justnorth posted on March 20, 2007 08:07 :: 1515 Views
March came in like a lion, but quickly turned lamb-like with temperatures reported in the 60s and even into the 70s in the last week. Much of the snow has melted, and only far northern Iron and Vilas counties were reporting more than a foot of snow still on the ground. Most of the rest of the state has bare ground to less than half a foot of snow remaining. Most counties have closed snowmobile trails and those that remain open are reported in poor condition with bare spots. Unless conditions change the snowmobile season is near the end. A few ski trails in the north were still being reported open but conditions were soft.
The mild weather made for some real sloppy conditions on lakes across the Wisconsin. There was still 20 to 22 inches of ice on Northwoods lakes, but most of the snow has melted with 4 to 6 inches of slush and water on top of the ice. The dramatic warm up made ice unsafe for fishing on many southern Wisconsin lakes, though good ice was still reported on some lakes.
Panfish anglers reported mixed success. Crappie, bluegill and perch are starting to suspend in deeper water. Bluegill fishing had been good on southeastern lake before the ice became unsafe. Bluegills were being caught in good numbers on Madison area lakes and perch anglers were taking a few limits on Lake Mendota. Ice shanties must be removed from waters north of Highway 64 by March 18.
In Door County, a few anglers were catching yellow perch at Sawyer Harbor and northern pike fishing success increased in the Sturgeon Bay shipping channel. Lake Michigan tributaries were running high and muddy from the snowmelt. Shore anglers have been catching some brown trout at the Sheboygan and Port Washington harbors. Some browns and an occasional steelhead have been reported by shore anglers fishing the Menomonee River in Milwaukee.
Northern trout streams are still ice covered for the most part. Southern trout streams were open and running high with the recent snowmelt. Despite the runoff over the weekend, trout fishers were out and reported some success.
The Mississippi River stayed steady for most of the week and as of Monday was at 7.4 feet at Prairie du Chien and expected to rise. Ice conditions on the Mississippi River and backwaters are deteriorating quickly. The Main Channel and East Channels on the Mississippi River are starting to break up.
Large flights of waterfowl including geese and most species of diving and puddle ducks are being reported across the state. Red-winged blackbirds, grackles, cowbirds and rusty blackbirds are moving through in large flocks. Good numbers of robins have been reported along with bluebirds, meadowlarks, American woodcock and even a few tree swallows and phoebes. Pairs of sandhill cranes are being seen in many areas. Peregrine falcons have returned to the La Crosse area and have been observed hunting resident ducks and pigeons. Good flights of eagles have been seen along the Mississippi River and the Lake Superior shoreline, and bald eagle numbers are increasing in the Northwoods, where they have be seen catching the air currents near any open water. A few male wild turkeys have been seen strutting and displaying. While these behaviors are signs of the impending breeding season, there is still a ways to go before breeding actually begins about mid - April.
Skunks and opossum's are coming out of hibernation leaving their scent in the air. Tree buds are enlarging and some plants are starting to green up and poke up from the ground. Last week’s warm daytime temperatures and cool evening temperatures initiated the maple sap run, with numerous sap buckets being placed on sugar maples. Predicted cooler temperatures this week may slow down the process. This time of year is a good time to prune trees and bushes. Not only is it easier to access trees and easier to view branch structure, there are fewer insect and disease problems to deal with at this time of year.
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