Wisconsin Outdoor Fishing Report 5/20/19
Fish have been very active on Lake Superior. Fisherman are coming off the big lake with their bags full of a variety of species. Crappies are biting on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage and bass should be hitting hard this weekend. Inland trout fishing has been quite good in spots in central Wisconsin.
Walleye runs on Lake Michigan tributaries have pretty much come to an end and fish have moved back out to the bay and most anglers have followed. Walleye fishing was slower along the west shore but anglers fishing out of Brown County were still reporting catching two to three fish. Fishing pressure was the highest of the year on the east shore with anglers fishing from Ellison Bay down to Sturgeon Bay. Those trolling for walleyes had a tough week but anglers jigging for walleyes managed to catch a few, with a few whitefish mixed in.
Nice weather over the weekend brought many anglers out of southeastern harbors. Anglers were spending all day out on the lake but, success was limited. Coho salmon were the main fish being caught along with a few lake trout were caught as well.
On Monday, May 20 DNR fisheries staff along with interested stakeholders will begin the process to shape the course of future fisheries management on Lake Michigan. Staff will present the latest Lake Michigan survey information and seek input on future fisheries management initiatives. The meeting will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lakeshore Technical College, Cleveland.
Northern Lake Michigan fisheries team report
On May 20 DNR fisheries staff along with interested stakeholders will begin the process to shape the course of future management on Lake Michigan. At this meeting, department staff will present the latest Lake Michigan survey information and stakeholders will contribute ideas and input on future fisheries management initiatives. The meeting will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. in the East Centennial Hall at Lakeshore Technical College, Cleveland.
Marinette County - Peshtigo River launches had light use this week with all 3 launches averaging 2 to 5 boat trailers. Walleye fishermen were fishing the mouth with little success, only a few walleyes were reported caught. Menominee River had moderate numbers at the launches this week with steady fishing being observed in the river. Anglers jigging and trolling were having some luck catching walleyes from the Menekaunee Bridge upstream to Marinette Marine. Only a few shore anglers were seen upstream from the Hwy. 41 bridge. The bay from Menominee River south to Peshtigo River saw steady fishing pressure all week. Walleye fishing was reported to be slow with most boats getting 0 to 2 fish. A few brown trout and northern pike were caught by walleye anglers. Anglers targeting brown trout had spotty fishing as most had no luck. - Scott Poquette, fisheries technician, Peshtigo
Oconto County - Oconto River had very little fishing pressure with a few anglers fishing walleyes in the lower section. The bay from Oconto Park II south to Pensaukee River launch had decent amounts of anglers over the weekend. However fishing for walleyes was reported to be slow with many anglers catching nothing. Boats that had luck were reporting 1 to 3 walleyes on average. Most boats were trolling crawler harnesses or crankbaits in 5 to 25 feet of water. - Scott Poquette, fisheries technician, Peshtigo
Brown County - There was very little fishing pressure on the Fox River off of Foxpoint and the fairground launches. On average there was only 5 to 7 boats using the launches. The boats that were targeting walleye had barely any luck. Most of the time they were catching sheepshead and a few white bass. People fishing from shore at Voyageur Park were catching sheepshead. The fishing pressure there has been light with only about 10 to 12 people. The metro boat launch was busy all week long. The boats that were trolling with night crawler harnesses were having the best luck. With averaging 2 to 3 walleyes being caught. The second dock was removed from the launch, and bring your boots since the water is high and is covering the beginning of the docks after the last rainfall. The Suamico boat launch has had heavy pressure all week long. On average boaters were bringing in 1 to 2 walleyes with the average size being 18 to 20 inches. The boaters that were trolling with night crawler harnesses were doing a little bit better than boats trolling with crankbaits or even just jigging. A few northern were being caught as well. Geano Beach launch had light pressure during the week, but on Saturday it had heavy usage. The walleye bite was slow with only 2 to 3 walleyes were being caught. Trolling with crankbaits was having better success than with night crawler harnesses here. - Brandon Wagester, fisheries technician, Green Bay
Door County - Weather conditions through the week were sunny with varying wind levels. Protected launches such a Chaudoir's dock and Bayshore Park had the most traffic. Angler effort was steady but slow with success rates mainly low. Anglers were focused on Walleye and Bass. Angler traffic at Potawatomi State Park was light early in the week with general weekend traffic in the park increased. Weekend angling pressure was low yet steady in numbers, however with little to no reported success. Little Sturgeon was quite popular for anglers wanting to launch into the less windy bay. Effort was steady with low reported success. Recreational boating was observed with general traffic increased over the weekend. - Rile Schultz, fisheries technician, Peshtigo
There is little fishing pressure along the Lake Michigan side of Door County the last week due to Northeast winds. The only port that had fishing pressure was Rowley's Bay. It appeared majority of the anglers went toward the Mink River. Reiboldt Creek had suckers in it early in the week, however, as the weekend came the suckers disappeared. Fishing pressure was the highest of the year on the Bayside. Anglers were found fishing from Ellison Bay all the way down to Sturgeon Bay. Shore fishing from Ephraim was producing smallmouth bass using live bait as well as jerk baits. Stone Quarry had the second highest fishing pressure this week with anglers having mixed results. The anglers trolling for walleyes had a tough week. While anglers jigging for walleyes managed to catch a few walleyes, with even a few whitefish mixed in yet. Smallmouth bass were caught out of the Stone Quarry launch as well. Although those anglers had to fish nearly all day to catch any smallmouth. Sawyer Park Launch had the highest fishing pressure of the year so far due to the Sturgeon Bay Bass Tournament. The two day total winning weight was 56.70 pounds. Anglers reported that water temps were ranged from 46 to 49 degrees in the canal. Smallmouth bass were difficult to catch for the anglers. Anglers fishing along the shore are still catching northern pike by Stone Harbor Resort. - Cody Flavionl, fisheries technician, Mishicot
Southern Lake Michigan fisheries team report
On May 20 DNR fisheries staff along with interested stakeholders will begin the process to shape the course of future management on Lake Michigan. At this meeting, department staff will present the latest Lake Michigan survey information and stakeholders will contribute ideas and input on future fisheries management initiatives. The meeting will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. in the East Centennial Hall at Lakeshore Technical College, Cleveland.
Sheboygan County - Wednesday morning was cloudy, cool, and breezy with Michigan waters mostly calm but hitting the north pier hard. Waters within the harbor were 56 degrees and turbid. The Pigeon River was 50 degrees and clear. A few anglers fished at the south pier, with reports of trout being caught earlier in the week. Friday morning was cloudy and chilly, but warmed up and cleared up by midday. Water within the harbor was 52 degrees and turbid. The Pigeon River remained at 50 degrees and clear. A couple of boaters and a few anglers were out fishing for trout, but no catches were recorded. Mother's Day evening was sunny with some clouds and mild. Michigan waters were mostly calm, turbid, and 58 degrees. The Pigeon River was 54 degrees and clear. The few anglers that were out fished on the Pigeon River, with the majority at Maywood Park. No catches were recorded. The Sheboygan River (56 degrees) seemed to be back to resting bank height and was mostly clear. One angler was fishing the river earlier, with no one fishing at Weedens Creek. No catches were recorded. Saturday evening was cloudy and fluctuated between chilly and mild. The Sheboygan River remained at 56 degrees and mostly clear. Several anglers were fishing, with most at River Wildlife. No catches were recorded. - Tim Urbaniak, fisheries technician, Milwaukee
Ozaukee County - Friday morning was chilly and mostly sunny. Waters at the power plant outflow were 56 degrees, with a significantly large flock of seagulls providing a casting hazard. Sauk Creek was 48 degrees, mostly clear and slightly up. A couple of anglers fished at the outflow, but no catches were recorded. Saturday night was cloudy and mild, with harbor waters at 58 degrees. More boat slips in the marina were being filled. Sauk Creek (52 degrees) was clear and at resting bank height. Submergent plants are gaining color. A couple of boats were out and a few anglers fished the outflow. The anglers at the outflow, targeting carp, caught six decently sized fish. Mother's Day night was cloudy, chilly, and breezy. The outflow was clear and 56 degrees. Sauk Creek was 52 degrees and clear. Although a couple of anglers were out, no catches were recorded. - Tim Urbaniak, fisheries technician, Milwaukee
Milwaukee County - Very few anglers were out on the Milwaukee River this week. Most anglers were targeting smallmouth bass but did not have a lot of success. Water temperatures were reading at 52 degrees. No angling effort was seen on the Menomonee River. It was another quiet week at McKinley, with only a small number of boats launching on any given day. Some boats that came in reported hit-or-miss success with browns in the harbor, while others reported no hits. The pier was also rather quiet but a few anglers were out trying their luck with no success. Only a couple anglers were seen fishing the north city shoreline over the weekend but reported no success. The South Shore Ramp saw more activity than the Bender Ramp, but both were quiet this weekend. Those coming in at South Shore reported no hits. The ramps are officially put in at both locations. Fishing pressure on Oak Creek have continued to decrease. Only a handful of anglers could be seen on the creek at any given time. Those that were out were targeting the last of the steelhead but were not having much luck. Angling efforts were relatively slow on the Oak Creek Power Plant pier and no fish were reported. - Jessica Grace Jenkins, fisheries technician, Milwaukee
Racine County - Fishing efforts this past week varied depending on the time during the week. Early in the week it was windy and fairly cold. This kept all fishermen off of the lake expect for a few brave souls who tried their luck on the piers. Over the weekend, activity picked up as the weather improved. Activity on the Root River has still been very low as there is very few fish left in the river. There doesn't seem to be any steelhead remaining in the river as none have been reported in quite some time. Of the little activity that remains on the river, the majority continues to come at the Horlick Dam. Nobody seems to be fishing below the steelhead facility anymore. The few people who have fished the river over the past week haven't had any success. The river conditions don't necessarily help the cause. Water levels on the river remain very high and the water is moving very quickly. Water visibility is low as well. The water was about 52 degrees. Racine Harbors and Piers fishing activity early in the week were low. It was very windy and cold early in the week, which made fishing conditions poor. Waves were crashing into and over the piers on a frequent basis, which kept most anglers home. The few anglers who did attempt to fish didn't have any luck. The nicer weather over the weekend brought more people to the shores and piers, but any fish hookups or catches remain ed to be seen. The bathrooms and cleaning station along South Shore Pier on Christopher Columbus Causeway are now open. Just like on the shores and piers, fishing activity at the Racine ramp was very low early in the week due to the bad weather. Over the weekend though, the weather improved. This brought many anglers out to play. Several boat trailers were parked at the Pershing Park boat ramp on Saturday. Anglers were spending all day out on the lake but, success was limited. Boats were only bringing in three fish per boat at the most and some of these boats had three or four people on them. Coho salmon were the main fish being caught but, the coho that were caught were small. A few lake trout were caught as well. The water temperature at the boat ramp was 50 degrees. - Andrew Krecak, fisheries technician, Sturtevant
Kenosha County - Fishing activity early in the week was very low. The weather was poor which made for very rough fishing conditions. Very few people fished the piers and shores, while no trailers were spotted at the ramp. The improved weather over the weekend brought a few more fishermen to the piers and shores as well as a few trailers to the ramp. Fishing activity on the Pike River was absent regardless of the time of the week or the weather conditions. Anglers have taken their fishing efforts either to the piers and shores or out on boats. Water levels on the river remain very high. Water current also remains high while the water clarity is low. The temperature of the river was 54 degrees. Fishing activity along the Kenosha piers and shores was low early in the week. It was much too windy and cold to make fishing enjoyable. A few anglers were reported but they had no luck. Over the weekend, more anglers tried their luck as the weather conditions improved. The improved weather conditions wouldn't matter though, as still no fish were caught. Fishing activity was absent at the Kenosha ramp early in the week as it was much too windy and cold to fish. A few boat trailers were reported at the Kenosha ramp over the weekend though as the weather improved. The boats here didn't have as much luck as the boats up in Racine. No fish were reported being caught out of the Kenosha ramp. The water temperature was around 50 degrees at the Kenosha ramp as well. - Andrew Krecak, fisheries technician, Sturtevant
