DNR Outdoor Report for 8-16-2018

It was a relatively dry week across most of the state with warm temperatures making outdoor recreation pleasant.

Water levels remain at seasonal norms on most rivers and canoers and kayakers have been out in force. Central Wisconsin trout streams are getting pretty low right now and could use some rain.

Work continues at Pattison and Amnicon state parks to repair damage from the June flood event. Crews are adding rock and gravel to washout areas, as well as replacing bridges and almost 300 cubic yards of sand was added to the Little Falls Lake beach to replace what was lost from the flood, but the beach remains closed while the lake is drawn down to repair the dam.

 SLIDE SHOW | 5 photos

Pattison State Park storm damage repair.

Walleye fishing also continues to be good on the west and east shores of Green Bay with parking lots filled at Geano Beach and Suamico over the weekend and anglers averaging two to seven fish with a few boats catching their limit. Many reported catching numerous freshwater drum, catfish and an occasional northern pike. Yellow perch fishing is slowly starting to pick up with a few anglers catching 10 perch for a few hours out.

Smallmouth action has been good along Door County, with all the piers and harbors from the Sturgeon Bay hipping canal north to Gills Rock producing good numbers of bass. Consistent success on large yellow perch as well was had in the shipping canal. Out past the canal folks were coming back with chinook in 150-200 feet of water.

Lake trout and chinook fishing has been good out of Milwaukee.Photo credit: Reni Rydlewicz

On Lake Michigan, fishing pressure was heavy for the majority of the week out of Kewaunee and was picking up at Manitowoc. Anglers were catching rainbow trout and king salmon along with lake trout and brown trout. There was heavy fishing pressure this weekend at Algoma due to a weekend festival and folks were coming back with large rainbows and kings along with a few lake and brown trout. Good numbers of lake trout were caught out of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha with the occasional rainbow, brown, and chinook.

Canada Geese are now starting to fly around and are frequenting the harvested grain fields. Wild Turkey poults are being seen frequently along the road edges and fields. Fall bonus wild turkey harvest authorizations will go on sale August 18 beginning at 10 a.m. Check for turkey permit availability on the DNR website.

Prairie flowers are in full bloom. Keep your eyes open for prairie blazing star, stiff goldenrod, rattlesnake master, and many more.

Ready or not the fall bird migration is here! Shorebird migration is near peak with Horicon Marsh a hotspot. Warbler migration has also really picked up, especially across the north, with good numbers of warblers and at least a dozen species. Other favorites like rose-breasted grosbeaks, Baltimore orioles, and indigo buntings have also begun to head south.

Lake sturgeon fry from the Wild Rose State HatcheryPhoto credit: DNR

The Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery will host a seminar this Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. with presentations on lake sturgeon and on how the hatchery is helping return this ancient species to its home waters. And if you’re heading up to the Lake Superior this weekend grab your shovels, buckets and creativity and visit Madeline Island for a fun-filled day Saturday for Big Bay State Park’s 24th Annual Sand Castle Day. Contest registration is free and prizes will be awarded for the best sand structures. For all events search the DNR website for “Get Outdoors.”

Statewide Birding Report

Ready or not migration is here! While many shorebirds have been on the move since late June and some landbirds since late July, mid-August means that migration is underway in earnest for many species. Warbler migration has really picked up, especially across the north, with good numbers of Nashville and Tennessee warblers, yellow warblers and American redstarts, the first bay-breasted warblers and at least a dozen other species. Other favorites like rose-breasted grosbeaks, Baltimore orioles, and indigo buntings have also begun to head south, particularly the showy adult males who depart first. Likewise, although hummingbird numbers have burgeoned with fledged young of the year, the highly-territorial adult males will vacate our northern climes any time now. Other migrants now include various flycatchers, bobolinks, and the first common nighthawks of the fall. Swallows and chimney swifts may be seen gathering in large groups across the south, a good number having already departed the far north. Learn more about many of these declining aerial insectivores and how you can help at an upcoming conference in Waukesha, Sept 6-8 https://dnr.wi.gov/news/Weekly/article/?id=4342.

Red-eyed VireoPhoto credit: Ryan Brady

Shorebird migration is near its seasonal peak where appropriate habitat exists. Without question Horicon National Wildlife Refuge off Highway 49 has been the hotspot, featuring hundreds of birds of many species, including uncommon finds such as black-necked stilt, American avocet, white-rumped sandpiper, and American golden-plovers. None were rarer, however, than the sharp-tailed sandpiper found there on August 8 and continuing through at least the 15th, marking the first known observation of this eastern Asian species in Wisconsin.

Despite all the migration buzz, nesting season isn’t quite over yet! Family groups can still be seen for a variety of summer breeders, like American redstart, red-eyed vireo, barn swallow, song sparrow, eastern phoebe, wood duck, wild turkey, and others. Notoriously late nesters such as American goldfinch, cedar waxwing, mourning dove, and northern cardinal may also be in the earlier stages of first or second nesting attempts. Nesting or not, now is a great time to get those suet, seed, and hummingbird feeders going again if you let them lapse a bit over summer, and to offer a water source for bathing and drinking birds. As always, find out what others are seeing and report your observations at www.ebird.org/wi. Good birding! – Ryan Brady, conservation biologist, Ashland