Report for week of 1/26/2011
GENERAL - Colder weather in the last week has continued to build up ice on lakes. Anglers on
northern lakes are reporting a foot or more of ice. Ice is starting to form off the south shore of Lake
Superior where the "ice caves" are located but it will not be safe to walk out to them until the
National Park Service gives the okay. Anglers were reporting anything from open water to 7 or 8
inches of ice along the northeast, northern, and western shores of Lake Winnebago and much of
Little Lake Butte des Morts has completely opened up and many other areas are offering poor ice
conditions. Madison Lakes had ice thickness varying anywhere from 2 to 6 inches.
Recent cold temperatures put a damper on fishing pressure -- and fish activity seems to be at its
mid-winter low point. Panfish have been providing the best action with a few fair catches perch,
bluegill and crappie being reported along with some of northern pike. Lake Superior’s
Chequamegon Bay ice has been firming and there were reports of perch, brown trout, coho salmon,
and whitefish. Ice shanties started to appear on Green Bay’s Sawyer Harbor last weekend, with
reports of perch, whitefish, and walleye activity. Ice conditions inside Little Sturgeon Bay have been
good but ice on the outside of the bay has been poor, with large areas still open or recently frozen.
Perch anglers were finding good numbers of perch inside the bay, but few keepers.
NORTHERN REGION - Ashland County - Lake Superior ice conditions continues to improve.
Bayfield County - Chequamegon Bay has been firming up for ice and there has been some decent
catches of perch, brown trout, coho salmon, and whitefish. Farther up the shore on Lake Superior
toward Bayfield the ice varies from 2-9 inches. The Madeline Island Ferry line is planning to run at
least through Friday, Jan. 27. The ice is starting to form off the south shore where the "ice caves"
are located but it will not be safe to walk out to them until the National Park Service gives the okay.
Grouse season runs through Jan. 31 in the northern zone and with not a lot of snow it should be
easier to travel on foot. In the southern part of the county, bobcat hunters were taking advantage of
the fresh snow conditions to locate bobcat, with several hunters filling tags this week. Below zero
temperatures made it hard for the otter trappers, causing most of their traps to freeze up and
beaver trappers admitted that checking their under-ice-pole set this week was a workout with the
added inches of ice. Those traveling on the ice to catch a few fish were happy to see the added
inches, allowing vehicle use on most inland lakes. With the switch in temperatures this weekend,
and the weather warming up, panfishing seemed to turned on, with more bags of crappie being
taken this weekend, the best bait appeared to be smaller size minnows. Northern pike fishing
continued to be good, though people using very large minnows and suckers appeared to be having
the best of luck.
Iron County - Ice fishing has slowed down but fish were still being caught, with lots of anglers out
with the warmer weather.
Barron County - Ice depths average 13 inches on most area lakes but anglers are reminded that ice
is never safe and to travel at your own risk. The panfish bite is slow on are lakes with the best
action on the north end of Prairie Lake from 3-5 p.m. Walleye action is slow but bass and northern
pike action is steady on most area lakes.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron
counties) - Ice thickness on most lakes across the Northwoods varies from 11 to 14 inches and
recent snows have added about 3 to 4 inches of heavy grainy snow to the surface. The frigid
weather of the past week has firmed up most of the slushy spots that showed up on a few lakes and
access has been pretty good to most fishing areas. However, the recent cold temperatures have
put a damper on fishing pressure -- and fish activity does seem to be at its mid-winter low point.
Panfish have been providing the best action with a few fair catches of perch, bluegill and crappie
being reported. Perch have been found in a variety of habitats and the best action has been on
small fathead minnows fished just off the bottom in 10 to 16 feet of water. Crappie and bluegill have
been found in the deeper water areas and suspended just off the bottom - and anglers have had to
move around a bit to catch 8 to 10 keeper-size fish in a trip. Walleye fishing in the area continues to
be on the slow side, and most anglers seem to have taken a break from fishing with the cold and
windy weather. The walleye anglers that have been out have experienced generally low success
with an average trip consisting of two or three flags and a single fish caught. The action that has
been reported has come in the late afternoon hours, on medium suckers being fished near break
lines in 8 to 14 feet of water. Northern pike action has also been slow, with anglers catching just a
few small and medium-size fish.
Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area - Ice fishing remains good on the flowage. Some panfish
continued to be caught. Good perch action, both jigging and on tip-ups, with crappie minnows in
about 8 feet of water was reported near Pink Rock on the Turtle River area. Walleyes and crappies
were being caught on the big water on the river channel bends and mid-lake humps on both crappie
minnows and golden shiners. There is about 12-14 inches of ice in most areas after last week's
deep freeze.
Oneida County - The recent snowfall has increased slush levels on some lakes, but fishing action
has been decent, with many panfish being caught. Perch and northern pike have been hitting well
on some lakes.
NORTHEAST REGION - Peshtigo DNR Service Center area - Ice conditions remain extremely
dangerous despite the cold weather snap from a few days ago.
Marinette County - Ice conditions on inland lakes continued to improve with cold weather bringing 1-
2 inches of ice per day. Ice varies on inland lakes anywhere from 9-16 inches. Ice fishing contests
almost every weekend on different lakes show fishing action was slow over the last week with
modest catches taking "top prize." Walleye, whitefish, and the occasional brown trout are being
caught by the Hattie Street Bridge fishing open water and ice fishing from the Wisconsin side of the
river below the dams. Jigging with minnows through the ice or floating stick baits in open water have
been the baits of choice. Some nice catches of panfish have been reported in sloughs.
Governor Thompson State Park - The water on Caldron Falls is frozen. Woods Lake is also iced-
over at this time. Many anglers have been trying their luck through the ice.
Oconto County - Oconto Breakwater Park has been the hot spot for perch caught on jigs and wax
worms. The fish size has been running small, although some nice fish were being caught. Oconto
Park is seeing some activity for panfish with anglers staying within the boundaries of the boat
landing.
Brown County - Stretches of open water dot the Fox River by Voyageur Park down river to the boat
landing. Little fishing activity was observed. Anglers have been walking on the ice at Sunset Beach
in search of the perch, with no interviews to verify catch rates.
Door County - Ice conditions have improved this week at Sturgeon Bay with the help of the cold
temps. Anglers reported ice being 4 to 7 inches thick. Anglers have been fishing in Sawyer Harbor
for perch with some success; the perch that have been caught have been small in size. A few
northern pike have been caught as well. Bullhead point has been getting some fishing pressure;
most anglers have been targeting perch and walleye. Ice conditions inside Little Sturgeon Bay have
been good with some anglers reporting up to 12 inches of ice. The ice on the outside of the bay has
been poor, with large areas still open or recently frozen. Perch anglers were finding good numbers
of perch inside the bay. Most of the perch have been of undesirable size, but anglers were catching
a few keepers. Whitefish action has been consistent overall, with anglers catching good numbers of
fish. Most anglers have been using jigging spoons with wax worms for bait
Potawatomi State Park - Ice shanties started to appear on Sawyer Harbor the weekend of Jan. 21-
22, with about 12 there Wednesday. Some anglers report perch, whitefish, and walleye activity in
the area.
Marguett County - Ice anglers need to use extreme caution when venturing out on to the ice. There
have been reports of vehicles going through the ice on area lakes. Fishing activity has been good
on Buffalo Lake and Lake Puckaway with anglers catching northern pike.
Waupaca County - Ice conditions are improving, on many lakes but ice anglers are still not out in full
force due to the recent warm weather. Most anglers are walking to their fishing area or are using an
ATV or snowmobile.
Outagamie County - Due to the recent warm weather and rain, the little snow that was blanketing
the county and Lake Winnebago has mostly disappeared. In addition, a large crack has opened up
on the west shore of Lake Winnebago that stretches from Oshkosh to Neenah and is within several
hundred yards of shore in the Payne's Point area. In addition much of Little Lake Butte des Morts
has completely opened up and many other areas are offering poor ice conditions. Anglers are
reporting anything from open water to 7 or 8 inches of ice along the north-east, northern, and
western shores of Lake Winnebago.
SOUTHEAST REGION - Kenosha County - Previous colder temperatures have led to a spike in ice
fishing. Anglers on George Lake and Lake Andrea report having success on both northern pike and
panfish. Both lakes are easily accessible from the Kenosha area and offer some wonderful fishing
opportunities. Anglers in Kenosha harbor report seeing a lot of trout swimming in the harbor, but
have had few bites in the last week.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - Grant County - Area ice conditions have improved with reports of 7-8
inches of ice in many areas. Bluegills (many hand sized and bigger) were biting on the Mississippi
River at O Leary Lake below lock and dam 11 near Dubuque, Bertom Lake, downriver from
Cassville, Upper pool 11 between the two spillways near Lock and Dam 10 located off of Closing
Dam Road, and Haville Lake near Bagley. The Wisconsin River backwaters have a good 4-5 inches
of ice in most deep-water areas. However, some areas near the shore and in the weeds still have
very thin ice, so use caution if going to a new spot. Ice fishing activity has slowed down since the
colder temperatures and snow came. The thicker ice and snow has also made it more difficult for
trappers who target muskrat and beaver under the ice. Cold weather followed by increased flow
rates have led to the development of several layers of ice separated by a foot of water on side
channels of the Wisconsin River.
Green County - The ice in the area is still spotty but anglers that brave the conditions are finding a
good supply of fish.
Iowa County - Colder temperatures and snow finally hit and folks were out ice fishing on the frozen
waters. Ice conditions are still poor and vehicles should not be operating on the ice. Anglers are
having some success on area lakes for panfish and in some Wisconsin River backwaters are
producing panfish and northern pike.
Dane County - Ice conditions on the Madison Lakes are still unsteady with ice thickness varying
from anywhere from 2-6 inches. Ice anglers, snowmobilers and ATVs are reminded to use extreme
caution while out on the ice. Game fishing has been pretty slow on lakes Mendota and Monona but
a few decent catches of walleye and northern pike were being made if the time is put into it. Also
some decent catches of panfish have been observed in Marshall Park, Spring Harbor and Mendota
County Park.
Jefferson County - Anglers have been catching northern pike and walleyes on Lake Koshkonong in
the area of Koshkonong Mounds Road and Haight’s bay. There is an average of 4-7 inches of ice
on Koshkonong. Red Cedar Lake has also been productive. Mostly small northern pike have been
caught. This is a great opportunity for taking kids out to fish. Anglers have reported lots of action
with tip-ups, which would be a great way get kids started. There is an average of 4-6 inches of ice
on Red Cedar.
WEST CENTRAL REGION - Baldwin DNR Service Center area - Ice anglers are still driving on area
lakes, but it is not recommended. Good numbers of trumpeter swans are still present in the Hudson
area. In Dunn County, perch, walleye and northern pike are the main stay on Lake Tainter and
Lake Menomin as ice conditions have improved. In Pepin County and Durand area, ice conditions
remain spotty at best. Panfish activity has slowed. In Pierce County, a few anglers are venturing out
on Lake Pepin but not out to the traditional fishing areas as of yet.
Interstate Park - Ice conditions remain marginal for fishing on Lake O' the Dalles. The St. Croix
River has open water downstream of the boat launch.
Jackson County - Colder weather has improved the ice conditions in the eastern part of the county;
however, fishing seems to have slowed down. Fishing for crappies on Lake Arbutus has been fair to
good, with the most fish being caught suspended about 4 feet off the bottom. Several anglers had a
handful of nice sized crappie near Windy Point. A few smallmouth bass were caught on tip-ups in
the upper channel in Clark County. Ice fishing on the lower lakes below Hatfield has slowed down
considerably, with only a few anglers reporting catching bluegills. Ice conditions on local cranberry
marshes are marginal, as many operators are drawing water which creates large fluctuations on ice
thickness and stability.
Trempealeau County - Ice fishing in the area has been spotty. Anglers report that panfish activity is
sporadic. Some anglers are having success catching northern pike on tip-ups. The ice conditions
are generally good, and anglers are driving vehicle on many area lakes. Anglers should always use
caution on the ice and be aware that ice conditions can change.
Eau Claire County - Anglers are catching a lot of bass through the ice of Half Moon Lake in the City
of Eau Claire; ice thickness is still under 10 inches. Motor vehicle use is not recommended. Panfish
action is starting to improve on local lakes.
Marathon County - Anglers on Lake Wausau report 14 inches of ice. They report 10 to 12 inches
crappies have been biting in 10 to 16 feet of water along weed lines. Northern pike are being
caught in shallow water weed lines. Anglers on the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir report up to 14 inches
of ice. Small to medium perch seem to be the norm with a lot of small walleye still being caught.
Anglers on Lake Dubay report 12 inches of ice away from the river channel. Crappies, white bass,
and perch are being caught on plastic jigs tipped with wax worms.
Portage County - Ice conditions have improved due the recent cold weather. Fishers and other
people who enjoy our frozen waters are still reminded to use caution as ice conditions change on a
daily basis and will vary from water to water. Anglers are out in good numbers but success has been
spotty. A few walleyes are being taken on Lake DuBay and the rest of the Wisconsin River System.
Some crappies are being taken during the morning and evening hours on area waters.
A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277.
Copyright© 2006 BobberStop.com
GENERAL - Colder weather in the last week has continued to build up ice on lakes. Anglers on
northern lakes are reporting a foot or more of ice. Ice is starting to form off the south shore of Lake
Superior where the "ice caves" are located but it will not be safe to walk out to them until the
National Park Service gives the okay. Anglers were reporting anything from open water to 7 or 8
inches of ice along the northeast, northern, and western shores of Lake Winnebago and much of
Little Lake Butte des Morts has completely opened up and many other areas are offering poor ice
conditions. Madison Lakes had ice thickness varying anywhere from 2 to 6 inches.
Recent cold temperatures put a damper on fishing pressure -- and fish activity seems to be at its
mid-winter low point. Panfish have been providing the best action with a few fair catches perch,
bluegill and crappie being reported along with some of northern pike. Lake Superior’s
Chequamegon Bay ice has been firming and there were reports of perch, brown trout, coho salmon,
and whitefish. Ice shanties started to appear on Green Bay’s Sawyer Harbor last weekend, with
reports of perch, whitefish, and walleye activity. Ice conditions inside Little Sturgeon Bay have been
good but ice on the outside of the bay has been poor, with large areas still open or recently frozen.
Perch anglers were finding good numbers of perch inside the bay, but few keepers.
NORTHERN REGION - Ashland County - Lake Superior ice conditions continues to improve.
Bayfield County - Chequamegon Bay has been firming up for ice and there has been some decent
catches of perch, brown trout, coho salmon, and whitefish. Farther up the shore on Lake Superior
toward Bayfield the ice varies from 2-9 inches. The Madeline Island Ferry line is planning to run at
least through Friday, Jan. 27. The ice is starting to form off the south shore where the "ice caves"
are located but it will not be safe to walk out to them until the National Park Service gives the okay.
Grouse season runs through Jan. 31 in the northern zone and with not a lot of snow it should be
easier to travel on foot. In the southern part of the county, bobcat hunters were taking advantage of
the fresh snow conditions to locate bobcat, with several hunters filling tags this week. Below zero
temperatures made it hard for the otter trappers, causing most of their traps to freeze up and
beaver trappers admitted that checking their under-ice-pole set this week was a workout with the
added inches of ice. Those traveling on the ice to catch a few fish were happy to see the added
inches, allowing vehicle use on most inland lakes. With the switch in temperatures this weekend,
and the weather warming up, panfishing seemed to turned on, with more bags of crappie being
taken this weekend, the best bait appeared to be smaller size minnows. Northern pike fishing
continued to be good, though people using very large minnows and suckers appeared to be having
the best of luck.
Iron County - Ice fishing has slowed down but fish were still being caught, with lots of anglers out
with the warmer weather.
Barron County - Ice depths average 13 inches on most area lakes but anglers are reminded that ice
is never safe and to travel at your own risk. The panfish bite is slow on are lakes with the best
action on the north end of Prairie Lake from 3-5 p.m. Walleye action is slow but bass and northern
pike action is steady on most area lakes.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron
counties) - Ice thickness on most lakes across the Northwoods varies from 11 to 14 inches and
recent snows have added about 3 to 4 inches of heavy grainy snow to the surface. The frigid
weather of the past week has firmed up most of the slushy spots that showed up on a few lakes and
access has been pretty good to most fishing areas. However, the recent cold temperatures have
put a damper on fishing pressure -- and fish activity does seem to be at its mid-winter low point.
Panfish have been providing the best action with a few fair catches of perch, bluegill and crappie
being reported. Perch have been found in a variety of habitats and the best action has been on
small fathead minnows fished just off the bottom in 10 to 16 feet of water. Crappie and bluegill have
been found in the deeper water areas and suspended just off the bottom - and anglers have had to
move around a bit to catch 8 to 10 keeper-size fish in a trip. Walleye fishing in the area continues to
be on the slow side, and most anglers seem to have taken a break from fishing with the cold and
windy weather. The walleye anglers that have been out have experienced generally low success
with an average trip consisting of two or three flags and a single fish caught. The action that has
been reported has come in the late afternoon hours, on medium suckers being fished near break
lines in 8 to 14 feet of water. Northern pike action has also been slow, with anglers catching just a
few small and medium-size fish.
Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area - Ice fishing remains good on the flowage. Some panfish
continued to be caught. Good perch action, both jigging and on tip-ups, with crappie minnows in
about 8 feet of water was reported near Pink Rock on the Turtle River area. Walleyes and crappies
were being caught on the big water on the river channel bends and mid-lake humps on both crappie
minnows and golden shiners. There is about 12-14 inches of ice in most areas after last week's
deep freeze.
Oneida County - The recent snowfall has increased slush levels on some lakes, but fishing action
has been decent, with many panfish being caught. Perch and northern pike have been hitting well
on some lakes.
NORTHEAST REGION - Peshtigo DNR Service Center area - Ice conditions remain extremely
dangerous despite the cold weather snap from a few days ago.
Marinette County - Ice conditions on inland lakes continued to improve with cold weather bringing 1-
2 inches of ice per day. Ice varies on inland lakes anywhere from 9-16 inches. Ice fishing contests
almost every weekend on different lakes show fishing action was slow over the last week with
modest catches taking "top prize." Walleye, whitefish, and the occasional brown trout are being
caught by the Hattie Street Bridge fishing open water and ice fishing from the Wisconsin side of the
river below the dams. Jigging with minnows through the ice or floating stick baits in open water have
been the baits of choice. Some nice catches of panfish have been reported in sloughs.
Governor Thompson State Park - The water on Caldron Falls is frozen. Woods Lake is also iced-
over at this time. Many anglers have been trying their luck through the ice.
Oconto County - Oconto Breakwater Park has been the hot spot for perch caught on jigs and wax
worms. The fish size has been running small, although some nice fish were being caught. Oconto
Park is seeing some activity for panfish with anglers staying within the boundaries of the boat
landing.
Brown County - Stretches of open water dot the Fox River by Voyageur Park down river to the boat
landing. Little fishing activity was observed. Anglers have been walking on the ice at Sunset Beach
in search of the perch, with no interviews to verify catch rates.
Door County - Ice conditions have improved this week at Sturgeon Bay with the help of the cold
temps. Anglers reported ice being 4 to 7 inches thick. Anglers have been fishing in Sawyer Harbor
for perch with some success; the perch that have been caught have been small in size. A few
northern pike have been caught as well. Bullhead point has been getting some fishing pressure;
most anglers have been targeting perch and walleye. Ice conditions inside Little Sturgeon Bay have
been good with some anglers reporting up to 12 inches of ice. The ice on the outside of the bay has
been poor, with large areas still open or recently frozen. Perch anglers were finding good numbers
of perch inside the bay. Most of the perch have been of undesirable size, but anglers were catching
a few keepers. Whitefish action has been consistent overall, with anglers catching good numbers of
fish. Most anglers have been using jigging spoons with wax worms for bait
Potawatomi State Park - Ice shanties started to appear on Sawyer Harbor the weekend of Jan. 21-
22, with about 12 there Wednesday. Some anglers report perch, whitefish, and walleye activity in
the area.
Marguett County - Ice anglers need to use extreme caution when venturing out on to the ice. There
have been reports of vehicles going through the ice on area lakes. Fishing activity has been good
on Buffalo Lake and Lake Puckaway with anglers catching northern pike.
Waupaca County - Ice conditions are improving, on many lakes but ice anglers are still not out in full
force due to the recent warm weather. Most anglers are walking to their fishing area or are using an
ATV or snowmobile.
Outagamie County - Due to the recent warm weather and rain, the little snow that was blanketing
the county and Lake Winnebago has mostly disappeared. In addition, a large crack has opened up
on the west shore of Lake Winnebago that stretches from Oshkosh to Neenah and is within several
hundred yards of shore in the Payne's Point area. In addition much of Little Lake Butte des Morts
has completely opened up and many other areas are offering poor ice conditions. Anglers are
reporting anything from open water to 7 or 8 inches of ice along the north-east, northern, and
western shores of Lake Winnebago.
SOUTHEAST REGION - Kenosha County - Previous colder temperatures have led to a spike in ice
fishing. Anglers on George Lake and Lake Andrea report having success on both northern pike and
panfish. Both lakes are easily accessible from the Kenosha area and offer some wonderful fishing
opportunities. Anglers in Kenosha harbor report seeing a lot of trout swimming in the harbor, but
have had few bites in the last week.
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - Grant County - Area ice conditions have improved with reports of 7-8
inches of ice in many areas. Bluegills (many hand sized and bigger) were biting on the Mississippi
River at O Leary Lake below lock and dam 11 near Dubuque, Bertom Lake, downriver from
Cassville, Upper pool 11 between the two spillways near Lock and Dam 10 located off of Closing
Dam Road, and Haville Lake near Bagley. The Wisconsin River backwaters have a good 4-5 inches
of ice in most deep-water areas. However, some areas near the shore and in the weeds still have
very thin ice, so use caution if going to a new spot. Ice fishing activity has slowed down since the
colder temperatures and snow came. The thicker ice and snow has also made it more difficult for
trappers who target muskrat and beaver under the ice. Cold weather followed by increased flow
rates have led to the development of several layers of ice separated by a foot of water on side
channels of the Wisconsin River.
Green County - The ice in the area is still spotty but anglers that brave the conditions are finding a
good supply of fish.
Iowa County - Colder temperatures and snow finally hit and folks were out ice fishing on the frozen
waters. Ice conditions are still poor and vehicles should not be operating on the ice. Anglers are
having some success on area lakes for panfish and in some Wisconsin River backwaters are
producing panfish and northern pike.
Dane County - Ice conditions on the Madison Lakes are still unsteady with ice thickness varying
from anywhere from 2-6 inches. Ice anglers, snowmobilers and ATVs are reminded to use extreme
caution while out on the ice. Game fishing has been pretty slow on lakes Mendota and Monona but
a few decent catches of walleye and northern pike were being made if the time is put into it. Also
some decent catches of panfish have been observed in Marshall Park, Spring Harbor and Mendota
County Park.
Jefferson County - Anglers have been catching northern pike and walleyes on Lake Koshkonong in
the area of Koshkonong Mounds Road and Haight’s bay. There is an average of 4-7 inches of ice
on Koshkonong. Red Cedar Lake has also been productive. Mostly small northern pike have been
caught. This is a great opportunity for taking kids out to fish. Anglers have reported lots of action
with tip-ups, which would be a great way get kids started. There is an average of 4-6 inches of ice
on Red Cedar.
WEST CENTRAL REGION - Baldwin DNR Service Center area - Ice anglers are still driving on area
lakes, but it is not recommended. Good numbers of trumpeter swans are still present in the Hudson
area. In Dunn County, perch, walleye and northern pike are the main stay on Lake Tainter and
Lake Menomin as ice conditions have improved. In Pepin County and Durand area, ice conditions
remain spotty at best. Panfish activity has slowed. In Pierce County, a few anglers are venturing out
on Lake Pepin but not out to the traditional fishing areas as of yet.
Interstate Park - Ice conditions remain marginal for fishing on Lake O' the Dalles. The St. Croix
River has open water downstream of the boat launch.
Jackson County - Colder weather has improved the ice conditions in the eastern part of the county;
however, fishing seems to have slowed down. Fishing for crappies on Lake Arbutus has been fair to
good, with the most fish being caught suspended about 4 feet off the bottom. Several anglers had a
handful of nice sized crappie near Windy Point. A few smallmouth bass were caught on tip-ups in
the upper channel in Clark County. Ice fishing on the lower lakes below Hatfield has slowed down
considerably, with only a few anglers reporting catching bluegills. Ice conditions on local cranberry
marshes are marginal, as many operators are drawing water which creates large fluctuations on ice
thickness and stability.
Trempealeau County - Ice fishing in the area has been spotty. Anglers report that panfish activity is
sporadic. Some anglers are having success catching northern pike on tip-ups. The ice conditions
are generally good, and anglers are driving vehicle on many area lakes. Anglers should always use
caution on the ice and be aware that ice conditions can change.
Eau Claire County - Anglers are catching a lot of bass through the ice of Half Moon Lake in the City
of Eau Claire; ice thickness is still under 10 inches. Motor vehicle use is not recommended. Panfish
action is starting to improve on local lakes.
Marathon County - Anglers on Lake Wausau report 14 inches of ice. They report 10 to 12 inches
crappies have been biting in 10 to 16 feet of water along weed lines. Northern pike are being
caught in shallow water weed lines. Anglers on the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir report up to 14 inches
of ice. Small to medium perch seem to be the norm with a lot of small walleye still being caught.
Anglers on Lake Dubay report 12 inches of ice away from the river channel. Crappies, white bass,
and perch are being caught on plastic jigs tipped with wax worms.
Portage County - Ice conditions have improved due the recent cold weather. Fishers and other
people who enjoy our frozen waters are still reminded to use caution as ice conditions change on a
daily basis and will vary from water to water. Anglers are out in good numbers but success has been
spotty. A few walleyes are being taken on Lake DuBay and the rest of the Wisconsin River System.
Some crappies are being taken during the morning and evening hours on area waters.
A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277.
Copyright© 2006 BobberStop.com
| WDNR Weekly Fishing Report |
| "All the romance of trout fishing exists in the mind of the angler and is in no way shared by the fish." Harold F. Blaisdell |
| "There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind." Washington Irving |
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