WDNR Outdoor Report as of February 25, 2010
Most of Wisconsin received additional snowfall in the last week, but for the most part it was 3 inches or less of light fluffy snow. The exception was the Hurley area of northern Iron County that received a foot or more of snow Tuesday and Wednesday, and was reporting about 34 inches of snow on the ground. Southern Wisconsin received the least amount of snow, and with warmer conditions early in the week, more than dozen counties in the southern and east central portion of the state have now closed snowmobile trails. Snowmobile trails remain in good to excellent in the northern third of the state.
Cross-country ski trails across most of the state remain in good to excellent condition, though conditions have been soft in many areas with the light powdery snow and warmer temperatures. American Birkebeiner officials are reporting their trail is in excellent condition for the 37th annual running of America?s largest cross-country ski race this Saturday from Cable to Hayward. A record number of more than 8,300 skiers have registered for the event, with officials closing registration more than three weeks in advance of the race for the first time.
Ice conditions generally remain good on most lakes across Wisconsin, but rivers are opening up more. The main channel of the Mississippi River remains ice covered in most areas, but more areas of open water are appearing, and next Monday is the deadline for all permanent ice shelters to be removed from all Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters, covering the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers.
Inland ice anglers report panfish success has continued to be the most consistent. Walleye fishing continued to be very erratic and northern pike action has been fair to poor, Lower oxygen levels that are starting to show up on shallow and weedy lakes, brining fish up higher to the surface.
Along Lake Michigan, the Menominee River was producing some nice brown and rainbow trout at Marinette. A few perch and some whitefish were being caught out from the mouth of the Oconto River. The Fox River is open flowing into Green Bay with open water anglers fishing, along with some people still fishing through the shore ice for walleye and perch. Sturgeon Bay anglers have been fishing perch and northern pike. At Little Sturgeon Bay, whitefish have been the most productive over the last week with good catches reported, and there have been reports of walleye biting near Larson Reef.
The Mississippi River remained steady throughout the week, and was at 8 feet Monday at Prairie du Chien. Ice fishing has generally been slow, with oxygen levels also dropping in some of the backwater sloughs.
This Saturday, Feb. 27 is Bald Eagle Appreciation Day in Prairie du Chien, with bald eagle programs and exhibits, birding experts on hand, outdoor viewing of bald eagles through spotting scopes, life-size bald eagle nest, children activities and more. For more information, call 1-800-732-1673.
Finches, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, cardinals, mourning doves are still common at feeder. Great horned and barred owls are still calling vociferously, and a northern hawk owl was seen in Sawyer County west of the Flambeau River State this week and a snowy owl has been spotted on Chequamegon Bay along the Ashland lakefront.
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A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277.
A new report is put on the line each week.
DNR Northern Region
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest ? The After Hours Ski Trail is in excellent condition for skate skiing and very good.= condition for classic cross-country skiing. Southern exposed trails have some glazed spots but overall, nice skiing conditions. There is an average of a 10 inch trail base.
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Copper Falls State Park - All cross-country ski and snowshoe trails are open and in excellent condition. New to Copper Falls this year is the addition of a 3 km skate loop. The skating loop starts at Park Headquarters and meanders along the edge of the woods. The trail has received good use as it is the only skate ski loop in the immediate area. The Park will also continue to groom 8 km of classical trail. A new multi-purpose trail has also been established allowing people access to Copper and Brownstone Falls regardless of their preferred way to navigate the snow. The trail will be groomed for use by people on snow shoes and walkers. Follow the Copper Falls Winter Access Sign for parking and Trailhead. Campsites 1-6 are plowed and ready for those wishing to winter camp.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Ice conditions continue to be very good, with most lakes now having between 18 and 22 inches of solid ice. Light snowfall in last week has added a couple of inches of light fluffy snow to most of our northern lakes, but warmer daytime temperatures has helped compact this down to manageable level. As such, the snow cover has had minimal impact on travel and many two-wheel-drive vehicles are still being seen traversing the lakes. In addition, there have been no reports of any major slush spots and it's generally been a good year to get out and explore new areas or different lakes for fishing. The variable weather conditions of cold nights and mild days has made for another erratic week of fishing in the Northwoods. Panfish success has continued to be the most consistent, with many anglers reporting slow but steady action. No limits - but anglers were getting a meal or two from each trip. Light line and finesse tactics have been the most successful and some decent perch and crappie have been caught. Walleye fishing continued to be very erratic with some days resulting in a catch of 2 or 3 fish, and most other days finding bites very hard to come by! The best success continues to come in the low-light periods and near break lines in 8 to 12 feet of water. Northern pike action could only be termed fair to poor, as the recent increase in snow cover seems to have slowed up pike activity. On many pike lakes in the north, anglers have had to move their baits up a couple feet off the bottom. This is to get above the low oxygen levels that are starting to show up on these generally shallow and weedy lakes.
Flambeau River State Forest - Flambeau Hills Cross-Country Ski Trail is in very good to excellent condition. It was last groomed Tuesday. Light snowfall during grooming resulted in ? to 1 inch of new snow on top of groomed surface.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest ? All forest cross-country ski trails are in very good condition. McNaughton and Raven trails were groomed Feb. 23 and Escanaba and Madeline trails were groomed Feb. 22.
Antigo DNR Service Center area
Council Grounds State Park - Cross-country ski trail conditions have deteriorated and trail are now in poor condition.
DNR Northeastern Region
Warm temperatures, sunny days, and light winds made for great ice fishing conditions. Heavy traffic at some of the landings is starting to effect the ice conditions where vehicles drive on and off.
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - The Menominee River continues to produce some nice browns and rainbows fishing from the Hattie Street walk way as well as fishing the ice below the dam. The walleye bite on the Menominee remains good at both the dam and 6th Street Slip, jigging spoons, rattlin raps, and moonshines tipped with minnows work well. The best bite seems to be early morning and evening.
Oconto County - A few perch are being caught out from the Geano Beach area, a well as northern. Oconto Breakwater Park anglers are still having success with perch in the mouth of the Oconto River using jigs and wax worms. Some white fish are being caught straight out from the mouth of the Oconto, with pike being fished in the flats north of the breakwater. Pike anglers are having limited success with pike out from Oconto Parks I and II. Care should be taken when approaching the ice shoves as the ice is thin and will not support vehicle traffic.
Governor Thompson State Park Conditions - Quite a few ice fishers have been spotted on Woods Lake and Caldron Falls Flowage. Please remember that ice conditions can vary and that the ice is never completely safe. Cross-country ski trails are open and groomed for both classic and skate skiers. The trails are still in great condition despite the recent warm weather. Please join us on Saturday, Feb. 27 for our Candlelight Ski & Hike. At the Woods Lake Shelter from 6-9 p.m. The 2.5-mile packed snowshoe trail is open, and it has been seeing some heavy use! Visitors are also welcome to backcountry snowshoe on any of the 10 miles of non-groomed trails in the park.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Voyageur Park is seeing as many open water anglers as those fishing trough the ice. The Fox River is open in the middle with people still fishing through the shore ice for walleye and perch. Stick baits are being fished in open water above Voyageur Park, success has been limited. Perch are being caught at Duck Creek using jigs and wax worms. Long Tail is starting to produce some northern fishing shiners on tip ups. Perch and pike are being caught at Sunset Beach Landing in 10 to 12 feet of water.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Sturgeon Bay anglers have been fishing perch and northern pike off the State Park. The perch bite has been good, most anglers are using waxworms to catch fish. The pike action has been slow, golden shiners have been the best bait. Anglers have also been fishing pike at the yacht club with some success. Anglers have been catching some smelt off the Stone Quarry over the last week with some good numbers reported. A ship had passed through the channel recently and broke up some of the ice; caution is advised. At Little Sturgeon Bay, whitefish have been the most productive over the last week with good catches of fish starting around Lime Kiln road up to Sand Bay. Most anglers have been using jigging spoons or Genz worms tipped with a waxworm. Also anglers have been getting some perch inside the bay. There have been some reports of walleye biting up near Larson Reef. Dykesville and Red River anglers have been catching perch and whitefish in good numbers in this area. Most anglers have been using a jigging spoon to catch both, but a small ice jig has been working well as well. Anglers have been reporting fish in 15-30 feet of water.
Potawatomi State Park - Cross-country ski trails were groomed and tracked the afternoon of Feb. 24. Groomers report the trails are in very good condition. Snowmobile trails are closed in the park.
Whitefish Dunes State Park - Cross country ski conditions are fair. This week the new snow was less than 1 inch. Trails were last groomed Feb. 17. Some sections of trails are soft while others are icy depending on how much sun gets to the tracks. Track is at full depth in many areas, but there are a few bare spots and some debris under the cedars and hemlocks. Red Trail that is normally double tracked is presently single track. This report is courtesy of the Door County Silent Sports Alliance. Members of this group groom our trails.
DNR Southeast Region
Kettle Moraine State Forest, Lapham Peak Unit ? Cross-country ski trails were groomed again Tuesday Feb. 23 and a new classic track was also set. Conditions remain a bit soft after Mondays snow, but conditions are good to very good.
Kettle Moraine State Forest, Northern Unit ? The Zillmer Cross-Country Ski Trail received a couple inches of snow earlier this week and about 3 inches of light fluffy snow Wednesday. . All loops were packed, groomed and tracked. Excellent conditions, skaters may find it to be a bit soft yet.
Kettle Moraine State Forest, Southern Unit - The forest received a little less than 2 inches of new snow on Sunday night into Monday. All of the ski trails have been groomed with new classical tracks set on all three systems. The skating lanes are in good to very good condition and the classical tracks are in similar condition. Slightly above freezing temps is making the snow sticky and slow - otherwise conditions would be rated higher.
DNR South Central Region
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Blue Mound State Park ? Cross-country ski trail conditions are very good for classical skiing. All trails groomed and tracked Monday evening, with a light powder still coming down.
Wyalusing State Park - Local ice anglers report that ice fishing success continues to be slow in the area. Fishing activity is subject to many different elements. All trails are snow covered. Forecast for the upcoming weekend is sunny and mild, with highs reaching the mid 30?s. No precipitation is expected. As of today, both the Whitetail Meadows and Turkey Hollow Cross Country Ski Trail are in fair condition. Both trails were groomed on Saturday, February 13. Skiers are welcome to call the park office at 608-996-2261 for updated weekend conditions. Parking for both trails is available near the Astronomy Center. Turkey Hollow Trail is the more challenging of the two trails with a number of hills on the route. Beginners may want to use Whitetail Meadows Trail. Please remember that dogs are not allowed on cross country ski trails. The newly renovated Sand Cave Trail makes an excellent trail for snowshoeing. . Recent bird sightings this week include: gold finches, purple finches, chickadees, red breasted nuthatch, white breasted nuthatches, juncos, tufted titmice, blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers and red-bellied woodpeckers. Eagles can be found in the area, especially anywhere there is open water. This Saturday, Feb. 27 is Prairie du Chien Bald Eagle Appreciation Day, with bald eagle programs and exhibits, birding experts on hand, outdoor viewing of bald eagles through spotting scopes, life-size bald eagle nest, children activities and more. For more information, please call 1-800-732-1673.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Lake Kegonsa State Park - Cross-country ski trails were groomed and tracked on Monday, Feb. 22 and are in fair to good condition. As of March 1, crews will no longer be grooming ski trails for the season. Trails will remain open to skiers as long as conditions permit.
Mirror Lake State Park - As of Feb. 24, the park received 3-5 inches of new snow this week and have a base of 7-11 inches. Trails are in very good condition for cross-country skate and classical skiing. All trails were re-groomed Wednesday. Remember, pets and hiking on groomed ski trails is prohibited. Trails open for snowshoeing and hiking include Echo Rock and Wild Rice. Campsites 58 through 76 in Sandstone Campground remain open for winter camping. Great Horned and barred owls calling a mate or defending their nesting area can be heard at night.
DNR West Central Region
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - The ever inventive groomer team tried a leaf removal project before taking the grooming equipment out on the cross-country ski trails Monday. Oak trees are dropping leaves quickly this time of year. Grooming was done on the skate lane only. New classic track will require new snow. Bring the no wax skis for classic skiing. Skiers may want to consider rock skis for any further classic skiing at Willow. The existing track is not too bad overall for this late in the season and the time between snowfalls. Skaters will do well as long as there is base to rejuvenate. Snow with wind on Tuesday may not have added much to the trails. Looking ahead, March skiing is bonus time. Trail conditions will begin to deteriorate. Mid to late March ?snowman? snow can be too wet for grooming. Equipment gets stuck resulting in trail damage from freeing the equipment, and repeating the drill is not worth the results. Skiing in wet snow-slush has its quirks. It is generally quite slow and un-crowded. Check the Skinnyski web site for updates on the latest skiing conditions. Fishing continues to be slow. A local bluebird expert expects the birds to show up in about three weeks so spring is not far off.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Crawford County - Snowmobile trails in Crawford County were currently still open as of Feb. 22 and have been groomed. Generally the trails are in good condition except for some south facing slopes. A few icy corners exist on the trails so be careful. The Mississippi River remained steady throughout the week, and was at 8.03 feet Monday. Ice conditions in most areas are pretty good. Most of the popular ice fishing spots have anywhere between 14 to 24 inches of ice. The main channel of the Mississippi River is frozen over for the most part, but travel on it is not recommended. Ice fishing action this week was generally slow. Prairie du Chien Area and Lower bottoms: Garnet Lake has decent ice but access to it remains tricky and action there has been slow. Pickerel Slough was producing some bluegills but it too has slowed. Fishing pressure in these areas was light. Dillman?s pit white bass (striper) action was very slow. In the past stripers were caught on jigging rapalas or sweedish pimples near the bottom of 40 feet of water. Ice conditions are pretty good there with over 20 inches of ice. Rotten Slough, St. Feriole Slough and Hunter?s Slough which are located near the sewer treatment plant have ice that, in areas, is not safe. Caution in these areas is advised. Anglers have been fishing between the Blackhawk and Washington Street bridges. On some days the bluegill action was pretty good, but the average size was small. St. Feriole Slough has open water areas near the bridges and in the center of the channel so use caution there. Prairie du Chien Ambro Slough Complex: Gremore Lake?s northern end has very low oxygen so fishing action there is very bad. The lower end of Gremore Lake was very spotty. A few crappie, bluegill and perch have been taken from time to time. For the most part Gremore has about 24 or so inches of ice. Tilmont Lake and Mud Slough have been very slow. Good ice conditions exist on Tilmont Lake and Mud Slough. Anglers are urged to use caution crossing over the Black Slough to get to Tilmont Lake. The Lower Doubles and Fish Lake have been pretty slow recently. Ice conditions there are good with around 24 inches of ice. Little Missouri has been spotty with some smaller bluegill and a few decent crappie being taken. Good ice exists on Little Missouri. Big Missouri on the other hand has been very slow for some reason. The Upper Doubles had been the best area to fish, but action there has been spotty. Tip up anglers are still finding a few bass. Upwards of 24 inches of ice exist on the Upper Doubles and Big Missouri. The Fennimore Cut has produced some perch, crappie and bluegill. The bluegills have been small and overall action was spotty. Spring Lake has been very slow even though good ice conditions exist. Spring Lake has produced a few bluegill and crappie, but overall size has been small. Access to the Doubles, Big and Little Missouri, the Fenimore Cut, and Spring Lake can be tricky. Poor ice conditions exist where Mill Coulee Creek enters the Ambro Slough. Anglers traveling on the Ambro Slough must monitor ice conditions as current is slowing in it and ice conditions can change rapidly. Sturgeon Slough Area: Sturgeon Slough remains very quiet. Some anglers have ventured down to Sturgeon (aka McGregor or Horseshoe) Lake but success there has been very slow. Recent oxygen level testing on Sturgeon Lake shows very low oxygen levels. Sturgeon Slough and Sturgeon Lake have good ice, however travel to Sturgeon Lake can be tricky. Stay on established paths. Cold Spring: Fishing here remains very slow. Reports of a few small bluegill and an occasional crappie and a fair amount of small bass have been reported, but overall very slow. Ice conditions on the southern lobe are still good except when you get near the boat landing/stream where open water and very thin ice exists. Mississippi River: Walleye and sauger anglers have been venturing out onto the ice below the Lynxville dam. Ice conditions there vary greatly and day to day. Even so, some anglers have been vertical jigging or dead lining through the ice. This week some anglers came off the ice with a few sauger and an occasional walleye. Ice conditions have been reported as ranging from an inch or two to 6 or more inches. Those who hunt coyotes are finding the breeding season is beginning and there are ample opportunities out there. Some hunters find that wearing snowshoes really helps getting around.
Perrot State Park - All the cross-country ski trails have been groomed and tracked after the snow fall on Feb. 15. The warmer days have made the trails icy in places. Snowshoes are available for rent at the park office. They are provided by the Friends of Perrot and can be rented for $3 per day. Hiking and snowshoeing are not allowed on any groomed ski trail.
Merrick State Park - Ice fishing is beginning to pick up with some nice northern pike caught this past week.
Wildcat Mountain State Park ? Cross-country ski trails are in excellent condition. The main loop from the park office, the overlooks, and bypasses were groomed Wednesday Feb. 24. The remainder of the trail will be groomed by Friday. This weekend will be great for skiing and snowshoeing.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest - Cross-country ski trails were last groomed on Saturday Feb. 19 and are in fair to good condition. Trails were scheduled to be groomed again on Wednesday. Snowmobile trails were groomed last week and are in fair condition. Corners and open areas are getting bare. Without and additional snow a few warm days could result in closed trails quickly.
UPCOMING EVENTS AT STATE PARKS, FORESTS, AND TRAILS
WATCHABLE WILDLIFE OPPORTUNITIES AND INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS
Check with the park or forest of your choice for additional activities and special events not listed. Most events are free of charge; park admission sticker required unless otherwise noted. Events and times subject to change.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
? Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area, New Auburn, (715) 967-2800 - Snowshoeing by Moonlight. Join Naturalists Rod Gont and Frank Lowly on 1-hour (2-hour option available) nighttime snowshoe hikes by moonlight. All ages are invited. More than 40 pairs of snowshoes for all ages are available for those without them Please call ahead to reserve. There's no charge, but donations are accepted. The visitor center will be open, with a fire in the fireplace. Cocoa and hot water will be available (but bring your own tea, soup, cups, etc.). Two outside fires for sitting by, roasting hot dogs (bring your own), making smores, etc. Meet at the Visitor Center. 6:30 p.m.
? Governor Thompson State Park, Crivitz, (715) 757-3979 or e-mail - Candlelight Ski and Hike. Enjoy the luminaries along a 1-mile trail groomed for both diagonal striding and skate skiing through the woods. Non-skiers are welcome to hike on another candlelit 1-mile trail with scenic views of Woods Lake. Hikers and pets are not allowed on the ski trail, but are welcome on the hiking trail. Warming fires and hot chocolate available at the shelter building. Woods Lake Shelter, Woods Lake Picnic Area. 6-9 p.m.
? Havenwoods State Forest , Milwaukee, (414) 527-0232 - Havenwoods Open House. Looking for some free activities to do? Come to Havenwoods and we'll have lots of fun nature activities inside and out for you and your family to participate in. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. No admission sticker required.
? Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, (920) 854-5976 - Tracks and Tales. Short trail walk with the park naturalist. Meet at the Nature Center. 1-2 p.m.
? Richard Bong State Recreation Area, Kansasville, (262) 878-5600 - Gourd Birdhouses. Turn a dried gourd into a beautiful birdhouse. Learn the process of cleaning, decorating and maintaining these natural homes. All materials supplied. Please call to preregister and prepay the $15 fee. Sponsored by Bong Naturalist Association [exit DNR]. Meet at the visitor center. 9 a.m. - noon.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
? Pattison State Park, Superior, (715) 399-3111 - 14th Annual Winter Funfest. Sponsored by the Friends of Pattison and Amnicon Falls state parks. A number of family activities will be offered including a craft activity, sledding, prizes, and a special appearance by Smokey Bear. Snowshoe lessons will be available, so bring your snowshoes. A limited number of snowshoes are available at the park. Visitors may also use the cross-country ski trails or do snowshoeing on their own. A concession stand will be available. Activities are free, but vehicles will need a vehicle admission sticker. 1-3:30 p.m.
