Wisconsin Outdoor Report as of September 20, 2007

Please check on the "Previous outdoor reports" link if it appears this is an outdated Outdoor Report. The DNR Outdoor Report is updated every Thursday at noon.

Click on State Park Current Conditions Reports to check on current conditions at various Wisconsin State Parks, Trails and Forests.

Click here to reach the Wisconsin Department of Tourism Web site (exit DNR).

For current statewide information on statewide fall color, log onto the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Fall Color Report (exit DNR).

GENERAL | Northern Region | Northeast Region | Southeast Region | South Central Region | West Central Region | VHS Update

Fall colors continue to progress, just in time for the first day of fall on Sunday. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism Fall Color Report (exit DNR) now has a few areas of the north at 50 to 75 percent color, but most areas are still at the 25 to 50 percent range. Some leaves have already fallen due to the extended dry late summer and the heavy freeze that occurred in much of the area on Sept. 15. Peak fall color in the south is still four to six weeks away.

Anglers are finding improved action with the water temperatures cooling and the seasonable progression to fall. Bass fishing has been good, while musky anglers were finding fish more eager to strike. Fishing pressure has reduced on nearly all waters across the Northwoods. Musky have been active at all times of the day and most anglers were reporting some sort of action. The most successful baits have been bucktails and jerk baits, but live suckers are just starting to get some attention. Walleye have begun to get more active with the cooling water temperatures and more anglers are starting to target this species as the fall pattern begins to set in. Northern pike fishing has been good, with the cool water temperatures continuing to favor this species. Panfish success has been fair, with some bluegill and crappie showing up along the deeper weed edges.

Fishing on Lake Michigan and Green Bay was slow this past week. Low temps and high winds with 3- to 5-foot waves made just getting out extremely difficult. Those anglers who ventured out were returning with a good mix of mature salmon that were beginning to show signs of the upcoming spawning run and some good catches of smaller non-mature chinooks. Pier anglers had a fair week of fishing landing some large chinooks and an occasional rainbow trout. Chinook salmon have begun moving up the Milwaukee River up to the Estabrook Dam in Milwaukee County. Many of the other major salmon and trout rivers currently have low flows.

Quite a few squirrel hunters were out over opening weekend on the public hunting grounds having fair success. Grouse flushes were reported by early season hunters and the declining vegetation is providing a better view in the forest under story. Waterfowl season in the northern duck zone opens this Saturday, Sept. 22 as does the woodcock season. Interest in pursuing the “timberdoodle,” as woodcock is also known, remains high in Wisconsin with more than 19,000 woodcock hunters spending 72,000 days in the field in 2006. Wisconsin ranks second in the nation for woodcock harvest at almost 43,000 birds.

Archery deer hunters welcomed the season opener and many were taking advantage of the opportunity to be in the woods to hunt their traditional areas or scout new ground. Some buck scrapes are being found in the woods and some bucks with well polished antlers are also being observed.

Bull elk from the Clam Lake elk herd have been bugling, with the elk rut entering the "tending stage." The best time to hear bulls bugle is at dawn. Visitors to the area are asked to watch out for traffic when stopping along highways and to watch out for elk crossing the highway.

Pregnant bears should be entering their dens anytime now, sows with cubs will follow soon after, males and young bears will enter their dens last. Sandhill cranes are being seen in larger flocks as they prepare for migration. A pure white hummingbird was sighted in Watertown last week, which is a rare sighting. Fall flowers showing off in the prairie now include asters and goldenrod.

NORTHERN REGION

Superior DNR Service Center area

Brule River State Forest - Last Friday night/Saturday morning brought the first hard frost to the Brule area. The fall colors are starting to put on a show in the northern area of Douglas County….just in time for the first day of fall on Sunday. According to one of the DNR pilots, northern Douglas County is at 10 to 25 percent for fall colors (depending on elevation). Solon Springs area is reported to be around 15 percent and south of Gordon is reported to not have any color change yet. Other signs of fall include acorns falling -- the acorn crop is reported to be spotty, but not bad – and Canada geese still migrating through the area. The peak of the migration should be in the next week or two. Warm weather may keep these birds around a little longer, especially if there is plenty of food such as fresh grass and waste grain. Some rain came through the Brule area last Monday and Tuesday adding up to 1.21 inches bringing the September total to 1.84 inches of rain so far. The average September precipitation is 3.68 inches. More precipitation is forecasted later today. A Hawthorne, Wisconsin angler had quite a surprise the morning of Sept.19 when he brought in a 23-pound, 2 ounce northern pike measuring 46 inches from Lake Nebagamon. It took him 25 minutes just to bring the fish in. The net in the boat was not large enough to land the fish so a companion reached over the boat and grabbed the fish by the gills. He is having the fish mounted. Anglers are reminded that the inland trout season closes Sept. 30. The Bois Brule River trout season will close on this date from it's headwaters in Solon Springs to Highway 2 in Brule. The stretch of the Bois Brule River from Highway 2 to Lake Superior will remain open until Nov. 15. The Bear hunting season is reported to be on track so far for Douglas County. So far 80 to 90 bear have been harvested. Pregnant bears should be entering their dens anytime now, sows with cubs will follow soon after, males and young bears will enter their dens last. The estimated season harvest is expected to be 130 to 150 bear. The grouse season is looking good so far. Early reports are showing plenty of birds. Hunters are waiting for the leaves to fall for the better hunting.

Hayward DNR Service Center area

A hard freeze on Sept. 15 turned road side vegetation brown. Leaves are turning but still pre-peak. Bull elk have been bugling. Harems are spread across the core range of the Clam Lake elk herd and the "gathering stage" of the elk rut is changing over to the "tending stage." Some visitors have been seeing and hearing elk along Hwy 77 west of Clam Lake between the Ashland/Sawyer County Line and intersection with CTH S, and along CTH GG south of Hwy 77 near the Torch River. Best time to hear bulls bugle is at dawn. Watch out for traffic when stopping along highways and watch out for elk crossing the highway while traveling through the area.

Park Falls DNR Service Center area

The weather forecast calls for warm conditions with some rain this week with warm nighttime temperatures. Anglers are finding improved action with the water temperatures cooling and the seasonable progression to fall. Bass fishing has been good in the area, while musky anglers were finding fish more eager to strike. Archery hunters welcomed the season opener and many are taking advantage of the opportunity to be in the woods to hunt their traditional areas or scout new ground. Fall colors continue to progress and many leaves have fallen due to the extended dry late summer and the heavy freeze that occurred in much of the area. Some grouse flushes were reported by early season hunters and the declining vegetation is providing a better view in the forest under story. Bear hunters are having fair success hunting over bait as the bear season continues. Turkey broods continue to be visible in open fields taking advantage of grasshoppers and other late season insects. Some buck scrapes are being found in the woods and some bucks with well polished antlers are also being observed. Waterfowl season in the northern duck zone opens Saturday Sept. 22. Woodcock season also opens on Saturday. Some geese can be seen flying in formation as they travel between feeding and resting areas and begin staging for flights south. Enjoy the fall colors while taking the opportunity to enjoy your favorite fall activity.

Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) -With most of the major hunting seasons now open, fishing pressure was much reduced on nearly all waters across the Northwoods. However, angling success has been good and musky continued to be the highlighted species. Musky have been active at all times of the day and most anglers were reporting some sort of action -- follows, short hits, swirls and a fair amount of catching. The most successful baits have been bucktails and jerk baits, but live suckers are just starting to get some attention. Most of the musky have been in the 30 to 38 inch size, but fish up into 40-inch size have also been reported. Walleye have begun to get more active with the cooling water temperatures and more anglers are starting to target this species as the fall pattern begins to set in. Walleye have been showing up in shallow water and along weed lines during the late afternoon hours, with crank baits and minnows producing some decent catches. Look for this pattern to develop further as we continue into fall. Bass fishing continued to be erratic with the recent cold front chasing a lot of the fish to deeper water. The best success has come in the mid to late afternoon hours, after the sun is fully up and warmed the water a few degrees. Largemouth have been more consistent than smallmouth, with the most productive baits have been finesse plastics and smaller crank baits. These have been fished over mid-depth cover, near weed edges, woody structure, or bog edges - with the best action occurring in the afternoon on the warmer days. Northern pike fishing has been good, with the cool water temperatures continuing to favor this species. Spinner baits fished in or near any weeds has provided some great action. Panfish success has been fair, with some bluegill and crappie showing up along the deeper weed edges. Most lakes, flowages and rivers remain at very low levels and water temperatures have dropped to the low 60s on the larger lakes and to the upper 50s on the smaller lakes. This has gotten some of the aquatic vegetation to die back and weed beds have begun to shrink. With a hard frost occurring on Sept. 15, most of the emergent vegetation got hit hard and is done growing for the year.

NORTHEAST REGION

Peshtigo DNR Service Center area

Marinette County - Fall colors are on parade in the northeastern corner of the state. The sumac, maples and beech are deep red and yellow. Asters are in bloom and some apple trees that did not drop their fruit early have full branches. A hard frost hit the northern portion of the county last week with temps in the high 20s overnight one night. Scattered rain and a beautiful weekend is expected. The waterfall tour would be a great detour this weekend with the fall colors along the roadways. Some whitetail bucks still in velvet have been showing up in the fields near dark.. The Menominee River hook and line sturgeon season continues with some sturgeon being caught below the dam in Menominee, but no legal sturgeon registered at MBK Sport shop as of yet. Good action has been reported for brown trout and coho in the river. They have been biting on spawn sacs, cleos and tail wobblers. Best attractant colors were silver and blue or chartreuse and silver. Crappies continue to bite on minnows and grubs. Bass were popping on large minnows and stick baits. The Menominee River is cooling at this time causing the walleye action to pick up also. A few salmon and brown trout were also being caught on the Peshtigo River.

Oconto County - Anglers have been catching some brown trout and chinook at the Oconto breakwater. A few perch were coming out of the Oconto harbor. Small brown trout were being caught at the Stiles dam. Turkey hunters are enjoying the great weather along with archery deer hunters. Remember tree stands must be removed everyday from public hunting grounds and are required to be labeled on public lands.

Green Bay DNR Service Center area

Brown County - Fishing on the bay was extremely slow this past week. Low temps and high winds made just getting out extremely difficult. Hardly any perch were reported this past week although fish were still found outside of Chaudoir’s and Bay Shore parks when conditions allowed getting out. Some nice northern pike in the 30- to 40-inch range showed up in Little Sturgeon Bay. These fish were nice and fat in the 15-pound range. Rumor has it the king salmon are just starting to move their way to shallower water on their way to spawning grounds. Although no kings were reported, the next few weeks should yield some shore and offshore action in the canal near sturgeon bay. Favorite baits include spinners and spoons with either red or orange color variations. A few perch continue to show up along duck creek outside of green bay, although the majority of these fish are small. Drum, gobies, and the occasional catfish also have been reported throughout the bay.

Manitowoc County - Salmon anglers in Manitowoc had a fair week fishing this past week. Anglers that were able to get out on the lake trolling just offshore had some success harvesting some nice chinook salmon. Anglers have been returning with a good mix of mature salmon that were beginning to show signs of the upcoming spawning run and some good catches of smaller non-mature chinooks. Although angler fishing effort inside the harbor picked up substantially this past week, few fish were harvested. Pier anglers had a fair week of fishing with successful anglers using spoons. Two Rivers salmon anglers had a fair week of fishing harvesting chinook salmon just outside the harbor and a few inside the piers. Anglers had the most action trolling between 35-60 feet of water with either bright colored spoons or fly and flasher combinations. Salmon anglers fishing from inside the harbor were out in higher numbers this week casting spoons or fishing with spawn sacs off the bottom. Anglers fishing from the piers had a fair week landing some large chinooks and an occasional rainbow trout. A reminder to those anglers fishing in tributary streams, fishing is now prohibited from half a hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise and hooks must have a gape size less than 1/2 inch measured from the point to the shank.

Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area

Door County - Overall another nice week, with bright sunny skies and seasonable temperatures; strong winds, however, made for difficult boating conditions. Please remember that there are still burning bans in effect in portions of Door County, with some areas requiring permits, be careful with fire. The action out on Lake Michigan was not very good this week with the strong winds and 3 to 5 foot waves keeping most anglers off the big lake. Those anglers able to get out on the lake reported that there were still good numbers of fish to be caught. Anglers fishing the Bank Reef brought in some fish trolling spoons and fly and dodger combinations 75 to 85 feet down in 80 to 120 feet of water. Anglers trolling in the calmer waters of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal also reported success, as did anglers fishing the piers on the Lake Michigan end of the canal and along the canal shore. Conditions were much the same in the Baileys Harbor area with most anglers staying inside the protected areas of the bay. Washington Island, Ellison Bay and Rowley’s Bay also reported a few fish taken by anglers fishing in the more protected areas. Anglers fishing the protected areas of Little Sturgeon Bay, Riley’s Bay and the Sturgeon Bay flats reported some success on smallmouth bass using tube jigs and goby imitating baits. When the winds allowed, the deeper structure off of Sherwood and Henderson points were producing some nice smallmouth as were the steeper shores along the north end of the county. Tube jigs and goby imitating baits continue to be productive for the smallmouth. As the wind conditions permitted, some nice walleyes were reportedly taken on crank baits and crawler harnesses fished in 17 to 25 feet of water around Larsen’s Reef, Monument Shoals and the areas around Hat, Strawberry and Chambers Islands. Perch fishing seems to be picking up although the fish remain scattered. As in the past, the waters off of Chaudoir’s dock, as well as Little Sturgeon and Sand Bay were producing some perch, along with the weed edges between the bridges in Sturgeon Bay and along the buoy line from the Bay View Bridge to the Sturgeon Bay ship canal. Minnows fished under a slip bobber were the bait of choice for most perch anglers, who were also catching lots of sun fish. Again this week northern pike fishing was good to very good. Crank baits along with jerk baits and various spoons fished along the weed beds in front of the marines and along the channel in Sturgeon Bay, as well as from Little Sturgeon, Riley’s and Sand Bays all produced some big northerns.

Kewaunee County - Weather this past week has been filled with some rain and winds out the west for most of the week. Water temperatures out in the lake have become fairly uniform from the surface down. Anglers fishing off of the piers in Algoma and Kewaunee have had another nice week of fishing. Kings have been caught in some fairly good numbers all week and some browns and rainbows are being caught as well. Casting with spoons or crankbaits has been the best tackle, but spawn sacs have been working as well. Anglers that have been trolling out on the lake have been coming in with some fish, but it has been tough fishing out on the lake this last week. Most boats were coming in with kings, but there have been some browns, cohos, and steelhead being caught as well. Anglers this week found most of the fish out in water of depths between 80 and 100 feet with fish being caught anywhere from the surface all the way down to 100 feet. The best choice for tackle has been fly and dodger combos as well as dipsies. Spoons and plugs have also been working well this week.

SOUTHEAST REGION

Lake Michigan fisheries team report

Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan, fishing in the Pigeon River has been slow, but on the Sheboygan River anglers have taken a few chinooks and coho on spoons downstream near the 8th Street launch and at the base of the south pier. Water levels remain low on both rivers. The lake side of the south pier has also produced a few coho and browns on spoons in gold or green & silver. Trollers working in and around the Sheboygan harbor have been catching a few chinooks and rainbows on crankbaits or J-plugs.

Ozaukee County - Shore anglers in Port Washington have been catching good numbers of chinooks, along with occasional coho and browns, on spawn sacs in the west slip. A few coho have also been caught off the pier on spoons, crankbaits, and alewives. Trollers in Port Washington have been sticking close to the harbor, with chinooks and browns taken in 20 to 30 feet of water on J-plugs or spoons.

Milwaukee County - Shore anglers in Milwaukee have been catching few chinooks and browns on green crankbaits or orange & silver spoons off McKinley pier. Water levels are quite low on all Milwaukee tributaries, and there have been very few reports of salmon in the rivers. Trolling action in Milwaukee has been relatively slow recently. When the lake is rough, most boats have been trolling in the harbor and have only managed to catch a few browns. On better days, chinooks have been hitting in 50 to 70 feet of water off the filtration plant.

Racine County - In Racine shore anglers have been catching a few browns and chinooks off the piers. Both spoons and crankbaits have occasionally taken fish. Trollers working around the harbor mouth and in the Root River have been catching some chinooks, along with a few brown trout, on spoons and J-plugs in blue or green. On the Root River, the water level remains relatively low, but anglers have been catching chinooks and a few steelhead from the deeper holes in Quarry Lake Park and Lincoln Park. Black and orange flies have been the most productive. Anglers in the downstream stretches of the Root River have found chinooks and occasional brown trout from Washington Park down to the Main Street bridge. The Root River Steelhead Facility will be in operation tentatively starting Monday, Sept. 24.

Kenosha County - Shore fishing in Kenosha has been slow. A few chinooks have been caught on spoons fished off the beach near the mouth of the Pike River. Good numbers of fish can be seen in the harbor, but getting them to bite has been difficult. On the Pike River, water levels remain low and fishing has been slow. Kenosha trollers have been catching a few chinooks in 40 to 60 feet of water off the mouth of the Pike River. Fish have been hitting spoons and J-plugs in green or silver.

Inland fisheries team report

Fishing remains good in the region. The fish are slowly transitioning from summer to fall patterns. Chinook salmon are moving up the Milwaukee River in good numbers up to the Estabrook Dam in Milwaukee County. Flows are stable and water is increasingly clearer with the advent of cooler water temperatures. Steelhead are also present in lesser numbers. Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good along the Milwaukee River in Washington, Ozaukee and Milwaukee counties. Fish are running on the small side.

Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Panfish action has improved. Some nice perch and bluegills were being taken at Big Cedar Lake using small ice fishing jigs and a small piece of night-crawler. Northern pike and largemouth bass action was good on Little Cedar Lake as well. Few reports have been coming in from other lakes but, successful anglers are often quiet about good action. The Onion River is in great shape for late season trout fishing.

Waukesha County - Fishing continued to be good across Waukesha County. Bass and northern pike were still being caught in a number of area lakes in spite of the recent cool weather. Slow presentations have been the most productive. Good numbers of bluegills and a few nice crappies were also caught over the last week in Waukesha County.

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Fitchburg DNR Service Center area

Jefferson County - Water levels have dropped significantly on the upper Rock and Crawfish rivers due to recent dry weather. Emergency slow-no-wake restrictions have been taken off the rivers in Jefferson County as well as Rock Lake. Goose and archery deer hunters have not had to battle as many mosquitoes in the mornings due to the cooler weather but the afternoons and evenings have been a different story. A few archery deer were registered over the weekend with most being antlerless deer due to earn-a-buck requirements. Quite a few squirrel hunters were out over opening weekend on the public hunting grounds having fair success. The leaves on trees and shrubs are limiting hunters’ success more than the mosquitoes. A pure white hummingbird was sighted in Watertown last week: a rare sighting. A picture of the bird was printed in the Watertown Daily Times.

WEST CENTRAL REGION

Eau Claire DNR Service Center area

Brunet Island State Park - The open water game fish action has been good. Bass action on small minnows has been productive; walleye action has been good with live baits. Panfish action has been fair. Species of birds seen or heard include: ravens, rose-breasted grosbeaks, loons, a variety of wrens, phoebes, turkey vultures, northern juncos, piliated woodpeckers, great horned and barred owls, osprey, bald eagles, Canada geese and belted kingfishers. Wintergreen, common mullein, white snakeroot, Joe Pye weed, the pale and spotted jewelweed, rabbits foot clover, some of the aster varieties are flowering. The park will be undertaking a major road renovation project from early September to mid-October. Existing pavement on nearly all park roads and parking areas will be ground up and new pavement will be placed over it. The main park road will be widened slightly to accommodate a bicycle/pedestrian lane. All work will be done during daytime Mondays through Fridays.

Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area - - Fall is fast approaching and the Reserve is starting to see the start of leaf color. Many of the summer birds have already left while Canadian geese and Sandhill cranes can be seen in large flocks as they prepare for migration. Fall is the best time for hiking, and as trees lose their leaves, the Reserve’s glacial features can be seen more easily. Fishing luck has varied but some anglers have had good luck on Reserve lakes. Stop at the Interpretive Center for a free lakes book detailing access, type, and lake information. A pair of Broad-winged hawks have been seen on the Reserve along with cedar waxwings, red-eyed vireos, and eastern wood peewee’s. Fall flowers showing off in the prairie now include flat-topped asters, New England asters, and Canada goldenrod. Monarch butterflies are attracted to asters and we saw many more of them this year, along with other species of butterflies. For people who prefer camping away from the crowds, there are three outpost campsites within the Reserve. Two are located fairly close to the Interpretive Center and are within easy access of a parking area. One is located farther out in the Reserve and is easily accessible in by canoe or boat. Amenities include a fire ring and open pit toilet. All are located near water. Camping fees are $10 per night. Register at the Center for campsites.

Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area

Buckhorn State Park - The trees are starting to change along Highway 58. Mosquitoes have returned but are still not as bad as in June. The park is open for early and late bow seasons. Deer can be registered at the park office when it is staffed. New hunting maps are available at the park office and on the park Web site for parkland, buckhorn wildlife area (formerly area A), and yellow river wildlife area (formerly area B). The yellow river wildlife area (area B) is open to everything in the regulations. Buckhorn wildlife (area A) is open for small game, waterfowl, trapping, and deer bow hunting. Canoes and kayaks are still available for renting. There are 6 non-reservable/first-come sites. Check out the new signs on the barrens nature trail. The trail is great for bird watching. Take photos of the wildflowers, wildlife, sunsets, people using the park, etc. for the annual photo contest. Deadline for the photo contest is Sept 30.

Roche-A-Cri State Park - Come and enjoy the quiet campground setting. Many late summer wildflowers are in bloom in the woodlands and prairies, including Goldenrod and Aster. Deer and Turkeys have been abundant throughout the park. Take an evening hike and listen to the owls, coyotes, and turkey vultures of Roche-A-Cri. A hike to the top of the Roche-A-Cri Mound will reveal that a few maple and ash trees in the area have begun their fall foliage color change. The 2007 photo contest is underway, but the September 30th deadline is closing in! The Roche-A-Cri Woods state natural area east of state highway 13 is open for hunting.

VHS fish disease update for Sept. 20, 2007

Wild Rose Fish Hatchery got the green light this week to stock brown trout after meeting all the new requirements imposed to reduce the risk of accidentally spreading viral hemorrhagic septicemia. No DNR-raised fish or hatchery water supply in Wisconsin has tested positive for VHS, but DNR and the state agriculture department are requiring VHS testing before fish can be stocked from any DNR hatchery. The old Wild Rose hatchery, like two other state hatcheries, must meet additional requirements because they were quarantined by the agriculture department because they had received fish or eggs from the Lake Winnebago system, where VHS was unexpectedly detected in early May.

Steve Fajfer, hatchery superintendent, reports the following numbers of fish were stocked out in the last two weeks at these locations:

• On Sept. 18 - 17,403 were stocked in Kenosha Harbor and 13,000 in two Rivers Harbor
• On Sept. 14 - 18,687 were stocked in Kenosha, 13,384 in Two Rivers harbor, and 9,890 in Kewaunee harbor.
• On Sept. 13 - 19,636 were stocked near Pigeon River in Sheboygan County.
• On Sept. 12 - 21,020 were stocked in Port Washington Harbor.

Some of these fish were originally planned to be transferred to other facilities for further rearing, but were stocked out instead because VHS restrictions meant transfers were not allowed. The old Wild Rose hatchery does not have the capacity to raise all the fish it hatches to yearling size.