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WDNR Outdoor Report Excerpts
Ice fishing is getting into full swing with people out on most lakes now. There are small peaks of activity in which fish are biting, but there seems to be long stretches of low or inactivity between the peaks. Panfish and northern pike action on the Chippewa Flowage was okay as well. Anglers have had to work for fish, though and are not planting themselves in one place by putting out tip-ups. The ones that are, were getting some northern but were restricting their ability to find active panfish unless they were willing to move tip-ups as well. The most consistent panfish bite was for crappie, with crappie minnows the choice of bait, although some were using plastics to cover more water faster. The northern being caught were mostly in the 18 to 24-inch range. Individuals are reminded that fishing the flowage in winter is relatively new as it was prohibited a few years back. With the opening of the flowage to ice fishing anglers can fish with tip-ups, but walleye fishing and possession is prohibited and all must be released immediately. Walleyes can't be kept until the general game fish open season in May. The crappie bag limit also was increased last year with the 15 bag being raised to 25. So the panfish daily bag limit in aggregate is now 25.
Posted: 11:18 AM 1/21/2012
WDNR Outdoor Report Excerpts
The relatively mild weather over the long Holiday period has kept ice depths in the 9- to 10-inch range on most lakes in the Upper Chippewa Basin. Recent snow falls have added about 6 - 8 inches of fairly heavy snow to the ice cover and this has caused an inch or two of slush to form in some areas on the lakes. A fair number of ATVs and snowmobiles have been seen traversing various lakes, but most anglers are waiting for a solid 12 inches of ice before venturing out with their motor vehicles. Fishing for northern pike has been fair to good, with some real nice catches being made in the mid-day period on several of the local pike waters. The best success has come on large suckers or golden shiners, and fished about a foot or two off the bottom near any old weed beds. Anglers have been seeing quite a few “pickler-size” fish in the 18- to 22-inch range, and pike up to 38 inches have also been reported from local waters. Panfish action has been sporadic with anglers having to move around quite a bit to find the active fish. A few fair catches of bluegill, crappie and perch have been reported over the past week, with waxworms being the preferred bait. Posted: 3:02 PM 1/8/2012
WDNR Outdoor Report Excerpts
As usual, with first ice, be careful. There are plenty of fish and time to get out on safe ice. Being the first one out to a spot can also make a person the first one to fall in as well. Still a number of individuals taking advantage of the muzzleloader season. With plenty of snow around now, it is easier to track and see tracks. It gives a boost of confidence to the "sitters" knowing a number of deer are frequenting the area. Most still seem to be nocturnal, but that could change at anytime as the weather is colder and deer will start to move more often during daylight hours. Posted: 8:32 PM 11/27/2011
WDNR Outdoor Report Excerpts For all practical purposes, the open-water fishing season has come to an end in the Northwoods. Musky season will close on Wednesday, Nov. 30 - but very few anglers have been out trying their luck. Many of the medium-size lakes (up to 500 acres in size) saw some skim ice late last week, but that has since gone away with the wind and milder weather. A few of the smaller lakes still have a thin layer of ice -- but thickness is less than an inch and not near thick enough for any kind of ice fishing. With relatively mild temperatures predicted for the next few days, it will likely be at least two weeks until there's enough ice for the first ice fishing reports to come in. Posted: 8:32 PM 11/27/2011
WDNR Outdoor Report Excerpts The few die hard anglers out have been catching walleye. They can’t complain about the weather this fall as it has been treating them well. Not too cold and wet as of yet. The Chippewa Flowage is producing fish. A good number of them are coming off the deeper wooded areas in around 18 feet of water. Smaller walleye suckers and larger fathead minnows seem to be producing the best results. Those fishing with the fatheads are picking up an occasional crappie and perch as well. The grouse hunters are still finding some pockets of grouse, but they are dwindling. Hunters walking for several hours are only flushing a few grouse. If hunting areas that have been hit hard already, these birds are flushing far ahead of the hunters. The hunters willing to go the “extra mile” and hit areas way back or hard to get to appear to be having a little more success. Most are still seeing more woodcock than grouse, especially when hitting the low land areas and alder swamps. Hunters are reminded that woodcock season closes Nov. 7 this year. Posted: 10:52 AM 11/4/2011
WDNR Outdoor Report Excerpts Common Loon migration has begun with birds moving into the bigger lakes in Southern Wisconsin and onto Lake Michigan to stage before they leave for the Gulf Coast for the winter. People can follow the loon migration online at the USGS Loon website (exit DNR).. Hawk migration is past peak but the later species are just now moving into the state. Birders should expect to see increases of rough-legged hawk, bald eagle, red-tailed hawks and an occasional golden eagle if they are careful observers. Hawk Ridge has even reported a fair number of northern goshawk moving into Wisconsin this year. Some northern finches have begun to arrive in northern Wisconsin including both species of crossbill, pine siskin and common redpoll. Many of the expected October migrants are present statewide including kinglets, fox sparrow, sapsuckers, rusty blackbirds and many open-country sparrow species. Posted: 9:40 AM 10/28/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts High winds this past week have stripped the maples and many aspens. Oak colors are at prime in the northern and western parts of the county. Warm temperatures continue to promote black flies and mosquitoes. Musky fishing is picking up on area lakes and rivers. Large plastics or live suckers were working best. One group caught five muskies in one day on an area lake. Three on suckers and one on large plastics and one on a jerk bait. The musky fishing should continue to improve. Grouse hunters are out in force and seeing improved success due to the extensive leaf drop. With leaves dropping and cover disappearing, more grouse were being seen and harvested. Some still comment about lower numbers this year than last. Some of the better locations thus far have been in the popple slashing boarding swamps and hardwood. A few hunters are getting some woodcock mixed in with the grouse, but high numbers do not appear around yet. Deer hunters are reporting mixed results in the area. A fair number of deer being registered early appear to be more does than bucks. That will likely change as progress into the fall and the rut starts to kick in. A few hunters are already reporting rubs and scrapes starting to show up in various locations. Modest harvests were seen by blaze orange T-shirt clad youth deer hunters this past weekend due to the warm, sunny days. Bluebird days have also been a scourge to waterfowl hunters, though local flocks of Canada geese are lingering on Sawyer County Lakes and rivers. Bear season closed Oct. 11 for hunters pursuing bear without dogs. Hunters pursuing bear with dogs season ended on October 4. Hunters report harvest for both seasons appears to have gone well. A number of hunters passed several bear this year before harvesting one that they wanted. The ones going without bear typically did not have the time they wanted to put in enough hours for hunting and some had baits the quit being utilized by bear for various reason. A fair number of individuals transferred their permits to youth hunters to experience the hunt. Posted: 6:26 PM 10/16/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts The cooler weather last week and onset of fall turnover in many lakes seems to have put a crimp in a lot of the fish activity on northern waters in the past week. Most affected by this were the largemouth and smallmouth bass. On many lakes, the largemouth bass seem to have deserted the shallows and were quite tough to find. A few stragglers were found near the mid-depth cover, deep bog edges and around any green weed beds that were available. Soft plastics and slow presentations were the key to entice these late season bites. Smallmouth bass have also retreated to deeper water with the colder water temps and were even harder to entice than the largemouth. Seems that only the diehard bass anglers can find and catch the smallies at this time of year. Walleye fishing has continued to improve but has still been fairly erratic. The cooler water temperatures have gotten more fish moving up into the shallows and in/around the dying weed beds. Jig and minnow combinations and minnows on slip bobbers on the deep edges have been the most successful, with the best fishing occurring in the hour before dark. The most consistent fishing continues to be with musky and some excellent action has been experienced. Live suckers have gotten real productive in the last week, though large crank baits, plastic wim baits and bucktails have also produced a fair amount action on the warmer days. Panfish action has been fair to good, with some nice perch and crappie still being found in shallower water near cover and any weed edges. Posted: 2:14 PM 10/7/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts Fall colors are near peak in the Winter Area, especially between Winter and Phillips along CTH W. Elsewhere still a week away. Turkeys are very active in roadside ditches and deer and bear active under the bur oaks. Elk bugles have subsided, but bull-cow groups are still being maintained. Grouse hunters are hearing fair numbers of birds, but still plenty of leaves on trees and shrubs Posted: 7:30 PM 10/1/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts With nearly all of the major hunting seasons open, fishing pressure has shown a sharp drop on the most waters across the Northwoods. There have still been quite a few musky anglers out and they have been enjoying some decent weather conditions and pretty good success. Artificial baits such as bucktails and plastic swim baits (bulldawgs) continue to be the lures of choice, and have produced quite a bit of action along the deep weed edges. More and more anglers have started dragging suckers around -- with only mediocre success as it's still pretty tough keeping the suckers alive with the warm early fall water temperatures. Walleye fishing has been steadily improving and greater numbers of fish have been showing up in the shallows. Jig and minnow combinations worked on the deep edges and crank baits in the shallows near dark have produced the best success. Largemouth bass continue to be found in relatively shallow water, though they've been a bit more temperamental in their biting. The best action has been in the late afternoon hours after the water has warmed up over the course of the day. Smallmouth bass have still been active and some nice fish are still showing up in the local rivers flowages. They have still been found near cover along the deep water areas - but look for the fish to go deeper (and become harder to catch) with the declining water temperatures this fall. Panfish action has been good and some nice catches of bluegill and crappie have been made in the late afternoon hours. The fish have been found along weed edges and near mid-depth cover, with small minnows and night crawlers pieces producing the best success. Posted: 12:06 PM 9/23/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts Pleasant late-summer weather in the past week made for some pretty good fishing success on most waters across the Northwoods. Water temperatures have dropped into the mid-60s and this has spurred on fall feeding activity for most species. And look for water temperatures to take another big drop as widespread frost is expected late in the week across most of northern Wisconsin. Musky action continues to improve and anglers have reported some very good success. Nearly all musky anglers are having follows and seeing fish, and numerous catches have been made. Most of the success continues to be on artificial baits, with jerk baits, bucktails and rubber swim baits being the favorites of late. A few anglers have started trying suckers, but the warmer water makes it hard to keep the bait alive. Look for the sucker bite to improve as water temperatures continue to cool. The sturgeon season is well into its second week and many anglers were having fair success catching these ancient fish. The local rivers have seen moderate pressure and quite a few small fish were being caught, with even a couple of 60-inch-plus legal-size fish being reported. Cut bait and gobs of night crawlers, fished in the deep holes or river bends, have shown the best success. Bass fishing has started to become erratic on northern waters, but some excellent action has been experienced on a couple of days. Largemouth have been a bit more consistent than smallmouth, with the shallow lakes and flowages providing some decent action. The best action for largemouth has been in mid-depth cover, near weed edges, woody structure, or bog edges. Jig/craw combinations and soft plastics continue to produce the most bites. Smallmouth fishing has been an on-again, off-again experience - with some good days of fishing mixed in with some poor days. Crank baits and finesse plastics have been the more successful lures. Northern pike fishing has become very good with the cooling water temperatures. Spinner baits fished in or near any weeds has provided some great action. Walleye success continues to improve with some decent catches reported from on and around mid-depth structure and gravel bars. Jigs tipped with leaches or crawlers have provided the best action. Panfish success has been fair, with some nice bluegill, perch, and crappie showing up along the deeper weed edges Posted: 11:16 AM 9/16/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
The variable late summer weather of the past week has kept both fishing activity and success at below normal levels. Most of the fishing pressure has been for musky and bass, but a fair number of walleye and panfish anglers have also been trying their luck. With cooling water temperatures, musky activity seems to have increased and some nicer fish have been showing up along deep weed edges. Nearly all musky anglers are reporting good numbers of follows and sightings, with bucktails, plastic swim baits, and surface lures getting most of the strikes. Any time of day has produced action and was mostly dependent on local weather conditions. Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass has been consistent and some nice catches have been made in the last week. Largemouth are well settled in to their typical summer pattern and have been relating to the heavy cover such as woody structure, thick weed beds and deep bog edges. Soft plastics and rubber frogs have been the most productive and have to be fished tight to the cover. Smallmouth have been a bit more erratic than largemouth but action continued to be fair on the flowages and larger rivers. Soft plastics fished near mid-depth cover and crank baits fished on deep rocky drop-offs have produced the best success. Walleye action has been a bit inconsistent, though a few anglers have been reporting some decent catches and especially in the river sections of the larger flowages. Leeches and crawlers fished along the deep edges, and in/along the weeds have produced most of the fish. Panfish action continued to be fair with some decent catches of crappie, perch and rock bass being made along deeper weed edges and suspended over mid-depth cover Posted: 11:45 AM 8/26/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts Some erratic weather with strong winds and passing rain showers has made it tough for anglers to plan a fishing trip in the last week, but anglers who did make it out experienced some pretty good fishing success. The cooler weather has dropped water temperatures down into the low 70s and this seems to have caused a spurt in fish activity. Action for both largemouth and smallmouth bass has been pretty consistent and some very nice fish have been caught and released in the last week. Largemouth bass are well settled into their typical summer pattern and have been relating to the heavy cover such as thick weeds, woody structure and bog edges. Soft plastics and weedless top-water baits have been the most productive and have to be fished in the weed pockets, in the wood or tight to the bog/marsh edges. Smallmouth have been a bit tough to find in the lakes but action continued to be good on the flowages and larger rivers. Small finesse plastics have been the favorite baits and the fish have been relating to wood near deeper water areas. Walleye action has been fairly consistent in the last week or so and some decent catches have been made on small jigs tipped with a half night crawler. The best areas have been the deep weed edges and mid-depth rock drop-offs, and all times of the day have produced fish in many waters. Musky action showed a little surge following the warm water temps of the last few weeks and most anglers reported some fair action from small and medium-size fish (28- to 40-inch fish). The fish seem to have come back up from deeper water and quite a few have been active along the weed edges and in the shallower weed beds, with top-waters, bucktails and jerk baits being the more popular lures. Like for the walleye and bass, any time of day has produced action and success was mostly dependent on local weather conditions. Panfish action continues to be fair. Some larger crappie were being caught near cover in the 8 to 12-foot depth range, and a few decent bluegill have been found near fish cribs in 12 to 15 feet of water. Posted: 1:36 PM 8/12/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts The Upper Chippewa Basin has received just light and scattered rainfall in last few weeks and nearly all streams and rivers are near their typical summer low levels. Most natural lakes are also at a low level and many of the flowages are beginning to experience a drop in water levels as well. Emergent vegetation such as wild rice, bulrush and water lily seem to be at typical densities, and submergent weed growth has been variable - with many areas having abnormally light densities for this time of year and some areas having higher densities. Initial observations indicate that there were good hatches of both largemouth and smallmouth bass this spring. Angling success continued to be quite erratic with sunny and hot weather of the past week. Largemouth and smallmouth bass have been providing the most consistent action as both species have been showing much more of a typical summer pattern. For largemouth, the best success has been coming from the thick cover, in the down wood, near the bog edges, in the thick lily pad beds and under mats of vegetation. Soft plastics and finesse baits have been the most productive lures and the key has been to work them slowly through the cover. Smallmouth bass have been a little more inconsistent than largemouth as the dropping water levels and warmer temperatures seem to be keeping the fish steadily on the move. A few nice smallmouth have been caught on a slow presentation of small plastic finesse baits -- worked on the deep edges near wood or weeds in 6 to 10 feet of water. Walleye success has been fair. Some days find the fish hard to come by and others have produced some real good catches. The best success has been with a leech or half-night crawler hooked on a weedless jig or slip bobber, and fished on the mid-depth rock humps and the deep weed edges. With water temperatures still in the 80-degree range, many musky anglers have heeded the warnings and let up on the pressure for this trophy species. Some anglers have been sighted in the early morning and late evening hours, and overall action has continued to be on the slow side. The bigger fish seem to be holding off in deeper water and most of the action has been on fish in the 26- to 38-inch size. The most productive baits have been smaller bucktails, bulldawgs and swim baits fished near the deep weed edges. Panfish action has been generally good, with some decent catches of crappie, perch and rock bass being reported. However, the larger bluegill seem to have retreated to deeper water and have gotten tough to find. Posted: 12:44 PM 8/5/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
The Upper Chippewa Basin has received just light and scattered rainfall in last few weeks and nearly all streams and rivers are near their typical summer low levels. Most natural lakes are also at a low level and many of the flowages are beginning to experience a drop in water levels as well. Emergent vegetation such as wild rice, bulrush and water lily seem to be at typical densities, and submergent weed growth has been variable - with many areas having abnormally light densities for this time of year and some areas having higher densities. Initial observations indicate that there were good hatches of both largemouth and smallmouth bass this spring. Angling success continued to be quite erratic with sunny and hot weather of the past week. Largemouth and smallmouth bass have been providing the most consistent action as both species have been showing much more of a typical summer pattern. For largemouth, the best success has been coming from the thick cover, in the down wood, near the bog edges, in the thick lily pad beds and under mats of vegetation. Soft plastics and finesse baits have been the most productive lures and the key has been to work them slowly through the cover. Smallmouth bass have been a little more inconsistent than largemouth as the dropping water levels and warmer temperatures seem to be keeping the fish steadily on the move. A few nice smallmouth have been caught on a slow presentation of small plastic finesse baits -- worked on the deep edges near wood or weeds in 6 to 10 feet of water. Walleye success has been fair. Some days find the fish hard to come by and others have produced some real good catches. The best success has been with a leech or half-night crawler hooked on a weedless jig or slip bobber, and fished on the mid-depth rock humps and the deep weed edges. With water temperatures still in the 80-degree range, many musky anglers have heeded the warnings and let up on the pressure for this trophy species. Some anglers have been sighted in the early morning and late evening hours, and overall action has continued to be on the slow side. The bigger fish seem to be holding off in deeper water and most of the action has been on fish in the 26- to 38-inch size. The most productive baits have been smaller bucktails, bulldawgs and swim baits fished near the deep weed edges. Panfish action has been generally good, with some decent catches of crappie, perch and rock bass being reported. However, the larger bluegill seem to have retreated to deeper water and have gotten tough to find.
Posted: 11:39 PM 7/29/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts With the hot and humid weather of the past week, recreational boating activity showed a big increase on most northern waters and fishing pressure showed a bit of a decline. A lot of musky anglers are taking a break from fishing with the warm conditions, as they worry that the warm temperatures will put undue stress on any fish they may catch. The musky anglers that are still fishing are doing so in the early morning and late afternoon hours and have been using bucktails and swim baits to work the deep break lines for suspended fish. Largemouth and smallmouth bass have been the species of interest for a lot of summer anglers lately and action could be termed very good. The largemouth seem to have taken up shop near firm overhead cover such as logs, stumps or bog edges and fewer fish have been found cruising the weed beds. As such, topwater baits have become less successful, with jigs and soft plastics getting most of the action. All the major bass waters in the area have been producing some great action and they include Miller Dam (Chequamegon Waters Flowage), Nelson Lake and even the Chippewa Flowage. Smallmouth have also gotten into their typical summer pattern and have been relating real close to woody structure. The best action has been on the larger flowages, with small plastics and spinner baits catching most of the fish. Walleye action continues to be somewhat erratic, with variable success being reported at all different times of the day. A few small and medium size walleye have been caught along the weed edges and the mid-depth break lines in 8 to 10 feet of water. A small weedless jig tipped with a leech or nightcrawler half has been the most product bait for the walleye. Panfish action has been a bit inconsistent - some anglers have been able to find some crappie suspended near mid-depth cover but bluegill have been getting a bit tougher to find. Weed densities on the northern lakes have been variable, with some area waters showing thicker densities than normal and other lakes areas seeing much lower densities than past years. Many stained-waters lakes are also darker than normal this year (due to the heavy runoff from the wet summer of 2010) and this seems to have kept weed growth down on these waters. And all outdoor enthusiasts are warmed to watch out for the bugs - seems like the recent rains have brought out a fresh hatch of mosquitoes, deer flies and 'ankle-biters' and all have been a nuisance to both stream and lake anglers. Posted: 10:05 PM 7/23/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts The beautiful weather over the July 4th Holiday weekend made for some great recreational boating opportunities - but also resulted in some inconsistent fishing action across the Northwoods. Anglers that had the most success fished during the quiet hours - either early in the morning or in the late evening just before dark. Musky and panfish seemed to be the favorite targets of the last week, with panfish providing some decent catches and musky action just starting to pick up. For musky, weed lines and sparse weed beds have been productive areas and slow-moving surface baits have given the best action. Quite a few small and medium-size fish in the 30 to 40-inch size have been seen, and a few fish in the mid to upper 40's have also been reported. Panfish continue to be found in relatively shallow water, with quite a few bluegill still being found on their beds in the last week. Crappie have been found near shallow and mid-depth cover, and often just beneath the surface along emergent weed lines. Perch have retreated to a little deeper water, but some decent fish have been caught on crawlers and leeches at the 12 to 16 depths. Largemouth bass action has really picked up in the last week and the fish are just starting to get into their typical summer pattern of associating with thick cover. A lot of largemouth are still being found along weed edges and in the lily pad beds, though some lakes are starting to see the fish moving to woody structure and under docks. Smallmouth bass have been especially erratic in last week, as the post-spawn fish seemed to have moved to the deeper structure while they recover from the spawning activity. But look for the smallmouth to move back to shallow and mid-depth cover -- especially as the crayfish begin to molt with the 70-degree water temperatures. Walleye success did click up a notch in the last week as it appears that the mayfly hatches are done for the year. The best action has been occurring on leeches and crawlers, with quite a few 14 to 18-inch fish being found on the mud flats and along weed beds in relatively shallow water (4 to 8 feet).
Posted: 12:14 PM 7/8/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts Following some rainy and cold weather in mid June, the nice weather of the past week has provided for very pleasant fishing conditions and some pretty good success. Water temperatures have been hovering in the mid-60s, but look for them to climb into the 70s over the July Fourth weekend. Musky anglers have been out in pretty good numbers and most have reported catching a few fish. The best lures have smaller bucktails, stick baits and bulldawgs and the fish have been found along the deep weed edges and break lines. Most of the musky have been in the 28 to 38 inch size, though some up in the 44 to 46 inch size have also been reported. Mayflies have continued to hatch on many northern lakes and this has upset the walleye bite on most of these waters. The jig and minnow combinations are no longer being successful and most of the action is taking place on leeches or night crawlers. Some success has also occurred on crank baits dragged along the steep gravel drop-offs. Panfish action has been very good, with bluegill and crappie providing some excellent action. Crappie have been found in shallow along any emergent weed lines and bluegill continue to be found on the spawning beds in good numbers. Look for the bluegill spawning period to finish up in the next week or so. Northern pike action continues to be good, with fish still found in and around any new weed beds. Most largemouth and smallmouth bass have completed their nesting period, though some active beds have still been observed on some waters across the North. And with the bass spawning season winding down, angling success has really begun to pick up. Success continues to be very good on small and medium size fish, with some trophy-size 20-inch fish -- both largemouth and smallmouth -- are starting to be reported from many lakes. NOTE: No size limit for Largemouth Bass on the Chippewa Flowage. The best tactic has been to use soft plastic baits and fish them very slow in the developing lily pad beds, near structure and along weed lines. And one last reminder -- the wet weather has brought out a tremendous hatch of biting insects. So all outdoor enthusiasts should be prepared to deal with high numbers of horse flies, deer flies, black flies, mosquitoes and no-see-ums.
Posted: 11:03 AM 7/1/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties)
Water temperatures have been holding in the upper 60s - and the slow warm-up of lakes and extremely erratic conditions continue. With the opening of the Northern Zone bass season this past weekend, fishing for largemouth and smallmouth provided most of the highlights for this past week. However, periodic rain showers, windy conditions and generally cool temperatures did limit the amount of fishing pressure. The anglers that did venture out experienced mediocre to good success but most of the fish were in the small to medium size. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are just finishing up their nesting seasons and as such, the fish have not been real aggressive yet. Success was best on smaller finesse baits such as sinkos, tube jigs and small rubber worms, and presentations had to be rather slow. Largemouth still seem to be in a free-swimming mode and have been found along the weed edges and among the newly developing lily pad beds. But as the summer develops look for them to develop a more structure pattern where they'll be relating more to wood, docks and thick weed cover. Smallmouth have been most consistent on the deep edges, in 6 to 10 feet of water and along rock and gravel bottoms. Panfish action has been very good. Bluegill seem to be in the midst of their nesting season and some catches have been very good. Perch have also been active and are being found along the deeper weed edges. Crappie are finished with spawning and some decent success has been had in shallower water along any emergent weed lines. Musky action has also been heating up with many more fish starting to get into an active feeding mode. Bucktails and jerk baits seem to be the preferred baits and the late afternoon hours have provided the best action. Walleye success has been erratic. With continuing mayfly hatches, action has been inconsistent and fish often hard to find. The best catches have been on the deep drop-offs in 8 to 14 feet of water, with leeches and crawler rigs producing the best action.
Posted:7:29 PM 6/25/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties)
The windy, erratic and almost continually changing weather has made for some rather tough fishing conditions across the Northwoods in the past week. A day or two of nice weather has been followed by wind and cold fronts, and this really seems to have disrupted fish activity. Fair success has been experienced during the stable weather, but the cold fronts have been putting a damper on the fishing action. The biting insects have just started to come out in the far north, with the first hatches of mosquitoes and black flies being noted in the last few days. Mayfly hatches have not yet begun and look for those to start in these first few weeks of June. Walleye continue to be the main target for most anglers so far this season and reports have indicated just mediocre success in the last week. There really hasn't been any consistent pattern yet to the early season bite and walleye anglers have continued to have fair success on both jig/minnow combinations and crank baits. The jig and minnow anglers have had the best success in 8 to 15 feet of water on the deep edges and break lines. The action has been concentrated in the early morning hours and in the hour before dark, and most of the walleye have been in the 11 to 15-inch size. A few nicer fish in the 18 to 23-inch size have been caught on stick baits in the shallow muddy bays, but the strikes have been generally light and short. Water temperatures have just crept above 60 degrees on many of the smaller lakes and this has spurred on a slug of bass activity. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass have been observed dishing out their nests, and look for bass spawning activity to peak out in the next week. Anglers are reminded that the catch-and-release season is still in effect in the Northern Zone and all bass should be returned to the water as soon as possible. Northern pike action has been fair with anglers catching medium-size fish along the newly developing weed beds. Panfish action could only be termed fair as the cooler water temperatures have kept most of the fish in deeper water. Both crappie and bluegill have been creeping back up into shallow water on warmer days and this has provided some decent action when conditions were right. Look for this to greatly improve with any kind of warming trend
Posted:12:20 PM 6/3/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties)
The erratic weather of the last week has made for some tough fishing conditions and kept fishing pressure a bit low, but fishing success has continued to be fair to good. Water temperatures are just starting to creep into the low 60s and this is beginning to spur on fish activity. Walleye anglers have been experiencing some real inconsistent fishing, but many anglers were able to find some fish after a bit of searching and changing tactics. Jig and minnow combinations and minnows under slip bobbers provided the bulk of the action and most of the walleye were in the 12 to 15-inch size. Casting stick baits along shore near dark did provide fair action and the fish tended to run larger than what was being caught on minnows. Northern pike success has continued to be good, with most fish being found in and around the newly forming weed beds. Panfish activity has picked up with the slight warm-up in water temperatures. Crappie abundance is increasing in shallow water and most fish are being found along emergent weed lines and around shallow brushy cover. Increased numbers of bluegill and sunfish are also being observed in shallow water and look for them to start spawning when water temperatures reach the mid 60-degree range. Largemouth and smallmouth bass activity has also been increasing, but the erratic weather has really been affecting both of these species. Largemouth have started to build nests on many lakes, but varying water temperatures seem to continually chase the fish back to deep water. Look for bass spawning activity to explode with any warm and stable weather pattern. Anglers are reminded that the catch-and-release season is still in effect in the Northern Zone and all bass should be quickly returned to the water.
Posted:5:11 PM 5/28/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties)
The windy, rainy and cold weather of the past weekend kept both fishing pressure and fish activity at a minimum. Many diehard anglers have still been out trying their luck and most have had to work at catching their fish. Panfish action could only be termed fair as the colder water temperatures have kept most of the fish in deeper water. Both crappie and bluegill have been creeping back up into shallow water on warmer days and this has provided some decent action when conditions were right. Look for this to greatly improve with any kind of warming trend. Walleye are the most sought after fish in the Northwoods in May and reports have indicated everything from poor to good success in the last week! There really hasn't been any consistent pattern yet to the early season bite and the successful walleye anglers have been having good success on both minnows and crank baits. Some decent catches have been made on jig-minnow combinations in 12 to 20 feet of water, while anglers casting stick baits along shore have been seeing good action in 4 to 8 feet of water. Most of the success has been concentrated in the early morning hours and in the two hours before dark. The majority of the walleye have been “good eaters” in the 12 to 17-inch size, but a few fish in the 20 to 26-inch size have also been caught. Many of the anglers have also reported catching small to medium-size musky while jigging or casting for walleye (musky season is closed through May 28 in the northern zone and musky must be immediately released). Northern pike action has been fair with anglers catching medium-size fish along the newly developing weed beds. Largemouth and smallmouth bass activity has just started to pick up and there have been a few quality size fish being seen up in 3 to 6 feet of water. Water temperatures are starting to approach the 60-degree mark and that should spur on the first few observations of bass starting their spring nesting season. Anglers are reminded that the "Catch and Release" season is still in effect in the Northern Zone and all bass should be quickly returned to the water.
Posted:7:38 PM 5/21/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties)
Most lakes and flowages in the Upper Chippewa Basin have been ice free for about two weeks, but unseasonably cold weather has kept water temperatures down in the low 40-degree range and slowed up spawning progress for walleye and musky. Walleye have just completed their spawning ritual on all but the largest of the lakes and musky are just beginning on most waters. For walleye, many males will continue to be found along rocky shorelines and islands for the next week or so. Most of the larger females have retreated to deeper water for a short recovery period, but a fair number are starting to show up in the shallow, mud-bottom bays and weed flats for their post-spawn feeding binge. With a continued warming trend forecast for the weekend, look for a very good walleye bite for the game fish opener. Northern pike have also completed their spring spawning ritual and action should be fair, with the fish being found along emergent vegetation lines and over old weeds beds. The cold water temperatures have kept both largemouth and smallmouth bass in deeper water and generally inactive. But once water temperatures top 50 degrees, look for both species to start showing up in shallow water and in a more active feeding mode. For panfish, perch have mostly their completed spring spawning period and their skeins of eggs can be seen along shore in 2 to 4 feet of water. Crappie are about two weeks away from spawning, with bluegill and pumpkinseed likely beginning in three to four weeks. Some nice crappie and bluegill have been showing up in the shallow, warmer bays and action could be good if water temperatures get up to 50 degrees in these warmer protected bays. Trout stocking has been completed on most trout lakes and prescribed streams, and anglers should find good action on opening morning. Most rivers and streams in northwest Wisconsin are seeing some relatively high flows, so stream anglers may want to consider the high-water conditions in their opening day plans. Mayfly nymphs have been seen moving in many waters so that may be a clue as to the type of lure to use (small spinners).
Posted:2:10 PM 5/6/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties)With the unseasonably cold weather, spring seems to be on hold and ice cover has been very slow to leave many Northern Wisconsin lakes. As of last week, many lakes still had quite a bit of ice cover yet and only about half could be considered totally ice free. And along with this cold weather, water temperatures have been staying in the upper 30s to low 40s and this has limited spring spawning activity for northern pike and walleye. But warmer temperatures should be on the way and this will really spur on reproductive activity for the early spawning species such as walleye, perch, suckers and musky. Posted:1:52 AM 5/1/2011
Excerpts from WDNR Outdoor Report -Tuscobia State Trail
The trail is open for ATV/UTV use in Sawyer and Washburn counties and on April 15 will open in Price County. The trail is soft and has many rough stretches; some areas are still snow/slush covered. Maintenance will begin once the trail dries out. Streams are running, birds are singing and the pussywillows are starting to pop. Please note that motorcycles, dirt bikes (off-road or street legal) and scooters are not allowed on the trail. Posted:1:22 PM 4/22/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - With the mild weather of the past week, ice conditions have deteriorated quickly and this has pretty much brought an end to the ice fishing season. Access areas are pretty much unusable and open-water areas have developed along the south and east facing shorelines. While most lakes and larger flowages may still have 12 to 15 inches of ice, the upper layer has become soft and honeycombed and the overall ice conditions are generally unsafe and dangerous. Streams, rivers and small flowages are almost completely ice free and DNR fish crews have begun survey netting on a few of these waters. Posted:1:22 PM 4/22/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
With the mild weather of the past week, ice conditions have deteriorated quickly and this has pretty much brought an end to the ice fishing season. Access areas are pretty much unusable and open-water areas have developed along the south and east facing shorelines. While most lakes and larger flowages may still have 12 to 15 inches of ice, the upper layer has become soft and honeycombed and the overall ice conditions are generally unsafe and dangerous. Streams, rivers and small flowages are almost completely ice free and DNR fish crews have begun survey netting on a few of these waters. Posted:3:50 PM 4/15/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Unseasonably cool weather continued through the last week. The spring thaw is still on hold across the north and ice conditions remain pretty much unchanged in the last week. Some open water areas are showing up on most rivers and around inlets/outlets, but lake ice depths have been holding in the 15- to 18-inch range. With firm ice still on most lakes, a fair number of panfish anglers have still been getting out for some late season ice fishing. Perch and bluegill have been providing some pretty good action, while crappie have been tough to come by. The perch are being found on the mud flats and near weed beds in 8' to 14' of water, and small minnow have been the most productive bait. The bluegill have been found suspended up off the bottom, and often just 5 or 6 feet below the ice. Small ice jigs tipped with a waxworm or spike have been the best bait. Just a few reports of crappie catches have come in, those indicate that the fish are also suspended up off the bottom but have been real finicky in biting. Posted:12:10 PM 4/8/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
The unseasonably cold weather in the last week has put the spring thaw on hold and ice thickness on the lakes has remained in the 14 to 16 inch range. The heavy snow that was received on March 23 has settled and melted quite a bit, though there is still a 3 to 4 inch layer on most lakes. Access areas and south-facing shorelines are still pretty soft from heavy use and sunny conditions, but a few anglers are still using ATVs to get out to their favorite fishing spots. Any late season ice anglers should be very cautious as access and ice conditions can change in a hurry with sunny skies and warm temperatures. Late-season ice fishing pressure has been rather light across the area and panfish anglers have had limited success in this past week. The warm daytime sun has provided some pleasant fishing conditions, but anglers have had to move around quite a bit to find active fish. Perch have continued to provide the most consistent catches, and they have been found just off the bottom on the mud flats and near old weed beds. A few anglers have been able to find some fair catches of crappie, but they've had to try some new lakes and some have found the crappie suspended 4 to 5 feet below the ice.
Caution – rivers are opening up all over – Remember the flowage is made up of 9 rivers and countless streams!
Posted:4:33 PM 4/1/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Following the mild weather of the last week, ice depths have declined down to 14 to 18 inches on most lakes across the North, and the recent snowstorm added 6 to 12 inches of snow to the ice surfaces. This will make travel extremely difficult on the lakes and along with the soft and rutted up access areas, will really curtail most late-season ice fishing activity. Some walk-out activity may be seen, but even that will be difficult with the heavy, grainy snow. Prior to the heavy snow, late season panfish success was fair. Anglers were seeing some decent catches of perch, and they were being caught on small minnows in 6 to 10 feet of water just off the bottom on the mud flats and near weed beds. Some good bluegill catches were also reported, and they were found suspended in deep waters areas and enticed by small ice flies tipped with a waxworm or spike. Crappie action has continued to be very slow, and many anglers are constantly moving around from lake to lake trying to find an active bite. Just a few lakes have seen any kind of consistent action, and anglers have been very tight-lipped on the location of these spots. Posted:8:15 PM 3/27/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Ice conditions in the north have been holding steady for the past week and most lakes continue to have between 18 and 22 inches of ice. There is about 2 to 4 inches of snow cover and this has been melting down quickly with the mild weather of the past few days. In addition, many access areas are becoming rutted up and south-facing shorelines are starting to get soft with the warm temperatures, and any late season ice anglers should be aware of fast-changing conditions on the sunny and warm days. Ice fishing pressure for panfish has picked up with the warmer weather and some decent catches of perch and bluegill have been reported. Crappie continue to be very difficult to find for most anglers, but the perch and bluegill have been providing some fairly consistent action. The perch have started to move toward shallow bays in anticipation of spawning once the ice goes out, and the best success has been on small minnows fished just off the bottom on the mud flats in 6 to 10 feet of water. For bluegill, some nice fish have been suspending up off the bottom in deeper water, with waxworms and small soft plastics producing some fair catches. Posted:6:38 PM 3/19/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
With the ending of the game fish ice fishing season this past Sunday, angling pressure has significantly dropped off on most waters across the Northwoods. However, there are still a fair number of panfish anglers venturing out and they continue to have some generally good success. Some nice catches perch and bluegill have been reported, but crappie have continued the winter-long trend of being tough to find. The perch are being found just off the bottom near the mud flats in 8 to 12 feet of water, and small minnows on a bare hook have produced the best results. For bluegill, anglers have been finding them suspended in the deeper water areas, with waxworms, spikes and wigglers getting pretty good results. Posted:11:40 PM 3/12/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Ice conditions remain very good on lakes across the Northwoods, with most waters having 16 to 20 inches of good solid ice. Some periodic light flurries have added a little bit of snow cover on the ice and this has reduced the slickness of the surface by quite a bit. But many areas are still very slippery and anglers should be careful when walking across the snow-covered spots - and wear ice creepers if they have them. Also - ice anglers are reminded that the gamefish harvest season closes at the end of the day on Sunday, March 6. The variable weather conditions made for another erratic week of fishing in the Northwoods. Panfish success has continued to be the most consistent with many anglers reporting slow but steady action on perch and bluegill. No limits but anglers were getting a meal or two from each trip. Perch continue to be the highlight of the winter for most panfish anglers and some decent catches have been taken on small minnows fished just off the bottom in 6 to 12 feet of water. Northern pike action has been fair to good, as the recent decline in snow cover seems to have spurred on an increase in pike activity. On many pike lakes in the north, anglers have had to move their baits up a couple feet off the bottom. This is to get above the low oxygen levels that are starting to show up on these generally shallow and weedy lakes. Posted:3:01 PM 3/4/2011
Sawyer, Rusk, Price counties
Capturing deer for the deer trapping research project is in full swing. Using ground trapping, 78 deer have been captured in the northern area. (Radio collared: 13 adult females, 14 male fawns, 16 adult males; Ear tagged: 18 adult females, 15 female fawns, 2 male fawns.) Modifications continue to be made to netted cage traps in an effort to reduce physical injuries to captured deer. In the east central study area, 34 deer have been captured using ground trapping. Across both sites, staff is working with one to two volunteers per day. Helicopter capture in the east central study area has been hampered by unfavorable weather conditions, difficult capture areas, and helicopter mechanical issues. After work in the east central study area the helicopter will be heading to the northern area. Posted: 8:31 PM 2/25/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Ice conditions continue to be good on nearly all lakes across the Northwoods, with most waters having between 14 and 18 inches of solid ice. However, there is about 7 to 9 inches of heavy, grainy snow cover on the lakes and this has made 4WD vehicles a necessity for getting around on most waters. A few reports of slush spots have begun to come in, but they seem to be limited to small areas where deeper snow has been piled up from the strong winds of late. The 'Storm of the Decade' in southern Wisconsin seems to have missed the North, and the relatively stable and seasonal weather of the past week has made for some decent fishing conditions for anglers. However, the fish still appear to be in a mid-winter period of inactivity and success has been very erratic. Panfish anglers have experienced the most consistent success, with perch continuing to provide the best action. The perch are still being found in relatively shallow water, and some good catches have been made in 4 to 8 feet of water with a medium fathead and rosey red fished on a bare hook. For most anglers, crappie have been especially tough to find this winter and a successful trip has usually been just 4 to 6 fish. Northern pike activity has also slowed up in the last week as the continued cloudiness and increased snow cover seem to have slowed up the fish and made them reluctant to bite. Large suckers or golden shiners fished over the top or along the edges of any old weed beds have been producing the pike that have been reported. Posted: 9:26 PM 2/10/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Ice conditions continue to be good on nearly all lakes across the Northwoods, with most waters having between 14 and 18 inches of solid ice. However, there is about 7 to 9 inches of heavy, grainy snow cover on the lakes and this has made 4WD vehicles a necessity for getting around on most waters. A few reports of slush spots have begun to come in, but they seem to be limited to small areas where deeper snow has been piled up from the strong winds of late. The 'Storm of the Decade' in southern Wisconsin seems to have missed the North, and the relatively stable and seasonal weather of the past week has made for some decent fishing conditions for anglers. However, the fish still appear to be in a mid-winter period of inactivity and success has been very erratic. Panfish anglers have experienced the most consistent success, with perch continuing to provide the best action. The perch are still being found in relatively shallow water, and some good catches have been made in 4 to 8 feet of water with a medium fathead and rosey red fished on a bare hook. For most anglers, crappie have been especially tough to find this winter and a successful trip has usually been just 4 to 6 fish. Northern pike activity has also slowed up in the last week as the continued cloudiness and increased snow cover seem to have slowed up the fish and made them reluctant to bite. Large suckers or golden shiners fished over the top or along the edges of any old weed beds have been producing the pike that have been reported Posted: 12:57 PM 2/4/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Ice thickness on most lakes across the Northwoods varies from 12 to 17 inches and recent snows have added 1 to 2 inches on top of the 6 inches that was already on the ice. This has made ice travel a bit difficult and 4-wheel drive vehicles are almost a necessity for getting around on the lakes. The recent cold temperatures have put a little bit of a damper on fishing pressure -- and fish activity does seem to be at it's mid-winter low point. Panfish have been providing the best action with a few fair catches of perch and bluegill being reported. Perch continue to be found in relatively shallow water, with most of the action coming on fathead minnows fished over mud/sand flats in 4 to 8 feet of water. A few crappie have been found suspended off the bottom in the deeper water areas, but anglers have had to move around quite a bit just to catch 5 or 6 keeper-size fish in a trip. Northern pike action has also been slow, with anglers catching just a few small and medium-size fish Posted: 9:24 PM 1/30/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
Ice conditions continue to be good on lakes across the Northwoods and ice thickness is ranging from 12 to 14 inches on most waters. There is 2 to 4 inches of light fluffy snow on top of the ice and there have been no report of slush problems on any of the lakes. An increased number of vehicles have been seen out on the ice, but caution is still urged as there have still been small open-water areas observed around springs, inlets and off of some points. Panfish have been the main target for anglers in the past week and action could be termed fair. An added benefit of using the smaller bait this winter has been the catch of perch, which have added a few extra fish to the bag for many anglers. The panfish anglers have seen some fairly consistent action, with some nice crappie and perch being caught 1 to 3 feet off bottom in 15 to 25 feet of water. Northern pike have been seeing increased interest from anglers as action has picked up a bit with the low amount of snow cover on the ice. This has increased light penetration and seems to have bumped up feeding activity for northern. Large golden shiners or sucker minnows fished near deeper weed beds or the med-depth break lines have produced some nice fish, with a few pike up to 32 inches being caught Posted: 3:27 PM 1/15/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
-Ice conditions have vastly improved on lakes across the Northwoods, as the rain and mild temperatures in late December melted most of the snow from the ice surface. With the insulating snow layer gone, this has allowed the slush and water layer to freeze and has created a fairly smooth and slick ice surface on most waters. Ice depths have also begun to increase with the lack of snow cover and thickness now ranges between 8 and 12 inches on area lakes. The first vehicles have been observed on a few waters, but caution is still urged as ice depths continue to be quite variable across many lakes. The variable weather conditions in the last two weeks have made for some erratic fishing success across the north. Some good success for perch has been reported, but crappie and bluegill have been a little tougher to find. Perch were still being caught on waxworms and small minnows, and have been found at depths as shallow as 4 feet and out to 15-plus-feet of water. Some nice crappie and bluegill have been found suspended just off the bottom in 15 to 24 feet of water, with waxworms and small minnows producing some fair action at times. Northern pike action has been somewhat slow, as it seems that the dark-stained water that is prevalent this year may be inhibiting angler success.
**Snowmobilers please note: As usual, it has been snowing a little every day. Travel on the lakes and trails is much improved!
***Everyone is welcome to participate in the Chippewa Flowage Snow Tour. Pick up your Tour Card at any open business on the lake, get 10 stamps to earn a FREE limited edition lapel pin. Posted: 1:05 PM 1/7/2011
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report Excerpts
-The big snowstorm of this past weekend added anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow onto the ice cover and this has created some major slush problems on many waters. Most lakes had 5 to 7 inches of ice prior to the storm, and this heavy snow will provide quite a bit of insulation to keep the ice from adding much more thickness in the next week or so. With that said, ice thickness and snow cover continues to be quite variable and travel conditions have gotten very difficult with the slush. As such, early season anglers should still be extremely cautious when venturing out and always check ice thickness and slush conditions before heading across any body of water. Reports from early-season anglers indicate that fishing has been generally fair. Walleye have been the primary target for most early anglers and catches have been sporadic for the tip-up anglers. Some days have provided some good action on 12 to 16-inch fish and other days have produced just a few perch flags. The most productive areas have been the mud/muck flats and weed edges in the late afternoon hours, with small suckers or large fatheads fished at the 5 to 8 foot depth. Some angling pressure has also been seen for panfish and success for perch and crappie has also been fair. Perch have been hitting small minnows and have been found at a variety of depths, from as shallow as 4 feet and out to 20-plus feet of water. Some nice crappie have been found suspended just off the bottom in 18 to 24 feet of water, and many of the fish have been in the 11 to 13-inch size. The Chippewa Flowage has 6-12 inches of ice. Posted: 6:12 PM 12/19/2010
County: Sawyer
Water: Chippewa Flowage
Dave Neuswanger, Fisheries Team Leader, Upper Chippewa Basin
Anglers should be aware of some changes in fishing rules for the Chippewa Flowage beginning in 2011. Formerly, the daily bag limit for panfish was 25, only 15 of which could be crappie. This has now been simplified, such that the daily bag limit for all panfish combined (including crappie) is 25 daily.
DNR also expects to start experimenting in 2011 with a regulation that treats largemouth bass and smallmouth bass differently on the Chippewa Flowage. Assuming the proposal is approved overwinter, anglers will be permitted and encouraged to harvest largemouth bass of all sizes starting the third Saturday in June. But the 14” minimum length limit will remain in effect for smallmouth bass, and anglers will be encouraged to voluntarily release all smallmouth bass, regardless of size.
This new twist to bass management is based on the belief of local DNR biologists that predation on young walleye by over-abundant, slow-growing largemouth bass has been at least partially responsible for uncharacteristic failures in the survival of young walleyes over the past 5 years. Biologists believe fast-growing smallmouth bass have a different lifestyle and food preferences that allow them to coexist well with walleyes, and Flowage anglers want a good bass fishery in the form of smallmouths. DNR will conduct a creel survey on the Chippewa Flowage in 2011, so anglers can expect to be interviewed to determine degree of compliance with the experimental rule. Signs at access areas and area businesses will help anglers to distinguish between largemouth and smallmouth bass. But the best advice is, “If you don’t know it, throw it (back).”
The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Conservation Department teamed up with Chippewa Flowage property and resort owners associations to raise and stock over 13,000 large (6-10”) walleye fingerlings in fall of 2010 in order to jump-start the walleye fishery. Walleye fishing can still be quite good on the Flowage, but with reduced survival of young over the past several years, DNR biologists encourage anglers to voluntarily release all walleyes less than 15” long (currently no size limit in effect). Voluntary restraint will help maximize the investment made by local partners to provide better walleye fishing for everyone in the future. Anglers who seek a quality fish fry can still expect to catch and enjoy good numbers of tasty, quality-size bluegill, black crappie, and even largemouth bass in 2011. Largemouth bass, especially those less than 14” long, are excellent table fare.
The Chippewa Flowage also boasts excellent fishing for northern pike, which anglers are encouraged to harvest at will. With a relatively new 50” minimum length limit and less severe winter drawdowns, the adult muskellunge population continues to improve. There are more trophy-size fish than ever in the Chippewa Flowage, but for natural reproduction to continue, northern pike and largemouth bass (both predators on young muskellunge) must be harvested liberally. Posted: 12:23 PM 12/1/2010
Excerpts from WDNR Fisheries Report Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties)
-Seasonably cold weather, along with the peak of the deer rut and the upcoming gun deer season, has kept fishing pressure to a minimum on most waters across the North. Only a few die-hard anglers have been venturing out and most of the fishing pressure continues to be for musky. Nearly all of these late-season musky anglers are dragging large suckers around and success has been fair. Several anglers have said that the musky just seem to be hitting and dropping the suckers, but a few catches have been made and musky up to 46 inches have been reported. A few walleye anglers have also been sighted, but action has been generally slow. Water temperatures have fallen into the low 40s and this really seems to have limited fish activity. There have been NO reports of ice on any lakes or flowages and it looks like any kind of ice cover is still a couple of weeks away. ***Update – ice is beginning to form Posted: 12:58 PM 11/26/2010
Hot off the presses – New fishing limits effective December 1st!
Ice Fishing will be open on the Chippewa Flowage for not only Bluegill and Perch, but also Northern, Crappie and Bass, both smallmouth and largemouth.
Important that we all understand any Musky and any Walleyes that might be caught accidently during ice fishing MUST BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY. Violators will be reported. Posted: 9:10 PM 11/20/2010
