Wisconsin Statewide Fishing report 1.20.12Cold temperatures that moved into Wisconsin this week have finally frozen over most of the larger lakes that still had open water last week, including Winnebago and Mendota. However, some areas are reporting that certain spots are still being kept open by large numbers of waterfowl that were staying in the area. And conservation wardens are continuing to caution that much of the ice that formed is still very thin, and now covered by a protective layer of snow. There were numerous reports of snowmobiles and ATVs going through the ice on Lake Winnebago in the last week. Wardens are still advising foot traffic only on southern waters and for people to check ice depths regularly and be prepared should they fall through thin ice.
Ice conditions in the north through the central part of the state are generally good with a foot or more being reported in many locations. Many areas reporting fishing action slowed this week, likely due to the new snow cover. The best action continued to be for panfish, with some reports of very nice crappie and bluegill being caught, but with anglers having to move around a lot to find them. Action for walleye was slower, but there were still some reports of nice northern pike being taken on tip-ups.
While ice has also begun to form on some Lake Michigan harbors, there were still anglers open water fishing this past week. None of the harbor ice is considered safe at this time. Similarly, ice is again forming on the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Superior?s Chequamegon Bay, but it is not safe. Anglers on Sawyer harbor and Little Sturgeon Bay were reportedly fishing along the shore ice, but with open water not too far out in the bay.
Sawyer County - Ice fishing is getting into full swing with people out on most lakes now. There are small peaks of activity in which fish are biting, but there seems to be long stretches of low or inactivity between the peaks. Panfish action was okay on Big Chetak. Perch seem to be back in abundance this winter with size being a little bigger than last year. Most perch were being caught in the 18 to 20 foot depth and near bottom to about 2 feet off at the most. The bluegill and crappie are mixing in with the catches as well. Individuals fishing with plastics seem to be getting the larger more aggressive fish. Otherwise, crappie minnows or wax worms will do the trick for the more finicky biters. The north end and island areas seem to be producing most of the mix bag of fish. Individuals fishing with tip-ups were getting an occasional walleye and northern pike, most of which were decent sizes, on suckers or shiners. Some people using the very large golden shiners were getting a little more activity for larger northern. Also, the larger fish seem to be on the deeper weed edges. Individuals need to remember that Lake Chetak has a 10 bag limit on bluegill. A person is allowed a total of 25 panfish for a daily bag limit, but only 10 of those 25 may be bluegill. Panfish and northern pike action on the Chippewa Flowage was okay as well. Angles have had to work for fish, though and are not planting themselves in one place by putting out tip-ups. The ones that are, were getting some northern but were restricting their ability to find active panfish unless they were willing to move tip-ups as well. The most consistent panfish bite was for crappie, with crappie minnows the choice of bait, although some were using plastics to cover more water faster. The northern being caught were mostly in the 18 to 24-inch range. Individuals are reminded that fishing the flowage in winter is relatively new as it was prohibited a few years back. With the opening of the flowage to ice fishing anglers can fish with tip-ups, but walleye fishing and possession is prohibited and all must be released immediately. Walleyes can't be kept until the general game fish open season in May. The crappie bag limit also was increased last year with the 15 bag being raised to 25. So the panfish daily bag limit in aggregate is now 25.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Most lakes in the area have about 12 to 14 inches of ice and recent snowfalls have added 3 to 4 inches of powdery snow to the surface. Strong winds have created areas of deeper drifts on some lakes and this has resulted in scattered spots of slush. Travel on the lakes has been fair but most anglers have been sticking to the packed trails and avoiding the spots with deeper snow and 2 to 3 inches of slush. The mild days just prior to the current cold snap provided some good fishing conditions, but success continued its generally erratic trend. The walleye bite has been especially sporadic in the last few weeks and just a few anglers have been experiencing any kind of consistent action. The successful anglers were finding walleye in 6 to 12 feet of water and along deep weed edges, break lines or deeper mud flats. The fish seemed to prefer small suckers or large fathead minnows, and they bit best in the hour before dark. Most of the walleye being caught were in the 11- to 13-inch size, though a few nice ones in the 18- to 23-inch range have been reported. With the recent snow cover and colder weather, northern pike activity has subsided a bit and there haven't been too many report of success. Some mid 20-inch pike have been caught on large golden shiners fished over any old weed beds. Panfish have been providing the best action in the area and some decent catches of perch, crappie and bluegill have been made. The crappie and bluegill have been found suspended in deeper water and near any green weeds, and a small ice jig tipped with a waxworm has been the preferred bait. The perch have been found in a variety of depths and a small fathead minnow fished just off the bottom have produced the best catches. And for all the panfish, the successful anglers have had to move around quite a bit to find the active fish.
Peshtigo Ice conditions on the bay are extremely dangerous due to warmer than normal temperatures and high winds.
Marinette County The area has a light snow cover; however, snowmobilers will need several inches more before trails will open up and become rideable. ATV trails are open still in the north. Ice conditions continue to get better especially with the extreme code temperatures in the days to come. Most areas are accessible to ice anglers venturing out on foot or ATVs and snowmobiles. It is still very important for anyone venturing out on the ice to ensure that ice thickness is safe especially for those attempting to take a car or truck out. Ice anglers are having some success on panfish as well as northern pike and a few walleye. A few open water anglers have been observed below the dam in Peshtigo fishing nymphs and streamers for trout. The Menominee River has been producing some walleye fishing from the Hattie Street Fishermen's Walkway. Stick baits and twister tails drifted in the current were the choice baits. Some panfish anglers have been observed at both the slough by the Mystery Ship Landing and Harbor Town Marina. Jigging with live bait has been producing some nice fish.
Door County - Ice conditions are poor in most places in and around Little Sturgeon Bay. Anglers have been fishing yellow perch inside Little Sturgeon. Most anglers are having success in 12 feet of water. A small jig tipped with minnows or wax worms have been producing the most perch. Anglers report catching numbers of small fish, but have been finding some larger ones as well. At Lime Kiln Road, whitefish have been a consistent bite the last few days. The only problem is the poor ice conditions. As of this week anglers were only able to fish 50 to 75 yards from shore due to open water. The typical baits, Swedish pimple tipped with a waxworm, have been producing the best.
Marquette County - Ice anglers are catching nice bluegills on Harris Pond and northern pike on Lake Puckaway. Anglers should use caution when venturing out on the ice since the conditions vary from lake to lake.
Waupaca County - More ice anglers are starting to enjoy their sport. Ice anglers have been having success on northern pike on the Chain O Lakes.
Calumet County - Ice conditions remain hazardous along the east shore of Lake Winnebago. Most veteran and seasoned anglers are heading to the west shore of the lake or to the Upriver Lakes in search of safer, thicker ice. The northeast shoreline is somewhat smooth with approximately 6 to 7 inches of ice and some anglers are venturing out; however, the remainder of the east shore is filled with pressure cracks, ice shoves, and mounds of shelf ice making vehicle travel dangerous. A thin layer of snow is now covering many weak ice areas. As of Jan. 10, several areas of open water could be seen along the east shore. The local fishing clubs have not marked any ice roads to date due to these conditions. Warmer temperatures are expected again later this weekend, which will only add to the marginal ice conditions along the east shore. Anglers who due venture out are advised to wear some type of floatation device, carry ice picks, travel in pairs, and carry a cell phone with them at this point in time. Vehicle travel is not recommended.
Outagamie County - With the last couple of days of single digit temperatures the area bayous and rivers are making a little ice but anglers should still use caution when going onto the ice. The light snow cover gives a false sense of confidence that the ice is thicker than it is. Anglers were still catching panfish on the Wolf River bayous. The river itself is open in most spots and areas with ice should be accessed with caution. No ice is safe and river ice is extremely unsafe. It varies in thickness by several inches or even feet in a short distance due to current and bottom structure. Any one walking or snowmobiling on rivers should wear a life jacket.
Waukesha County - Ice conditions on area lakes vary depending on the lake. Most small lakes in the county have anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of ice and most of the big lakes still have pockets of open water with varying ice thickness on the shorelines. ATV and snowmobile travel is not recommended on any lakes at this time. Anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts traveling by foot are urged to be very cautious as ice thickness varies.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan anglers in the harbor have taken a few northern pike, and rainbow and brown trout on minnows, but fishing has been generally slow. There is ice in the marina that is not safe for foot travel, but anglers have been fishing from the docks.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, open water fishing near the power plant has been decent, with numbers of brown trout in the area. Shiners fished under a slip bobber have been productive, but some browns have also been taken on crank baits.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee, boaters continue to have consistent brown trout action in the harbor. There is no ice yet in the inner harbor, but Riverfront boat launch may be icy after Tuesday?s snowfall.
Racine County - The Root River in Racine still has open water in stretches. Fishing effort has been relatively low, but brown trout and steelhead can still be found in the river.
Walworth/Rock counties - Now that there is a few inches of snow cover, helicopter deer counts will begin in portions of western Walworth and eastern Rock counties. Deer are counted each year in those counties in 100 survey blocks, providing an estimate of the deer population in the core of the Southeast CWD deer management zone. Approximately four full days of counting are needed to complete the survey. Turkeys and other wildlife sightings are also recorded.
Kenosha County - Good snow continues to be elusive as recent snowfall was not enough to open area snowmobile trails. Cooler weather has led to ice formation on area lakes and anglers have reported success on both Lake Andrea and George Lake. Anglers report catching northern pike, largemouth bass and black crappies. Use caution when ice fishing as fluctuating temperatures has led to uneven ice formation. Open water anglers continue to be successful catching brown trout in Kenosha Harbor using spawn sacks near the bottom.
Walworth County - Lakes are starting to firm up, with most anglers reporting 3-5 inches of ice. Be cautious of areas that have snow cover as they typically have fewer inches of ice. Most anglers are targeting Pleasant Lake and Lake Como as they typically are the first to ice up. Anglers were open water fishing on Lake Geneva in early January and catching a good number of walleye.
Dodge County - Anglers on Beaver Dam Lake are having good success catching legal sized walleye. Any person venturing on to Beaver Dam Lake is advised to leave their vehicles and ATVs at the landing as ice conditions vary from 3- 6 inches. Ice heaves are not safe and there are many merging cracks. The goose hole on the south end will now be covered by snow, this area is extremely dangerous. Persons are advised to stay away from that area. Persons have been observed breaking through while walking. IF you are unfamiliar with the lake, ask at the local bait shop or talk to a local fisherperson at the landing before heading out.
Marathon County - Ice on most lakes and flowages has been around 10 to 12 inches, with less than that in the river channels. Fishing has slowed with people still catching some small panfish and a northern here and there. Those willing to work hard are finding some success. Anglers on the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir report 11 to 13 inches of ice depending on how close they are to the channel. Caution should still be used under and around bridges. Small perch and 13 to 14 inch walleye have been reported to be fairly consistent. Some crappies are showing up, with the biggest being caught with tip downs and minnows. Lake Wausau anglers report 11 to 12 inches of ice. Everyone reports marking lots of fish with their sonar's and underwater cameras, but getting them to bite is proving to be rather difficult. Ten to 11 inch crappies are reported as biting in the early morning on tip downs with minnows, but the bite seems to be short lived. Lake Dubay anglers report a good 12 inches of ice in the bays and backwaters, but say that the ice is very dangerous near the main river channel. Jigging spoons tipped with wax worms seem to be doing the best job of catching walleyes. Ice fishing action has been slow on Lake Wausau
Minocqua area fishing report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/minocquafishingreport.htm
Lake Michigan Fishing Report and tips
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/lmfishingtips.htm
Wausau Area fishing report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/wisconsinriverfishingreport.htm
Chippewa Flowage fishing report
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/chippewaflowagefishingreport.htm
Information compiled from the WDNR Outdoor report and private sources
