People will have a wide variety of opportunities to enjoy Wisconsins great outdoors on this coming weekend as the state offers free fishing all weekend and celebrates National Trails Day on Saturday and State Parks Open House Day on Sunday. Events are scheduled across the state at many locations, including some fishing clinics being held at state parks on Sunday, so visitors may enter parks for free and fish without purchasing a license. Lists of activities can be found on the Department of Natural Resources Web site.
The recent hot spell increased water temperatures into the low 70s on many northern lakes and spurred on bass and panfish spawning activity. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are well into their spawning period, with males often sitting tight and guarding the nests. Crappies are finishing up nesting activities, with bluegill and pumpkinseed just getting heavily into theirs. Walleye fishing success has been sporadic, but some excellent northern pike action was reported with the warming water temperatures. Musky activity was fair over the opening weekend in the north, with anglers reportedly seeing muskies cruising the shallows and a few follows but for the most part the fish not striking.
In the south, rain, heat and humidity have made fishing challenging. Panfish are already done spawning on some southern lakes, but bluegills and bass were still being seen on beds in other areas. Some good crappie action was still being reported. Warming waters have heated up bass and bluegill action with quite a few very nice fish reported. Those swirls and jumping fish people see in the bays and other shallow water are probably spawning carp. Catfish have been biting well on the Fox, Rock and Crawfish rivers. White bass were spawning over the past week so action should pick up post-spawn.
Fishing was good all over Door County, with northern pike being taken in good numbers and perch fishing starting to heat up as well. Walleye action remained good at night. Anglers trolling Lake Michigan had an excellent week with many successful trips with good catches of brown trout, rainbow trout, and a few chinook salmon. Anglers fishing piers in the more northern harbors also had a good week with some brown trout and chinook salmon. Pier fishing in the southeastern harbors was mixed, with a few coho salmon reported.
Fishing pressure was light to moderate on the Mississippi River over the Memorial Day Weekend. Water levels had been slightly, but started dropping and after the holiday weekend the river stage was around the 10 foot mark at Prairie du Chien. Some anglers were having action on bluegills along shorelines in shallow water and some walleye were being caught in backwater sloughs and on wing dams.
Canada geese have begun to undergo their annual molting and replacement of wing flight feathers. During this molt they are flightless for about two weeks. Black-capped chickadee eggs were recently reported hatched in the north. Monarch butterflies returned in good numbers last week. These are the young of adult monarchs that migrated south last year. First hatch of bluebird chicks have fledged and many bluebird houses already have a second hatch of eggs incubating. Whitetail bucks now have visible antler growth and are impressive looking when covered in velvet.
Turtles have begun crossing roads on their annual migration from their aquatic habitats to well-drained upland habitats where they deposit their eggs. Wisconsins 12 turtle species continuing to decline and state wildlife officials would like to remind motorists they can help conserve their dwindling populations by being alert during June for turtles crossing roads. Drivers can help reduce turtle morality by keeping their eyes open for turtles on roads to avoid hitting them, or when safe to do so, move the turtle across the road in the direction that it was heading.
Northern bogs are filling with color as bog laurel, swamp false Solomon's-seal, wild calla, cotton grass, and Labrador tea are in full bloom. Pitcher plants are budding. Canada mayflower and star flower are also in bloom and the pink and yellow ladyslippers are beginning to bloom.
For further detailed info in your area...
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/
