Lake Michigan fisheries team report 4.15.11
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.
