Wisconsin Outdoor Report as of February 16, 2006

Please click on the "Current Issue" link to the left if it appears this is an outdated Outdoor Report. The DNR Outdoor Report is updated every Thursday at noon. Previous outdoor reports are also available on-line.

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General | Northern Region | Northeast Region | Southeast Region | South Central Region | West Central Region

As of midday Thursday, southern and central Wisconsin were locked in one of the biggest snowstorms of this winter, with upwards of a foot of snow expected across some parts of the state, with lesser amounts to the north and far southeast. Many state parks and forests are expected to groom cross-country ski trails when the snow ends, and trails will likely be open and in good to excellent condition by Friday afternoon. Many counties may also open snowmobile trails. Snowmobile trails are opened on a county by county basis, with local snowmobile clubs that maintain trails determining when the trail will open. Contact county officials to find out if trails are open. Both snowmobilers and skiers should refrain from using trails until they are officially opened. Using ski trails before they are groomed can make grooming more difficult and using snowmobile trails before they are opened can damage trail surfaces. Call ahead to destinations to find out if and when trails will open.

Ice conditions continued to vary greatly across Wisconsin, but they may improve with colder temperatures in the forecast. However, with the news snow, anyone venturing out onto ice in the south should use extreme caution. Many lakes had open water or very thin ice, and the new snow will insulate the lakes from the frigid temperatures in the forecast. It will be very difficult to determine which areas have thin ice. In the north, many lakes still have heavy slush conditions. Anglers should be aware of the slush buildup around shanties and consider lifting their shanty off the ice before the below zero temperatures freeze the base to the ice making removal difficult.

Fishing activity may slow this weekend with the colder. In the north, crappie were suspending off the bottom in many lakes but some fish are also being caught near the bottom. Tip-ups continued to produce some walleye action but catches have been limited. Perch were beginning to move into the shallower weed edges with both small minnows and jigs producing action.

In the south, lakes that have good ice were receiving lots of fishing pressure. Panfish fishing has generally been good early in the morning, with some crappie action at dusk and into darkness. Game fishing has generally been slow, but some lakes have given up nice northern pike up to 10 pounds. Open water trollers continued to catch some walleye on Geneva Lake. Ice anglers were reporting some success on Dane County waters last week. All lakes have some areas of open water, with Mendota having the most. Perch and some bluegills were biting on Lake Waubesa. A few perch, crappies, and large bluegills were coming from Lake Kegonsa. Mendota tip-up anglers have been getting Northerns but walleye fishing is slow all over.

Cracks and open water continue to be a problem for sturgeon spearers traveling on Lake Winnebago. There is a wide range of ice depths and water clarity reports. Spearers registered only five sturgeon on the Tuesday, the fourth day of the season, bringing the total to just 75 fish since the season opened Saturday.

On Green Bay, fishing pressure increased by the end of last week. A yellow perch were caught at the Oconto harbor, Dykesville, Little Sturgeon Bay, Chaudoir's Dock and at Rite's Cove.

The Mississippi River water stage slowly rose again this week to 8.9 feet by the end of this week. The main channel was beginning to ice over again at La Crosse and was full of ice chunks at Prairie du Chien. Anglers who were still able to access the river reported sauger bit very well at certain times on some days.

Coyotes have been very vocal at night as they are near the peak of their breeding season. Owls are still calling, but many great horned owls have now begun nesting. Prior to the snowstorm, flocks of bluebirds were being seen in the south and great blue herons had returned to southern counties where they are fishing on lakes with open waters.

NORTHERN REGION

Superior DNR Service Center area

Brule River State Forest  The forest received a couple dustings of snow but no large measurable amounts. The Afterhours Ski Trail is in the best shape that it has been in all season. Skiers are not the only ones out on the trails &various wildlife and their tracks can be seen on the trails. Wolf tracks are being seen and also a badger decided to dig a hole next to the trail, sending sand over the trail. The temperatures are expected to cool off very shortly. The weekend high temperatures are expected to be in the single digits above zero and lows below zero. The Brule River State Forest Afterhours Candlelight Ski event was once again a success. Around 150 skiers showed up for the 2 1/4 miles of lit up trails, hot cocoa/cider, the bonfire, and conversation. Saturday Feb. 18 the Timber Cruise Cross Country Ski Race will be taking place at the Afterhours Ski Trail. Registration is from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Brule Town Hall. There will be a 16k classic race, a 32k freestyle race, and a 16k freestyle race. The trails will be open for non-racers around 1:30 p.m. Brule River Riders Snowmobile Trail Report for Douglas County as of Feb 14 was that most trails were groomed and in mostly good condition with many excellent stretches and some occasional icy corners/hills. Most trails will be groomed again later in the week.

Pattison State Park  Cross-country ski conditions are very good. As of Feb. 11 there was 1 inch of new snow on top of a 5-inch base. Trails were last groomed Feb. 10.

Ashland DNR Service Center area

Copper Falls State Park - As of Feb. 9, the park had 14 inches of snow cover, with good skiing and snowshoeing conditions. Ice fishing has been slow. Birders have been seeing owls in the north. Some campsites in north campground are open for winter camping.

Park Falls DNR Service Center area

Cold temperatures and snow in the forecast equal good trail conditions for the upcoming weekend. Temperatures are forecast to be some of the coldest lows of the winter late this week. Snowmobilers and skiers planning excursions this weekend should dress for extreme cold conditions if the weather forecast is correct. Dress in layers and bring along some hot fluids for refreshments. Ice conditions should also improve with the below zero temperatures firming up some of the heavy slush conditions on many of the area lakes. Stay on the marked trails when operating snowmobiles across water bodies. Fishing activity may slow this weekend with the below zero temperatures. Anglers may have better success before and after the cold front passes. Crappie are suspending off the bottom in many lakes but some fish are also being caught near the bottom. Vary the depths of your presentations until locating the fish. When fishing the cold front try smaller slower presentations to coax the fish into biting. Tip-ups continue to produce some walleye action but catches have been limited. Late afternoon continues to provide more action. Anglers should be aware of the slush buildup around shanties and consider lifting their shanty off the ice before the below zero temperatures freeze the base to the ice making removal difficult. With ice thickness much less than average for this time of year conditions will change quickly and early removal of shanties may be necessary before the March 15 deadline for lakes north of Highway 64. Fox and coyote trapping season closes Feb. 15.

Woodruff DNR Service Center area

Snowmobilers and cross-country skiers are enjoying the recently added snow on trails in the Lakeland area. There is more snow predicted for this week which should freshen up the trails. Colder temperatures are also predicted which should help firm up slush conditions on area lakes. Walleyes and crappies are now found about 2 to 4 feet off the bottom. Perch are beginning to move into the shallower weed edges with both small minnows and jigs producing action. Although it is still the middle of winter, bald eagles are beginning their return to the northland so that they can claim territories and begin repair of their nests. In addition, black bear cubs are beginning their entrance into the world. Birds are consuming larger quantities of food this time of year. Help them out by keeping your feeders free of ice and snow. In addition, birds tend to feed heavily before a storm. Owls are livening up the woods at night with their calls. The great horned owls are now nesting.

Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest  Cross-country ski trails are in good to very good condition. On Feb. 10, the McNaughton skate loop was rolled and other loops rolled and tracked. All Madeline loops were tracked. All Escanaba loops were tracked. Raven trail was groomed Feb. 12, following a great candlelight ski event Saturday night. The weather cooperated with some nice temperatures. Some snow is in the forecast for later in the week. If it arrives, trails may be re-groomed Thursday or Friday.

Antigo DNR Service Center Area

Council Grounds State Park - As of Thursday, February 17, trails were snow covered, Approximately 3 miles of ski trails are tracked and/or groomed. The Wisconsin River is mostly ice-covered adjacent to the park. Turkeys, deer, piliated woodpeckers, bald eagles, nuthatches, cardinals, squirrels are being seen in the park.

NORTHEAST REGION

Peshtigo DNR Service Center area

Marinette County - The ice fishing action has been good on some lakes while other anglers report that fish are in neutral or negative feeding patterns. The shallow water weeds have died off and anglers are doing better in deeper water. Lake Noquebay anglers have been catching some nice bluegills. In the past week the walleye action on High Falls has slowed down. Northern pike have been active in several lakes. Cross country ski and snowmobile trails in the Crivitz area are in excellent shape and with the fresh snow that we are getting it s a good time to get out and enjoy the winter finally. Rabbit hunters are reporting good success hunting rabbits with beagles. The rabbits numbers appear to be up locally. Snowshoe hare hunters are having mixed results. Coyote hunters are locating coyotes by using coyote howl calls as the breeding season is approaching.

Oconto County - Fishing pressure increased by the end of last week. A few small Yellow Perch were caught and released at the Oconto Harbor. Crappies are being caught at night in some inland lakes, but the action depends upon how active the schools of fish are. Try using a "Vexilar"-style flasher to determine what depth the crappies are suspended at. The action can be sporadic as schools of fish move through the area. Anglers on White Potato Lake are having better action using Wind tip -ups as the jigging motion seems to be better for attracting fish. Rost Lake has been producing some nice catches of panfish, and a few anglers have caught a few nice perch. Chain lake near Lakewood has been also producing nice catches of panfish but the action has been faster in the morning, rather than evening. Cross Country skiers have been using the Machikanee trail system and the trails are well groomed. Take some time this winter to enjoy the many trail systems that are offered in the area.

Green Bay DNR Service Center area

Brown County - Fishing pressure has increased. Many anglers were out on the ice at Dykesville. Catches of five to eight fish measuring 9 to 12 inches were brought in. However, anglers had to release many smaller fish. Whitefish were a welcomed incidental catches for a few anglers. Care should be taken when driving out on the ice, cracks are hidden by the recent snow.

Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area

Door County - Fishing pressure increased by the end of last week. Small yellow perch (6-8 inches) were caught at Little Sturgeon Bay, Chaudoir's Dock and at Rite's Cove.

Peninsula State Park  Snow cover was 4 inches as of 11 a.m. on Feb. 16. Up to 10 inches of snow is expected by mid day Friday. Cross country ski trails will be groomed when and if adequate snow falls. If the park receives more than 6 inches, trails should be in good condition by Friday afternoon. Snowmobile trails were still closed as of Thursday afternoon. They will be opened when and if substantial snows materialize. Call before trailering sleds to Door County. The sledding hill is open.

Whitefish Dunes State Park - As of Feb. 16, snow was really coming down. The area is supposed to get somewhere between 6 and 12 inches but may end up with more because of lake effect snow on the tail end of the storm. The park s volunteer grooming crew has planned their attack and they are excited that the tracker may actually see snow for the first time this year. Crews will be busy plowing, snowblowing, and grooming trails for the next couple days. Ski trails should be in great shape for the weekend - temperatures and wind chills will be frigid so take all necessary precautions if you will be skiing or snowshoeing. Ice shoves are just starting to show up on the beach. A great horned owl has begun to next behind the nature center. The bald eagle was sighted flying over Old Baldy. Opossum and raccoon tracks can be seen near the nature center along with the regular gray and red squirrels. Most trails at the current time are ice covered and slippery.

Oshkosh DNR Service Center area

Cracks and open water continue to be a problem for sturgeon spearers traveling on Lake Winnebago. High wind on Monday caused some problems with shanties near Fond du Lac. Ice in many areas is around 10 to 12 inches with a wide range of water clarity reports. Very cold temperatures are forecast for the second weekend of the spearing season, but travel by truck or car on any areas of the lake is still to be considered very risky. Spearers registered only five sturgeon on the Tuesday, the fourth day of the season, bringing the total to just 75 fish since the season opened Saturday.

SOUTHEAST REGION

Cold night temperatures and hardening lake ice has re-activated ice fishing from our central counties north to Sheboygan County. In the southern part of our Region lakes remain mostly open with only some shore fishing going on. In central counties lake ice conditions remain variable. Lakes that have good ice are receiving lots of pressure. Those with poor or questionable ice may have no fishing activity. Panfish fishing is generally good early in the morning and some lakes have given up nice northern pike up to 10 pounds. If you are interested in buying one of the many extra  2006 spring Turkey hunting permits that will go on sale at noon on March 10; be ready to also purchase the hunting license you will use in 2006-2007. This is especially important for those who usually purchase Conservation Patron Licenses. Since you cannot purchase a turkey permit without a license, be prepared to buy your Patron license at the same time as your extra turkey hunting permit. (Even though your 2005-2006 license expires on March 31, 2006, it is not a valid hunting license for buying one of the extra spring turkey permits available on or after March 10, 2006). Believe it or not, sightings of flocks of bluebirds have been fairly common from Waukesha County south. The first great blue herons of spring have moved into our southern counties where they are fishing on lakes with open waters. Very early for these types of sightings! Many geese have moved into our southern counties also.

Ozaukee County -  In Port Washington shore anglers can find open water at the power plant discharge, the west slip, and in the Rotary Park area. Browns and an occasional steelhead have been taking spawn sacs either drifted along the bottom on a three-way rig or floated underneath a bobber. There is a thin layer of unsafe ice in the north slip and the marina.

Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee shore anglers fishing underneath the Hoan bridge and up the Menomonee River near MMSD have been taking decent numbers of browns. Most fish are being taken on spawn sacs or minnows fished off the bottom and by casting spoons. Upper stretches of the Milwaukee River are frozen over. The launch at Bender Park is open, and when weather permits boaters working near the Oak Creek Power Plant have been catching good numbers of browns. Many techniques have been productive at times, including trolling with stick baits behind planer boards, fishing with jigs and minnows, casting spoons, and drifting spawn sacs off the bottom.

Walworth and inland Racine and Kenosha counties - Ice is still not safe. Where there is ice it is 3 to 4 inches thick. Many of the lakes have areas of open water. Anglers are seeing lots of bluegills on their cameras but the fish are slow to bite. Open water trollers on Geneva Lake are catching a few walleyes.

Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Panfish action picked up a bit lately on several area lakes. Crappies were active at dusk and into darkness on the north end of Big Cedar Lake. Some larger perch were caught on Pike Lake. Gamefish action has been slow on all lakes.

Waukesha County - Fishing has slowed down this past week but anglers were still having limited success on area lakes. Bluegills are still providing the best action. Good catches of big bluegills are still being caught on some area lakes. Reports from Beaver, Pewaukee and Oconomowoc lakes have indicated that gills are active in 10-25 feet of water and biting on waxies and spikes. Catches of northern pike have been reported from Pine, Nagawicka and Forest lakes; best catches coming from 6-15 feet of water on tip-ups and shiners. Smaller lakes like Hunters, the Genesee Lakes and Forest Lake are getting a lot of early morning bluegill fishing pressure.

Kettle Moraine State Forest, Southern Unit - As of Tuesday Feb. 14, all of the cross country ski trails at the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State closed for skiing. There is a possibility that we could be receiving some snow on Thursday. Hiking and pets are not allowed on the trails that are groomed for cross country skiing. The snowmobile trails throughout the forest have a minimal amount of snow and closed at this time. The Horse trails are open. The mountain bike trails are open with the colder temperatures the ground is currently frozen and that has allowed the mountain bike trails to be open. Hiking and mountain biking are allowed on the John Muir, and Emma Carlin trails. Remember that the trails have been closed after February 15th, as this is the time of year that the trails tend to start softening up, with the frost coming out of the ground. Weather and Trail conditions can vary from day to day. Trail users are urged to call the 24 hr forest trail information line to get the most up to date trail information  (262) 594-6202.

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Fitchburg DNR Service Center area

Dane County - Ice anglers were reporting some success on Dane County waters last week. Perch were biting on Lake Waubesa and some bluegills were biting off McFarland. Lake Farm Park was slow but a few bluegills were being caught. A few perch, crappies, and large bluegills are coming from Lake Kegonsa. Mendota tip-up anglers have been getting northerns but walleye fishing is slow all over. Ice thickness on much of the lake is 6 to 8 inches, however areas of open water near inlets and shorelines have refrozen to only an inch or two of ice. All lakes have some areas of open water, with Mendota having the most. A few ATVs have been traveling on the lakes but vehicular travel is certainly not recommended. Elsewhere, signs of spring are showing up. Rooster pheasants are crowing and cardinals and chickadees are setting up territories. Fox and coyote are paired up and great horned owls are still actively hooting. A few people are out shed antler hunting. Lots of firewood is being cut as the ground is still frozen with no snow, making conditions great for this.

Dodge County - The Dodge County Snowmobile Trail System has re-opened 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16. Caution is urged throughout the system due to blowing and drifting snow which can cause trail irregularities and low lying areas may be soft or contain standing water from the recent warm temperatures. Stay on marked trails and ride safely and responsibly. For current conditions call the Trail Status Hotline at (920) 386-3705 or check the Dodge County Web site at <http://www.co.dodge.wi.us/planning/recreation/trails-conditions.htm - Exit DNR>.

Sauk County

Lake Kegonsa State Park - The park received approximately 11 inches of snow on Feb 16. All ski trails have been groomed and tracked and are in good condition. Conditions may deteriorate over the next few days due to drifting and cold temperatures. No hiking or pets are allowed on ski trails.

Devil's Lake State Park - As of Friday, February 17, about 8 inches of new snow fell on Thursday. Cross-country ski trails are being packed, tracked, and groomed on Friday so skiing conditions should be very good for this weekend. Until February, most of this winter was amazingly mild, with daily temperatures above freezing almost all days from early December through January. Bluebirds in January? That s right. A pair of bluebirds was spotted right outside the Visitor Center. Also on the unique side, a great gray owl was reliably spotted in the eastern end of the park just a couple of weeks ago.

WEST CENTRAL REGION

Baldwin DNR Service Center area

St. Croix County

Willow River State Park - As of Feb. 15, all trails were open for hiking until the park receives substantial snowfall. Hikers can expect to find a mixed bag of conditions including crunchy snow, bare ground and ice. Some hikers use ski poles or trekking poles for additional traction. Snow is forecast to arrive here beginning Wednesday night and into Thursday with good wind to drive it around. Skiers need to remember that 3 to 4 inches of wind blown fluff will not make much of a base for skiing, and certainly not enough to cut classic track. The amount of snowfall will be the determining factor whether trails remain open to hiking or the skiing only restriction returns to designated ski trails. The park s phone recorder will be updated Thursday afternoon (715) 386-5931 option # 4. Anglers have continued to fish the lake but no reports are available. Some of the white-tailed deer bucks are still carrying antlers. A visitor brought in a nice photo of the recently observed 10 pointer.

La Crosse DNR Service Center area

Fishing action has generally been slow in the La Crosse Area. Ice fishers have been having some sporadic success jigging for pan fish and tip up fishing for northerns in area backwaters. Walleye and sauger fishers have been having light to moderate action from boats below Dresbach dam. Ice conditions are generally poor and anyone traveling out on area ice should do so cautiously. There is very little snow remaining in the area. Flocks of mergansers and some great blue herons have been spotted on open waters in the area. Bald eagles continue to congregate and feed below the dams and other open waters. Active deer ticks have been observed in the area. Observations of wild turkeys and deer will be increasing soon, if they have not done so already. Keep a watchful eye on sunny south-facing slopes, which are warmer and green up sooner than other areas. Wild turkeys and deer tend to favor these locations for feeding and loafing during late winter and early spring. Coyotes have been howling more frequently in recent weeks, since it is breeding season now.

Mississippi River - The Mississippi is mostly ice covered again. Some ducks and geese are still present. Eagles numbers have dropped, however, remaining eagles are easier to find since open water feeding areas are more limited.

Crawford County  As of Feb. 13, there was still no snow and snowmobile trails were closed, but snow is in the forecast. The Mississippi River water stage slowly rose again this week. The river stage last week was around the 8-foot mark; however, by the end of this week it rose to 8.9 feet. On Monday the river stage was down a tenth of a foot to 8.8 feet. Both the Wisconsin River and the Kickapoo River saw little change this week. Ice conditions continue to be very dangerous even though cooler weather settled in. This week s cool weather caused the East Channel and Main Channel of the Mississippi River to become full of ice chunks. Backwater areas remain very difficult and dangerous to access now because of the rising water. Some of the back water areas and sloughs that don t have current running through them have around 4 to 7 inches of ice but again access is very dangerous right now. Generally speaking the ice conditions range from very little  to about 7 inches. Travel on the ice is always considered dangerous and with the present ice conditions ice travel is not recommended. Bluegill action was again spotty. The Cold Spring area s ice improved a little as some have ventured out this week. Fishing activity varied day to day with some reports of decent catches of crappie and bluegill coming off the ice. The boat landing area is starting to freeze up again. Anglers fishing on Cold Spring are reminded that this area is considered general inland waters were the bag limit for panfish is 25 in aggregate. Panfishing near the Prairie du Chien area has been fair, but dangerous ice conditions still exist. Anglers are urged to use caution. There has been some action on Gremore Lake with some decent crappie and bluegill and a few nice perch. The Ambro Slough froze over, somewhat, this week. However it is still very dangerous. Only those with air boat or hover craft can access areas like the Tilmont Lake, Mud Slough, the Upper Doubles and Big Missouri. Anglers are still heading out onto Spring Lake but the action there is very spotty. Rising water levels might start causing some problems on Spring Lake. The boat landing at the Falling Rock/Gordon s Bay has been usable this week. There was some ice problems during the week, but some anglers are still able to access the river. Some days the sauger bit very well but you have to be out there at the right time. A lot of small saugers are being caught but there are some reports of 16 to 18 inchers being taken. Most anglers are vertical jigging with lead head jigs, twister tails (or similar plastics) or colored hair. Many are using minnows with stinger hooks. Bald Eagles are being seen along the Mississippi River, Wisconsin River, and many inland areas. Some of the most common locations to view Bald Eagles are along the rivers near open water. One of the best viewing locations is near Lock and Dam #9 near Lynxville and on Gremore Lake near Prairie du Chien. Turkeys continue to congregate in large flocks this time of year. The lack of snow is allowing them to find essential food during the winter. Many shed hunters  have been out looking for whitetail deer antlers that have been shed. Some report finding sheds as the conditions are idea for that activity. Rabbit and coyote hunting has been difficult without the snow cover, even though a little snow fell at the end of the week. Both populations look very good. The squirrel season is now closed.

Eau Claire DNR Service Center area

Brunet Island State Park  As of Feb. 14, ski conditions were fair. The park ski trails received 3 inches of snow late last week on a 2 to 3 inch base and have been packed. More snow is forecast for later this week and crews may be able to groom for the weekend. The trailhead is located at the park office parking lot. Hikers, pets and snowshoers are not allowed on the cross-country ski trails when the trails are snow covered. Snowshoers and hikers have many other great opportunities within the park. Whether it s using the islands trail system, exploring the wilder areas of the park, or a brisk walk on the park road, you re sure to enjoy these beautiful winter woodlands. Water levels on Cornell flowage do fluctuate during the winter, a current is present on both rivers and with the recent warm weather, and ice travel may not be safe at this time. Deer, pileated woodpeckers, bald eagles, nuthatches, crows, cardinals, red fox, porcupine, and squirrels have been spotted recently. The North Campground is closed for the season. Electricity is on in the South Campground, and pit toilet facilities are available there. These campsites are not plowed.

Hoffman Hills Recreation Area - The area received about 1 to 2 inches of snow in Feb. 16's mini blizzard. Ski conditions are fair to poor. There were a couple of skiers this week, but snow is thin in some areas such as where the trails go through the pine trees and on the south facing slopes. The wooded and north trails are holding up the best but even they are marginal.

Wausau DNR Service Center area

Rib Mountain State Park - Snowshoe trails are in good condition; recent snow is making for a wonderful trek through the woods. Plenty of deer are being seen in the woods. There will be a candlelight snowshoe hike on Saturday Feb. 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; meet at the shelter. Snowshoes will be available for those who do not have any. Rescheduled from an earlier date. Sponsored by the Friends of Rib Mountain.

Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area

Buckhorn State Park - People were trying their luck ice fishing over the weekend and we had some hikers exploring the trails. The park does not monitor ice conditions. Deer and turkeys were moving about in the park and wildlife areas. Cross country ski trails are closed at this time as there is no snow. Campsites 8, 9, 16 are open for winter camping. 2006 youth deer hunt applications are available through the Buckhorn State Park Web site.

Roche-A-Cri State Park - Cross country ski trails are closed due to no snow but are great for hiking. The park's main gate and campgrounds are closed for the season. The park may be accessed through the hiking/skiing trailhead located at the winter parking lot, just off of Czech Ave, at the southern end of the park.