Wisconsin Statewide Fishing report 1.12.12Prior to the snow and cooler temperatures that arrived Wednesday, Wisconsin had continued to experience very unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures in the low 50s even triggering reports of insects out in some locations. The warm temperatures continued to create hazardous conditions on southern Wisconsin lakes. There were three fatalities over a three day period in the last week from people falling through thin ice. Ice anglers reported that lakes that had 4 to 6 inches of ice a week ago had thinned to 2 to 4 inches this week. Recreational safety specialists are cautioning that this week?s snow may create even more hazardous conditions. The new snow will insulate lakes from colder temperatures, slowing ice formation, and will make it more difficult to see thin areas. While many northern lakes now have a foot or more of ice, there are still lakes in southern Wisconsin with open water.
The nice weather of the last week brought out good numbers of ice anglers where there is good ice and even increasing number of anglers open water fishing from boats or shore. In the north, anglers were reporting action for walleye and northern pike was picking up with some nice sized fish being caught on tip-ups, but action slowing some for panfish.
Along Lake Michigan anglers have been fishing from boats for the trout that would usually be caught through the ice this time of year. Browns and steelhead were being caught all up and down the Milwaukee county coast line. One day this week there were as many as 40 boats out on the water enjoying the weather and the fishing. Open water boat anglers have been also been fishing the Mississippi River below lock and Dam 11, catching sauger on the Iowa side near the locks.
Ashland County - Last week saw new record highs temps for the area and ice conditions on Lake Superior have generated warnings for caution by the local fire department ice rescue team.
Bayfield County - Ice conditions in Southern Bayfield County on most lakes appears good for foot travel, though on the larger lakes near channels, bridges and narrows, open water can still be seen and\or thin ice should be expected and cautions should be used. Though some vehicle (trucks/cars) traffic is being seen on several of the larger local lakes, most people continue to venture out by foot or smaller size vehicles (snowmobiles/ATV). Those fishing the local lakes are seeing any where from 4-14 inches of ice. People who had driven a small truck onto Upper Eau Claire last week reported they left the ice quickly when they drilled their first hole and saw there was only 4 inches of ice where their vehicle was parked. Foot travel and or small size vehicles (ATV/Snowmobile) would be the best way to travel on the local lakes until the temperatures stay cold for several nights. The lack of snow has not affected the fish from biting. While walleye activity appears to be a little slower, panfish and northern pike fishing has been very good, with bag limits of both being seen on the Eau Claire Chain this past weekend. Though walleye fishing has slowed a bit on Lake Namekagon, pan fishing continues to pick up and those fishing for northern on both Namekagon and Cable Lake were finding good success. Panfish success has been good on many of the smaller local lakes, with bag limits of perch, bluegill, crappie and trout being seen. Anglers should check the fishing regulations and postings at the landings before going out fishing, because use of minnows is prohibited on some lakes prohibit, while others have more restrictive bag and size limits.
Burnett County ? As of mid week, the mild weather of last week melted all the snow, which has made wildlife viewing more difficult and the nice white landscape brown again. Ice conditions vary across the county lake by lake. Use caution when traveling on any frozen lakes. Anglers on Yellow Lake have had good success on perch and walleyes. The panfish bite has been very spotty on other lakes.
Polk County - Fishing has been slow on most area lakes. Anglers who have been fishing with tip-ups for bass and northern pike have been doing okay along the weed lines in the mornings and evenings. Day time fishing for panfish has been spotty. The evening crappie bite has not really turned on yet. Ice conditions vary from lake to lake. Some people have driven pickup truck on Big Butternut and Big Round Lake. There is approximately 8-10 inches of ice on those lakes. Ice conditions on Balsam Lake are good in some areas and very poor in other areas. East Balsam Lake has approximately 8-10 inches of good ice but the main lake has spots that are 4 inches or less. Anglers and snowmobilers should be carefully when traveling on Balsam Lake as there are several ice heaves on the lake. Some of which are 3 feet high. The ice is also thinner and weaker near these heaves.
Rusk County - Good ice conditions have anglers out hitting the area lakes. Reports are hit or miss with the most consistent action being on the Dairyland Reservoir. Crappies were being caught in 15 to 20 feet of water on live bait.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Despite the mild weather of the past week, ice conditions have remained relatively stable on lakes around the Park Falls area. Ice depths are in the 10 to 13-inch range on many local waters, and there is about 2 to 4 inches of snow on top of the ice. Slush has not really been a problem yet, but many smaller lakes that don't see much recreational use have been reported to have much thinner ice than the larger, more heavily used waters. As such, all outdoor enthusiasts should be aware of the variable ice conditions and use extreme caution when venturing out on a lake with any kind of motorized vehicle. The recent trend of mild temperatures really brought out the panfish anglers - but success was reported only as fair. Anglers seemed to be spreading out among many of the smaller lakes in the area and many said it was tough to find big numbers of active fish. A few decent catches of perch and bluegill have been reported, and the best action has been on a teardrop jig tipped with a waxworm for fish that were suspended just off the bottom in deeper water. Walleye activity seemed to pick up a bit with the milder temperatures and a few anglers were reporting some decent catches. The best action has been near dark on the cloudy and milder days, with small suckers fished near break lines in 8 to 12 feet of water. Most of the walleye have been in the 11- to 16-inch size but fish up to 24 inches have been reported. Northern pike action has been fair on large golden shiners or sucker minnows fished 1 to 3 feet off the bottom near mid-depth weed beds have produced some good catches of pike in the 18- to 24-inch size.
Price County - Anglers were having limited success tip-up fishing for northern pike on Wilson Lake located on the Phillips Chain of Lakes. Bobcat hunters with hounds have been locating and harvesting bobcats with the snow cover. Ruffed grouse have been observed in groups "budding" in tag alders.
WoodruffIce fishing activity has been good with anglers reporting catching walleyes on walleye suckers. The panfish were also biting well. Some lakes are experiencing areas with slush on the ice, in particular around the shorelines.
Langlade County - Ice conditions remain stable on most bodies of water with approximately 12 inches of solid ice on most lakes. Avoid moving water. Lower Post Lake had an illegal aerator operating, which kept a large bay open near Isle of Pines Road. This area is now marked and should be avoided.
Marinette County - Ice conditions in Marinette County average anywhere between 6-12 inches of ice. Trucks are driving on most lakes but staying away from the middle of the lakes or flowages. Ice creepers have been a must in early January on lakes because of minimal snow cover. Ice fishing action has been good with some larger walleye and northern seen on the ice.
Governor Thompson State Park - Ice anglers were the main visitors to the park this week. Both Boat Landing 13 and Woods Lake saw a fair amount of activity this past weekend.
Brown County ? As of Tuesday, there is no snow in Green Bay and where there is ice, the conditions are constantly changing with the warm temperatures. A few anglers have been able to fish some of the tributaries and shallow bays but overall, ice fishing in the area is minimal.
Fond du Lac County - Ice conditions on the south end of Winnebago have gone down pretty fast. Most of the southwest side of the lake has become spider cracked and spongy. Some Ice Anglers starting to venture out but as always take appropriate ice safety precautions with this first ice of the year. The day time temperatures have been in the 40s with sun but hopefully that is about to change this weekend. Snowmobilers and other outdoor enthusiasts are just waiting for winter snow to finally arrive. Many of the lakes in the kettles have 3-4 inches of ice and a few people are fishing. With the snow in the forecast, it will hid a lot of bad ice and make the lake appear safe when in reality it is very thing and some times open.
Outagamie County - Anglers are reporting that areas with 5-6 inches of ice last week now have 3-4 inches of ice and several individuals were observed open water fishing along the Fox River in Neenah and Menasha. Much of the shoreline ice has pulled away from shore and the ice that is left appears to be very water filled and full of holes.
Milwaukee Unseasonably warm temperatures have anglers fishing from boats for the trout that would usually be caught through the ice. Browns and steelhead were being caught all up and down the Milwaukee county coast line. One day this week there were as many as 40 boats out on the water enjoying the weather and the fishing. With the warm temperatures comes some dangerous ice conditions inland however. Inland lakes have a few inches at best and Tuesday evening there were a few teenage girls who fell through the ice in one of the county ponds (no injuries). This is just a reminder that many areas are not safe and with the additional weight of 6 inches of snow in the forecast can make for even more unpredictable ice conditions. Worse yet folks won't be able to see what the ice looks like with the snow. If people are going out, just remember that things are a lot more unpredictable this year because of the warm temperatures. Take extra time to be sure that whatever you area doing is safe before you head outdoors.
Ozaukee County - Ice conditions are poor in Ozaukee County. Activities on the ice are NOT recommended. Open water fishing from shore and boats has been good around Port Washington. Many anglers have been out due to the mild weather conditions. Several nice rainbows, brown trout and northern pike have been caught.
Grant County - The weather has not been very good for ice fishing. Warm weather continues to cause poor ice conditions. Mid-week temperatures in the 50s caused the remaining ice to weaken even further. The ice may be good in some few locations but, in must all places the ice is not safe and too thin to be walking on. This past weekend, saw ice fishing limited to two locations. Haville Lake North of Bagley on the Mississippi River saw a few bluegill anglers catching a few small sized bluegills. A few anglers were also fishing near the River of Lakes docks as open water was close by, in the inner boat channel. Ice conditions at Wyalusing park noted open water from 3-4 feet along shore upriver from the fishing pier. Open water boat anglers have been using the mild weather to fish below lock and Dam 11 near Dubuque, catching sauger on the Iowa side near the locks. Winter lock and dam construction equipment is parked along the locks limited the usual fishing locations below the auxiliary lock. Anglers with small craft are launching off the northwest parking lot of O Leary Lake off the sand shoreline.
Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area - Ice cover is thin with occasional open water during warm or windy days. Anglers should personally check ice conditions before walking out to fish. Fishing activates have been slow.
Wyalusing State Park - No ice anglers to date at the boat landing at Wyalusing State Park. Mississippi River stage at Prairie du Chien this week was 7.7 feet. The water is too thick for boating, but not thick enough for ice fishing.
Columbia County - Ice conditions are poor in many places in South Central Region. Anglers are advised to check with your local bait shops before venturing out onto area lakes
Dane County - Winter outdoor activities have been pretty limited this season so far with very poor ice conditions and no snow. Unseasonably warm temperatures made for generally very poor ice conditions on the Madison area lakes. Ice fishing action has generally been very slow on Madison area lakes. In the places around lakes Monona and Mendota where there is ice some ice anglers have been having a little luck catching some panfish. Ice thickness varies greatly in other areas of Dane County. Some lakes have 4-5 inches of ice, others have almost all open water. Anglers should be reminded to be very careful on any ice at all times but especially now where ice conditions are hazardous at best and carry equipment that would assist in getting out of the water if they do fall through.
Baldwin In the Durand area ice conditions remain poor. The Chippewa River has not frozen over yet and there are still some open spots on Lake Pepin. In St Croix and Pierce Counties, ice fishing has been good on certain lakes for panfish (perch and crappie). ATVs and permanent shacks are on the river in areas. Ice is still not safe for vehicles walking and use of ATVs is the order for now. Boat anglers have been getting fair catches of sauger on the Mississippi River at Redwing. Large numbers of ducks, geese and trumpeter swans are still in the area.
Eau Claire County - Anglers are cautioned about open water and minimal ice depths on Half Moon Lake in the City of Eau Claire. Lake Altoona has about 11 inches of ice in most areas, but motor vehicle use is not recommended. Some nice sized perch and crappies are taking the bait on Lake Altoona, but catch rates have been low.
Minocqua area fishing report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/minocquafishingreport.htm
Lake Michigan Fishing Report and tips
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/lmfishingtips.htm
Wausau Area fishing report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/wisconsinriverfishingreport.htm
Chippewa Flowage fishing report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/chippewaflowagefishingreport.htm
Information compiled from the WDNR Outdoor report and private sources
