Wisconsin Statewide Fishing report 6.29.12While the southern half of the state is very dry, with minimal rain during the month of June, northern Wisconsin has continued to receive rain last weekend that is keeping the north lush and water levels on lakes and rivers high. Lake Superior?s Chequamegon Bay is stained dark with stream run off. Pools 4 through 6 on the Mississippi River are approximately 4 to 5 feet above normal at this time due to heavy rain falls to the north. The Lower Wisconsin River has increased flow due to heavy rains to the north and sandbars have been very limited, but they are expected to return for the upcoming July Fourth week.
Some nice lake trout have been caught in Lake Superior and anglers have not had to go out in the great depths to find them. Musky activity has continued to improve on northern inland lakes and anglers have been reporting consistent action along weed edges, drop-offs, and in the light density weed beds, with buck-tail and top-water baits the most productive lures. Panfish action has been fairly consistent, with anglers making some decent catches of crappie, bluegill and rock bass.
Increased water levels and dark-stained stained water has really thrown off bass action and typical early summer patterns were not producing fish. In the south, surface water temperatures over 80 degrees and low water levels on lakes and rivers has slowed fishing. Algae blooms on Lake Winnebago slowed the walleye bite considerably in the past week.
Anglers have still been catching smallmouth bass throughout Door County waters. There is an elite professional bass tournament taking place on the southern bay this week. Walleye action slowed on Green Bay, with better action along the Door peninsula. Along Lake Michigan, salmon and trout fishing was not as good as the previous week but action was still steady with some boats catching limits. Chinook and coho salmon continue to make up most of the bag but anglers fishing shallower for brown and rainbow trout were also having some success.
Bayfield County The weather up north has been very nice with a bunch of rain that was mixed in last week. Most of the flood damage was in Douglas County and western Bayfield County, but some of the roads at the tip of the Bayfield Peninsula were washed out. The mud line into Lake Superior from the various rivers and streams has churned things up again, but with recent clear, warmer weather things should settle down before long. The water on Lake Superior is still very cold and kayakers must make sure they are absolutely prepared for it if they go in the water and know their limitations. A reminder to people about using stand up paddle boards that a wearable life jacket is required to be on the person or on board since it is considered a boat. Some nice lake trout have been caught in Lake Superior and anglers have not had to go out in the great depths to find them. Bass fishing has been good, northern pike fishing has been better and panfishing has been excellent on many of the southern inland lakes. Bass and northern were biting on artificial baits, though people fishing around down trees for panfish using worms were also catching many nice size bass. Evening walleye fishing has been good on the Eau Claire Chain and Lake Namekagon on minnows and leeches at depths of 12 to 14 feet. River levels have dropped after the heavy rain this week, getting back to normal levels though due to run off many are still cloudy causing trout fishing to be slow on the deeper rivers.
Douglas County Flood waters in the far northwest are slowly receding. The St. Louis River remains high and very muddy with a considerable amount of debris in the water. Whole trees and large floating land masses are a common sight right now. Lake Superior is very muddy on the Wisconsin side of the western end at this time. Boaters should use extreme caution due to the floating debris here also.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) Heavy rains in the last few weeks have made for very high water levels on nearly all rivers, streams, lakes and flowages in the area. Rivers and streams have been near impossible to fish and many lakes have water lapping up over the tops of shoreline piers and docks. The water continues to be more dark-stained that usual and this seems to have kept many weed beds from fully developing. Weed densities have been real variable, with many areas seeing much lower densities than past years and just a few spots showing thicker densities than normal. In addition, the wet conditions have provided for a fresh hatch of mosquitoes, deer and horse flies, and 'ankle-biters' and all have become a bigger nuisance in the last week. Panfish and musky have been the main species of interest in the last week and despite the increased water levels, success for both has been pretty good. Musky activity has continued to improve and most anglers have been reporting some consistent action along weed edges, drop-offs, and in the light density weed beds. Good numbers of musky in the 32 to 40-inch size have been hooked and boated, with a few fish up to 46 inches also reported. Buck-tail and top-water baits have been the most productive lures of late. Panfish action has been fairly consistent, with anglers making some decent catches of crappie, bluegill and rock bass. Decent crappie have been found suspended near mid-depth cover and larger bluegill have been caught along deep weed lines. Rock bass have been especially aggressive and been found near any mid-depth wood or rocky cover. With a few mayfly hatches still occurring, walleye action has been on the slow side and just a few reports of success have been coming in. The best action has come on leeches and crawlers that have been fished over and in the mid-depth weed beds. Largemouth and smallmouth bass have been the real puzzle in the last week and most bass anglers have been having a very tough time finding quality-sized fish. It seems that the increased water levels and dark-stained stained water has really thrown these species into a funk and typical early summer patterns are not producing fish. Some smaller largemouth have been found around docks and near wood in thick weed beds, with a few also being caught near cover along bog edges. But many bass anglers have sworn that the number of quality-size fish have fallen off. Smallmouth bass have been even tougher to find than largemouth, and many anglers report catching just a few 10 to 13-inch smallmouth when fishing their favorite early summer spots. Finesse tactics with small plastics have produced a few fish near mid-depth woody structure, but like largemouth, quality-size fish have been tough to come by.
Taylor County Fishing has been consistent on area lakes and panfish are being targeted in deeper waters. Aquatic weeds are plentiful due to the early spring and causing navigation problems on area lakes. Fish are using the excessive weeds as habitat and anglers are working the weed beds.
Flambeau River State Forest Both the North and South Forks of the Flambeau River are up, with the south at a normal level and the north is still high.
Langlade County Fishing remains slow to average on area lakes.
Marinette County Shore anglers at the Peshtigo Harbor were catching a mixed bag of smallmouth bass, catfish, and fresh water drum, still fishing with live bait. Boaters out of Klingsborn landing and fishing the upper Peshtigo report catching northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye and drum, casting crank baits and fishing jigs and minnows or plastics. Salmon and trout anglers have been doing well fishing the Green Island area as well as Seagull Bar in 40 to 50 feet of water, with kings in the 14 to 17 pound range and brown trout weighing in between 4 and 8 pounds. Find the schools of bait fish and you will find the trout and salmon. Spoon colors do not seem to be a factor at this time.
Oconto County Some panfish and a few smallmouth bass were being caught downstream from the Stiles Dam using live bait and bobbers. With rain and wind fishing on Green Bay was slow with few boats venturing out.
Brown County Fishing has been slower this week with the heavy rain and hotter temperatures. Walleye anglers are still reporting success in certain areas on the Bay of Green Bay but perch fishing is slow. Fox River anglers were targeting walleye, but it is starting to slow down. The walleye that were caught were by jigging. Some anglers were reporting catching smallmouth bass up by the dam casting crank baits. Catfish, sheepshead and carp were being caught by boat and shore anglers up and down the river. In the Lower Bay, anglers were catching walleye with better success out of the Metro ramp up to University Bay. Perch numbers are low, there are anglers out there targeting them, but with very limited success. Suamico and Geano beach, anglers were targeting walleye but the numbers are low. Anglers were using crank baits half the time and crawlers harnesses the other half of the time.
Manitowoc County The salmon bite has been fairly consistent with action heating up on occasion. Both kings and coho were being caught. The last week of fishing has not been as good as the previous for most anglers but action is still steady with some boats catching limits. Fly/dodger combos have continued to out produce spoons for kings it appears with colors in white and green catching many fish. Most anglers have been fishing in 50 to 180 feet of water with fish being in no particular depth of the water column. 80 feet of water seems to be the most consistent depth as of late. There were still good numbers of rainbows being taken, some on high lines and others caught lower in the water column. With the calm conditions anglers in boats were able to see the rainbows feeding heavily on the surface on floating insects. Some anglers were fishing shallower for browns as well as rainbows and having some success. There has been a trend of fish coming from deeper water since it?s been a week since there has been a strong west wind. There has been a mix of kings, brown trout, and rainbows being caught off the Two Rivers and Manitowoc piers. An increasing number of kings were being taken off both Manitowoc piers, though action is inconsistent. The most success seems to be before sunrise. Most browns were running in the 4 to 6 pound range and were being caught on the inside of the piers. Some rainbows have been over 10 pounds and there have been a few kings around 18 pounds. Anglers are beginning to do very well fishing with alewives off the bottom.
The best days off the piers have been during and after sustained west winds. Smallmouth bass can be caught consistently near barriers and current breaks on the West Twin and Manitowoc rivers. Areas that may hold fish are rocky points near flowing and deeper holes in otherwise shallow areas. The deeper areas will become more effective as the summer continues and water levels decrease further. Plastics that imitate crayfish (rigged weedless if possible) as well as smaller crankbaits usually work well during the summer months. Game fish and panfish should be in their usual summer habitat on inland lakes. Weedlines and deeper water may be best but fish will feed shallower during low light conditions on most days. On a given lake there may be fish utilizing many different habitats. There may be separate populations of largemouth in very shallow heavy cover, in weeds near depth changes, and suspended in deep water feeding on schools of minnows for example in each lake. The hot ? and mainly dry ? weather has kept mosquitos at a very minimum. Raspberry bushes in sunny areas have begun to ripen and will have ripe fruit within a week with their woodland counterparts a ways behind. Bluebirds have come out of nest boxes and have taken flight.
Sturgeon Bay There is a new fishing hotline for northern Lake Michigan and Green Bay ? Call 920-746-2873 to receive a recorded fishing report for the week to learn about what has been working and where fish are biting.
Door County Some anglers have been catching walleyes on weed edges; others are fishing a little deeper. Walleye fishing has generally been slow though. The Green Bay side of the northern Door peninsula appears to be producing the most walleye action. Anglers have still been catching smallmouth bass throughout Door County waters including Sturgeon Bay, Egg Harbor, Ephraim, and Sister Bay on the bay side and Bailey's Harbor north to Rowley's Bay. A variety of methods have been working but soft plastics remain the favorite. Shore anglers, wading anglers, and anglers using kayaks were also catching some smallmouth bass. They key for shore bound anglers is to find a place with adequate depth and cover. A few perch were being caught in the Sturgeon Bay ship canal area from both boat and shore. Rock bass continue to provide steady action at a number of shore locations throughout the county and have been a favorite of families looking to catch some fish; look for rock piles, docks, or other structure and cover. On Little Sturgeon Bay, off the pier anglers were targeting perch, bluegill and rockbass using night crawlers. Boaters were targeting smallmouth bass and perch. Perch numbers were low, but smallmouth were still going good. The anglers used jigs and spinners (green/pumpkin in color) for the smallmouth bass and they were caught in about 5-7 feet of water. Sheepshead and gobies are still very numerous. In Sawyer Harbor, anglers were targeting perch and smallmouth bass. They were using minnows for Perch and artificial bait (jigs, grubs) for smallmouth bass. Anglers were also catching Gobies and Sheepshead. Chinook salmon action continues to be excellent with rainbow trout fishing picking up this past week. Anglers have been fishing the Lake Michigan side up to Gills Rock, mostly over 120-140 feet of water and targeting a variety of depths with deeper depths working during the day and baits in the upper column producing during sunset and sunrise times. There were many rainbow trout captured near the surface this past week. This is likely dependent upon water temperature near the surface to it would be a good idea to check water temperatures before setting up your trolling depths because near surface water temperatures can change quickly with currents and wind conditions. In addition, we continue to received reports of salmon catches in northern Green Bay as well as in the deeper water near Gills Rock and Ellison Bay. Colors and choice of lures have continue to vary widely. In the southern Door peninsula, overall the fishing pressure was low compared to last week. The weather was warmer during the week which raised the water temperatures a little bit from 68 degrees at Little Sturgeon Bay/Sawyer Harbor to 74 degrees at Chaudoir's Dock/Bayshore Park. At Bayshore Park, anglers were targeting walleye and perch with the numbers being low during the week. Anglers used night crawlers and minnows for perch and crank baits and crawler harnesses for walleye. They were also catching catfish, sheepshead, and gobies. One fisherman also caught a whitefish on a crawler harness. At Chaudoir's Dock, anglers were targeting walleye, perch, and some were targeting catfish. They used night crawlers/minnows for perch while using tubes with worms for catfish. For walleye, anglers were using crank baits and spinners (gold, black, and purple). A pier fisherman caught a Northern Pike and a bullhead using an artificial grub. Sheepshead and Gobies are still making appearances.
Fond du Lac County Fishing in the kettles has slowed down to the summer pace. A fair number of bass have been seen hanging around the weed edge of long lake in about 10 feet of water. These fish will also push up into the extremely shallow areas to follow the bait fish in the warmer water. Be aware that there is slow no wake restrictions on Long Lake, which give recreational boaters a chance to ski and tube, but also gives the anglers a chance to fish without getting rocked out of the boat. A reminder for anyone fishing with a bow and arrow on Lake Winnebago, it is illegal to release or return any rough fish taken with a bow and arrow, whether dead or alive, to any waters of the state or to leave any rough fish taken with a bow and arrow, whether dead or alive, on the banks of any waters of the state.
Outagamie County With the very warm water temperatures and algae blooms on Lake Winnebago, the walleye bite has slowed considerably in the past week. Although, anglers have been having some luck about 1.5 miles out from Payne?s Point. Water temperatures are ranging from 74-78 degrees.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County Trollers in Sheboygan have been catching decent numbers of chinook, coho, and rainbows. Fish have been around 60 to 70 feet of water early in the morning, and then have been moving deeper to the 110 to 140 foot range as the sun gets higher. The rainbows have come from the top 30 feet of water, but the salmon have been deeper. Spoons have taken the majority of fish, but flasher and fly combinations have also produced. When conditions are good near shore, anglers fishing off the Sheboygan piers have been catching a mixed bag of browns, chinook, and rainbows, and fish have been taken on spoons and alewives. A few whitefish have been caught off the piers as well.
Ozaukee County In Port Washington trollers have been catching mostly chinook, along with some coho and rainbows in 60 to 125 feet of water. Spoons as well as dodger and fly or flasher and fly combinations have been productive. Port Washington anglers fishing off the pier have been catching a mix of brown and rainbow trout and chinook salmon, as well as a few perch and whitefish. Alewives have taken the most trout and salmon, and perch have been taken on small minnows or plastics.
Milwaukee County Milwaukee trollers have been catching decent numbers of chinook and coho salmon, along with a few lake and rainbow trout. Most boats have been focusing in 60 to 105 feet of water with baits about 30 to 60 feet below the surface. The best baits have been spoons or dipsey divers with flasher and fly combinations. White, blue, and watermelon flies have been producing. Fishing on McKinley pier has picked up recently with chinook salmon and brown and rainbow trout caught on alewives. Perch anglers have also been successful off of McKinley pier within an hour and a half of sunrise. Most were caught on minnows under a slip bobber or on shrimp. The shoreline along Summerfest is producing a few brown trout, with most fish being caught on minnows but a few also taken on spoons. A few small browns have been caught off of Grant Park and along the Oak Creek power plant fishing pier, and a few perch have been caught off the power plant pier as well. Perch fishing for boaters at the boils and off of Oak Creek has yielded fish, but the bite seems to slow down about an hour and a half after sunrise.
Racine County In Racine trollers have had great success using dipsey divers and flies or spoons from 40 to 80 feet down in 50 to 105 feet of water. Anglers have been focusing mainly on coho and chinook salmon, though an occasional rainbow trout has also been caught. Those fishing from shore in Racine have had their best luck casting spoons or soaking live bait on the bottom at low light. Anglers have been catching a few brown trout from the pier and in the harbor. Perch fishing is relatively slow from shore with most fish caught on minnows under a slip bobber. Those in boats jigging for perch along the rock wall by Meyers ramp have had much better success with minnows under slip bobbers. A few additional perch have been caught by casting small crank baits. The best perch fishing has been within an hour and a half of sunrise.
Ozaukee County Fishing on Lake Michigan continues to be good. Boat anglers are continuing to get good numbers of salmon with many anglers limiting out. Anglers from shore are having some luck as well. The fishing on the Milwaukee River has been okay due to the low water levels. Fishing success tends to be located in the deeper areas of the river.
Lafayette County The fish on area waters have slowed down from where they were a month ago. Most water surface temperatures in the area are over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jefferson County The crappies and bluegills are biting on the Bark River in the area of Rome Pond Wildlife Area. Due to low water levels boaters are urged to use caution when operating on area lakes and rivers. There have been reports of boaters getting stuck on sand bars and mud flats just under the water surface and striking submerged rocks and stumps. This is in areas that are navigable when water levels are closer to normal.
Sauk County Walleyes continue to bite on Lake Redstone along breaks and structure around the lake. Anglers were catching them on night crawlers and leeches. Some anglers have had luck on trolling using planer boards and crank baits. Some nice bass have been caught around the lake using leeches, night crawlers and crank baits as well. Musky anglers have reported little success. Recent surface temperatures were at 80 degrees but no fish kills have been reported. Bluegills are also biting along the breaks and structure as well using worms and leeches. Fishing activity on Dutch Hollow Lake has been slow but the water remains clear. If people are looking for a nice summer activity, snorkeling on Dutch Hollow Lake is a great summer activity. The clear water in Dutch allows for some nice viewing of underwater rock structures as well as fish viewing.
Baldwin The water levels on Lake Pepin have been slowly receding until recently. Local heavy rains will cause the lake levels to rise. It is predicted that the water level will go up about 3 feet this week. As the lake rises, this will increase floating debris such as trees, which will create hazards for boaters. Water levels on all area rivers are high and the St Croix River is at the level where the entire river is Slow-no-wake. Levels are starting to drop and may be below the SNW level by July 1, but levels will still be high making camping on islands difficult and many accesses will still be closed. Fishing has been very good for bass, crappie and bluegill. Bass, Cedar, Tainter and Menomin lakes have been good. Fishing on the big rivers has been difficult.
Buffalo County Pools 4-6 on the Mississippi River are approximately 4-5 feet above normal at this time due to heavy rain falls to the north within the last week. Fishing activity has been focused off the main channel in running sloughs and bays. Some panfish are active in shallow water near vegetation. Walleye fishing has been slowed mainly due to water clarity. Much debris is still working down river so river boaters need to be extra careful this Fourth of July week.
Crawford County Last weekend a large mayfly hatch took place on pool 10 of the Mississippi River. Numerous anglers were observed using mayflies as bait having much luck catching bluegills and other panfish.
La Crosse County Fishing on the Mississippi River is slow. The water is high and dirty and the current is fast. Some anglers were having luck in very shallow water, often times in the, now flooded, woods. There was a large mayfly hatch on Saturday, so the fishing will probably get worse before it gets better. However, trout anglers are having good luck on the local trout streams.
Vernon County Water levels along the Mississippi River in the La Crosse and Vernon counties are high with river stages 4 to 6 feet above normal levels due to the heavy rains in Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Water levels are predicted to crest this coming weekend. Fishing conditions have been tough, but anglers have been finding some panfish and bass in the backwaters, away from the strong current flow. Some individuals are catching nice bluegills by fishing the weed lines and flooded timber in the backwaters. Last weekend there was a large mayfly hatch that occurred in the area, which has slowed angler success due to the available food source.
Adams County Area lakes are producing nice catches of panfish, catfish and white bass. Weeds and blue green algae are getting a head start with the early spring and recent warm weather.
Portage County Fishing on the Wisconsin River in the Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids areas has slowed although anglers are still catching decent numbers of catfish.
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.htm
Information compiled from the WDNR Outdoor report and private sources
