Watch For Unsafe Ice
Remember that no ice is 100% safe.
With temperatures warming, we want to remind everyone to keep safety top of mind when heading out to ice fish or ride trails in the coming days.
Ice thickness changes quickly and becomes more unreliable and dangerous as temperatures fluctuate between above and below freezing.
This time of year is when people need to be especially careful about using their UTVs and snowmobiles on lakes, rivers or trails. Remember these safety tips before heading out on your next trip:
- Carry a cell phone and let people know where you are going and when you’ll return home.
- If you’re going out on to the ice, wearing a life jacket or a float coat will help you stay afloat and maintain body heat in case of a breakthrough.
- Wear ice creepers attached to boots to prevent slipping on clear ice.
- Carry a spud bar to check the ice while walking to new areas.
- Bring a few spikes and a length of light rope in an easily accessible pocket or compartment to help pull yourself – or others – out of the ice.
- Remember, if you fall in, remain as calm as possible. While attempting to get out of the water, call for help. Anyone who attempts to rescue you should use a rope or something similar to avoid falling through themselves.
A few snowmobile trails in northern Wisconsin are still open. Check Travel Wisconsin’s Snow Report to learn about the trail conditions before heading out.
Just like the ice, late season trails can become unpredictable so be careful, watch your speed and ride sober.
Be safe out there!
Apply Now For Wisconsin’s 2026 Elk Hunting Season
It’s that time of year again, when hunters can begin applying for Wisconsin’s 2026 elk hunt. Applications are open now through May 31.
During the application period, applicants will have the choice to submit one bull elk license application and/or one antlerless elk license application, separately.
Applicants can apply to any unit grouping with an associated quota for that authorization type (bull or antlerless). The order of drawing will be bull licenses first, followed by antlerless licenses. As a reminder, only one resident elk hunting license can be issued or transferred to a person in their lifetime, regardless of authorization type.
Wisconsin residents can submit elk license applications online through Go Wild or in person at a license sales agent. For each $10 application fee, $7 goes directly to elk management, monitoring and research. These funds also enhance elk habitat, which benefits elk and many other wildlife. Selected applicants will be notified in early June. If selected in the drawing, an elk hunting license costs $49.
For more information on the elk hunt, including important updates related to the 2026 season structure, visit our Elk Hunting webpage. |
Ongoing Research Shows Surprisingly Speedy Fish Live In The Northwoods
It’s all about the fast and the furious at the Spider Chain of Lakes in Sawyer County. The iconic Northwoods spot is home to an ongoing DNR research project that’s tracking the movements of dozens of musky and northern pike around the five lakes.
In October 2024, the fish were outfitted with acoustic tags that emit pulses of sound. The sounds, which are outside their range of hearing and do not interfere with the animals’ normal activities, are picked up by individual receivers deployed in a network across the lakes, providing real-time information about a tagged fish’s location and movement. As the research scientists analyze the first year of data from the project, they’re already finding some interesting patterns.
Overall, the tracked musky and northern pike move around at about the same speed, just under a tenth of a mile per hour. But when the team looked at the maximum rate of movement, musky won hands down (fins down?) with a top speed of 4.6 mph, compared to a peak northern pike travel time of 2.35 mph. Musky also traveled farther, averaging about 14.7 miles daily (northern pike covered a mean distance of 8.34 miles a day).
Look for more science to come out of the ongoing research over the next two years. The project is possible thanks to the generous support of individuals, families and organizations in the Spider Chain of Lakes and musky fishing communities.
Learn more about ongoing fisheries research on our website. |
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