Wisconsin Statewide fishing report 9.3.10While most of Wisconsin received additional rainfall in the last week, it was in much lesser amounts than through the summer. Up to 2 inches of rain was reported in some areas, but most of the state remained dry much of the week, and river systems throughout the state have continued to recede, with some northern rivers now approaching seasonal norms. Southern rivers continue to run high, though there are increasing numbers of sandbars available on the lower Wisconsin River.
With the more stable weather pattern, fishing activity has been pretty good on northern lakes, with musky continuing to be the highlight of the last week. Most anglers are reporting quite a few sightings, follows and strikes, and many catches have been made. Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass was more sporadic this week. Smallmouth were most active on the flowages and larger rivers and largemouth showed a little more consistency, with most being found in the mid-depth areas around cover. Northern pike action has been good with the cooling water temperatures, and panfish activity remained fair.
With the lower water levels on the lower Wisconsin River, anglers reported action picked up for smallmouth bass. The slow-no-wake restrictions are now off the Rock and Crawfish rivers, and anglers were beginning to catch some catfish again now that the water levels are receding.
Strong winds last week created 3 to 4 foot waves along the Lake Michigan lakeshore, diminishing by the weekend but with hot and muggy conditions returning. Surface water temperatures were holding steady in the 63-65 degree range with reports of water temperatures in the mid-40s, 60 feet down. Fishing success out on the lake remained slow throughout the week, with the boats that ventured out averaged just one to three fish. Pier and harbor anglers were starting to see a bit more success as chinook salmon have begun to stage offshore for their fall migration, with a few salmon already spotted up the Kewaunee River.
Anglers trolling on Lake Michigan in the Sheboygan and Manitowoc/Two Rivers area will want to keep an eye out in coming weeks for the flags and buoys that mark commercial fishing trap nets [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/greatlakes/trapnets.htm] as restrictions on where they can place those nets change after Labor Day. A new video, "Share the Water Safely,"
http://dnrmedia.wi.gov/main/Viewer/?peid=cbe34c2648194d5f99ff55180275a3e5 shows the markers to look for.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Water levels in the local lakes, rivers and streams remain a bit high, and levels have been slowly dropping with the relatively dry weather of the last week. Flowages are near their normal levels as most of the dams have had to open gates to pass the excess water that resulted from the heavy August rains. Water temperatures are hovering in the low 70s. Wild rice was ripening on some Northwoods waters, but the rice crop has been reported to be very poor in the Price County area. With some stable and relatively dry weather in the last week, fishing activity has been pretty good in the Northwoods. Musky have been the highlight in the area and action continued to be good. Most anglers are reporting quite a few sightings, follows and strikes, and many catches have been made. Most of the musky have been in the 30- to 38-inch size but a few in the 42- to 47-inch range have also been reported. Large-size artificials have provided most of the action and some of the favorite lures have included stick baits, double-bladed bucktails, and Bull Dawgs. The musky have been found in a variety of locations, including the less-dense weed beds, the deeper weed edges, and some even suspended in the deeper water areas. Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass has been sporadic, with smallmouth being most active on the local flowages and larger rivers. The smallmouth have been found near cover around deeper water areas, with the successful baits being plastic finesse lures and spinner baits. Largemouth action showed a little more consistency in the past week, with most of the fish being found in the mid-depth areas around cover. The top-water bite never really developed this summer and it seemed the largemouth have been holding around cover in 3 to 6 feet of water. Soft plastics, jig/craw combinations, and spinner baits have been the more successful baits lately. Northern pike action has been good, as the cooling water temperatures favor this species. Some good success has been found on spinner baits casted along the mid-depth weed edges. Walleye action has remained generally slow, with many of the anglers having given up until the fall patterns set in. Panfish activity has been fair - some decent crappie and bluegill have been found suspended around deeper water cover, and rock bass being found just about everywhere else!
Oconto County -
Geano Beach anglers have been catching some perch in the weed beds. Most have been fishing 15-30 feet of water. Minnows have been the best bait due to the amount of gobies stealing worms.
Brown County -
Fox River shore anglers have been doing well fishing from Voyager Park and the metro landing at the mouth of the river. Most have been targeting catfish and have had some good success. Anglers have also reported catching sheepshead and white perch as well. Some fortunate anglers have been catching perch at Voyager Park. Anglers that have been trolling walleye in the lower bay have found it a very tough bite. Crawler harnesses seem to be out-producing any other types of bait. Shore anglers have had some good luck fishing from the Suamico boat landing. Most have been fishing perch with bobbers and a piece of night crawler. Walleye anglers have reported slow fishing with mostly sheepshead being caught.
Manitowoc County -
Strong westerly winds early in the week switched out of the south by Friday at 15-20 mph creating 3 to 4 foot waves along the lakeshore. The winds finally diminished by Sunday morning but hot and muggy conditions raised temperatures to the mid to upper 80s. Surface water temperatures are holding steady in the 63-65 degree range with reports of water temperatures in the mid-40s, 60 feet down out of Two Rivers. Fishing success remained slow throughout the week in part to the strong winds the whole week. The few boats that ventured out averaged one to three fish per boat out of both Manitowoc and Two Rivers. The fishing action remains very slow, with several boats at the Two Rivers and Manitowoc ramps not landing a single fish. With fishing so slow, there hasn?t been any certain depth to target. Straight out of Two Rivers and just south of the trap nets in 80-100 feet of water appears to be the targeted location out of Two Rivers where boats have been landing a few four year old chinook salmon. Spoons on the riggers 40-60 feet down have been working best with a glow watermelon spoon being the hot spoon. A few boats out of both ports have tried their luck in 200-250 feet of water resulting in a few nice kings and a mix of rainbows and cohos. Glow spoons on the riggers and plaid flasher/fly combos on the dypsy have been working. Set gear 60-100 feet down and keep experimenting since there has been no steady action in a certain area or depth. By Sunday, a few boats out of Manitowoc began fishing the pier heads and landed a few silver four year old salmon. The salmon appear to be coming in slowly, so it won?t hurt to try out front for those salmon. Pier fishing off of Manitowoc and Two Rivers Sunday resulted in a handful of nice four year old, still silver, salmon caught. Anglers had success using three-quarter ounce green champs with an occasional fish caught off of bottom. A few brown trout have also been caught while casting for salmon. Anglers continue to get a few northern pike 20 inches and up in the Manitowoc marina north of the docks using medium shiners or casting with little cleos or spinners.
Door County -
The last week of August brought difficult Lake fishing conditions to Door County for most of the week, however fishing in Sturgeon Bay and some other protected harbors around the county did prove successful. The last good week of summer temperatures may have been had as predictions show a cooling trend into the fall months. Rain continued to have a minimal effect on the number of anglers on the water as August continued to be much drier than the previous soggy summer months. The number of anglers targeting salmon on Lake Michigan and the bay of Green Bay was low this week likely due to the reports of slower fishing. A combination of slow fishing and rough waters during the week only produced a few reports were out of Baileys Harbor and Sturgeon Bay with average catches between one to three fish. Fishing on the bank reef has been decent for some anglers, reporting working spoons and flasher fly combos down near the bottom looking for colder water. Some anglers stated they are waiting for the fish to start moving in closer to shore as the salmon spawn should be coming soon. Walleye and smallmouth bass fishing has picked up dramatically as salmon fishing has slowed. Many boats were seen out of Fish Creek and Sister Bay working some of the underwater structures found along the West shore of the county. Purple crank baits were a popular choice this week along with other varieties of crank baits, as well as a few boats still reporting success on crawler harnesses. Little Sturgeon Bay: Anglers have been fishing smallmouth bass in some of the deep rocks and have been doing well. Drop shot rigs have been producing the best action. Perch anglers have also been finding good numbers of perch in the many weed beds throughout the bay. Walleye anglers have been doing very well trolling shad raps or husky jerks. Most have been trolling 12 feet of water or less at night and 20 feet in the daytime. The night bite has been the best for numbers of fish. A few anglers have been fishing pike with limited success. Sturgeon Bay: Anglers have been trolling walleyes along the southwest shore of the county around Larsen?s Reef and down toward Dyckesville with limits reported. Most have been trolling crank baits to produce the best catches. Perch anglers have been catching good numbers of perch up and down the ship channel. Northern pike anglers have had some luck over the last few days but most have been small in size. Smallmouth fishing has been productive in many of the bays on both the Lake and Green Bay side. Drifting and working plastics in rocky areas in about 8-15 feet of water has produced not only good numbers but very nice size as well. Perch anglers have been excited as some nice fish have started to be seen around the county. Some anglers in Sister Bay have reported catching some nice fish on both minnows and night crawlers, as well as seeing some nice schools in some of the northern marinas. An increased amount of perch anglers have been seen along the shipping channel in Sturgeon Bay likely meaning an increase in action. Shore fishing countywide has been good these last few weeks as seen in the number of anglers enjoying it. The Egg Harbor marina has been a great spot for anglers of all ages the first few weeks it?s been open, as well as Anderson?s Dock in Ephraim and the Sister Bay marina. Chaudoir?s Dock: Anglers have been doing well fishing perch in 25 feet of water with some 10 inch plus fish being caught. Best bait has been minnows or night crawlers on bottom rigs. Also some anglers have been catching walleye trolling crank baits to the north. Shore anglers fishing off the pier have been catching some perch and sheepshead.
Kewaunee County -
The water temperature out on the lake surface remained above 70 degrees during the first part of the week but strong winds on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday have dropped the surface temperature considerably near the shores and piers. The weather was beautiful during the week but the heavy winds toward the end of the week limited the number anglers that launched at the city ramps. Anglers have spotted more and more salmon off the piers as the days have gone by and appears the fish are staging and are beginning to make some runs into the rivers. The Kewaunee pier continues to draw more anglers as each day passes. There have been more fish caught during the latter half of the week and has been a mixed bag with rainbow trout, brown trout, and chinook salmon making up the catch. Anglers have had the best success with spoons that are either blue/silver or green moonshine. A few salmon have been spotted in the Kewaunee River near the Besadney fish hatchery. The catch continues to be slow in Kewaunee this week most likely due to warm water temperatures in the earlier parts of the week. The average catch per outing this week seemed to be around two to three fish per boat. Anglers having been marking lots of baitfish and fish but the salmon seem to be hugging the bottom and refusing to become active. The fishing on the Algoma pier is still heating up as more and more fish are being caught off the pier daily. The latter half of the week began to signal the arrival of the chinook salmon as it was becoming common to hear that six to eight salmon were being caught in the morning. The brown trout are still being caught off the pier this week and still seems to be the most common catch. There have been a few northern pike caught of the pier this week. Anglers have been using everything ranging from spawn sacs, stick baits, and spoons to catch the fish. The fishing out on the lake continues to be slow with many anglers struggling to catch more than two fish per outing. The more successful anglers have been fishing pretty close to shore near the north pier and have been in waters ranging from 40 feet to about 110 feet of water. The hot lures this week have been spoons but no specific color has done better.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Generally fishing remains slow for both shore anglers and trollers alike. Rain later this week, along with cooler temperatures, should hopefully trigger some movement of mature chinook.
Sheboygan County -
In Sheboygan trollers have been catching just a few chinook and coho. Most fish have been in 90 to 125 feet of water and have been taken primarily on spoons. Shore anglers in Sheboygan continue to catch a few chinook off the north pier. Early mornings have been best, and both spoons and alewives have produced.
Ozaukee County -
Trollers in Port Washington have found some chinook, rainbow, and coho, and those with the most fish have been working in more than 100 feet of water. Spoons and J-plugs fished 30 to 60 feet down have been productive. Shore anglers in Port Washington have had some limited success fishing for chinook off the pier, and spoons have produced the most. A few perch have also been taken near the Port Washington power plant on minnows.
Milwaukee County -
In Milwaukee fishing effort has been very low. The few trollers that have been out have been catching a few chinook and lake trout. Most fish have been caught in 60 to 90 feet of water, and glow spoons and J-plugs have taken the majority. Shore fishing has also been slow, however, a 29 inch northern pike was reported caught off of McKinley Pier in the past week.
Racine County -
Fishing effort in Racine has been low, but those venturing out have had some occasional success. Off and on trollers have been catching some chinook in 50 to 60 feet of water, but when the fish are not biting in close, chinook and rainbows have been found in 220 to 240 feet of water. Shore fishing remains relatively slow in Racine, and perch fishing has been almost non-existent.
Kenosha County -
In Kenosha trollers have been catching some chinook in 60 to 80 feet of water, but fishing there has been hit-or-miss. Rainbows have been hitting somewhat consistently out deeper, around 250 to 270 feet of water. Shore anglers in Kenosha continue to catch occasional browns and a few chinook in the harbor. White tube jigs and gold spoons have both taken fish. Perch fishing has been slow, both for the boats and those fishing from shore.
Columbia County -
Water levels on the Wisconsin River has retreated to normal in Columbia and Sauk counties, and anglers can now be found trying to take advantage of available shore structure (rocks & trees) looking for smallmouth bass. The bass bite is back on and local anglers are happy to take advantage of this scrappy fish.
Dane County ?
Water levels on the Madison Lakes, the Yahara River and Wisconsin River are still much higher than normal but are slowly starting to come down. Fishing has been generally slow on Dane County waters. Panfish are starting to bite around the Madison Lakes, with many decent catches of bluegills reported from both boats and shore anglers. Game fish including walleye and musky fishing has been relatively slow should start picking up within the next few weeks.
Jefferson County -
Water levels on the upper Rock and Crawfish rivers are still higher than normal for this time of year; however, the slow-no-wake restrictions are now off on the streams and rivers in Jefferson County. Anglers are beginning to catch some catfish again on the upper Rock and Crawfish rivers now that the water levels are receding. Chicken livers are the preferred bait on the Rock River in Watertown with some catfish up to 3 pounds being caught. Lots of carp are still packed in below the lower dam in Watertown making it difficult to locate game fish there.
Buckhorn State Park -
People have been catching fish from the pier and at their campsites. Kids have been catching and releasing small bluegills , bass and some crappies from the pier at the pond.
Minocqua Area Fishing Report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/minocquafishingreport.htmChippewa Flowage Fishing Report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/chippewaflowagefishingreport.htmLake Michigan Fishing Report and tips
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/lmfishingtips.htmCentral Wisconsin Fishing report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/wisconsinriverfishingreport.htmInformation compiled from the WDNR Outdoor report and private sources
