Wisconsin Statewide Fishing Report 1.29.09
With the cold weather, ice thickness continues to increase and most lakes have 18 to 20 inches of ice. The sub-zero temperatures and windy conditions have kept ice fishing pressure down and reduced fish activity, with panfish success hasvingdropped off the most. Crappie Northern pike activity has also slowed as the increased ice thickness and snow cover seems to have lessened their feeding activity. The best success has come from walleye and action could be considered fair to good for this mid-winter time. The most productive bait continues to be sucker minnows, and the best success has come from the weed edges and mud flats in 6 to 10 feet of water.
Along Lake Michigan and Green Bay, some northern pike were being caught north of Oconto to the mouth of the Peshtigo River. Perch anglers were having some success at the mouth of the Oconto River. Along Door County, some limited success for perch was reported at Sturgeon Bay off Potawatomi State Park. Some walleye were biting at the Sturgeon Bay ship canal and off Larson’s reef. Whitefish were also being caught at various locations along the peninsula. On the Lake Winnebago system, anglers have had a lot of success jigging for white bass but action for walleye and perch has been slow. At this point, water clarity on the Lake Winnebago System is looking very good for the sturgeon spearing season that opens Feb. 14.
Ice fishing along southern Lake Michigan harbors has been relatively slow, but a few brown trout and northern pike have been caught. There is open water near the power plant in Port Washington, and aerators running in the north slip at the marina are keeping water open, with some open water anglers catching brown and a few rainbow trout.
The Mississippi River stage was 7.8 feet at Prairie du Chien this week, with almost the entire main channel frozen over after the last cold snap. Fishing pressure and success also dropped off with the cold snap, but there was some spotty bluegill and crappie action reported.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) -
With the cold weather of the last week, ice thickness continues to increase and most lakes now have 18 to 20 inches of ice. There is about 4 to 6 inches of heavy, grainy snow on top and this has made vehicle travel rather tough in undisturbed areas. Most ice traffic is sticking to the packed-down roads as the frozen ruts and deep snow have still been getting some 4 WD vehicles stuck. The sub-zero temperatures and windy conditions have kept fishing pressure down on most lakes across the Northwoods in the past week. The cold weather seems to have reduced fish activity and panfish success has dropped off the most. Crappie anglers have been moving around from spot to spot and most have reported just scattered catches. Some perch and bluegill are still being caught suspend just off the bottom in deep water, but action has also been very sporadic. Northern pike activity has also slowed up in the last few weeks as the increased ice thickness and snow cover seems to have lessened their feeding activity. The best success has come from walleye and action could be considered fair to good for this mid-winter time. Success has been a little erratic with the frigid temperatures, but some decent catches have been made in the late afternoon hours just before dark. The most productive bait continues to be sucker minnows, and the best success has come from the weed edges and mud flats in 6 to 10 feet of water.
Woodruff
With the recent cold temperatures vehicular ice travel has increased. Coupled with the lack of snow, ice travel is not too right now. Caution should be exercised as there is still the possibility of slush pockets. Should you decide to venture out onto the lakes please use extreme caution. Walleye action is reported as fair with northern pike also being caught in fairly good numbers over heavy green weeds. The crappies were hanging in about 6 to 8 feet of water and associated with cabbage weeds. Bluegill action is reported to be on the rise and these fish are also being caught in the deep weed edges or associated with some structure. The more remote lakes are said to be the best sources for more abundant catches. Perch action has been slow.
Marinette County -
Temperatures during the week moderated into the mid 20s, with little wind. Perfect conditions for the ice anglers and snowmobile enthusiast. By the weekend the bitter cold had returned along with brisk winds which made fishing without a shack almost unbearable. Some northern pike were being caught in the flats from north of Oconto Park II to the mouth of the Peshtigo River. Shiners were the bait of choice. There will be a fisheree on the Caldron Falls Flowage Saturday, Jan. 31.
Oconto County -
Geano Beach has anglers both in close and out by the shove fishing both perch and northern pike. Oconto Breakwater Harbor has both pike and perch anglers. The perch anglers range from the marina area to just past the mouth of the Oconto River. The pike anglers are on the flats north of the river mouth.
Door County –
At Sturgeon Bay, Most anglers fishing off Potawatomi State Park have been reporting limited success on perch in 10 to 20 feet of water. The perch that were being landed were taking rose reds or wax worms. Northern pike were the main draw for most anglers, with a few nicer fish being caught. Walleye continued to bite on Larson’s reef with oddball jigs tipped with a minnow working the best. People were also reporting whitefish mixed in with the walleye. The whitefish were taking jigs tipped with minnows or waxworks. Walleye were also being caught in the ship channel in Sturgeon bay. Riley’s Bay has produced a few fish over the last week with perch and whitefish being landed in 20 to 30 feet of water. Even with a few fish being caught, most anglers were fishing all day for few fish. The perch action was still very slow at Little Sturgeon Bay, with most people catching five or so keepers every time out. Whitefish seem to be the main draw still with most people fishing at Henderson's. The whitefish were take jigs tipped with a minnow or wax worm. At Dyksville, anglers were having limited successes with the perch. The perch that were being iced were coming in 20 to 30 feet of water. Most anglers were jigging and setting tip-ups for the perch. Minnows and waxworms seemed to be drawing the most fish. Whitefish were being caught in 10 to 15 feet of water. Most anglers were using minnow heads to catch them
Oshkosh
Anglers have had a lot of success jigging for white bass. The walleye and perch catch has been pretty slow. Horseshoe hole on Lake Poygan has been the only reported hot spot for walleye activity. Ice depth is 20-24 inches. Anglers not familiar with Lake Winnebago should stay on well traveled areas of ice due to large cracks that are hard to see. Sturgeon spearing on Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes will open at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14. Ice holes may be cut anytime within 48 hours of the opening of the season. Water clarity on the Lake Winnebago System is looking very good. From High Cliff to Oshkosh visibility is clear to the bottom in most locations that were tested. Brothertown, Quinney and Stockbridge had clarity up to 16 feet in water depths of around 18 feet. Sturgeon spearers can to listen to daily harvest counts by calling the Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Hotline number 920-303-5444. Winnebago and Fond du Lac County snowmobile trails are open and in fair condition at this time.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County -
Ice fishing in the Sheboygan marina has been relatively slow, but a few brown trout and northern pike have been caught on shiners.
Ozaukee County -
In Port Washington ice anglers in the marina have been catching a few brown trout on spawn sacs. There is open water near the power plant, and aerators are running in the north slip. Open water fishing in Port has been hit-or-miss, but decent numbers of browns and a few rainbows have occasionally been hitting spawn near the power plant discharge.
Milwaukee County -
In Milwaukee, the river under the Hoan bridge is unfishable due to large ice floes, but there is open water in the Menomonee River near the post office. Anglers there have been catching browns and northerns on shiners. McKinley Marina is frozen over, and although fishing has been slow overall, occasional browns have been taken while jigging through the ice or on spawn under a tip up.
Racine County -
In Racine upstream portions of the Root River remain frozen over. Ice anglers have been out in downstream stretches of the river, as well as in the Racine harbor. Some browns and northerns have been hitting both shiners and spawn, and water clarity is generally good in the area.
Kenosha County -
The Small Boat Harbor in Kenosha is frozen over, and ice anglers have been catching a few brown trout on tube jigs or spawn.
Crawford County
The Mississippi River stage was at 7.83 feet. Last week the river slowly rose a couple tenths of an inch. Only daily water level readings are available throughout the winter, so no forecast is available. Another cold snap entered the picture last week, and 95-plus percent of the main channel is frozen over. All the back waters of both the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers were also frozen over. Generally speaking the ice conditions are in pretty good shape with a few exceptions. Most of the back water areas with no current flowing through them have around 18 or more inches of ice. Sloughs with current flowing under the ice vary in thickness and can change daily. Caution must we used while traveling on the ice and safety precautions should be taken. Ice fishing wasn’t very good this week. Fishing pressure on Sturgeon Slough declined because action slowed there. It was producing some decent bluegill and crappie but again this past week was slow. Ice conditions there are pretty good. McGregor Lake (aka Sturgeon or Horseshoe) has been very quite too. A few more anglers have ventured out there and report slow action. Cold Spring’s ice conditions improved this week but caution is advised around the boat landing. Most anglers were still accessing Cold Spring from the southern lobe at the handicap access site. Some anglers are now starting to walk in from the boat landing and crossing the creek near the rail road bridge. Again, caution is advised in the area near the rail road bridge. Bluegill and crappie action at Cold Spring has been spotty to very slow and most anglers are targeting the south lobe’s east shore line and northern end. A reminder to all anglers fishing at Cold Spring. Cold Spring is considered inland water, not boundary waters. Different fishing regulations are in effect there and non-residents must possess a non-resident fishing license. The Ambro Slough was unusually quiet this week. Anglers are crossing over the Ambro Slough from the DNR boat landing. The USFWS boat landing on North Ambro Road is still very dangerous because Mill Coulee Creek enters there and open water or very thin ice exists. This area should be avoided. Mud Slough and Tilmont Lake have been very slow. Like last week, not many anglers were fishing there. Some anglers were fishing on the Ambro Slough and No-Name Slough across from Ambro Road. There has been some spotty bluegill and crappie action reported there. Anglers have been avoiding Gremore Lake because it too has been very slow. The “bottom end” of Gremore Lake near the Ambro Slough/Big Lake area anglers had been finding some decent bluegill and crappie action, but this week it was very spotty. Fish Lake and Little Missouri have been pretty slow this week. Many anglers are venturing up to Big Missouri and the Upper Doubles. Big Missouri has been producing decent sized bluegill and crappie. The Upper Doubles has produces lots of bluegill, but the size of most of the fish caught have been on the small size. Those using ATVs or other vehicles to travel on the ice are reminded that USFWS law prohibits operation on any shoreline, island, or upland area within the Refuge boundary. The Fennimore cut has shown improvement. Some decent crappie and bluegill have been taken there but action was spotty. Spring Lake was slow this week. Generally speaking ice fishing action on the Ambro Slough complex was slow and ice conditions are pretty good. Sauger have been biting below the Lynxville dam. A variety of baits have produced fish to include jigging Rapalas, One-Eyes, and lead head jigs tipped with minnow. Some decent walleyes have been taken there too. There isn’t much ice below the dam and that ice changes daily due to the heavy current. Fishing below the dam is extremely dangerous especially near the center of the channel where only an inch or so of ice exists.
Wausau, WI area fishing report 1.22.09
With the arctic blast behind us, at least for now, Wausau area lakes and rivers have again been quite productive as of late. Bluegill and crappies action has picked up steadily in the past week or so. Shallower bays or backwater areas containing wood and/or green weeds have been good choices; look for water depths of 5-8 feet and begin your search there. Small jigs in orange, gold, or glow patterns tipped with waxies have been producing fish on a regular basis. Tip-downs or slip bobber rigs using small minnows have been working consistently for crappies as well. Pack light and remain mobile to stay on schools of active fish – a good rule of thumb for the mid-winter period.
If you’re looking to catch walleyes through the ice, both Lake Wausau and Lake DuBay are offering some fine ice fishing right now. Jigging has been a very solid option for scoring on catches of winter walleyes from area water of late; being with selecting a medium action St. Croix or Frabill ice fishing rod as they are the prefect tool for working various jigging lures this time of year. Lure colors such as fire tiger, orange and chartreuse combinations, and perch patterns are working best. Try tipping the treble hook on these lures with a minnow head to increase your hook-up ratio.
The tip-up bite has been strong in the low-light periods of morning and evening. With the colder temperatures, especially at night, try using a tip-up such as the Frabill Pro-Thermal to prevent hole freeze up and subsequent successful hook-ups. For live bait choice, both golden shiners and sucker minnows continue to produce the best action. Keep a selection of bait in various sizes in your Frabill Aqua-Life and mix-it up if the action begins to slow.
An overlooked period, the mid-winter calendar timeframe can for some exciting northern pike fishing in our area. Begin your search along the deepest weed lines or stump fields available; sharp breaklines in close proximity to main lake basins will also hold trophy pike. Anglers looking to get in on the action need to be geared up properly. Tip-ups are the best option for these toothy trophies through the ice at this point, and both large golden shiners and sucker minnows are both working well. A large Mustad treble hook will suffice for medium sized bait; for the larger offerings, use a quickset rig to ensure good hook-ups as well as minimizing any damage to the fish. Enjoy the bounty of the mighty Wisconsin River system and the surrounding area!
Wisconsin Angling Adventures
www.wisconsinanglingadventures.comMinocqua Fishing report 1/26/09
Another artic blast pushed in Friday. Dropping night temps to 15 below both sat & sun mornings. Heavy winds friday afternoon made conditions unbearable. But despite the cold lack of wind sat wasnt bad.
Walleyes--Off shore areas the best. Deep breaks on the edge of islands. Most anglers on the chain picking up eyes in 12-17 feet of wateralong weed edges. Suckers , River shiners seem to work better for these deeper bites. But dont pass up wild shiners if you can find them. Jigging rapalas still scoring larger fish with a 28 incher best of the week.
Bluegills--Good. Despite cold better than average gills (8-9inch) being caught. using a #12 gill pill jigs tipped with a single moussee. The cold and wind kept guys from moving a lot but good catches still reported in 6-9 feet of weeds.
Yellow Perch--Good. While some anglers still catching fish in weeds on minnows. Better action over deep mud on Hali jigs and #2 pimples in 18-27 feet. Tiped with wigglers and red spikes.
Northern Pike--Fair-Good. Bite from last week slowed with the cold. Bigger shiners getting bigger fish. A few unhappy bluegill anglers reporting lots of bite offs in favorite bluegill spots.
Crappie-- Poor to fair. Despite low pressure and warmer temps mid week. Action slowed. Dropping small plastics best for tight lipped crappies.
Largemouth Bass--Good Not typically targeted through the ice. But very active past week on tip-ups meant for pike.
Unusual cold and changing barometer for a new moon window. Things slowly warming back up from monday on out. Mid winter patterns building start working deeper haunts. Last weekends snow made travel from excellent to fair. High winds friday made ATV access near impossible. Trucks ok but stay on trails snowmobile is the best right now.
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Kurt's Island Sports Shop
Kurt Justice
Web Site:
http://www.kurtsislandsports.comCompiled from the WDNR Outdoor report and private sources
