprints in the snow are evidence that they have been there: a grouse, sparrow, crow, squirrel, fox, weasel, or deer perhaps. All prints tell a story if we know how to read and interpret them. Prints in the snow are best studied when freshly made in newly fallen snow, for later when snow has become packed or blown about, prints become distorted. Check out a tracking book from your local library to assist you with track identification. If you start feeding birds, please continue feeding until the ground is no longer snow covered. They can become dependant on handouts. Also remember to disinfect feeders once a week to control salmonella bacteria and other disease causing agents. One part bleach to 15 parts water works well. Salmonella is transmissable to people. Floodplain forests are an interesting place to walk in winter. The frozen ground and water allow us access to places we could not otherwise go. Watch carefully for weak ice, though. Turkeys are forming winter flocks in the area. Winter flocks can become very large in numbers as sub family groups come together and concentrate on small portions of there range that provides food and shelter during the winter months. You may notice some turkeys fighting amongst each other during this time. They are establishing a pecking order within these larger winter flocks.
Vernon County - Ice Fishing is starting on the lakes and rivers. The hot spots on the Mississippi River have been near the boat ramp at Black Hawk Island. The ice was about 4 inches thick as of Dec. 14. The bluegills have been biting on jigs baited with a wax worms and bass were also caught using tip ups and jigging also baited with wax worms. Anglers at Runge Hollow were also having success with bluegills but did not have the size as the Mississippi River were producing. Snowmobile riders were out on the trails and the groomers were spotted near Lafarge taking care of the trails as well. Snow geese are being heard and seen flying high over Vernon County in large flocks. They are not hard to spot when you hear them flying overhead.
Wildcat Mountain State Park - Cross country ski trails have been groomed but not tracked. A base has been established making for fair skiing on a packed base but no tracks have been set.
Crawford County - The Mississippi River water level has been fluctuating a bit this week. The river stage on Monday was up to 9.5 feet. Both the Wisconsin River and the Kickapoo River also rose a little. Pretty good ice has formed in many areas. Most of the backwater areas are frozen over. Even the Main Channel and Pool 9 have vast areas of ice covering them. The Kickapoo and Wisconsin are also ice covered for the most part. Barge traffic and recreational boat traffic is over on the Mississippi River due to the ice. Ice conditions vary greatly on the river systems. Some of the back water areas that dont have current have around 5 to 7 inches of ice. Other areas are very dangerous or have open water areas. Travel on the ice is considered dangerous. Bluegill action was pretty good this week in the Cold Spring area. Most anglers are now using a variety of ice fishing jigs tipped with wax worms or spikes. Some of the best action was fishing from the shoreline near the boat landing. Some nice bluegills were taken along with a lot of small ones. Some great bass fishing was found this week on Cold Spring. Several large bass were taken along with one nearing the 6 pound mark. Shiners were used for bait. Panfishing near the Lansing dike has been pretty good also. Anglers are urged to use caution in this area because of the high water and swift current that causes dangerous ice conditions. Some anglers have been venturing out toward Fish Lake and the Upper Doubles/Big Missouri this week. Spotty action in those areas. Spring Lake is starting to see a little action as is Gremore Lake. Panfish have been biting but not every day. Ice conditions vary greatly from about 5 or 6 inches down to less than 2 inches. Very few have ventured out on the Mississippi River near the Lynxville dam due to the ice conditions. The Gordons Bay boat landing was iced this week. Access is very dangerous right now. The muzzleloader deer season closed last Wednesday. Some hearty hunters ventured out into the cold in search of a deer to fill a tag. Some hunters reports fair numbers of deer and a few antlerless deer were taken. The archery season is the only deer season open in DMU 74B right now. Most of the migratory birds moved out of Pool 9 because it has frozen over. Bald Eagles are being seen along the Mississippi River, Wisconsin River, and many inland areas. Some of the most common locations to view Bald Eagles are along the rivers near open water.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest - ATV/Snowmobile trails will open on Thursday Dec. 15. All trails will be groomed by the end of the day on Friday Dec. 16, and they should be in good to very good condition with approximately a 4 to 6 inch base. Cross-country ski trails will be groomed by the end of the day on Friday Dec. 16. They should be in very good to excellent condition again with a 4 to 6 inch base. They will be packed for skate skiing and tracked for diagonal striding.
Monroe County As of Dec. 14, snow cover was in the 3-4 inch range and county snowmobile trails were not yet open. Snow was falling and trails could open if the area receives enough snow. With the end of the gun-deer seasons, outdoorsmen are just starting to get out onto the ice. Ice depths range from 4-11 inches depending on snow cover and current areas. Only a few fishing reports are coming in, but the fish are biting on area ponds. Trappers are seeing success. Fisher and otter have already been registered and many other sightings have been noted. Otter in particular are abundant. Deer hunters have reported great success in the county and many large bucks were taken over the nine-day season.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park - As of Dec. 12, the park had minimal snow cover, not enough for strapping on the skis. The inlet bays around the islands have frozen over and the local ice anglers are having success with panfish. Water levels on Cornell flowage do fluctuate during the winter, and a current is present on both rivers, so stay cautious when traveling on the ice. The north campground is closed for the season. Electricity is on in the south campground, and pit toilet facilities are available there. These campsites are not plowed.
Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area -- The area received about 6 inches of new snow on Wednesday and another couple of inches of snow has been forecast in the next day or so. All ski trails at have been groomed for cross country skiing and are in good condition. Turkeys, pheasants, grouse and a pileated woodpecker were some of the wildlife spotted while grooming the ski trails this week. Please remember that most trails at Hoffman Hills are Designated Ski Trails and groomed for exclusively for various styles of cross country skiing. There is no hiking, pets, sleds, etc. on those trails. However on the west side of the park road is the Prairie/Wetland Trail which is open for snowshoeing and other winter recreation. The observation tower is not maintained for winter use and closed for the season. Hoffman Hills is managed in large part as a nature study area so dogs are not allowed any time of year.
Red Cedar State Trail - The section of Red Cedar Trail from Menomonie to Downsville is a Designated Ski Trail. Some grooming has been done on Red Cedar Trail and the finish grooming and tracking should be completed Thursday or Friday morning. The entire width is groomed for various styles of cross country skiing. No hiking, pets or snowing shoeing is allowed in that portion of the Trail. The Trail south of Downsville is maintained for snowshoeing and other winter recreation including hiking. Leashed pets are allowed on the Trail south of Downsville. Stokke Trail, north of Highway 29, is also available for hikers and leashed pets.
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