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Summer officially arrives this Sunday with the summer solstice, and with warmer weather in the forecast, outdoor activity will be picking up on lakes and rivers. In the Northwoods, this is also the time when loon chicks are hatching and for the first few weeks of their lives will ride on their parents backs as they swim around lakes. Boaters should watch for loons and keep their distance. Approaching too near can cause the parent to dive, leaving the chick on the surface alone and vulnerable to predation by a variety of other animals.
This is also the time that black bear are more visible as their breeding season has begun. Adult male bears are moving extensively as they search for females. Female bears have also begun to chase off their yearling cubs, leaving these curious and sometimes troublesome young bears out on their own. People living or recreating in bear country should remove any food sources that may attract the young bears, such as bird feeders, dog food, and garbage. If a young bear does approach make loud noises to scare them off.
Erratic weather conditions have continued to make for some variable fishing success. Panfish action has been very good for both bluegill and crappie in the north. Bluegill have been showing up on the spawning beds in increasing numbers and look for their spawning period to peak out during the coming week. Musky anglers have been out but action has been on the slow side with just a few reports of 34- to 40-inch fish being caught. Mayflies continue to hatch on many northern lakes and this has upset the walleye bite on most of these waters.
Most largemouth and smallmouth bass have completed spawning, though some males can still be found guarding their school of young fish. The northern zone bass harvest season opens this Saturday, June 20. Catch-and-release has caught on so big in the bass fishing world that Wisconsin anglers are only keeping about 5 percent of what they catch. As a result, on some northern lakes bass have become very abundant and fisheries managers are encouraging harvest on these waters to keep the numbers in balance and to improve bass growth rates. As always, larger bass are less common and anglers should consider releasing them. Check the DNR Web site for prime bass fishing waters and for some recipes for preparing bass.
Panfish have also been active on the Lake Winnebago system and anglers have been working the reefs of Lake Winnebago for walleye. Walleye and smallmouth bass have been biting on the lower Wisconsin River, despite high water.
Fishing on Green Bay and Lake Michigan slowed a bit over the past week. Walleye action that has been excellent on the Bay the last few weeks has slowed some, but on the up side anglers fishing for walleye have begun to catch more yellow perch. The yellow perch season is now open as of June 16 on Lake Michigan as well. Anglers trolling on Lake Michigan had mixed success targeting trout and salmon during the week. Catches were comprised mostly of chinook salmon and lake trout with some coho salmon mixed in and some brown trout still being taken up around the northern tip of the Door peninsula. Smallmouth bass fishing was fair to good throughout the Door County.
The Mississippi River rose slightly early in the week but then leveled off to 8.15 feet at Prairie du Chien. Bluegill, crappie and perch fishing was spotty but walleye and sauger action continued to be very good. Catfish have also been biting well and sheepshead have become very active.
Upland game birds are now hatching so keep your eyes open for wild turkey, pheasant and grouse broods. Spring ephemeral wildflowers are nearly finished but summer wildflowers are coming on strong, with lupine, black-eyed daisy buttercup, birds-foot trefoil, daisy, and orange hawkweed blooming. Biting insects have come out in force in the Northwoods, with black flies and gnats a big nuisance during the day and mosquitoes out in increasing numbers at dusk.
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