Wisconsin Outdoors Report 3-19-09

[Woody]

Spring is arriving pretty much on schedule this year, with much of the snow cover gone from most of the state prior to the Vernal equinox on this Friday, March 20. A few counties in far northern Wisconsin were still reporting snow depths of 4 inches to more than a foot in the woods, but with recent warm weather essentially all ski and snowmobile trails are closed or in very poor condition.

With the very warn weather in the last week, many people have been out hiking and biking. State park and forest officials remind visitors to please ride responsibly to not degrade trails. This is the time of year when the frost is coming out of the ground making the ground soft and susceptible to damage if it were to be used. Horseback and mountain bike trails are currently closed on most properties. The crushed limestone surface on most rail-trails is wet due to frost layer melting and people are asked to avoid bicycling on these trails until the surface dries out.

Rivers are opening up into north Wisconsin, with sections of the Oconto, Flambeau, and Namekagon now open. Trout fishing enthusiast have been taking advantage of the warm weather to fish the early catch and release season. Other northern rivers such as the wild Pike and Pine rivers in northeastern Wisconsin are still too ice covered in most places for early trout fishing. Lake Michigan tributaries in southeastern Wisconsin are open and have been running high. The spring steelhead spawning run has begun and anglers have been out in force in the last week. Muskies are staging below the Vilas Park dam on the Yahara River in Dane County and lots of fish watchers are getting a good look at some large fish. Water levels on the Rock and Crawfish rivers are very high and a slow-no-wake ordinance was put in place on the Rock River last week in the Janesville area. A few early season canoeists and kayaks have been out on open water. As of March 17, the Mississippi River stage was at 7.9 feet at Prairie du Chien. Ice conditions in the back waters of both the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers are starting to deteriorate and access is becoming dangerous. Open water walleye and sauger action was very spotty this week. Anglers were reporting water temperatures around 33 to 34 degrees.

Lakes in southern Wisconsin have begun to open up, with the north end of Lake Kegonsa in Dane County open and the rest expected to open with the week. There were many reports of anglers falling through the ice in shallow water as the ice has honeycombed and strong winds during the week are moving the ice around. Assess points around Lake Winnebago are extremely treacherous, with most bridges being pulled out this week. Ice depths on northern lakes still ranges up to 18 inches, but many shorelines are opening up and access is becoming difficult and hazardous. Anglers were still ice fishing on Green Bay’s Sawyer Harbor but ice conditions are deteriorating rapidly.

The recent warm temps and south winds have brought the expected movements of waterfowl, cranes, blackbirds and early migrants. This past weekend there was a large sandhill crane migration into southern Wisconsin. Geese are moving through in large numbers including some greater white-fronted geese, cackling geese and Ross' geese mixed in with the Canada geese.

Ruffed grouse are beginning pre-season mating activities, though no drumming has been observed yet. Killdeer have been making their presence known by their calls more than their appearance. This member of the plover family is known for its "broken-wing" act, a strategy that lures predators and people away from the nest. Woodcock are peenting, twittering and performing their nightly aerial displays. Barred owls have been aggressively trading territorial calls during the early night hours.

Maple syrup season has begun and is in full swing in some areas, but sap flow has been slow in other areas as the ground has not thawed sufficiently. In the south, daffodils, crocuses, day lilies are beginning to appear. Pussy willows are budding out. And chorus frogs, usually the first frogs to begin calling in Wisconsin, have begun to emerge as the frost comes out of the ground and have been heard in several locations.

[black18]

They still reporting snow depths of 4 inches to more than a foot in the woods, but with recent warm weather essentially all effected was closed or in very poor condition.