Wisconsin Statewide Fishing report 4.15.11A major spring storm last weekend resulted in 10 confirmed tornado touchdowns, several that caused significant damage in Lincoln, Adams, and Winnebago counties and surrounding areas. The storm caused the closure of Council Grounds State Park near Merrill, and the closure of a portion of the Fox River State Trail in Brown County. Rain from the storm and melting snow have raised water levels on rivers, many of which are at flood stage. High water on the Chippewa River has washed out a section of the Chippewa River State Trail, closing a section near Eau Claire. The lower Wisconsin, Rock, Crawfish, and Mississippi rivers are all at or near flood stage, and slow now wake ordinances are in place in many locations. Boaters are being urged to use extreme caution due to very high levels of floating debris, which is creating significant navigation hazards.
High water is making river fishing difficult, and most rivers are turbid. While nice weather brought out large numbers of steelhead anglers on Lake Michigan tributaries, action slowed this week due to water conditions, and the beginning of sucker runs on some rivers. Walleye runs are picking up, with heavy fishing pressure this week on the Peshtigo and Wolf Rivers. The Winnebago system walleye spawn peaked this week, and females have already begun working their way back down the Wolf to the lake system. Sturgeon have begun moving upstream in anticipation of spawning, with some porpoiseing being seen near spawning sites, which is a good sign that spawning is imminent. Check the sturgeon spawning page of the DNR website for regular updates and viewing locations.
Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties
With the mild weather of the past week, ice conditions have deteriorated quickly and this has pretty much brought an end to the ice fishing season. Access areas are pretty much unusable and open-water areas have developed along the south and east facing shorelines. While most lakes and larger flowages may still have 12 to 15 inches of ice, the upper layer has become soft and honeycombed and the overall ice conditions are generally unsafe and dangerous. Streams, rivers and small flowages are almost completely ice free and DNR fish crews have begun survey netting on a few of these waters.
DNR Northeastern Region
With the nice weather and the walleye run fishing pressure has increased to moderate to heavy. Water temperatures at the landings are around 46 degrees with some what murky water
Marinette County
Walleye, pike, suckers and trout are being caught from the Dam in Peshtigo to it's mouth. Fishing pressure on the Peshtigo has been extremely heavy. Most shore anglers have had success with deep diving stick baits from the Municipal landing down river. Floating Raps and twister tails have been working in the up river areas. Boaters have been drifting jigs and minnows as well as twister tails to catch fish. Fishing the mouth of the Peshtigo has been a bit slower, but there is still enough action to satisfy. The Menominee River is producing some nice walleye at Hattie Street drifting Raps and twisters. Boaters on the Menominee are doing a lot of vertical jigging in the area of the Turn Basin.
Oconto County
Walleye and suckers are starting to show at the Stiles Dam with anglers using stick baits and jig heads and twister tails from the 141 bridge upstream. Some walleye and brown trout were being caught on the Oconto behind Hardees's using stick baits. Pike anglers on the lower stretch of the Oconto (Municipal landing to Breakwater Park are seeing little action as the pike were still spawning.
Manitowoc County
Temperatures around 40 degrees during the week increased to around 60 near the lakeshore on Sunday. Heavy thunderstorms went through the area Saturday and Sunday and we will likely see very high waters throughout the tributaries in the county over the next few days. Winds from the southeast early in the week switched to the northeast by the weekend at 10-15 mph. This week brought another 6 inch increase in water depth in the tributaries, leaving waters murky, fast-flowing and many low-lying areas flooded. Water temperatures increased to 45 degrees; up from 40 degrees last week in the tributaries. Angler success has been inconsistent from day to day with a few anglers having great success on steelhead and the majority of anglers with no luck at all. Steelhead anglers fishing the West Twin River had scattered success this past week for steelhead fishing between the bridge and large dam in Shoto. Anglers can also try the small dam where there has been some success. A few anglers landed a few brown trout in the 10-15 pound range while floating spawn. The same can be said for Mishicot on the East Twin River. A few anglers had success throughout the day and others left with no luck at all. With the high waters, anglers can try anywhere between the dam and downstream in the city of Mishicot. All anglers appear to be floating steelhead spawn. By the weekend, the suckers were in the tributaries at high densities. Many anglers had to sort through all the suckers to get their desired steelhead. Dip-netters for suckers have been out this week, having more success the closer they are to Lake Michigan. Up and down the Manitowoc River, a few scattered steelhead have been caught floating spawn. No specific location has been better than another. Near the Manitowoc River mouth, anglers have been having success landing catfish up to 13 pounds using sucker guts on the bottom. Many boaters went out this week out of Two Rivers, trying anywhere from the Point Beach Nuclear Plant south to Silver Creek in 6-15 feet of water. Many boats came in with 2-3 small brown trout. There has been no consistent color from anglers, but reef runners, rogues, and X-raps have caught most of the fish. An occasional fish landed on spoons with most of the fish coming on high lines. The Manitowoc Marina boat launch remains closed.
Potawatomi State Park
With strong north winds this week, surface ice has disappeared from Sawyer Harbor and Sturgeon Bay. Waves were breaking over submerged patches of ice earlier Thursday morning. Launching piers are in place at the Sawyer Harbor boat launch area. All roads in the park are now open, and the tower is open for the season.
Oshkosh
The overall average peak of walleye spawning on the Wolf River was early this week. Some anglers are reporting catching spawned out females, but the males are still on the marshes and in the woods and likely won't come on strong into the post-spawn river fishery until they move off the marshes later this week. Females don't spend much time in the spawning areas -- perhaps two to three days, whereas males will spend a week or more on the marshes waiting to spawn with as many females as possible. fry could start hatching later next week. Given the excellent water flows this spring, the 1/4 inch fry should have no trouble getting out of the marshes and downriver later this month. The spring angler catch in the rivers is typically dominated by males, whereas the summer catch in the Winnebago Lakes is dominated by females. The incredibly large number of 2008 year class males 14-15 inches should provide outstanding fishing this spring on their return trip to Winnebago. Usually the best post-spawn walleye harvests on the river take place while crews are tagging sturgeon during their spawning run, which may begin sometime next week. While anglers are focused on the rivers, the females from the 2008 year class, who are almost all immature and still in Lake Winnebago, should provide some outstanding fishing opportunities on the shorelines of Lake Winnebago over the next couple of weeks. Crews sampled some shorelines on Lake Winnebago this week an electro-fishing boat and captured 3 year old 15 to 18 inch females. Most of these 2008 females won't be making their first spawning run for 2-3 more years. The sturgeon are not spawning yet, but are definitely on the move to their final pre-spawn staging areas in anticipation of the big show, which could start sometime next week once the weather warms after the cool period coming in over the weekend. The clues to watch for that are pretty good indicators that sturgeon are spawning are: numerous large very high flocks of Canada geese flying north, aspen leaves as big as a beaver's ear, pussy willows in full bloom, and spring peepers in full chorus at night. We are already seeing some sturgeon porpoising near spawning sites which is also a pretty good sign that spawning is imminent, although regardless of the various clues, the fish depend primarily on water temperature and will spawn when the core river temps where they are staging hit between 52 and 56 degrees F. Temperatures were at about 51 degrees in the New London area and 45 degrees in the Shawano area this week. Once the run starts the best viewing areas are along the Sturgeon Trail on County Highway X west of New London, at Bamboo Bend off Hwy. 54 just west of Shiocton, and below the Shawano paper mill dam in Shawano. This year the high water may limit the number of sites the fish can use, although all of the developed adults will spawn somewhere, and will undoubtedly put good shows on for the public at the three large public viewing sites. Fisheries biologists expect around 3,500 females and 20,000 males to participate in this year's spawning run. Females don't spawn for the first time until they are 21-34 years old and then only spawn once every 3-5 years, while males spawn for the first time when they are 14-29 years old and spawn every year or every other year.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County
Sheboygan boaters have had success fishing for brown trout. Most browns have been caught by trollers working near shore in 10 to 30 feet of water. Fishing has gotten tough on the south pier, with low numbers of brown trout caught. Most fish were taken mainly on minnows or spoons, and the fishing has been better in the morning than any other time of day. A few steelhead have been caught in the Pigeon River, and both spawn and flies have been productive baits. Water levels on the Sheboygan River have dropped, and the river is up to 50 degrees. A few steelhead have been taken from the Sheboygan River, but more northern pike have been reported caught. A few steelhead have also been caught out of Weedens Creek.
Ozaukee County
In Port Washington, fishing effort from boats has been minimal. From shore, anglers fishing at the power plant have had inconsistent catches of brown trout. Most fish were taken on spawn, spoons, and crank baits. The water near the power plant is clear, though some runoff from Sauk Creek has dirtied it a bit. Sauk Creek has seen a lot of recent fishing pressure. The water level has dropped drastically, and the temperate is 46 degrees. Most anglers have been using flies, spawn or spinners on Sauk, and some steelhead have been taken.
Milwaukee County
In Milwaukee, McKinley Marina is open and the boat launch piers are in the water. The Bender Park launch is currently closed, with dredging slated to take place later this month. Shore fishing in Milwaukee has been slow at the lakefront, but anglers fishing steelhead on the Menomonee River and Oak Creek have had some success. Flies and spawn been the most consistently productive baits. Flows have dropped on the Milwaukee River, but steelhead fishing has remained relatively slow.
Racine County
On the Root River in Racine, fishing conditions have been favorable. Flows are good and water temperatures are around 50 degrees. Anglers have had success fishing for steelhead throughout the river, but the majority of catches have come from Lincoln Park, Quarry Lake Park, and at the Horlick dam. Most steelhead have been hitting wet flies or small spinners, and both white and chartreuse have been good colors. Reports of incidental catches of suckers have started to increase. DNR crews processed fish at the Root River Steelhead Facility on April 5. Both Chambers Creek and Ganaraska strains of steelhead were spawned. A total of 310 fish were handled, and 272 of those were released upstream. Fish will be processed again on Tuesday, April 12. Boat anglers in Racine have been catching decent numbers of coho and a few browns nearshore in 15 to 20 feet of water.
Kenosha County
In Kenosha, shore fishing has been relatively slow both in the harbor and on the Pike River. Fishing effort in Kenosha has been low overall, but a few steelhead have been taken in Petrifying Springs Park by anglers drifting spawn.
Grant County
Mississippi River waters continue to rise. The majority of boat landings are not usable due to the high water. Anglers are reporting catching catfish and yellow perch along the dike of Lock and Dam 11 near Dubuque, as well as large yellow perch while fishing night crawlers on the river bottom of O' Leary Lake. Early Morning and Late afternoon turkey activity is increasing with several large groups of hens, jakes and gobblers observed in hay fields where the gobblers have been seen displaying at 5 p.m..
Fitchburg
Columbia County - The Wisconsin River in Portage is at major flood stage. Recreational boaters are warned that the turbid waters can be very dangerous. The Wisconsin River in Columbia County upstream from Lake Wisconsin has a emergency slow-no-wake provision on it.
Sauk County
The Wisconsin River at the Dells and Portage is approaching flood stage. Walleye anglers should use extreme caution.
Rock County
Anglers were out in full force in all of Rock County over the weekend with the warmer than normal spring temperatures. Anglers are reminded that the game fish season is closed until May 7 on all inland waters that are not specifically listed in the fishing regulations as open. The Rock River and Lake Koshkonong are both open year round for most game fish. The Rock River remains high and slow no wake restrictions are in place on many sections of the river. Boaters should look for slow no wake postings at boat landings or contact the Rock County Sheriff's Department at 757-2244 for up to date information on slow no wake restrictions.
Willow River State Park
The crest of high water has passed and the Willow River appears to be headed back to normal flow. It was still running a bit high this week. Since snow season ended, most rain forecasts have been a direct miss when it comes to the Willow watershed. Remember, it takes a week of normal flow for the water to clear up for the best trout fishing condition to return. There might be one more chance for good water levels during the early trout season.
Crawford County
Both the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers are on the rise. The Mississippi River started rising four weeks ago after ?bottoming out? at 8.44 feet. As of Monday the Mississippi River was at 18.02 feet and rising. The forecast for the Mississippi River is for it to continue rising to the 23 foot mark. It is unknown when or how high the river will crest. To put the high water conditions in perspective, the record flood of 1965 reached the 25.38 foot level. The second highest water level recorded was in 2001 when the Mississippi River reached the 23.75 foot level. The Wisconsin River is on the rise too. On Monday in Muscoda the river stage was at 6.22 feet and rising. The forecast is for it to reach flood stage of 9 feet. The Kickapoo River is in pretty good shape for this time of year. The river stage in Steuben was at 8.81 feet and rising slightly. There appears to be a influx of water coming down the Kickapoo River so it will be on the rise somewhat. Action stage in Steuben is at 10 feet. No report was available in Gays Mills. Local trout streams in the area are in very good shape. Most of the boat landings on the Mississippi River are inaccessible because of the high water. The Ambro Road on the north side of Prairie du Chien is closed due to high water as is the Gordon?s Bay boat landing. A few city streets in Prairie du Chien are being affected by the high water. Bluegill, crappie and perch fishing is pretty much shut down now. High water in the Prairie du Chien area has caused the Ambro Road to be closed. Anglers have been probing the newly flooded areas in the timber, along road sided and in field trying to locate bluegills. Sturgeon Slough and the McGregor (Horseshoe) Lake area are under water. Action at Cold Spring really slowed down. The boat landing and parking area is now mostly under water. Some anglers have been fishing the shoreline along Highway 35. There have been some catches of perch. Perch fishing in the slack water at the Lynxville dam is becoming difficult with the high water. It won?t be long and anglers will not be able to access the ?long wall? to fish from. The boat landing at Gordon?s Bay is now under water and the access road to it is closed. Generally speaking action has been slow as few have been out. Some anglers have been launching boats off the Lansing dike (Highway 82) primarily at the Winneshiek landing. Anglers have tried bass fishing with limited success. Some northern pike activity has been reported in the backwaters (those areas without heavy current) in the Ferryville/Lansing area. Now is a great time to view wildlife along the Mississippi River. The most notable species on the river are waterfowl and pelicans. Diver ducks like canvasback, redhead, scaup, golden eye, bufflehead, swans, pelicans and mergansers are showing up by the thousands. Numerous eagles can now be seen in/around the Prairie du Chien area and up and down the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Eagles are now actively feeding their young. Muskrat, beaver, mink and maybe if your lucky an otter might be seen in the newly flooded areas long the Mississippi River. Antler shed hunters are finding excellent conditions now that all the snow is gone and most of the frost is out of the ground. Please be courteous and ask permission before entering private land.
Minocqua area fishing report
http://wisconsinoutdoor.com/smf/index.php?topic=4318.0Lake Michigan Fishing Report and tips
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/lmfishingtips.htm
Information compiled from the WDNR Outdoor report and private sources
