DNR Outdoor Report Update, August 13, 2015 -- Rain keeps northern rivers flowing; pier fishing good at Lake Michigan harbors; third cougar sighting confirmed in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for August 6, 2015
Complete DNR Outdoor Report (Reports from conservation wardens, wildlife and fisheries staff and property managers from around the state)
Rain keeps northern rivers flowing; pier fishing good at Lake Michigan harbors; third cougar sighting confirmed in Wisconsin
Up to an inch and a half of rain in some areas of northern Wisconsin have brought river levels back up and seasonal summer temperatures in the last week have been providing good water recreation conditions. Both forks of the Flambeau River and the Bois Brule River continue to provide good late summer paddling conditions. The lower Wisconsin River is running at about normal seasonal levels.
With the variable weather, fishing success has also continued to be quite variable across the Northwoods. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass have provided a little more consistency in the last week, but action still could only be considered fair. Musky activity continued to be a hit or miss proposition. Some days seem to produce a lot of follows and hits, and other days would show barely a hint of activity. Walleye fishing has been slow, but panfish success has been fair with decent crappie and bluegill catches still being made. Anglers on the Chippewa Flowage were doing well with musky, bass and panfish.
On Green Bay, the walleye bite on the west shore from Pensaukee to Oconto remains good. Walleye anglers launching from the Green Bay Metro launch also had decent catch rates. On the east shore, anglers have been having the success targeting the reefs and islands off of Egg Harbor, off Henderson Point and Larsons Reef and the Chaudoir's Dock area saw great action on walleye and perch. Yellow perch anglers were also catching increased numbers of fish at Duck Creek and Sawyer Harbor perch numbers and sizes continue to grow.
On Lake Michigan fishing has been up and down in the last week. Poor weather kept some anglers off the piers, but when weather cooperated pier fishing activity was high, with Algoma and Kewaunee piers productive for brown and rainbow trout and chinook salmon. Piers were also busy at Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Milwaukee where 55-65 anglers were fishing McKinley Pier on the weekend, with the majority of fish landed being chinook salmon along with coho and a few brown trout.
DNR biologists have confirmed a third cougar sighting in northern Wisconsin in the past few weeks. A trail camera photo of a cougar taken July 19 from a Marinette County landowner was taken 10 days after and approximately 60 miles east of two confirmed Langlade County cougar sightings.
Right on schedule, squirrels and chipmunks are busy harvesting black walnuts, acorns, hazel nuts, and hickory nuts. The acorn crop in southwestern Wisconsin appears to be above average, especially white oak acorns.
Canada geese have finished molting and the young are flying and birds are starting to flock up in cut winter wheat fields. Early grouse broods are almost reaching the size of the adults. Many monarchs have been spotted on state wildlife areas. Wasps have started to mass at the hummingbird feeders as well as the hummingbirds.
Harebell, wild bergamot, common milkweed, water smartweed, rabbits foot clover, marsh hedge nettle, the water lilies, some of the aster varieties, orange hawkweed and wooly yarrow are flowering. Prairie blazing star is blooming, giving contrast to the many yellow flowers such as goldenrods, prairie dock, compass-plant, and black- and brown-eyed Susan. Blueberries and raspberries are nearing an end in the north, but many areas are reporting blackberries are ripening and good crops are being seen in many locations.
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Outdoor Report editors:
Paul Holtan, DNR Office of Communications, Madison, 608-267-7517
Charlie Nettesheim, DNR Office of Communications, Madison, 608-267-0541