Wisconsin Statewide Fishing report 5.10.12Anglers were greeted by a wet, windy and cooler opening weekend for the Wisconsin game fish season, which dampened spirits and fishing pressure some, but those who got out still reported some good fishing. Walleye fishing on Green Bay was reported as especially good, with many bag limits reported, and the stocked trout ponds were also very busy in many locations, with many reports of nice brook trout caught.
Heavy rains in the last week have raised water levels on many lakes and streams, and even caused flooding in some areas. The campground at High Cliff State Park had to be closed temporarily this week as floodwaters covered the access road, but those waters have now receded and the campground is open. The Wolf and Fox rives have been running very high and there were reports of the white bass run underway on both rivers. The lower Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers are also both on the rise.
Fishing pressure was generally moderate on waters across the Northwoods. Walleye anglers found action to be a bit erratic, as the rain and windy conditions seemed to hamper success. Live bait combinations such as jig and minnow and slip-bobber rigs seemed to work the best, and some decent catches of 12 to 18-inch walleye were reported. Northern pike action was only fair, but surprisingly, bass action was pretty good, with smallmouth bass being a bit more active than the largemouth. Panfish action was just starting to pick up, as crappie have moved up into the shallow bays in pretty good numbers. Many have already started spawning and some bluegill have also been moving up to the shallows in greater numbers.
Fishing pressure significantly increased along Door County with the bass season opener. Little Sturgeon Bay was very busy with many anglers targeting smallmouth bass and very good catches reported. One angler caught and released a 20.5 inch, 6.5-pound smallmouth bass. Action was also good at Sawyer Harbor and Sturgeon Bay.
On Lake Michigan, trollers out of Sheboygan and Port Washington have been catching a mixed bag of chinook and coho salmon and brown, rainbow and a few lake trout. Anglers fishing off the pier in Port have been catching a mix of browns, coho, and chinook. Milwaukee and Racine trollers have switched from targeting brown trout to chinook salmon, with limits of chinook not uncommon. Anglers on piers and shorelines have picked up a few brown trout and even an occasional chinook.
Brule River State Forest The weekend forecast looks beautiful for a trip to the Brule. As of May 10, the Bois Brule River was flowing at 198 cubic feet per second. The 67 year average is 208 cfs. Numerous birds have found their way back to the area in the past couple of weeks. Black-throated green, black and white, and northern parula warblers, ovenbirds, blue-headed vireo, white-throated sparrow, and hermit thrush are just some of the birds that have been heard or seen. Last weekend marked the beginning of the 2012 Wisconsin game fishing opener. Water temperatures are close to 60 degrees, which is bringing bass and bluegill into the shallow areas. A Maple, Wis. resident recently caught a very nice bluegill out of a Bayfield County Lake. It weighed in at a hefty 1.61 pounds, had a 12 inch girth, and measured 10.9 inches long.
Sawyer County Individuals fishing the Chippewa Flowage were getting a mixed bag of fish varying from walleye to panfish. Individuals using smaller jigs and minnows were having the best luck for the mixed bag as walleye, crappie and perch will all take this medium size presentation. Best depth seems to be in 6-10 feet of water with wood. A few individuals are getting larger walleye fishing slightly deeper using larger minnows or stick baits. Bluegill appear to be pushing shallower on the warmer summer days. The typical piece of worm or wax worm are the bait of choice for the bluegill. Lake Chetac has been producing a good number of panfish. People were catching a mixed bag of bluegill and crappie in 3-8 feet of water using almost anything they throw. Bobber and worm or wax worm seems to get both bluegill and crappie as well as the occasional perch. Otherwise, plastics are doing very well for crappie as well. Small 2-inch twisters in chartreuse, orange or white seemed to produce more fish. A few walleyes have been mixed in with the panfish, but the best fishing for those have been in the 8-12 feet of water on the breaks using larger minnows or leeches. Some individuals are doing well trolling crank or stick baits on the breaks as well. This tactic is producing larger size fish. Anglers fishing the rivers (Chippewa, South and North forks of the Flambeau) are starting to get an occasional catfish if they can keep the bait on the bottom long enough before redhorse or sucker take the bait. Hummingbirds started to appear on May 7 in most feeders in the northern area as well as Rose Breasted Grosbeaks.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) With quite a bit of rain and some breezy conditions, opening weekend fishing pressure was generally moderate on waters across the Northwoods. The heaviest angling activity was on the larger walleye waters and the managed trout lakes and spring ponds. Anglers found some very good success on the trout lakes and nearly everyone was catching fish. Most of the trout were in the 8 to 10-inch size but some nice rainbow and brook trout up to 18 inches were also caught. While water levels were near normal, pressure on trout streams and rivers was rather light and reports of success were hard to come by. Walleye anglers found action to be a bit more erratic, as the rain and windy conditions seemed to hamper fishing success over the weekend. Many anglers stayed off the water during the heavier rain showers and others sought out shelter behind islands or in protected bays. Live bait combinations such as jig and minnow and slip-bobber rigs seemed to work the best, and some decent catches of 12 to 18-inch walleye were reported. The crank bait anglers did find some fair action as well, especially when casting the shallows near dark.
Northern pike action was only fair, with the fish seeming to prefer the live baits rigs and slower moving spinner baits. Surprisingly, bass action was pretty good, with smallmouth bass being a bit more active than the largemouth. Quite a few anglers reported catching some good sized smallmouth during the middle of the day when the walleye bite was slow. Panfish action was just starting to pick up, as crappie have moved up into the shallow bays in pretty good numbers. Many have already started spawning and some good catches have been made along emergent weed lines, with small minnows fished a foot or two below a bobber. A few nice perch have been found on the mud flats where the green weeds are just starting to grow, and bluegill have also been moving up to the shallows in greater numbers. The best bet for these is to use a slip bobber with a small night crawler piece, and fish it over the mud flats and in the shallow bays.
Taylor County The fishing opener was very popular even with wet and cool temperatures. Trout anglers were aggressively pursuing trout on area streams. Several nice fish were observed. Northern pike were aggressive with several caught on area lakes. As temperatures continue to warm fishing activity should improve too.
Langlade County Opening weekend of fishing was pretty slow due to ongoing rain showers. Trout anglers were in abundance, but did not catch much due to all the rain.
Marinette County Opening day of fishing saw a good number of anglers as well as some good fishing success. Inland stream trout anglers were successful in catching some good numbers of fish as well as some good size fish being caught. Boaters fishing out of the mouth of the Peshtigo River did well last weekend for walleye, smallmouth bass, and northern pike. Trolling in 5 to 7 feet of water with crawler/harness or stick baits have producing most of the fish. Pike anglers have had success casting spoons in shallow both on the bay and in the river. Fishing had been slow on the Menominee River with some trout and walleye being caught by shore anglers from Stephenson Island up to the Dam. Early mornings and evenings have been best with anglers using plastics and stick baits.
Oconto County Panfish and smallmouth bass have been the mainstay of anglers on the upper Oconto River, with slip bobbers and live baits working for panfish, while smallmouth bass have been responding well to plastics and crank baits. Smallmouth were being caught in the Pensaukee River using jigs and plastic or crank baits. Anglers out of Oconto Breakwater Park to Oconto Park II had a great opening weekend for walleye with many boats coming in with limits of fish in the 17 to 23 inch range. There were reports of limits of walleyes caught on opening Saturday on Green Bay in less than two hours. Trolling crawler/harness and stick baits have been producing lots of nice fish.
Brown County Between the rains and high winds fishing on Green Bay has been tough but the anglers that are braving the elements are scoring on the walleyes. Anglers have been consistently bagging legal size walleyes trolling crank baits in the area off of Volk's Reef as well as in University Bay. Anglers were also continuing to have luck jigging the shorelines of the Fox River. Prior to putting the boat on the water, double check that you have all the required boating equipment and that boat registration is current.
Door County Fishing pressure significantly increased with the bass season opener this past weekend. It was quiet on Little Sturgeon Bay and in Sawyer Harbor at the beginning of the week and the middle of the week brought scattered rain and thunderstorms, but warmer temperatures. By the weekend, Little Sturgeon Bay was very busy. Many anglers were targeting smallmouth bass and a total of 448 were caught throughout the day, only 5 were kept. The bait of choice was various tube jigs and they were mainly caught in 4-6 feet of water. Some northern pike and walleye were caught as well. One angler caught and released a 20.5 inch, 6.5-pound smallmouth bass. In Sawyer Harbor, there were about 17 trailers and the anglers were mostly targeting smallmouth bass. A total of 56 bass were caught, and13 were kept. One fisherman alone caught 30 of them. The bait of choice was artificial, and the water temperature was 48 degrees. In the Sturgeon Bay area the City Dock and Ole Stone Quarry saw the most launch action. Boaters have reported great smallmouth success in 8 feet of water or less using a wide variety of artificial lures including grubs and suspending stick baits. Walleyes continue to be pressured in the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal with their bite at its best in the evening hours. The canal was also producing some nice northern pike action. Shore and pier anglers casting from the Ole Stone Quarry and Fish Creek Pier showed great smallmouth bass and walleye catches using golden shiners, crawlers, grub lures, and suspending stick baits. Pressure for brown trout continues both from shore and by boat showing returns on a variety of stick baits and spoons. At Chaudoir's Dock it was moderately busy, with anglers targeting walleye. One group caught 17 walleye and one brown trout, all were kept. The fish were caught in about 12 to 16 feet of water and artificial was the main bait. Over at Bayshore Park, it was very busy with anglers targeting walleye there as well and a total of 76 of them were caught, 61 were kept. Again, there was no one at Red River, Sugar Creek and Fish Haven. The pier is completed at Carmody's Landing.
Kewaunee County Fishing was slow on the southern county lakes over opening weekend of the fishing season, especially with the rain on Sunday.
Marquette County Due to the recent heavy rainfalls, area lakes and rivers are near flood stage and fishing has been difficult. Fishing activity has been slow, but anglers have been catching white bass on the Montello River and some nice crappies on Lawrence Lake. Turkey hunters reported having challenges getting birds to respond to calls and not being able to harvest birds. Boaters are reminded to wear their personal floatation device when out on area waters especially during high water levels.
Waupaca County The white bass run is starting in a few locations with some better number of white bass being caught on the Wolf River. The peak run will likely be starting real soon with the warmer water temps. Walleye were still being caught on the Wolf River, but anglers had to work for them. With recent rains most of the rivers are very high, so use caught when boating. Large hazards, like logs, could have been pushed into the rivers and visible snags are likely now underwater.
Calumet County Less than a week ago, many portions of Calumet County saw rainfall totals exceed 4 to 5 inches in short period of time. This massive amount of rain is still evident on the landscape and had an impact on the statewide fishing opener on Lake Winnebago. While the Winnebago system is technically open "year round" many anglers still flock to the lake for the opener, however this year they were greeted with turbid and debris-filled water due to massive runoff from several major creeks and tributaries along the eastern shoreline. Those anglers searching for clear water farther out still caught fair numbers of walleyes.
Winnebago County The Winneconne area has still been producing good numbers of walleye from the Winneconne bridge. Panfishing is beginning to slow down. Soon the white bass should begin to show up. Turkey hunting in the area could become harder in the Winneconne area. With the large amount of rain recently many fields and turkey feeding areas are under water. Much of the state lands that hold turkeys are under 2 feet of water. It will take a while before the water levels go back down.
Milwaukee The king salmon fishing off Milwaukee has been very good recently with many boats coming in with limits or close to it.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County Trollers in Sheboygan have been catching a mixed bag of chinook and coho salmon and brown and lake trout in 25 to 35 feet of water using spoons of various colors. Fishing off the Sheboygan piers has been slow. The Sheboygan and Pigeon Rivers have relatively high flows and temperatures in the mid to upper-40s. There has been minimal fishing effort on both rivers.
Ozaukee County In Port Washington trollers have been successful catching coho and chinook salmon, along with a few brown and rainbow trout in 120 to 180 feet of water. Dodgers and flies have been most effective. Anglers fishing off the pier in Port have been catching a mix of browns, coho, and chinook, and the most fish have been taken on alewives. Sauk Creek is high and muddy after this weekend?s rain.
Milwaukee County Milwaukee trollers have switched from targeting brown trout to chinook salmon, with limits of chinook not uncommon. Most trollers have been focusing in 40 to 60 feet of water with spoons of various colors. Downriggers or 3 to 5 colors of lead core have been the most productive for catching chinook. Anglers on McKinley pier have picked up a few brown trout and even an occasional chinook while casting spoons. Blue and silver or green and silver have been the most productive color spoons, but fishing shiners or alewives under a bobber has produced fish as well. The shoreline along Summerfest is producing a few browns with the most successful presentations focusing on minnows, with a few additional fish being caught on spoons.
Racine County Trollers in Racine have been catching good numbers of chinook near shore, and coho have been found further out, around 200 feet of water. Those fishing from shore in Racine have had their best luck throwing chartreuse color spoons off the piers, but their success rate has been low. Recent rainfalls have the Root River running high and dirty with water temperatures hovering between 52-54 degrees.
Waukesha County The game fish opener was slowed considerably by rain and weather. With the high water levels, white bass are hitting beneath the dams in the Oconomowoc River chain of lakes. Anglers were catching largemouth and smallmouth bass on Pine Lake. Anglers report having success on artificial baits such as minnow imitating baits and spinner baits in the shallows. Anglers report catching muskies on Pewaukee Lake in the shallows. On Pewaukee Lake, there is a lot of aquatic vegetation near the boat landings. Anglers and boaters are reminded to remove any aquatic vegetation and drain all water from their boats and trailers prior to leaving the boat landing. Opening weekend of the game fish season provided mixed results for anglers in the southern portion of Waukesha County. Anglers reported success with bass and northern pike on Eagle Spring and Phantom Lakes. The Fox River from Mukwonago to Big Bend provided action for catfish and carp. Bow anglers report seeing good numbers of carp in the shallows along the river. Bow anglers that are not interested in consuming their catch are reminded to legally dispose of their fish. It is illegal to discard fish along the banks or shores of lakes or rivers.
Racine County The fish opener was slow with bad weather and little success from anglers. A few bass and northern pike were caught, but panfish were hard to come by. Several anglers said they had success with panfish several days earlier and then they turned off. Weather conditions can be expected to be the same or relatively close on Mother?s Day as the fish opener.
Walworth County Many anglers were catching largemouth bass between Geneva Bay and Bigfoot State Park over opening weekend. The fish were suspended in 40-50 feet of water. The Williams Bay boat launch project is complete and opened before the opener. Anglers on Lake Beulah reported a much slower bite than usual. Many of them feel it has to do with the number of storms that have rolled through.
Grant County Opening day weekend the weather was nice on Saturday and rainy and cold Sunday. Trout fishing was excellent in the small streams that cleared quickly. With mild weather, it's easy to hike out and see them. The Wisconsin River is back to up to about 16,000 cfs at Muscoda, so many of the bottomlands are slightly flooded. This makes the mosquitoes happy.
Lafayette County Fishing at Yellowstone Lake remains good, with crappies hitting very well.
Dane County The fishing opener was one with mixed results. The opening day of fishing was average. Even though there was a lot of fishing pressure most people reported mild success. Water temperatures still seem to be a little cold and as temps rise the fishing should improve. Panfish were biting at Babcock Park but were running pretty small. Lousy weather kept most people at home on Sunday. Recent rains have helped with some local water levels but more rain is needed.
Crawford County Anglers targeting catfish were starting to have good luck on the Lower Wisconsin River. Numerous channel catfish were reportedly caught on stink bait and worms.
Jackson County Heavy rains fell for several days prior to the game fish opener, leaving the Black River very high and above normal levels. Heavy flows made shore access difficult, with very few people fishing for walleye or bass on the river. The weather on Lake Arbutus was cold and rainy on opening day, with some boats catching a few crappie. Only one small walleye was reported caught near Windy Point. Anglers should continue to look for crappie to bite along the Arnold Creek inlet in about 6 feet of water. Anglers who were looking for a tasty meal of fresh trout had the best success on the ponds, which had been pre-stocked with trout. Trout fishing was excellent on Hoffman Pond north of Black River Falls, and at Oxbow Pond on the State Forest. Trout anglers found that wax worms and pink power bait worked the best. Often the stocked trout grow weary of fishing line, so use 2 or 4 pound test and try fishing your bait off the bottom. Lowe Creek Pond near Hixton was also stocked recently, and has received very little pressure. This pond is a great place to bring the kids for a chance at taking home some nice-sized brook trout. Try slowly retrieving a small wet fly behind a float bubble for finicky fish, and don't forget to bring your tape measure. Most stocked ponds are signed with the trout bag and length limits, but it's always a good idea to carry the current trout regulations with you. If you have any questions, you can always contact your local field warden for Jackson County at (715) 284-1421.
Chippewa County Despite a rainy opening weekend and slow fish activity, there were still a lot of anglers out. Some areas were starting to pick up a few bluegills. Crappie success was mixed.
Eau Claire County Recent rains have caused high water levels and swift currents on the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers. Shoreline anglers have been catching a lot of fish below the Lake Altoona Dam. The north shoreline has produced some nice catches of perch, and anglers at the south shoreline caught walleye up to 29-inches long. The opening weekend was kind of a bust in the eastern portion of the county. With all the rain that came before the opening weekend local streams were very high. Areas below dams that usually offer good fishing on opening weekend were almost unfishable due to high water. Things only got worse for Sunday after an inch and a half of rain fell over night. Lake Eau Claire rose over one foot and even small creeks rose out of banks.
Minocqua area fishing reporthttp://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/minocquafishingreport.htm
Lake Michigan Fishing Report and tipshttp://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/lmfishingtips.htmWausau Area fishing reporthttp://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/wisconsinriverfishingreport.htmChippewa Flowage fishing reporthttp://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/chippewaflowagefishingreport.htmInformation compiled from the WDNR Outdoor report and private sources
