To protect fish spawning areas, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has begun to close certain portions of a number of Minnesota waters to fishing. The closings are routine and based on local conditions.
Closings occur each year as ice-out begins and waters begin to warm.
Areas closed to fishing are listed on the DNR website. Portions of waters closed to fishing also are posted at access sites and in other visible areas. Anglers may fish in areas that are not posted.
MILWAUKEE -- Lake Michigan anglers had a banner year of chinook fishing in 2010, with favorable winds and other factors helping to increase harvest 47 percent, state fishery officials say.
"It looks like our chinook salmon harvest by Wisconsin anglers was really good in 2010," says Brad Eggold, the Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor for southern Lake Michigan, who just completed analyzing surveys of what anglers caught on that water in 2010. "I don't see any reason that 2011 would not be another solid year."
Eggold found that anglers harvested 315,294 chinook salmon from Lake Michigan in 2010, up from 214,621 in 2009 and 256,796 in 2008. More good news for Wisconsin anglers: they accounted for the bulk of the lake-wide haul.
MADISON -- Daily walleye bag limits have been adjusted on 539 lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory in response to harvest declarations made by six bands of Chippewa in Wisconsin, the state Department of Natural Resources has announced. These bag limits are effective between May 7, 2011 and March 4, 2012, inclusive.
There will be a three walleye bag limit for sport anglers on 226 lakes, a two-fish daily bag limit on 311 lakes, and a 1-fish daily bag limit on Potato (Rusk County) and Grindstone (Sawyer County) Lakes. [Full Story]
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Gander Mountain
6939 5 27th St
Franklin WI
Over twenty seven years ago, I was involved in helping to create the Kids Fishing Klinics in Wisconsin. The late, and great, Mike Ross, then president of both the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, WCSFO, and of the Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd, WFR, and Ron Pining of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, WDNR, were the two major players in the creation of these “Klinics.” Mike Ross used the upper case letter “K” to make the word stand out. Over the years, new people who didn’t know why this was so decided to correct the spelling so youngsters wouldn’t misspell it in their writings.
Wouldn’t it be nice if they did the same throughout advertising writings?
How do you spell “relief?” (R-o-l-a-i-d-s).
Today, I’m the secretary and media director for both the WCSFO and WFR. The president of WCSFO is John Durben of the Green Bay Area Great Lakes Sports Fishing club, GBGLSF, and Wayne Avery, WFC, is the able kids fishing coordinator for WFSFO and WFC.
This year, all clinics start at 9 am. The last class starts at 2 pm. The date is Saturday, April 16 for the 27th Annual “Kids’ Fishing Clinics.” Four counties hold these clinics. Member clubs of WCSFO, the WDNR, and the Milwaukee County House of Correction Fish Hatchery, where they raise fish for stocking while helping criminals straighten out their lives combine to make this event possible. Here are the locations:
MILWAUKEE COUNTY
Brown Deer Park, 7835 N. Green Bay Rd., Hosted by the Okauchee Fishing Club.
Greenfield Park, 2028 S. 124th St. Hosted by Milwaukee Area Great Lakes Sports Fishermen, plus Milwaukee Casting Club.
Humboldt Park,3000 S. Howell Ave. Hosted by Lunkers Unlimited.
McCarty Park, 8214 W. Cleveland Ave., Wheelchair accessible. Hosted by Southside Sportsmen’s Club, plus Sunnyside Rod and Gun Club.
McGovern Park, 5400 W. 51st Blvd. Wheelchair accessible. Hosted by Badger Fisherman’s League.
Mitchell Park, 2200 W. Pierce St. Hosted by Bay View Rod and Gun Club.
Oak Creek Parkway, Oak Creek Pkwy. and Mill Rd. South Milwaukee. Hosted by Friends of the Oak Creek Mill Pond.
Scout Lake Park, 5902 W. Loomis Rd., Wheelchair accessible. Hosted by Walleyes Unlimited, USA.
Sheridan Park, 4800 S. Lake Dr. Hosted by Lakeridge Boat Club and South Milwaukee 1400 Fishing and Hunting Club.
Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th St., Wheelchair accessible. Hosted by EB Garner’s Fishing Club.
Wilson Park, 1601 W. Howard Ave. Hosted by Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. Milwaukee Fishing Examiner will be here.
Racine County
Quarry Park Lake, 3800 Northwestern Ave. Hosted by Salmon Unlimited.
Washington County
Sandy Knoll Park, 2064 Wallace Lake Rd., West Bend. Hosted by Trout Unlimited Southeast Chapter, plus West Bend Kiwanis Early Risers.
Waukesha County
No park entrance fee is charged, and parking passes are distributed at the event.
Fox Brook Park, 2925 N. Barker Rd. Hosted by Werr Valley Sportsmen’s Club.
Menomonee Park/Lannon Quarry, W220 N7884 Townline Road., Menomonee Falls, ½ mile north of Good Hope Rd. Hosted by Wisconsin House Outdoorsman.
Muskego Park, S83 W20370 Janesville Road, Muskego. Hosted by Women’s Hunting and Sporting Association.
Sponsored in cooperation with the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, WCSFO, Milwaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha County Parks, Milwaukee County House of Correction Fish Hatchery, and the Department of Natural Resources.
Free instructions for children 15 years of age and younger. Young children need adult accompaniment. Classes are taught by members of local fishing clubs. Fishing equipment is available, but youth can bring their rods and reels. Adults are not allowed to fish, with the exception of instructors. No pre-registration is necessary, but to prepare for groups of 20 or larger, call 414-263-8614. Call this same number or 414-263-5494 for more information.
A major warm-up in the last week has caused snow conditions to deteriorate rapidly across the state, but especially in the south. Some areas of the state saw a change in temperatures of more than 40 degrees in one day. Temperatures have been in the 40s to low 50s this week, and snow cover has dropped from 18 to 24 inches last week across the state, to a foot to 18 inches in the north, down to 3 inches in some areas of the south.
Snowmobile trails are now closed in roughly the southern two-thirds of the state and in just fair condition in the northern counties that remain open. Some counties closed trails in hopes of retaining snow on trails so they could be re-opened if temperatures drop as forecast for this weekend. Snowmobilers should check the Department of Tourism snow conditions report for updates or call ahead to their destinations for the latest conditions. Cross-country ski trail conditions have also deteriorated, and some parks and forests are asking skiers to voluntarily refrain from using the trails, again with hopes of retaining what grooming and snow remains.
Big fish and challenging travel conditions were the story during the first five days of the Lake Winnebago System sturgeon spearing seasons. Through the end of spearing hours Wednesday, 1,105 fish had been harvested, with 67 of them weighing more than 100 pounds, including a 185-pound, 80.2- inch female sturgeon was taken Feb. 14,
The Upriver Lakes were still open on Thursday, but could close if the harvest trigger is hit, otherwise the upriver season will be open at least through Friday. The Lake Winnebago closure is not in sight. There were reports of lots of water and very rough going on the roads off Oshkosh. Nine more fish over a hundred pounds were registered Wednesday, largest percentage of trophy fish on any single day in the history of the fishery. One spearer registered one of the infamous "white" sturgeon come on Wednesday. Not a true albino as the eyes were not pink.
Ice fishing on inland lakes remained slow, and travel became very difficult because of the melting snow and build up of slush. Ice conditions can change very rapidly in these warm temperatures, especially near inlets, outlets or natural springs, so people should be using extreme caution venturing out on ice.
Anglers with ice shacks still on the ice should consider removing them now or risk a big hassle getting them off if they sink into the slush and then cold temperatures re-freeze the ice later. The first ice fishing shanty removal deadline is next Sunday, Feb. 20 for Iowa-Wisconsin boundary waters.
Along Green Bay, the Peshtigo Harbor area saw an influx of northern pike anglers pre fishing for
a tournament next weekend. The Oconto breakwater saw a lot of activity this weekend, with some whitefish and a few perch caught along with some good numbers of smelt. Along Door County, Sturgeon Bay anglers had some success fishing perch but most have been small. Little Sturgeon Bay anglers were having success on whitefish.
After the warm weekend the ice conditions below the dams on the Mississippi River are becoming extremely dangerous. Run-off water is also entering many other rivers and the flowing water under the ice can rapidly deteriorate ice. Ice is also breaking up below dams on the Rock River and some decent walleye action was being reported.
Birds heard singing recently include tufted titmouse, house finch, cardinal, and white- breasted nuthatch. Waterfowl are getting more active with longer days triggering increased hormones, and bald eagles have been seen in the north carrying materials back to repair nests.
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