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Wisconsin Fishing Reports
| Fishing Reports for Wisconsin. If you have a report for your area send it to us at reports@bobberstop.com. Please put "Fishing Report" in the subject line of your e-mail and please don't forget to include the location. WISCONSIN FISHING NEWS & NOTICES (Click Here) |
** Last Update was made on 10 - 2 - 08 ***
WISCONSIN FISHING REPORTS - LICENSES - REGULATIONS - MAPS.
NORTHERN REGION - Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and
inland Ashland and Iron counties) - With nearly all of the major hunting seasons open, fishing
pressure has really dropped off on the waters in the north. There have still been quite a few musky
anglers venturing out and they have been enjoying some excellent success. Most of the fish have
been found on the deep weed edges and break lines, with artificial baits such as bucktails, stick
baits producing most of the action. Anglers using live suckers have also experienced some good
success, with a beautiful 41-inch tiger musky caught and released on Butternut Lake this past week.
Walleye fishing has shown some steady improvement and some decent catches of 12 to 16-inch
fish have been reported. Jig and minnow combinations worked on the deep edges, and crank baits
in the shallows near dark have produced the best success. With the falling water temperatures,
bass fishing has begun to get more erratic. Many largemouth bass continue to be found in shallow
water around lily pad beds and near woody cover, though they've become a bit temperamental in
their biting. The best action has been on soft plastics in the late afternoon hours after the water has
warmed up over the course of the day. Smallmouth bass have been a hit or miss proposition, with a
few nice fish still showing up in the local flowages and rivers. Some smallmouth were still being
caught near cover along the deeper break lines, with small finesse plastics being the favored bait.
But look for smallmouth to go deeper and become harder to catch as water temperatures continue
to drop with the cool fall weather. Panfish action has been good and some nice catches of crappie,
bluegill and rock bass being made in the late afternoon hours. Small minnows have produced the
best success, with crappie and rock bass being found along weed edges and near mid-depth cover,
and bluegill being found suspended just off the bottom in 10 to 15 feet of water. Anglers are
reminded that the general trout season closed on Sept. 30 with most streams, rivers, and spring
ponds being closed to trout fishing. However, many stocked trout lakes do remain open and those
can be found in the Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide pamphlet.
Flambeau River State Forest - The south fork of the Flambeau River is very low and not
recommended for paddling. The north fork is also very low and recent paddlers (using kayaks)
reported the need to get out and pull through gravel/rocky areas in quite few spots; canoeist might
meet even more frequently with more difficulty.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area - Area conservation wardens and guides report that musky
fishing is picking up and walleye fishing has remained steady. Musky anglers are employing the use
of sucker rigs and reporting increased success. Anglers are reminded that dragging a sucker
behind the boat while using a trolling motor to propel the boat along the shore is a violation of the
trolling restrictions and citations will be issued. A few largemouth bass have been caught, although
they will become less active as the lakes continue to cool. Smallmouth bass have moved into deeper
waters – about 15-20 feet. Perch activity is reported as sporadic but they are being caught on weed
edges or in flowages with submerged wood in about 6-12 feet of water. Bluegills are hanging about
the weed edges and have been somewhat aggressive. Crappies are beginning to school in shallow
weeds.
NORTHEAST REGION - Marinette County - The occasional walleye, smallmouth, salmon, and
panfish was being caught by the Hattie Street Dam. Live bait has been the rule of thumb for
everything but the salmon. Cleo's, daredevils, and spinners are producing a few salmon in the 16 to
20 pound range. Anglers fishing the bay side of the lighthouse pier have been enjoying some
success catching browns, steelhead, and chinook using heavy spoons. The hot color remains
silver/blue followed by silver/green or silver/chartreuse. The night bite at Little River has been quite
prolific using spawn sacks fished on bottom. Smallmouth bass have become active at the Peshtigo
Harbor, along with some nice northern pike. Jigs and minnows for the smallmouth and spoons for
the northern have been working well.
Oconto County - Oconto Park II fishermen have been coming in this week with some catches of
perch. Young's Reef was hot this week as well as the weed beds in 12 feet of water straight out from
the landing. Minnows suspended about 6 inches off the bottom have worked well. Walleye have
slowed down considerably from a few weeks ago but can still be found in 7 to 20 feet of water using
crawler/harness. Some bluegill still being caught by the Stiles Dam but the number of anglers has
decreased dramatically.
Brown County - In the Fox River of Green Bay, anglers targeting musky have been having slight
success when casting. The occasional angler catches walleye along the channel. Shore fishing has
been slow for most targeting game species. In the bay, the walleye bite has slowed; though, it
seems the night bite may be giving better results. Anglers targeting walleye have been having luck
with crawler harnesses and crank baits. Those using launches on the east shore of the bay seem to
be having better luck than those using launches on the west shore. Yellow perch seem to be biting
more consistently; though, they are still spotty. Crawlers and minnows are both working well. Areas
around Bayshore, in approximately 20 feet of water, have shown good results. Chaudoir’s area and
north are also good, maybe even better, areas to target perch. Water temperature in the bay is in
the lower to mid-60s.
Manitowoc County - Anglers fishing off of Manitowoc on Lake Michigan had a fair week for trout and
salmon this past week. Boat anglers had some good trips over the week that produced good
catches of chinook salmon and a few coho salmon. The most successful anglers were trolling in 20
to 75 feet of water using J-plugs in the early morning. Fishing inside the harbor was concentrated
around the north end of the marina and the river mouth. Anglers were casting spoons and crank
baits with mixed success. Catch rates were on the slow side with harvested chinook ranging
between 11 and 18 pounds. A few anglers that rigged up with a bobber and worm caught a few
smelt about 5 to 9 inches in length from the north pier stub and inside the marina. In Two Rivers,
anglers also had a fair week of fishing. Weather conditions were not the most productive, but that
did not keep many fishermen from putting in long hours inside the harbor and the south pier. Inside
the harbor fishing was a little slow, but anglers were still able to harvest some nice chinook salmon.
Anglers had the most success in the early morning, casting spoons and stick baits. On Sunday
evening a couple anglers on the south pier also picked up a couple of brown trout casting spoons.
Boaters trolling Lake Michigan in 20 to 50 feet of water had some success landing mature chinook
salmon, a couple coho salmon and a few brown trout. On the West Twin River, angler pressure was
high around the Shoto Dam. Anglers were casting spoons or drifting spawn sacs for chinook salmon
and rainbow trout. Chinook salmon have been ranging in weight from 12 to 18 pounds. A few
boaters who launched at the Shoto Public Launch and traveled upstream were using stick baits and
spoons were able to land a few nice chinook salmon that weighed 15 to 18 pounds. On the East
Twin River, anglers pressure at the Mishicot dam was moderate over the weekend. Catch rates
were a little slow and few visible chinook were noted at the dam. Anglers fishing further downstream
at Maplewood Road or Hillcrest Road had some success during the week catching chinook salmon.
Door County – In the Little Sturgeon Bay/Sawyer Harbor area, northern pike have been biting well.
Many types of lures have been working while both casting and trolling. Both trophy-sized and “good
eating”-sized are plentiful. Musky were also biting in the area. Many trophy-sized individuals have
been seen throughout this system. Casting seems to be the best approach for musky at this time.
The yellow perch bite has been somewhat spotty but good in this system. Many little fish were
caught but larger fish were also available. For walleye, the night bite on Larson's Reef seemed to
be the best. There are currently many trophy walleye available in this system. Trolling or drifting with
crank baits has been working best. Salmon and trout are moving into the system and providing
good opportunities for those targeting them. The smallmouth bass bite seems fairly slow. Water
temperature is in the low to mid-60s.
Strawberry Creek Spawning Facility - Despite some recent rainfall events, the natural flow at
Strawberry Creek has remained rather low and only a few chinook had "crawled" their way upstream
as of Sept. 29. The pump that provides supplemental water to Strawberry Creek was started Sept.
29 and the chinook that had been staging responded almost immediately and have started their
upstream movement and are piling into the pond. Fisheries crews plan to conduct the first salmon
harvest on Thursday, Oct. 2, and are tentatively planning additional harvests for Oct 6, 9, 13, and
16. Crews will likely be at the pond by 8:30 a.m. on harvest days but not likely to actually start fish
processing until about 9 a.m. Depending on the number of fish and the amount of help we have on
any individual day crews will likely be processing fish through at least 11 a.m. and frequently until
noon or later.
Kewaunee County - The salmon run is still the main attraction for anglers fishing Lake Michigan and
its tributaries this past week. The piers in both Algoma and Kewaunee are still seeing the bulk of the
fishing pressure and coho and chinook salmon are still being caught here and there. Some trolling
anglers are still cruising the shoreline with variable success. Water temperatures were in the low
60s inshore. Others have gone out as far as 120-150 feet and found some success catching
younger, non-spawning salmon and a few rainbow trout. As far as stream action goes, the
Kewaunee River was busy this past weekend as anglers found success fishing deeper pools where
salmon congregated. Spawn sacs were a common bait which produced success. The salmon run
should continue to be the main focus into the coming week.
SOUTHEAST REGION - Lake Michigan fisheries team report: Rivers are generally low in
Southeast Wisconsin, and rain is needed to help trigger salmon movement.
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan anglers fishing off the piers and in the marina have been
catching a few chinooks and coho on spoons and spawn. In the Sheboygan River some chinooks
have been caught near the Kohler dam on flies. Sheboygan trollers have been catching a few
browns, coho, and chinooks in and around the harbor.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, shore anglers have been catching a few chinooks and
browns in the harbor and near the power plant on spawn. Trollers in Port Washington have also had
some success fishing near the harbor.
Milwaukee County - Shore anglers in Milwaukee have been catching a few chinooks and browns off
McKinley pier. Spawn has produced the most browns, while chinooks have been taken on glow in
the dark spoons before sunrise. Fishing on the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers and Oak Creek
has been slow. Milwaukee trollers have been catching a few chinooks in the gaps and around the
harbor.
Racine County - In Racine shore anglers have been catching chinooks and rainbows near the
mouth of the Root River and off the south pier. Glow in the dark spoons fished at dawn have
provided the most action. Racine trollers have taken mature chinooks inshore near the mouth of the
Root River on J-Plugs. Water levels on the Root River are low, but anglers fishing the river have
caught some chinooks and browns in Washington Park. Small flies and spawn have taken the most
fish. The Root River Steelhead Facility is not yet in operation, but the facility should be running
once we get some more rain. Please check back for updates.
Kenosha County - For shore anglers in Kenosha, a few chinooks have been caught in the harbor
and off the piers on crank baits. Kenosha trollers have been catching chinooks and a few lake trout.
Most fish have been caught from 60 to 80 feet of water, but some chinooks have also been caught
off the mouth of the Pike River.
Inland fisheries team report: No Report
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - Devil's Lake State Park - The south shore boat landing is open. At the
north shore boat landing, only small boats may be launched by hand, but barricades may not be
moved and vehicles and trailers may not by-pass the barricades. Concession operations are open
through October, including boat rentals. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WEST CENTRAL REGION - Merrick State Park - Panfish are hitting along the wing dams.
Brunet Island State Park - The open water game fish action has been good this past week. Bass
action on spinner baits and float baits has been productive, walleye action has been spotty. There
has been good musky action on Cornell flowage and below the Cornell dam. Pan fish action has
been increasing in the bays as the water temperature begins to drop.
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area - Fishing has been good, depending on weather
conditions. Some anglers have been having success on some of the larger lakes in the area with
bass and pan fish. Several good size northerns have been caught this summer.
Report By: WDNR
If your in the area, stop by and visit our new store:
BOBBERSTOP TACKLE SHOP
1227 MILWAUKEE AVE.
SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WI. 53172
WISCONSIN FISHING REPORTS - LICENSES - REGULATIONS - MAPS.
NORTHERN REGION - Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and
inland Ashland and Iron counties) - With nearly all of the major hunting seasons open, fishing
pressure has really dropped off on the waters in the north. There have still been quite a few musky
anglers venturing out and they have been enjoying some excellent success. Most of the fish have
been found on the deep weed edges and break lines, with artificial baits such as bucktails, stick
baits producing most of the action. Anglers using live suckers have also experienced some good
success, with a beautiful 41-inch tiger musky caught and released on Butternut Lake this past week.
Walleye fishing has shown some steady improvement and some decent catches of 12 to 16-inch
fish have been reported. Jig and minnow combinations worked on the deep edges, and crank baits
in the shallows near dark have produced the best success. With the falling water temperatures,
bass fishing has begun to get more erratic. Many largemouth bass continue to be found in shallow
water around lily pad beds and near woody cover, though they've become a bit temperamental in
their biting. The best action has been on soft plastics in the late afternoon hours after the water has
warmed up over the course of the day. Smallmouth bass have been a hit or miss proposition, with a
few nice fish still showing up in the local flowages and rivers. Some smallmouth were still being
caught near cover along the deeper break lines, with small finesse plastics being the favored bait.
But look for smallmouth to go deeper and become harder to catch as water temperatures continue
to drop with the cool fall weather. Panfish action has been good and some nice catches of crappie,
bluegill and rock bass being made in the late afternoon hours. Small minnows have produced the
best success, with crappie and rock bass being found along weed edges and near mid-depth cover,
and bluegill being found suspended just off the bottom in 10 to 15 feet of water. Anglers are
reminded that the general trout season closed on Sept. 30 with most streams, rivers, and spring
ponds being closed to trout fishing. However, many stocked trout lakes do remain open and those
can be found in the Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide pamphlet.
Flambeau River State Forest - The south fork of the Flambeau River is very low and not
recommended for paddling. The north fork is also very low and recent paddlers (using kayaks)
reported the need to get out and pull through gravel/rocky areas in quite few spots; canoeist might
meet even more frequently with more difficulty.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area - Area conservation wardens and guides report that musky
fishing is picking up and walleye fishing has remained steady. Musky anglers are employing the use
of sucker rigs and reporting increased success. Anglers are reminded that dragging a sucker
behind the boat while using a trolling motor to propel the boat along the shore is a violation of the
trolling restrictions and citations will be issued. A few largemouth bass have been caught, although
they will become less active as the lakes continue to cool. Smallmouth bass have moved into deeper
waters – about 15-20 feet. Perch activity is reported as sporadic but they are being caught on weed
edges or in flowages with submerged wood in about 6-12 feet of water. Bluegills are hanging about
the weed edges and have been somewhat aggressive. Crappies are beginning to school in shallow
weeds.
NORTHEAST REGION - Marinette County - The occasional walleye, smallmouth, salmon, and
panfish was being caught by the Hattie Street Dam. Live bait has been the rule of thumb for
everything but the salmon. Cleo's, daredevils, and spinners are producing a few salmon in the 16 to
20 pound range. Anglers fishing the bay side of the lighthouse pier have been enjoying some
success catching browns, steelhead, and chinook using heavy spoons. The hot color remains
silver/blue followed by silver/green or silver/chartreuse. The night bite at Little River has been quite
prolific using spawn sacks fished on bottom. Smallmouth bass have become active at the Peshtigo
Harbor, along with some nice northern pike. Jigs and minnows for the smallmouth and spoons for
the northern have been working well.
Oconto County - Oconto Park II fishermen have been coming in this week with some catches of
perch. Young's Reef was hot this week as well as the weed beds in 12 feet of water straight out from
the landing. Minnows suspended about 6 inches off the bottom have worked well. Walleye have
slowed down considerably from a few weeks ago but can still be found in 7 to 20 feet of water using
crawler/harness. Some bluegill still being caught by the Stiles Dam but the number of anglers has
decreased dramatically.
Brown County - In the Fox River of Green Bay, anglers targeting musky have been having slight
success when casting. The occasional angler catches walleye along the channel. Shore fishing has
been slow for most targeting game species. In the bay, the walleye bite has slowed; though, it
seems the night bite may be giving better results. Anglers targeting walleye have been having luck
with crawler harnesses and crank baits. Those using launches on the east shore of the bay seem to
be having better luck than those using launches on the west shore. Yellow perch seem to be biting
more consistently; though, they are still spotty. Crawlers and minnows are both working well. Areas
around Bayshore, in approximately 20 feet of water, have shown good results. Chaudoir’s area and
north are also good, maybe even better, areas to target perch. Water temperature in the bay is in
the lower to mid-60s.
Manitowoc County - Anglers fishing off of Manitowoc on Lake Michigan had a fair week for trout and
salmon this past week. Boat anglers had some good trips over the week that produced good
catches of chinook salmon and a few coho salmon. The most successful anglers were trolling in 20
to 75 feet of water using J-plugs in the early morning. Fishing inside the harbor was concentrated
around the north end of the marina and the river mouth. Anglers were casting spoons and crank
baits with mixed success. Catch rates were on the slow side with harvested chinook ranging
between 11 and 18 pounds. A few anglers that rigged up with a bobber and worm caught a few
smelt about 5 to 9 inches in length from the north pier stub and inside the marina. In Two Rivers,
anglers also had a fair week of fishing. Weather conditions were not the most productive, but that
did not keep many fishermen from putting in long hours inside the harbor and the south pier. Inside
the harbor fishing was a little slow, but anglers were still able to harvest some nice chinook salmon.
Anglers had the most success in the early morning, casting spoons and stick baits. On Sunday
evening a couple anglers on the south pier also picked up a couple of brown trout casting spoons.
Boaters trolling Lake Michigan in 20 to 50 feet of water had some success landing mature chinook
salmon, a couple coho salmon and a few brown trout. On the West Twin River, angler pressure was
high around the Shoto Dam. Anglers were casting spoons or drifting spawn sacs for chinook salmon
and rainbow trout. Chinook salmon have been ranging in weight from 12 to 18 pounds. A few
boaters who launched at the Shoto Public Launch and traveled upstream were using stick baits and
spoons were able to land a few nice chinook salmon that weighed 15 to 18 pounds. On the East
Twin River, anglers pressure at the Mishicot dam was moderate over the weekend. Catch rates
were a little slow and few visible chinook were noted at the dam. Anglers fishing further downstream
at Maplewood Road or Hillcrest Road had some success during the week catching chinook salmon.
Door County – In the Little Sturgeon Bay/Sawyer Harbor area, northern pike have been biting well.
Many types of lures have been working while both casting and trolling. Both trophy-sized and “good
eating”-sized are plentiful. Musky were also biting in the area. Many trophy-sized individuals have
been seen throughout this system. Casting seems to be the best approach for musky at this time.
The yellow perch bite has been somewhat spotty but good in this system. Many little fish were
caught but larger fish were also available. For walleye, the night bite on Larson's Reef seemed to
be the best. There are currently many trophy walleye available in this system. Trolling or drifting with
crank baits has been working best. Salmon and trout are moving into the system and providing
good opportunities for those targeting them. The smallmouth bass bite seems fairly slow. Water
temperature is in the low to mid-60s.
Strawberry Creek Spawning Facility - Despite some recent rainfall events, the natural flow at
Strawberry Creek has remained rather low and only a few chinook had "crawled" their way upstream
as of Sept. 29. The pump that provides supplemental water to Strawberry Creek was started Sept.
29 and the chinook that had been staging responded almost immediately and have started their
upstream movement and are piling into the pond. Fisheries crews plan to conduct the first salmon
harvest on Thursday, Oct. 2, and are tentatively planning additional harvests for Oct 6, 9, 13, and
16. Crews will likely be at the pond by 8:30 a.m. on harvest days but not likely to actually start fish
processing until about 9 a.m. Depending on the number of fish and the amount of help we have on
any individual day crews will likely be processing fish through at least 11 a.m. and frequently until
noon or later.
Kewaunee County - The salmon run is still the main attraction for anglers fishing Lake Michigan and
its tributaries this past week. The piers in both Algoma and Kewaunee are still seeing the bulk of the
fishing pressure and coho and chinook salmon are still being caught here and there. Some trolling
anglers are still cruising the shoreline with variable success. Water temperatures were in the low
60s inshore. Others have gone out as far as 120-150 feet and found some success catching
younger, non-spawning salmon and a few rainbow trout. As far as stream action goes, the
Kewaunee River was busy this past weekend as anglers found success fishing deeper pools where
salmon congregated. Spawn sacs were a common bait which produced success. The salmon run
should continue to be the main focus into the coming week.
SOUTHEAST REGION - Lake Michigan fisheries team report: Rivers are generally low in
Southeast Wisconsin, and rain is needed to help trigger salmon movement.
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan anglers fishing off the piers and in the marina have been
catching a few chinooks and coho on spoons and spawn. In the Sheboygan River some chinooks
have been caught near the Kohler dam on flies. Sheboygan trollers have been catching a few
browns, coho, and chinooks in and around the harbor.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, shore anglers have been catching a few chinooks and
browns in the harbor and near the power plant on spawn. Trollers in Port Washington have also had
some success fishing near the harbor.
Milwaukee County - Shore anglers in Milwaukee have been catching a few chinooks and browns off
McKinley pier. Spawn has produced the most browns, while chinooks have been taken on glow in
the dark spoons before sunrise. Fishing on the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers and Oak Creek
has been slow. Milwaukee trollers have been catching a few chinooks in the gaps and around the
harbor.
Racine County - In Racine shore anglers have been catching chinooks and rainbows near the
mouth of the Root River and off the south pier. Glow in the dark spoons fished at dawn have
provided the most action. Racine trollers have taken mature chinooks inshore near the mouth of the
Root River on J-Plugs. Water levels on the Root River are low, but anglers fishing the river have
caught some chinooks and browns in Washington Park. Small flies and spawn have taken the most
fish. The Root River Steelhead Facility is not yet in operation, but the facility should be running
once we get some more rain. Please check back for updates.
Kenosha County - For shore anglers in Kenosha, a few chinooks have been caught in the harbor
and off the piers on crank baits. Kenosha trollers have been catching chinooks and a few lake trout.
Most fish have been caught from 60 to 80 feet of water, but some chinooks have also been caught
off the mouth of the Pike River.
Inland fisheries team report: No Report
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - Devil's Lake State Park - The south shore boat landing is open. At the
north shore boat landing, only small boats may be launched by hand, but barricades may not be
moved and vehicles and trailers may not by-pass the barricades. Concession operations are open
through October, including boat rentals. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WEST CENTRAL REGION - Merrick State Park - Panfish are hitting along the wing dams.
Brunet Island State Park - The open water game fish action has been good this past week. Bass
action on spinner baits and float baits has been productive, walleye action has been spotty. There
has been good musky action on Cornell flowage and below the Cornell dam. Pan fish action has
been increasing in the bays as the water temperature begins to drop.
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area - Fishing has been good, depending on weather
conditions. Some anglers have been having success on some of the larger lakes in the area with
bass and pan fish. Several good size northerns have been caught this summer.
Report By: WDNR
If your in the area, stop by and visit our new store:
BOBBERSTOP TACKLE SHOP
1227 MILWAUKEE AVE.
SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WI. 53172
