Outdoor Report
September 27, 2018
This week has been very fall-like with high temperatures in the 50s and 60s, and mostly cloudy gray skies. Fall color is now approaching 50 percent across much of northern and central Wisconsin onto the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Fall Color Report (exit DNR). However, color is spotty, with some areas near peak, while nearby woods remain nearly completely green. New England asters are in full bloom creating a sea of purple that the late season pollinators are enjoying.
Fall color is nearing 50 percent across much of nothern Wisconsin. However, color is spotty, with some areas near peak, while nearby woods remain nearly completely greenPhoto credit: DNR
Northern rivers are still running fast for this time of year, and more rain will keep the flow higher than normal for a while longer.
Gale winds at the end of the week kept some anglers from venturing out on Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Folks continued to be shoulder to shoulder on the Kewaunee and Algoma piers for chinook salmon though with little luck.
High flows on Lake Michigan tributaries made salmon fishing challenging. Chinook salmon were spotted going up into the Kewaunee River and fishing pressure was high with folks catching many dark chinook salmon in the 18-20 pound range. The Manitowoc River was flowing like crazy last weekend and was almost unfishable by the dam but anglers still had some success. East Twin River fishing pressure increased after the rain and so did the number of fish caught. Anglers fishing the West Twin River by the Shoto dam also caught fish.
Fishing pressure on the Sheboygan River was greatest near the Kohler Dam with a few kings were caught. The Milwaukee River was seeing high pressure, but few anglers were finding success. There was high fishing pressure on Oak Creek with anglers landing 15-20 pound kings or the occasional coho. Most Root River anglers were fly fishing with spawn and having luck mainly with chinook.
It’s just past the medium of the elk rut, and biologists believe better than half of next year’s elk calves have been conceived. Grouse, fall turkey and archery hunters are out in force. Grouse hunters are still finding a few birds to flush and are also report quite a few woodcock. Archery hunters report seeing fair numbers of deer and a few have been lucky enough to put some meat in the freezer early.
Opening of duck season starts Saturday morning. It should be a great opening weekend with a lot of marshes and farm lands still flooded from last week’s rain. Hunters will need to wear the proper footwear, as well as be aware of downed and hanging trees from the recent winds. With the north winds and cold fronts that have moved in early this week there was a refresh of Canada geese and sandhill cranes at Horicon Marsh, where some small ponds are holding more than 1,000 newly arrived geese.
Three-hundred-plus broad-winged hawks were tallied in Monroe County on Sept. 21 and 500-plus over Sauk on Sept. 23. Peak flights this coming week will belong to turkey vultures, sharp-shinned hawks, merlins, and peregrine falcons. The first rough-legged hawks have arrived on schedule, as have a couple tundra swans.
Last Sunday was the autumnal equinox, and this weekend you can fall into fun with six state properties holding fall festivals. It’s also a lake sturgeon weekend with SturgeonFest with young sturgeon being stocked at Lakeshore Park and the Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery education center holding a program on sturgeon monitoring, restoration and distribution. For all events search the DNR website for “Get Outdoors.”