August 17, 2007
Wisconsin Fishing Report
NORTHERN REGION
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report - Most largemouth found in and near mid-depth woody cover and could be coaxed to bite with soft plastic baits. Some found in the thick weed beds and hitting top-water baits in early morning hours. Smallmouth moved back to deeper water with warm temps. Best success coming on smaller finesse baits fished near deeper woody cover and deep breaklines. Musky very active with anglers seeing a lot of follows, swirls and “porpoise'ing.” Catching hasn't been as good - though a few anglers reported boating some 40-plus-inch fish. Most productive lures stick baits and slow-moving surface lures, with the best areas being the weed edges and shallow breaklines. Best times mid-day hours during the middle of the week when boat traffic is lightest.
NORTHEAST REGION
Marinette County - On the Menominee River, bass have been the hot ticket with some very nice fish caught. A few walleyes caught over the last week. Perch spread out over depths ranging from 12 to 50 feet of water. Little River is starting to produce smaller size perch. Salmon action slowed down with only one or two fish being caught per outing.
Oconto County - Fishing on Green Bay showed limits of perch coming off the west shore with better size fish coming from deeper holes. People fishing the weed beds report catching lots of small perch. Reports of nice bluegills caught suspended over deeper water. Small leeches and worms working best. More sheepshead and perch being caught while trolling for walleye. Walleyes that are caught, are creeled mainly on harnesses.
Brown County - Anglers targeting large walleyes had luck trolling crawlers on the reefs outside of Chaudoir’s and Bay shore parks targeting depths of 10 to 30 feet. Many of these fish were stuffed with alewives. Most of these fish in the lower 20-inch range although occasional 30-plus-inch walleye reported. Channel cats, flathead cats, numerous drum cooperative to the walleye anglers. The occasional 12- to 13-inch perch showing up, although much smaller fish comprised most of the catch. Bite seems to be best in the mornings although some anglers report good catches after 10 a.m. and into the evening hours. Smallmouth bass showing up for anglers outside Little Sturgeon Bay, providing excitement although catches seem fairly limited to small numbers. Some nice chinook taken outside of Sturgeon Bay mostly on the Lake Michigan side.
Manitowoc County - In Two Rivers, anglers had another good week of trout and salmon fishing. Anglers out on Lake Michigan had successful trips with fair catches of chinook salmon with a few rainbow trout and coho salmon landed. Angers reported the most action fishing near sunrise and sunset in 50 to 70 feet of water. Anglers preferred to run bright colored spoons or fly and flasher combinations. Angling from the north or south pier picked up a few chinook salmon, but the catch rate has slowed down. A couple of nice brown trout harvested off the north pier by an angler casting a white and blue stick bait. In Manitowoc, anglers had another good week of fishing that produced nice catches of salmon and trout. Perch anglers had some success fishing off the breakwater across from the marina with night crawlers near the bottom. Perch ranged in size from 6 to 8 inches. Smallmouth bass anglers out in higher numbers and had great success. A few anglers targeting bass just outside of the marina's entrance using crankbaits. Anglers fishing from the short piers adjacent to the marina for smallmouth bass had success with tube jigs and landed many quality smallmouth bass between 2.5 to 3 pounds.
Door County - Anglers fishing out on Lake Michigan continue to bring respectable catches of trout and salmon. Early morning bite continues to be the most productive. Anglers fishing the Bank Reef reported success on fly and dodger combinations fished 40 to 80 feet down along the edges of the reef. Later in the day the action continued to be out in deeper water with anglers fishing from the surface to 80 feet down over 140 to 300 feet of water. Off of Baileys Harbor, action good on fly and dodger combinations, spoons and cut bait. Rowley’s Bay, Ellison Bay, Sister Bay and Washington Island reported nice catches. Little Sturgeon, Riley’s Bay and Sturgeon Bay flats all produced smallmouth early mornings on spinner baits fished in 15 to 20 feet of water. Later in the day the best bet for smallmouth was over structure in 15 to 25 feet of water. Tube jigs and Goby imitating baits continue to produce some nice smallmouth in the deeper waters. Southern shore of Green Bay, along with Little Sturgeon and Riley’s Bay producing perch, although fish well scattered. Early mornings produced perch from weed edges between bridges in Sturgeon Bay and along the buoy line from the Bay View Bridge to Sturgeon Bay ship canal. Southern area of Green Bay produced walleyes on night crawler harnesses over weed beds. Areas around Larsen’s Reef and Monument shoals producing a few walleyes in 15 to 20 feet of water on crawler harnesses.
Kewaunee County - Anglers fishing off of the piers in Algoma and Kewaunee had a slow week with a few fish caught each day. Spoons have been the tackle of choice. Anglers trolling out on the lake have been coming in with very small catches. Anglers have been able to find fish out in water of depths over 75 feet, but fish were few and far between.
SOUTHEAST REGION
Sheboygan County - Sheboygan shore anglers fishing the north pier catching a few chinooks on glow-in-the-dark spoons or alewives fished on the bottom. Trollers off Sheboygan catching chinooks, along with occasional rainbows and coho. Most fish found in 80 to 130 feet of water.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington anglers fishing off the end of pier have caught a few keeper size perch while jigging. Trollers out of Port Washington continue to catch good numbers of fish. Chinooks and rainbows have been taken on glow spoons and J-plugs 30 to 50 feet down in 50 to 80 feet of water.
Milwaukee County - Shore fishing for trout and salmon in Milwaukee slow with warm water near shore, but perch anglers have been successful off the end of McKinley pier and off Cupertino pier. Boaters looking for perch catching good numbers at the boils. Minnows and crab tails taking the most perch. Milwaukee trollers catching good numbers of chinooks and a few rainbows in 60 to 80 feet of water. Browns taken in water less than 50 feet deep. Cracked ice or blue spoons, as well as flies in white & green have been producing.
Racine County - Perch fishing for shore anglers slow, with only a few caught off the south pier and near the mouth of the boat launch at Pershing Park. Crab tails and jigs provided the only action. Racine trollers finding good action in as shallow as 50 to 70 feet of water or out over 100 feet. Fish scattered from 30 to 80 feet down, white spoons or aqua flies have been productive.
Kenosha County - Trollers catching good numbers of chinooks and rainbows 60 to 80 feet down in 100 feet of water. Fish hitting spoons and flies in green, blue, or white.
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Bluegills and bass active on Pike Lake near Hartford. Largemouth and walleyes caught on Big Cedar Lake near West Bend. Water levels are extremely low in the larger rivers such as the Sheboygan River.
Waukesha County - Nice bluegills and crappies caught on Little Muskego Lake. North Lake produced good numbers of keeper size panfish. Fish seem to be holding in a little deeper water due to recent warm weather. Live bait fishing seems to be the preferred method on both of these waters. A number of quality sized bass caught on Okauchee Lake. Fish up to 5 pounds taken from the deeper water on the main basin. Dark colored jigs and larger bodied plastics the most productive lures.
WEST CENTRAL REGION
Crawford County - Navigating the Wisconsin remains tricky because of the numerous sandbars. Kickapoo River settled down and is near normal flow for this time of year. Navigating the Kickapoo River is difficult because of the many downed trees and snags. Trout streams in good shape. Boaters who are unfamiliar with the Mississippi River need to use extra caution because wing and closing dams, dead heads, logs, mud flats and sand bars are exposed or very close to the surface of the water. Bluegills biting on the Mississippi River. In the Prairie du Chien area anglers having success on wing dams and in deeper slow moving sloughs and even on the East and Main Channels. Ambro Slough Complex producing nice bluegills in downed trees. However low water in Ambro Slough causing navigation problems. Nice catches of bluegills reported in the East Channel near Indian Isle side and along Iowa side of Main Channel. Wing dams below Wisconsin River on the Iowa side produced as have many of the wing dams up near Lock and Dam 9. Perch biting on St. Feriole Slough along the weed edges, in Garnet Lake, any other location where there is a weed edge. Perch action in Pool 9 near the Ferryville wasn’t bad but anglers have to search for active fish. Crappie action reported in backwater areas around downed trees or along deeper water drop offs. Walleye anglers primarily targeting wing dams. Trolling or working wing dams with crank baits produced. Anglers have had success using jigs tipped with night crawlers or leeches. Another tactic is dead lining above the wing dam. Walleye action in the McDonald Slough area and the Lynxville dam spotty to good. In the area of the “S” curve near Harpers Ferry anglers drifting with a jig and night crawlers or leach or trolling with fair success. Some anglers drifting or trolling the west shoreline below Harper’s Ferry slough in about 10 feet of water. Saugers and walleyes active outside Cold Spring. Best baits chartreuse crank baits or live bait rigs. Bass fishing on Mississippi River very good. Anglers catching decent fish using plastics, crank and spinner baits. Bass utilizing weed or wood cover in backwater areas. Wing dams produced smallmouth and largemouth. Rocky shorelines with steep drop off produced smallmouth bass. Most cat anglers using cut bait, stink bait or night crawlers. Lower Wisconsin River producing smallmouth bass and walleye/sauger action. Local trout streams produced decent brook and brown trout; however, fishing is difficult due to heavy vegetation and insects.
Brunet Island State Park - Bass action on spinner baits productive, good musky action on Cornell flowage and below Cornell dam.
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