WDNR Outdoor Report as of October 9, 2008
Fall colors are still pretty much at peak throughout northern Wisconsin this week, but some areas are reporting that leaves are beginning to drop quickly. The Department of Tourism Fall Color Report has central Wisconsin at about 50 percent color and southern Wisconsin at up to 25 percent color. Almost the entire state has received rainfall in the last week, ranging from half an inch to more than an inch. Northern Wisconsin received a hard frost last weekend, with some areas temperatures down into the upper 20s with ice forming on some puddles Friday night.
The drop in temperatures caused some northern lakes to turn over. As water temperature drops near the surface, colder water sinks, mixing up nutrients in the lake bottom. This resulted in some lakes having heavy blooms of blue green algae.
The weather also disrupted fishing activity. The most consistent fishing continued to be for musky and some fair to good action has been experienced. Live suckers have gotten more productive in the last week, though large crank baits and stick baits have gotten some decent action on the warmer days. Walleye fishing has continued to be fairly erratic. The cooler water temperatures have more fish moving up into the shallows and in/around the dying weed beds. Panfish action has been fair to good, with some nice crappie still being found in shallow water near cover and any weed edges.
The rain this week drew more salmon up tributaries of Lake Michigan. Action was good on the Menominee, Peshtigo, Little, Twin and Kewaunee rivers, but had slowed on the Oconto, Manitowoc and Branch rivers. Trolling success on Lake Michigan was low over the weekend due to some unfavorable fishing and lake conditions, but those who ventured out still had some success fishing shallow in 20 to 50 feet of water. A few nice chinook and salmon were caught and a couple of lucky anglers also landed several brown trout. Green Bay musky anglers were have been having some luck near the mouth of the Fox River and north along the west shore to the Little Sturgeon Bay/Sawyer Harbor area. Limits of perch were reported off Oconto on the west shore and out from the Bayshore ramp, near Chaudoir’s dock, and Riley’s and Little Sturgeon Bay on the east. In the southeast, some chinooks and browns have been caught on the Sheboygan, Milwaukee and Root rivers.
The Mississippi River has been holding at or just below the 7 foot mark at Prairie du Chien. Fishing action was fair to good, with bluegills still biting. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing has been good on most days. Walleye and sauger action was spotty and northern pike action was slow.
Waterfowl hunters participating in the opening weekend in the southern duck zone found cool sunny conditions, which made the teal, wood ducks and mallards fairly quiet for the opener. With the drop in temperature, goose hunters were finding more birds moving around. Deer have also been moving quite a bit lately with the cooler temperatures, and bucks are beginning to leave rubs, though no ground scrape activity has been reported.
The seventh annual Wisconsin Youth Gun Deer Hunt will be held this weekend, Oct. 11-12. This special hunt was established to get youth involved in hunting under conditions with low hunting pressure and in a safe and educational setting. It is open to youth ages 12 to 15 who have successfully completed a hunter education program and possess a gun deer hunting license. Youths must be accompanied by an adult mentors, who may not gun hunt for deer. During this hunt only, youth hunters are exempt from the earn-a-buck requirements and may harvest one buck deer in any unit using their only Gun Buck Deer Carcass Tag or an antlerless deer in earn-a-buck, herd control or CWD units with the appropriate antlerless tag. The hunt will be held statewide, except within state parks so all other hunters, except waterfowl hunters, are required to wear blaze orange clothing this weekend, and all people out hiking, biking, or just enjoying the fall colors are encouraged to wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing.
A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277.
NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest -
Brule is still blanketed in a variety of color. The golds of the aspen and birch trees are accenting the reds and oranges now. The youth gun deer hunt will be going on this weekend. The antlerless season will take place October 16 - 19th. For anyone else recreating in the area during this time, it is a good idea to wear brightly colored clothing. As of October 9, the Bois Brule River is flowing at 142 cfs (cubic feet per second). The 62 year average is 149.
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Copper Falls State Park -
The fall colors are at peak but are coming down fast. Come out and enjoy the colors, the Friends of Copper Falls will be hosting a "Why do leaves turn colors?" program at the concession stand shelter on October 11, 1 p.m. Apple cider and cookies will be served. Off Season Camping is also an option at Copper Falls this time of year. For those willing to brave the elements, camping this time of year offers peace and solitude. Reservations are still recommended for weekends at the park.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Flambeau River State Forest –
Fall colors are at peak and in some areas past peak in the forest. It is still a beautiful drive, but leaves are dropping fast. The south fork of the Flambeau River is very low and not recommended for paddling. The north fork is also very low and recent paddlers (using kayaks) reported the need to get out and pull through gravel/rocky areas in quite few spots. Canoeists may have even more difficulty. The docks at Connors & Lake of the Pines boat landings have been removed for the fall/winter season.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Fall colors are near peak. Wind and rain have brought down some leaves, especially from trees that were experiencing stress from drought conditions. A hard frost last weekend caused some lakes to turn over. As water temperature drops near the surface, colder water sinks, mixing up nutrients in the lake bottom and can result in heavy blooms of blue green algae.
Upper Wisconsin Basin fisheries report (Oneida, Vilas, Lincoln, Langlade, Forest and Florence counties) -
The erratic and colder weather seems to have disrupted much of the fish activity on northern waters in the past week. The most consistent fishing continues to be for musky and some fair to good action has been experienced. Live suckers have gotten more productive in the last week, though large crank baits and stick baits have gotten some decent action on the warmer days. Walleye fishing continues to improve but has still been fairly erratic. The cooler water temperatures have more fish moving up into the shallows and in/around the dying weed beds. Jig and minnow combinations and minnows on slip bobbers on the deep edges have been the most successful, with the best fishing occurring in the hour before dark. The species most affected by the colder weather were the largemouth and smallmouth bass. On many lakes, the largemouth bass have deserted the shallows and were very hard to find. A few stragglers were found near the mid-depth cover and around any 'green' weed beds that were available. Soft plastics and slow presentations were the key to entice these late season bites. Smallmouth bass have also retreated to deeper water with the colder water temps and were even harder to entice than the largemouth. Seems that only the diehard bass anglers can find and catch the smallies at this time of year. Panfish action has been fair to good, with some nice crappie still being found in shallow water near cover and any weed edges.
NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County –
Recent wet fall weather has moved some bird species down from the north such as snipe. Although the west shore of Green Bay had a large turnout of waterfowl hunters this past opening weekend, no big concentrations of duck have been seen on the bay yet. Bear season has ended with a few large bears taken in the county other unsuccessful hunters saw numerous bears and still enjoyed the hunt. Whitetail bucks are leaving rubs although no ground scrape activity has been noticed. The Youth hunt is this weekend and all hunters are expected to wear blaze orange with the exception of waterfowl hunters. The youth should concentrate their efforts in oak forests if possible as the acorn crop is excellent this year. Fishing spawn sacks at Little River remains good during the evenings with fish in the 16- to 24-pound range still being caught. Chinook were being caught by the Hattie Street Dam on both spawn and spoons. The Peshtigo dam has started to produce its share of salmon on spoons and spawn sacks, but for some real fun try using a fly rod with a weighted egg pattern. It has been reported that most salmon are in good shape but a few are turning black and starting to die.
Oconto County -
The water temperatures at the boat ramps have dropped into the mid to high 50s this week with good water clarity. Fishing pressure has been light due in part to rain and in part to the opening of duck season in the southern zone. Oconto Park II has been giving up limits of perch out by Young's Reef with anglers fishing minnows with crappie rigs. Other boaters were catching perch in shallower water (7 to 12 feet), so if anglers do not find them deep they should try changing depths. The salmon bite has been slow at Oconto Park II. The Oconto Breakwater Harbor is also producing perch, start deep and move into the shallower waters in search of your prey. Action has been slow by the Stiles dam with most anglers casting spoons with little success.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County -
On the Fox River of Green Bay, fish activity has been slow. Near the mouth of the Fox, anglers have been having some luck targeting walleyes with crank baits…color doesn’t seem to matter. The fish seem to be biting best around 20 feet. The night bite for walleye is also doing well. Musky anglers have been having some luck near the mouth and north along the west shore. Several large fish have been caught along with many smaller fish. Yellow perch have been biting, mainly, on night crawlers out from the Bayshore ramp. The perch are still spotty but getting easier to find. Minnows and artificials were also catching perch. Early- and mid-mornings seem to be good times to target perch.
Manitowoc County -
Anglers fishing near Manitowoc had a fair week of fishing. Inside the harbor, anglers were fishing with spoons or spawn sacs around the north end of the marina where a few nice catches of chinook salmon were landed. Pier fishing this past week was very slow with only a few anglers trying their luck. Trollers on Lake Michigan had some success over the week fishing shallow in 20 to 50 feet of water. A few nice chinook and salmon were caught and a couple of lucky anglers also landed several brown trout. On the Manitowoc River, salmon fishing was hit or miss this past week. Thursday afternoon was exceptionally good for a few anglers at Manitou Park. Anglers here were casting spoons and spinners. The other spot on the Manitowoc River that anglers were trying their luck was at Highway R. On the Branch River salmon fishing was slow this week. In Two Rivers, anglers had a fair week of fishing. Most anglers were fishing on the south pier and along the pier near Sea Gull Marina casting bright colored spoons. Catch rates were a little slow, although a few chinook salmon and brown trout were harvested. Trolling success on Lake Michigan was low over the weekend due to some unfavorable fishing and lake conditions. On the West Twin River most anglers were fishing near Shoto Dam. Anglers were casting a variety of baits like spoons, spinners, stick baits, or fishing off the bottom with a suspended spawn sac. Anglers were able to harvest some large chinook salmon and a couple rainbow trout this past week. Fewer anglers were fishing on the East Twin River near the dam in Mishicot than were fishing near the dam in Shoto. A few anglers were able to harvest a chinook salmon, but low numbers of fish near the dam limited success. Further downstream near Maplewood and Hillcrest Roads had some steady fishing and were able to land migrating salmon.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County -
The yellow perch bite near Chaudoir’s dock has been fairly good. Most anglers were finding luck around Red River and Rite’s Cove. Worms and minnows were both working. In the Little Sturgeon Bay/Sawyer Harbor area, musky and northern pike were biting well. Many different types of bait have been working near weeds and edges of shallow reefs. Yellow perch were biting in Riley’s Bay and Little Sturgeon Bay. Many small fish exist but with some effort larger fish can be found. Larson’s Reef has been productive with its walleye bite…night being the more consistent time. Trolling and drifting with crank baits seems to work best. Many trophy-sized walleye were available.
Peninsula State Park -
Fall colors should be at approximately 50 percent in northern Door County by the Columbus Day weekend. Expect the peak colors in mid October. All facilities open. Weather has been dry but recent rains have greened things up. All park facilities are open and in good condition. All trails are open and in very good condition, though somewhat dry. Watch for pelicans, cormorants and eagles over the waters of Green Bay. Interesting wildflowers include the fringed gentians along the park's shoreline. Asters are their peak. Peninsula State Park golf course is open until the end of October. Peninsula's Spooktacular Hike will start at 5 p.m. on this Saturday, Oct. 11. Stop at Park Headquarters for details.
Strawberry Creek Spawning Facility -
The second salmon egg harvest resulted in the processing of 565 chinooks with at least 100 being held over. The remainder of the eggs needed for Kettle Moraine Springs Hatchery were collected and approximately 450k eggs went to Wild Rose. The number of fish to date is ahead of last year's. Monday, Oct. 6 was a particularly busy day, with three concurrent tour groups and a contingent of researchers from the University of Washington collecting research samples. There have also been some new local food pantry destinations added, which is always good to see. The next harvest is scheduled for Thursday, Oct 9. A good deal of fish were making there way in this week so there should be a pond full.
Kewaunee County -
The salmon run is still going strong in the tributaries of Lake Michigan. Fish can still be caught from the piers and channels of Kewaunee and Algoma, but action will eventually slow down in the coming weeks. Most of the action continues to be on the Kewaunee River with plenty of salmon still moving upstream. Most success has been with spawn or any lure that resembles spawn. Streamers have produced success for those interested in catching salmon with the fly rod. It's possible to see a rainbow trout here or there, as well. Trolling on Lake Michigan has remained slower and some boats have had some success in 100-150 feet. The streams should continue to see most of the action in the next week.
Wautoma DNR Service Center area
Maple trees are near their peak colors. The acorn crop is almost nonexistent this year so most deer hunters are setting up on field edges or habitat funnels. Waterfowl hunters saw mostly wood ducks on opening weekend and areas to hunt are limited to mill ponds due to how dry the area currently is. Salamanders have been spotted starting their migration. The newly renovated Wild Rose Fish Hatchery is now open. It is open to the public through the end of October. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday thru Sunday, and guided tours are 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
This past week the area received the first frost of the season, curbing growth of some non hardy annuals. Leaves of maples and sumacs are starting to turn lovely shades of red, orange and gold. Local fall colors are at about 50 percent. Fox and grey squirrels are busy gathering black walnuts and hickory nuts as they bulk up for the winter and cache these tasty treats. Shell piles found near these trees are evidence of their successful nut cracking skills. Anglers were finding walleyes in about 18 feet of water using minnows on jigs. Panfishing in weed beds using night crawlers has also proven effective. After the heavy rains in June/July, Rush Lake is back to required levels and looking very good. Water clarity is amazingly clear. The lake is approximately 70 percent vegetated and 30 percent open water. Which is very close to the desired mix of each to meet the official definition of a "Hemi-marsh" of which Rush Lake is. A hemi-marsh is a 50/50 mix of vegetation, and shallow open water areas. Water levels are a little high for what would be optimal in a hemi-marsh, but we are restricted by court ordered water levels. The vegetation that is present is a god mix of emergent and submergent species that will provide excellent waterfowl food and habitat, as well as great opportunities for this years duck hunters. Several duck hunters commented that there were pleased with the way things are looking out on Rush Lake, and anticipate a good season. Sturgeon spearers are reminded to purchase their 2009 Winnebago sturgeon spearing license before the deadline at the end of the month. Friday, October 31 is the last day sturgeon spearing licenses can be sold for Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes. There were 4,031 applicants for the Upriver Lakes, 500 of which were drawn and may purchase this license. To date, 4,334 Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing licenses have been sold for the 2009 season.
SOUTHEAST REGION
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County -
In Sheboygan anglers fishing off the piers and in the marina have been catching a few chinooks and coho on spoons and spawn. In the Sheboygan River some chinooks and browns have been caught near the Kohler dam and in Esslingen Park on both flies and spawn.
Ozaukee County -
In Port Washington, shore anglers have been catching a few chinooks, coho, and browns in the harbor and near the power plant on spawn. Trollers in Port Washington have also been catching chinooks 70 feet down in 100 to 120 feet of water.
Milwaukee County -
Shore anglers in Milwaukee have been catching a few browns near the base of McKinley pier. Anglers on the Milwaukee River have reported a few salmon below the falls in Estabrook Park, and Oak Creek is holding a few more fish after this week’s rainfall. Fishing on the Menomonee River remains slow.
Racine County -
In Racine shore anglers have been catching a few chinooks and coho near the mouth of the Root River and off the south pier. Glow in the dark spoons fished at dawn have provided the most action. Water levels on the Root River remain low, but anglers fishing the river have caught some chinooks and browns in Washington Park. Small flies and drifted spawn have taken the most fish. The Root River Steelhead Facility is not yet in operation, but the facility should be running once the area gets some more rain.
Kenosha County -
For shore anglers in Kenosha, a few chinooks have been caught in the harbor and off the piers on crank baits. Fishing on the Pike River has been slow.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Sauk County -
Waterfowl hunters found cool sunny conditions in the Spring Green area, which made the teal and wood ducks and a few mallards fairly quiet at the 9 a.m. opener. There is very little standing water in the river bottoms, which is concentrating the birds for hunters. With the drop in temperature, goose hunters were finding more birds moving around in the Arena and Spring Green area. Squirrel hunters were finding mostly gray squirrels on the public hunting grouds in the southern Sauk and northern Iowa county areas. Deer have been moving quite a bit lately with the cooler temperatures. Some maple trees have started to turn colors but most are still quite green. Hunters are reminded that the harvest of canvasback ducks is closed this year. Hunters have been happy with the three wood duck limit though in the Spring Green area. There are a lot of “woodys” in the area.
WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
St. Croix County
Willow River State Park - Autumn color is progressing. With the abundant amount of oak in the park, the color is a bit scattered. As of Oct. 6, green ash, red and silver maple, popple, cottonwood and box elder are showing some color, mostly yellow. The maples have some flashes of red. Trout fishing is closed so there is no fishing of any kind below the dam. Wild turkeys were observed walking around in a not real light rain this week at the office. Trail brushing crews will be working Thursday afternoon on the Oak Ridge and White-Tail trails removing buckthorn. There is a plan to get the pruning work done on the White–Tail trail trees other than buckthorn. That work will get done later on by the ski trail grooming crew. Also related to skiing; the new Ginzu groomer arrived this week. This machine can groom trails in more difficult situations than our others can, such as breaking up “boilerplate” the hard surface from skier traffic and no new snow. Cross country ski training is in progress Tuesdays and Thursdays. Meet at the Nature Center parking lot near the Purple Trail at 5:30 p.m. Training goes till 6:30-7 p.m. depending on the pace and distance. The ski trainers tend to go unless there’s a downpour or worse weather in progress. A vehicle admission sticker is required along with a small donation to the park’s friends group. There will be a Full Moon Hike this Saturday, October 13 at the Nature Center. The event begins at 7 p.m. inside with a presentation about birds, then a walk. A vehicle admission sticker is required to attend the event. All flush toilets and showers are closed for the season. Pit toilets are open in the campground, boat launch, group camp, and near the beach. Water fountains and the dump station water have been turned off. Campers may load water tanks at the service building just down the hill from the park office. The dump station will remain open for another month to unload only, no rinse water. Most electric sites in the main campground are reserved for the next two weekends.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Tree leaves are really starting to fall, improving visibility in the woods. Hunters should keep in mind, however, improved visibility works both ways. Hunters have an easier time seeing game, but game animals have an easier time spotting hunters. Whether out turkey hunting, squirrel hunting, or bow deer hunting, proper camouflage techniques, patience, and stillness can help hunters to remain unseen by their quarry. Red-breasted nuthatches, golden-crowned kinglets, song sparrows, white-throated sparrows, swamp sparrows, and fox sparrows are some of the migratory songbirds currently passing through the local area. Deer hunters should keep in mind that there will be other people outdoors during the youth deer hunt on Oct. 11 and 12 and during the Oct. 16 through 19 antlerless deer hunt. They could encounter people collecting nuts or mushrooms or people hiking or enjoying a multitude of other activities. Leaves and other foliage may block hunters' views, so being sure of the target is especially important. Other hunters, the only exception is waterfowl hunters, must wear also blaze orange during these deer hunts. Other outdoor enthusiasts are strongly encouraged to dress in bright colors.
Crawford County -
It is getting pretty close to peak fall colors in the area. Peak color might still be a week away. Most maple, black walnut, sumac, elm, and hickory are turning color. Most of the oaks are still holding their green color. Water levels in the local river systems remain low for this time of year. The Mississippi River is still holding at or just below the 7.0 mark. The forecast for the Mississippi River is to hold steady for the next week. Surface water temperatures on the Mississippi River are in the mid to low 60s and water clarity is very good. The Wisconsin River running low also, but is in good shape as water clarity is good and many sand bars are high and dry. The Kickapoo River has settled into normal summer time flow and is flow clear. All the trout streams are in good condition. All of the boat landings in the Crawford County area are open and usable. With the low water boaters and duck hunters have to use caution at boat landings. Be careful backing in large boats at some ramps because drop offs have developed at the end of the landing pad. Most landing are weed-free at the present moment. Boaters on the Mississippi River are urged to use caution with the low water. Wing and closing dams are dangerously close to outboard motor lower units. If you are unsure of where you are traveling stay in the navigation lane or slow down and utilize a depth finder. Besides wing dams, sunken trees and snags present dangers to boaters. Fishing action was fair to good this week. Bluegills are still biting. Some decent action in the Prairie du Chien area was reported around the barges by the city boat ramp, wing dams on the Main Channel, in downed trees on the Ambro Slough or on the Main Channel in around 8 feet of water. Main channel bluegills have to be sought out…move frequently until fish are located. One tactic that has been used with some success is to drift a piece of crawler along the bottom until fish are located. Some decent bluegill action was reported farther upstream near the “S” Curve by Harper’s Ferry Slough. Up in Pool 9 near the Lynxville/Ferryville area bluegills have been biting out in the flats and long the deeper channels. Cold Spring has been very spotty but there has been some activity along the shorelines. Large and smallmouth bass fishing has been good on most days. Anglers are using a variety of artificial baits to include plastics, spinner baits, and crank baits. Look for bass on wing dams, closing dams, weed edges, flats, under water points, and in the timber. Walleye and sauger action was spotty. Some decent action reported on some of the wing dams and near the dam at Lynxville. Most anglers believe walleye action will pick up once the water cools down even more. Walleye and sauger anglers are either trolling crank baits along wing dams, flats, or drop offs along the main channel or dead lining or casting a jig tipped with crawlers. Some anglers have had success drifting a chunk of night crawlers off the bottom. Some live bait anglers are switching over to minnows with limited success. Crappie and perch action was very spotty. Some days anglers will find a school and have very good action. But the next day those fish have moved on. Crappie have been taking small minnows, tube jigs, and small spinners. Perch are still taking a liking to live bait like night crawlers chunks. White bass action was spotty also. White bass have been seen feeding on the top of wing dams, along rocky shorelines, below the lock and dams and at the mouth of the Wisconsin River. If you find a school of actively feeding white bass cast a small jig/twister tail, small spinner, or just about anything bright colored and flashy. Northern Pike action was slow this week. Most northern are caught incidental to bass fishing. Look for northerns in areas were cooler water might be entering the river or in slow moving deeper sloughs. Casting crank baits, spoons, or spinner baits seem to work the best. Try these baits in the timber and weeds. Try fishing on Big Lake, the bottom end of the Ambro Slough, and the Lower Bottoms outside Prairie du Chien. Also try up by the Lynxville dam. Trout fishing continues to be good and participation is low this time of year. Both live and artificial bait have produced quality fish. This past weekend the waterfowl season opened. Duck hunters on the Wisconsin River found lots of ducks, mostly wood ducks and teal. In most areas of the Wisconsin River bottoms decent water levels exist. Also a very good crop of wild rice and acorns grew this year. The combination of decent water levels and food have made the Wisconsin a good spot for ducks. Mississippi River duck hunters found decent action even though water levels there are low. Duck hunters in the Prairie du Chien area found wood ducks, mallards, pintails, and teal in the Lower Bottoms. Hunters up the Ambro Slough complex report spotty action. Up in Pool 9 (Lynxville and Ferryville) hunters saw pretty good action. The islands from Lynxville to Lansing saw decent action on Canada geese, mallards, teal, and other dabblers. Hunters that walked in from Rush Creek, Sugar Creek, and Copper Creek found action also. Up near the Lansing Dike hunters report fair numbers of wood ducks and some teal. Duck hunters are reminded that the Canvasback season is closed the whole season. Crawford County archery deer hunters are finding decent activity. Although most of the leaves are still clinging to their branches whitetails are starting to become more active. Archery hunters are noticing some farmers starting to harvest soybeans and corn. Crawford County is earn-a-buck this year and registration stations are beginning to register a fair number of antlerless deer. Squirrel hunters are finding very good numbers of squirrels this year and success has been good even with all the leaves. Mosquitoes, deer and horse flies are starting to die back. Last week there were some frosty nights that set those pests back. Mosquitoes still make their presence known in the river bottoms, however they aren’t terrible. Stinging nettle is still out and awaits outdoor users so be careful and dress accordingly. Most of the early summer grasses are starting to seed out and die back. There appears to be a decent acorn crop this year. Other nut trees like walnut and hickory are producing fair crops this year.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park -
Fall colors are at 50 percent in the area. The ash trees are dropping their leaves quickly, the maples are turning, the sumac are in full red color. Species of birds seen or heard include: ravens, loons, robins, a variety of wrens, phoebes, pileated woodpeckers, great horned and barred owls, and bald eagles. Park trails are in good condition. The open water game fish action has been good this past week. Bass action on spinner baits and float baits has been productive, walleye action has been spotty. There has been good musky action on Cornell flowage and below the Cornell dam. Panfish action has been increasing in the bays as the water temperature begins to drop. Brunet Island State Park north campground is open with pit toilets and drinking water available. The south campground is open with electric sites, hand water pump, and a campground shower facility. The park dump station is open. The South (electric) campground road paving project has been completed.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park -
Fall colors are starting to change along Hwy 58 between Mauston and the park. The park is open for early and late season for bow hunting (no special hunting permit is required). New hunting maps are available for the park and wildlife areas. Small game, waterfowl and trapping are allowed in the Yellow River Wildlife Area and in Buckhorn Wildlife Area only, not in the park. The statewide youth deer hunt Oct 11 and 12 is allowed in the Yellow River Wildlife Area only. All hunters except waterfowl hunters must wear blaze orange (this includes bow hunters in the park). Deer can be registered at the park office when it is staffed. All other hunting is allowed in Yellow River Wildlife Area. Visitors have been enjoying the picnic areas and renting canoes/kayaks. Remember, park stickers are required for Launch C and D and there are no additional launch fees. The photo contest starts October 1st. Categories are people using the park, open, plants, animals, and one for photographers under 18 yrs old. Campsites are closed to reservations. Sites 8, 9, 16, 23, 24, 26-29, A1-A8 and B1-B3 will be open for this weekend on a first come basis.
Roche-A-Cri State Park -
Fall colors are just starting and should be nice in the next few weeks. Camping is now closed for the season and the main gate will be closed Oct 27. Hunting is not allowed in the park. There is a hunter parking lot on Cypress Ave for the Roche-A-Cri natural area east of Highway 13. This year’s pumpkin walk is on October 18.
