Has anyone had luck or know how to obtain raw fisheries data from the state of WI? MN DNR has the lake finder app that gives a breakdown of species and size structure for surveyed lakes. WI appears to have nothing like this so I want to make my own. How can I get data? Shouldn’t it be publicly available?
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Has anyone had luck or know how to obtain raw fisheries data from the state of WI? MN DNR has the lake finder app that gives a breakdown of species and size structure for surveyed lakes. WI appears to have nothing like this so I want to make my own. How can I get data? Shouldn’t it be publicly available?
You can try the Wisconsin DNR.
I tried the MN DNR to get the raw data. They (Whoever at the DNR who oversees this) sort of dragged their feet and said that there would be a fee to get the data together. Since I had no idea what that cost would be and knowing the kind of crap data you can get from a government agency, I passed.
What I need to do is write a scraper app. 
I have tried searching all the dnr sites and anywhere else I can think. The only solution for consistent shocking data is calling someone from the dnr fisheries directly.
I sure wish we had an app like the people to the west 
What lake in wisc are you looking for, The sportsmans connection fishing map books has lots of lake info.Little pricey, but go to bass pro store and check them out, or cabellas. OR send me a pm with what you are looking for if i have the info i can e mail them to you 
I have had phone calls and email exchanges with WI DNR employees in the Hayward area, both initiated by me. Both of the DNR scientists I contacted were very helpful and knowledgable.
The phone exchange was regarding controlling beavers destroying trees on our lakefront. The DNR scientist is a trapper himself, but referred me to another non-DNR trapper who I hired.
The email exchange was initiated by an article in the Hayward newspaper, quoting a DNR employee regarding new fishing regulations for one lake. I emailed him asking for similar changes on our lake, and we had a nice exchange, he was very detailed and spent a fair amount of time answering my questions – he wrote me a LONG, and helpful email – it made it into our lake association newsletter.
So, try contacting DNR fishing staff directly.
Dave
MN is different from Wisconsin, not just in how they make their information available, but in how they survey. The focus in WI is on the larger lakes with the majority of the angling pressure and fishing hours, just like it is in MN. Where it differs, is that there appears from everything I’ve found and the fisheries managers I’ve talked to, that there’s less of a focus on covering all of the legally accessible smaller lakes, as often as MN does it. To their credit, Wisconsin seems to have great, almost annual information on these larger water bodies that get the most pressure. See the spring surveys and creel survey information:
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/north/index.html
Unfortunately, I’ve had a more difficult time getting the actual netting statistics and measurements from WI as you can in MN for most other lakes. In Wisconsin, much of that information you get has already been interpreted for you, which also has its pros/cons. Where it does exist, the information is quite complete, which is also helpful.
All of which is a long way to say that if you’re looking for Minnesota-like data from Wisconsin, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s apples to oranges.
I’ve had success dealing directly with fisheries staff for the areas of Wisconsin you’re fishing. I’ve also had success in dealing with people at DNR headquarters in Madison, but it’s been years since I’ve made one of those requests.
The best way to get information is to search what online resources there are, and they do have some, and make specific targeted requests of fisheries biologists for digital/paper copies of whatever you don’t find, yet seek.
Here’s a great link to put you in contact with the proper folks – http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/people/fisheriesbiologists.html
Joel
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