Who's game?

Wisconsin’s inland game fishing season opens this Saturday, May 5, with fisheries biologists saying prospects for the season opener are excellent, but with state forestry officials cautioning that current statewide wildfire fire danger levels are very high in parts of the state and asking anglers and others in the outdoors to be extremely careful with any possible sources of ignition.

Emergency forest fire regulations are in effect in seven northern counties (pdf 415 kb) and they could be extended to additional areas before the weekend. Under the emergency rules, it is illegal to even have a campfire unless it is in a designated private or public campground and in a metal fire ring. No campfires are allowed in remote or wilderness campsites. Additionally, cigarette, cigar or pipe smoking cannot be done outdoors and no all terrain vehicles are allowed on state owned lands or trails in the affected counties. All burning permits for these counties have been suspended, including the use of burn barrels.

The unseasonably warm weather has really spurred on fish activity and should make for a great fishing opener, with the potential for some great post spawn walleye action on waters across the Northwoods. Surface water temperatures are near 60 degrees and this has pulled many fish into the shallows. Panfish have really been on the move and good numbers are now staging along and in the warmer shallow bays. Largemouth and smallmouth bass have also made the move up shallow and many have taken up residence near any woody or rocky cover. Bass season opens this weekend in the northern zone, but is catch and release only until June 16. The northern musky zone does not open until May 26. Fishing in the southern lakes also continued to improve. Crappie fishing has been very good on Lake Wisconsin, and excellent catches of nice bluegills have been reported on many southern inland lakes.

White bass are beginning to run in the Wolf and Fox rivers. Crappies were being hooked in the channels of the Wolf River. Walleye fishing has been consistent on Lake Winnebago. Walleye fishing in the Fox River and Lake Butte des Morts has been good. Inland trout streams are in good condition. Early season trout anglers were successful in catching newly stocked and holdover trout.

Along Lake Michigan, brown trout anglers had another excellent week fishing the more northern harbors and ports, both from piers and trolling, with some nice 5 to 7 pound fish reported.

There has been a lot of bear activity reported in northern Wisconsin with sightings of sow bears with cubs, so help avoid bear nuisance problems by removing any food sources such as bird feeders, garbage cans and pet food left outdoors. Fox pups are emerging from dens. The first litters of rabbits and squirrels have also been seen, so it is important to keep dogs and cats confined. Remember many animals will leave their young for long periods of time. These babies are not abandoned…leave them where they are so their parents can find them later. No one takes care of them better than their parents. May 11 is National Keep Your Cat Indoors Day. Many birds are starting to nest now, as well.

The first Canada goose broods have hatched. Early mallard nests will not be far behind. House wrens, upland sandpipers, savanna sparrows, and rose-breasted grosbeaks are some songbird arrivals. Now is the time to put out hummingbird feeders so they are in place when the birds arrive. Springtime courtship flights of the American Woodcock have started and snipe have been winnowing the other evening. Little brown bats have also been returning to set up their colonies.

Eastern black swallowtail butterflies and female green darner dragonflies have been seen. The warmer weather has also brought out black flies and wood ticks, so be prepared to hit the lakes and streams with bug repellant this weekend. Hepatica, wood anemone, wild ginger, spring beauty, trillium, Dutchman’s breeches, bloodroot, and trout lily are blooming and wild cherry trees are in blossom.



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