Lake Wisconsin

Just Wondering if anybody knows what the ice conditions are like on the Lake? I am hoping to get a boat out soon. Last I had heard the river was open down to the narrows and sarting on the lake. Any help would be appreciated. How are the walleyes doing on the river now?

Thanks Bassman

Bassman,
I’m planning on fishing that area this weekend. They are putting some boats in at the narrows in the township of Dekorrah.
Will post a report Sunday night.
JWB

Thanks JWB, I am hoping to get up this next week. I would sure love to be able to get out and wet a line. Good luck to you.

Bassman

Bassman,
Could not get out on Saturday but did get up there on Sunday.
The fish were 100% negative. In six hours of fishing, between two of us, we had two bites. Did not have a single hook-up.
Never seen fish that negative at this time of the year before. Talked with several other fisherman who had the same kind of luck we did. One guy was cussing and swearing loud enough that there was no need to ask. We could hear him just fine from several hundred yards away.
I’m not entirely surprised though. After all, we just had two and a half days of snowy, stormy weather and today started out with clear bluebird skies.
And after all, it is fishing. No matter who we are, we don’t get to catch them every time.
There is a walleye tournament scheduled for next saturday, March 26th. Other than that though, there is no reason not to fish this area. They won’t stay negative forever.
The boat landing had ice on it when we launched but it was almost all gone by the end of the day. Should be completely gone by next weekend.
Good luck if you go!
JWB

Was out today (3/26) from 6:30 to 2:00. Ended up with somewhere between 15 and 20 total fish, almost all sauger. Couple small eyes and one nice 18 inch male. 4 Sauger in the 17 to 19 inch range. Caught all fish dragging BFT paddle tails in catalpa orange / chartreuse tail. Intended to run up river and fish, but the water level was a little low for my liking, so stayed down by Tipperary Point. Also got into three sturgeon. Didn’t bring any minnows, but turned out we really didn’t need them. We seemed to be doing better on the paddle tails than most people were doing on minnows. I have to say that the BFT paddle tails have done an awesome job getting me fish every time I’ve used them. If you don’t have any, I would highly recommend picking some up. They are the cats pajamas. Thought I saw JWB leaving the launch as I was spreading some sand to keep my jeep out of the lake as it was a touch icy at the launch this morning. Do any good Joel???????

I also got out there today. Great to be on the water again . Most people I talked to also said they did well. Ended going up the river and got my first smallie of the year in a wintering hole. Gotta love it when you get bass on your first trip out. I think the ice will clear up quick with the weather they are calling for. Going out again Sunday and will post complete results for all. I will be trying for some walleyes tommorow. Thanks for the info on the colors.

Bassman

Got out for a few hours again today and we got some nice saugers in the old river channel. Most people were catching their fish using a two jig system while we were there. The hot times from what people were saying Sat. and what we had today waqs from about 10:00 until about 1:30. It sure was nice out there with the high sun and mid 50’s for temps. The lake should be clear by the end of the week with the temps they are calling for.

Good luck to all and be safe

Bassman

mendotaeye,
That was me indeed. Last week I told myself that sand and salt were going into the jeep for these early spring trips. Sure enough though, I forgot them again.
We caught our fish on everything. Nothing seemed to work anymore consistently than anything else. I did not try the paddletails, but did catch several on the BFT Ringworms.
It was a beautiful day on the water though wasn’t it?
Give a shout next time you see me! It’s always nice to be able to put a face with the name.
Good luck fishing,
Boog

Boog,

I’ll give a yell out next time. I’ll be out tomorrow (monday) as it looks like it will be way too nice to work. I’ll be fishing solo tomorrow. 16 foot fisher / 75 hp Merc on the back. I’ve got a great big In-Depth sticker on the front of my console so I should be easy to pick out.
John (mendotaeye)

Well it was a beautiful day to be on the water, but the bite was pretty short. Caught 11 fish between 9:45 and 10:30, and nothing from 6:30 to 9:45 or 10:30 to 1:00. 4 fish between 16 and 19, including two really nice 19 inch male eyes that I kept for dinner. Other two keepers were female saugers, so they went back. Same bait as Saturday seemed to be the ticket for me. Catalpa orange / chartruese tail paddle tails. Spent some time dragging a bunch of different ringworm colors on another rod with out a bite to be had. River is rising and the temps are on the rise too. Had 42.5 by the time I quit. Should be getting good out there over the next week.

Just wondering if all of you guys are “long lining”? I was just introduced to this technique on Sunday. Anyon verticle jigging.

Bassman

Bassman,

My choice of presentation is totally current driven. If I’m fishing into the lake where there isn’t any current, I tend to have my best results long-lining and dragging the jigs behind the boat a ways, just far enough back where they are skipping across the bottom on occasion. If I’m up in the river, I like to go vertical and slip with the current along the seems or other current breaks. I’ve also picked up a few fish on the paddle tails casting to rip-rap and other structure in the river. Whatever way you have the most confidence usually is your best bet. The hits I got over the weekend dragging jigs were all pretty solid, and every fish had the entire bait in their mouth. Gotta love it when they hammer the baits.

John

Thanks John,

We found the same thing with the fish we caught draggin. They were hammering it. I appreciate the feedback on the the technique. I am sure I will use this again in the future. I have had much success with plastics on the Miss in La Crosse, and look forward to developing this on Lake Wisconsin.

Thanks Bassman

JWB, you have a water temp for the lake and below the dam in prairie at all? It is getting about that time for me to make my annual runs down to Darrin Freys place to do some walleye fishing and I was wondering what the river temp was down there right now. The Mississippi is 47 right now and climbing with the run off.

Tom

Tolden,
I was on the river at the Dells last Friday. Morning water temperatures started at 38 degrees and by late afternoon they ran as high as 41 degrees.
Spent Saturday on the upper end of Lake Wisconsin. Morning water temperature was again 38 degrees. Late afternoon it had risen as high as 42.5 degrees in a few areas.
Have not been out since. I probably would not wait any longer to get out. Water is rising and fishing should continue to get better.
JWB

Thanks JWB, forgot I have a banquet Friday night so I wont be making the trip Friday, but I am thinking Sunday morning I might have to get up extra early and head down. Any Idea on the river stage at Priaire. I believe you shot me a web site with gauges along the wisconsin river before, you still have that link?

Thanks again.

tolden

This is the flow site for Dells dam. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/uv?site_no=05404000
And this is the one for Praire du Sac.
http://alliantenergy.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/pub/012922.hcsp
As you can see, flow rates are going up fast.
Average the past two months for both Dams has been in the neighborhood of 4500 to 6000 cfs.