walleyemaxx
04-23-2010, 11:31 AM
Hi everyone,
The DNR puts out a weekly fisheries report from it's Park Falls office. I'll post this report when it is sent. It covers the whole upper Chippewa river basin, but I feel it is very news worthy for everyone who enjoys the Chippewa Flowage.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The
unseasonably warm spring weather made for a very early and quick ice-out on all lakes across northern Wisconsin
(most broke up during the first few days of April). Normally there is a gradual warm-up with the snow and ice slowly
melting off of the lakes. This usually results in the smaller lakes becoming ice-free first and ice-out graduating up to the
larger lakes over a period of one to two weeks time. However, the warm weather of this spring caused most lakes to
become ice free over the course of about three days in early April. This has made for some busy and hectic schedules
for most of the DNR fish survey crews as they frantically worked to assess the early spawning species such as northern
pike, walleye and musky. With the early ice-out conditions and warm weather, northern pike and walleye have been
done with their spring spawning ritual for over a week, and musky are already on the downside of their spawning period
(except for the larger lakes which are slower to warm up). Yellow perch are also an early spawning species and they
are also completing their spawning at this time. The warming water temperatures have also brought many panfish and
some bass into the shallows. Black crappie have been showing up on the edges of the shallow bays and many males
have even been sporting the darker coloration in anticipation of spawning when the temperatures reach the upper 50s.
Currently, water temperatures have been holding in the low to mid-50s on most lakes and this is providing for a bit of an
extended spawning season for the musky. If warmer weather in the next few days pushes water temperatures to the
upper 50s, it's possible that smallmouth bass and crappie may begin their spring nesting period - which is almost
unheard of for the late-April period in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
It's shaping up to be a good opener. I still have an opening on Sunday May 2nd.
Walleyemaxx
Respect-Earned not given
The DNR puts out a weekly fisheries report from it's Park Falls office. I'll post this report when it is sent. It covers the whole upper Chippewa river basin, but I feel it is very news worthy for everyone who enjoys the Chippewa Flowage.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The
unseasonably warm spring weather made for a very early and quick ice-out on all lakes across northern Wisconsin
(most broke up during the first few days of April). Normally there is a gradual warm-up with the snow and ice slowly
melting off of the lakes. This usually results in the smaller lakes becoming ice-free first and ice-out graduating up to the
larger lakes over a period of one to two weeks time. However, the warm weather of this spring caused most lakes to
become ice free over the course of about three days in early April. This has made for some busy and hectic schedules
for most of the DNR fish survey crews as they frantically worked to assess the early spawning species such as northern
pike, walleye and musky. With the early ice-out conditions and warm weather, northern pike and walleye have been
done with their spring spawning ritual for over a week, and musky are already on the downside of their spawning period
(except for the larger lakes which are slower to warm up). Yellow perch are also an early spawning species and they
are also completing their spawning at this time. The warming water temperatures have also brought many panfish and
some bass into the shallows. Black crappie have been showing up on the edges of the shallow bays and many males
have even been sporting the darker coloration in anticipation of spawning when the temperatures reach the upper 50s.
Currently, water temperatures have been holding in the low to mid-50s on most lakes and this is providing for a bit of an
extended spawning season for the musky. If warmer weather in the next few days pushes water temperatures to the
upper 50s, it's possible that smallmouth bass and crappie may begin their spring nesting period - which is almost
unheard of for the late-April period in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
It's shaping up to be a good opener. I still have an opening on Sunday May 2nd.
Walleyemaxx
Respect-Earned not given