Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources Outdoor Report – Jan 7th 2010
Outdoor Report as of January 7, 2010
Wisconsin –-(AmmoLand.com)- Wisconsin has been enjoying some very good winter recreation conditions in the new year, now that most lakes have finally frozen over, and snow cover ranges from half a foot to more than a foot and half across most of the state. More snow was falling Thursday, with the southern half of the state expected to get from 3 to 9 inches or more in some locations.
Snowmobile trails were open in all but one county of the state as of Jan. 7, according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism snow conditions report, with conditions ranging from excellent in the north to fair through central Wisconsin. Conditions were expected to improve with this week’s snowfall. Cross-country ski trails are open and have been groomed in almost all state parks and forests, with conditions generally ranging from good to excellent. Most parks reporting this week indicated they planned to re-groom trails following this week’s snow, so conditions should be excellent across most of the state this weekend.
The recent wave of sub-zero temperatures increased ice thickness and frozen formerly slushy areas on many lakes. However, thickness still varies from lake to lake. Dane County officials had to rescue several individuals who fell through the recently froze surface of Lake Mendota this week. Anyone venturing out on the frozen waterways for the first time should check with a local bait shop or other knowledgeable source on ice conditions. Snowmobiles and ATVs that used the lakes when they were slushy made frozen ruts and ridges. Those frozen rutted areas are now causing difficult travel in some areas. There also continues to be some slush under the snow on northern lakes in spots. The variable weather conditions in the last two weeks have made for some erratic ice fishing. In the north, walleye have been the main species of interest and most anglers report sporadic action. The best action has come on cloudy days, when temperatures reach into the 20s. Panfish anglers have seen some fair action in the north, and some good panfish action has been reported on southern lakes. Along Lake Michigan, the McKinley Marina in Milwaukee and the Racine and Kenosha harbors have frozen over, and anglers have been taking some browns and rainbows through the ice. Fast moving stretches of the Root River are still open and good numbers of browns and rainbows are still holding in the deeper pools.
The Mississippi River stage was at 7.6 feet at Prairie du Chien this week, where the main channel has frozen over, but travel on it is not recommended. Ice fishing activity has been very spotty, with some of the back water areas seeing some bluegill action.
Regular bird sightings include gold and purple finches, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, tufted titmice, blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, and a variety of woodpeckers. Eagles are congregating along both the lower Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Spotters counted 98 eagles below the Prairie du Sac dam this week.
And a reminder that candlelight ski events have begun at state parks and forests. Cold temperatures have kept numbers down a bit, and frigid temperatures forecast for this Saturday have already caused the cancellation of an event scheduled at Lake Kegonsa State Park, so remember to always call ahead to confirm events will be held.
Click to view the complete report along with a list of currently scheduled events.
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The Wisconsin DNR Outdoor Report is issued each Thursday to media outlets, conservation and environmental organizations, and county, state and federal agencies. It is available to the general public by subscription to an email distribution list and on the Wisconsin DNR World Wide Web site listed above. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides equal opportunity in employment, programs, services and functions under an Affirmative Action Plan. This document is available in alternative format upon request.