October 12, 2007
NORTHERN REGION
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Most musky found on the deep edges, with the shallow weeds providing a bit of action. Using artificials but some have begun to use live suckers. Both baits providing action, but look for the sucker bite to improve with dropping water temps.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area - Musky anglers using sucker rigs and reporting increased success. Anglers reminded dragging a sucker behind the boat while utilizing a trolling motor to propel the boat along the shore is a violation of trolling restrictions and citations are being issued. Smallmouth bass moved into deeper waters, 15-20 feet. Bluegills hanging about weed edges and are aggressive. Crappies beginning to school in shallow weeds.
NORTHEAST REGION
Marinette County - Walleye, chinook and sturgeon caught on the Menominee River near Hattie Street Bridge. Lake sturgeon measured 36-60 inches. Little River Boat Landing Area remains a popular spot for anglers in pursuit of chinook. Anglers felt that the water was too warm to catch salmon.
Oconto County - Southern zone waterfowl season along Bay of Green Bay produced bags of green-wing teal, blue-wing, pintail ducks, redheads. Oconto Breakwater was the place to be for catching brown trout and chinook. On Young’s Reef and out of North Bayshore Oconto County Park, limits of yellow perch reported with 8-inch fish, some over 10 inches.
Brown County - Perch bite occurring on minnows in shallower water from 10 to 20 feet near Bayshore Park. Outside of Sturgeon Bay in the canal, nice perch turned up in the 12- to 13-inch range. Walleye in all lull although with very few fish reported, quality lunkers still turned up off the reefs to the north of Chaudoir’s and to the south of Bayshore parks. A few small pike turning up near Little Sturgeon Bay. Spoons and large spinners best. Small perch along with catfish and drum continued to show up on the Fox, Duck, Suamico rivers. Duck and goose hunters continue to have success on Little Sturgeon Bay and or near Idlewild Point.
Manitowoc County - Trout and salmon anglers had success from shore and trolling on Lake Michigan. Anglers fishing from piers had a fine week from the north and south piers. A mix catch of chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout all harvested off the north pier. Success using a bobber and spawn sac combination or casting bright colored crank baits. Pressure concentrated around the marina and produced catches of chinook salmon and brown trout. Anglers trolling on Lake Michigan just off the harbor in 15 to 25 feet of water with crank baits and J-plugs. Smallmouth anglers fishing outside the marina or on shallow reefs along the shoreline catching nice bass ranging around 3 pounds. Anglers trolling on Lake Michigan caught large catches of chinook salmon with mix of lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout. Anglers didn’t have to travel far from shore with action in 15 to 30 feet of water just outside the harbor. Fishing from the piers landing mature chinook salmon and brown trout. Drifting spawn sacs or casting spinners and crank baits. Fishing farther inside the harbor report most chinook caught with fresh spawn around a hook suspended just of the bottom. On West Twin River, chinook salmon harvested at Shoto dam. Drifting spawn sacs or casting spinners and shallow running stick baits. On East Twin River, fishing at the Mishicot dam picked up mature chinook salmon. Panfish anglers at the dam catching bluegill and pumpkinseed biting on a worm and bobber combination. On the Manitowoc River, anglers fishing at Mill Road picking up migrating chinook salmon. Couple nice chinooks caught with a spawn sac and bobber combination set shallow and drifted in the current. Bass anglers had good action at Lower Cato Falls County Park using tube jigs and stick baits.
Door County – Those anglers able to get out on Lake Michigan trolling brought fair numbers of fish caught on fly and dodger combinations fished 30 to 100 feet down over 180 to 300 feet of water. Good success by anglers trolling in Sturgeon Bay ship canal and areas of Sturgeon Bay. Anglers fishing from shore catching nice fish from piers on Lake Michigan end of the canal and along the canal shore. Conditions much the same in the Baileys Harbor area with those anglers who could gat out doing well trolling both North and South of town. Up north, Washington Island, Ellison Bay and Rowley’s Bay producing. Nice fish taken from all of the northern Door harbors. Smallmouth action fair to good for anglers fishing deeper structure using tube jigs and goby imitating baits. Most smallmouth coming structure in 15 to 35 feet of water. Walleyes in 17 to 25 feet around Larsen’s Reef, Monument Shoals and areas around Strawberry and Chambers islands. Crankbaits the choice during daylight, crawler harnesses producing walleyes from 5 pm to midnight. Decent numbers of perch taken from the deeper waters, 20 to 30 feet, off Chaudoir’s dock. Little Sturgeon and Sand Bay produced perch, along with weed edges between bridges in Sturgeon Bay and along buoy line from Bay View Bridge to the Sturgeon Bay ship canal. Minnows under a slip bobber best. Pike anglers using crank baits along with jerk baits and spoons fished along the weed beds in front of the marines and along the channel in Sturgeon Bay, as well as in Little Sturgeon, Riley’s and Sand Bays. Areas over deep water weed edges in 15 to 25 feet of water productive for bigger pike.
Peninsula State Park - Water levels in Green Bay and Lake Michigan still very low, approximately 18 inches below the long-term average. Despite recent rains, conditions remain dry.
Kewaunee County - Anglers fishing off of the piers in Algoma and Kewaunee have had a decent week of fishing off the piers. Cohos and kings reported almost everyday, but not in very large numbers on most of the days. Casting with spoons or crank baits the best tackle, but spawn sacs working. With low water levels in the rivers not many fish are moving up right now, but there still are some fish being caught up the rivers. Many fish are starting to hold closer to shore and in the harbors as well. Anglers trolling out on the lake coming in with fish, but it has been tough. Most boats coming in with Kings, some browns, cohos, and steelhead. Trolling in the shallow waters outside of the harbors and along the shore. Best choice for tackle has been spoons and stick baits however some anglers using flies and flashers. Anglers also casting spoons from boats inside of the break walls or just outside of them.
Upper Fox-Wolf basin fisheries report - Perch in the deeper pools (14 to 16 feet) in Lake Winnebago. Walleye being hooked around the reefs and the confluence of the Fox River. Perch hooked south of Stoney Beach down to Fond du Lac. Anglers hooking bluegills close to shore on the Fox River. White bass, crappie and perch hooked on the Wolf River and Lake Poygan. Northerns hooked in the Wolf River. Anglers getting between 30 to 40 white bass in pockets. Bluegills being found in the channels.
SOUTHEAST REGION
Sheboygan County - Fishing on the Pigeon River slow, chinooks caught out of Sheboygan River in Esslingen Park and River wildlife area. A few coho, browns, lake trout taken on spoons, spawn, or alewives caught off the piers. Trollers working Sheboygan harbor catching chinooks, coho on crankbaits, spoons, or J-plugs.
Ozaukee County - Shore anglers in Port Washington catching fair numbers of chinooks and browns near power plant and in the west slip. Most fish have hitting spawn sacs. A few chinooks and coho taken off the pier on crankbaits and spoons. Most trollers in Port Washington sticking close to the harbor, with chinooks and occasional browns taken in 20 to 50 feet of water on J-plugs or spoons.
Milwaukee County - Chinooks caught in the Menomonee River at Miller Park and in the Milwaukee River below the Estabrook dam. At the lakefront a few rainbows and small brown trout have been caught behind the Summerfest grounds, McKinley pier and Veterans Park providing chinooks. Glow spoons worked for shore anglers, and a few fish taken on blue & silver spoons. Trollers in Milwaukee concentrating in the harbor catching good numbers of chinooks with occasional browns and rainbows.
Racine County - Shore anglers catching chinooks and rainbows off the piers and in the basin near the boat launch. Green and silver and green glow spoons most effective. Trollers working in and around the harbor mouth catching chinooks and coho on spoons and J-plugs. In upstream stretches of the Root River, chinooks caught in Colonial and Quarry Lake Parks. Egg pattern flies as well as woolley buggers and egg sucking leeches produced the most fish. Anglers in the downstream stretches of the Root found chinooks and occasional browns and coho in Washington Park and farther downriver. Flies as well as spawn producing.
Kenosha County - Shore fishing in Kenosha picked up, chinooks, browns, and coho caught on spawn in the harbor. Chinook finally moved into the Pike River, a few taken on spawn in the lower stretches of the river. Kenosha trollers catching chinooks in 30 to 50 feet of water off the mouth of the Pike River. Fish hitting spoons and J-plugs in green or silver.
Waukesha County - Area lakes producing nice catches of fall panfish. Crappie providing excellent action on Pewaukee, Silver and Beaver lakes. Nice creels reported over deep weed flats. Try slip bobbers and fatheads.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Grant County - Large numbers of white pelicans in Mississippi River pools #10 and #11. A few geese observed but most remained out of range. Bluegills biting on the Mississippi River near Bertom Lake south of Far Nuff boat landing. Walleye and bass anglers reported catches of smallmouth bass as well as walleye and sauger. Many fishing the wing dams and mouths of small streams entering the Mississippi River.
WEST CENTRAL REGION
La Crosse DNR Service Center area - Waterfowl hunters on Lake Onalaska saw light to moderate action on wood ducks, teal, mallards and Canada geese. A few hunters harvested American widgeon and pintails. Most hunters found wood ducks the only duck in their bag for the duck opener on pool 8 in La Crosse County. Some hunters bagged a few teal, mallards and pintail. Crappie fishers having moderate success on the Mississippi River jigging structures along area sloughs. Walleye fishers having success trolling and jigging wing dams. Crappie found in submerged trees; walleye on the wing dams; bass anglers finding a good fall bite.
Crawford County - Anglers finding crappie and bluegills in Ambro Slough complex and in Lower Bottoms south of Prairie du Chien. Walleye in deeper sloughs in the back waters. Main Channel of the Mississippi River near the Harpers Ferry slough produced fish. The lower Wisconsin River bottoms are full of acorns and water. Some hunters found good wood duck and teal activity and took a limit home. Prairie du Chien area saw action with wood ducks, teal, mallards. Lynxville and Ferryville hunters found wood ducks, teal, gadwall and mallards.
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