Outdoor News

Manitowoc Co.

• Continuous bad storms and windy weather conditions appear to have affected the fishing pressure of the week of the 11th. Very few interviews were obtained as many boaters were unsure about chancing the rough waters. The few boaters that did take their boats onto the lake only stayed out for a very short trip. Some reported catching one or a couple Coho Salmon. A charter boat in Two Rivers was able to reach their limit on Sunday June 19th, and caught a 28lb King Salmon. Surface water temperatures have dropped a little this week, averaging about 56°F.

Kewaunee Co.

• Salmon fishing in Kewaunee and Algoma suffered some this week thanks in part to the abundance of almost-daily nasty weather. The most frequent catch of the week was steelhead, with a few cohos and chinooks mixed in. Anglers have been targeting mostly the same depths as the last couple weeks, about 80-200 feet of water, but some have tried deeper yet, with no depth bringing reports of more fish. Anglers are still reporting catching steelhead on high lines with spoons, and some have also reported them deeper, down 50-100 feet on flasher/fly combos (set up more-so for chinooks). The few cohos reported have come on red/orange dodgers with peanut flies, still mostly in the top 50 feet. Anglers have reported catching chinooks more on flasher/fly combos again this week, with green/white colors down 50-100 feet being the most productive.

Sturgeon Bay

• Anglers in boats on the bay-side had a rough go this week around the Sturgeon Bay area. Strong winds and storms made it tough for anglers to get a good day in on the water, and the catches of smallmouth were reflective of that. Some anglers did manage to catch some in more sheltered areas, but not with much consistency in patterns or lures. Anglers are reporting smallmouth beginning to come off beds and follow more post-spawn patterns with the warmer weather. Some boat anglers did have success fishing for rock bass, casting toward shore with nightcrawlers.
• Shore anglers in the area had some of the best success of all anglers interviewed in Sturgeon Bay over the past week. Anglers at both Sunset Park and Stone Quarry Landing caught perch, rock bass, and smallmouth from shore. Most of the fish were caught with a bobber and live bait. The best bait for perch was a small minnow, but some were caught on nightcrawlers as well. Smallmouth and rock bass were caught primarily on nightcrawlers. Anglers fishing with artificial lures did not have as much success as those fishing with live bait.
• Anglers who launched at Sawyer Park and headed to Lake Michigan did have some success over the weekend. Almost all anglers interviewed came in with at least one fish, and some came in with good numbers. Only steelhead and chinooks were brought in, and those anglers indicated that most of the fish, including the steelhead, were caught in deeper water on flasher/fly combos down 50+ feet in green or blue colors.

Green Bay Fishing Report: June 18, 2017

DNR does not verify or guarantee the reported ice conditions, and anglers should proceed at their own risk. Please use extreme caution as conditions can change rapidly.

Northern Door Co.

• The recent weather conditions have made the smallmouth bite throughout Door County much more inconsistent than past weeks. Water temps vary from 60-70F depending on where you are and which way the wind is blowing. The water in most places has become more turbid making it hard to spot bass in shallow water. Some bass are still on beds while others are post spawn. Despite these conditions some anglers have still found success. Rowleys Bay has remained a consistent producer of smallies. Bass action should heat up again if the weather gives us a break and conditions become more stable. Perch fishing is starting to pick up a bit in the bay side harbors of Door County. Minnows and crawlers have been working but the most important thing is to have your line in the water when the schools come in to feed. Being in the right place at the right time has been the key. No word on walleye action or salmon/trout action on lake side.
• Chaudoirs Dock – Much of the same report as Bayshore Park with many anglers staying at home due to weather.
• Sugar Creek - no trailers or interviews
• Rites Cove- no trailers or interviews
• Little Sturgeon Bay – Smallmouth Bass anglers found fishing to be tough at times but most anglers still managed to catch fish every trip. Most of the smallmouth bass are done spawning and are holding in deeper water looking for bait but males can be seen still guarding nesting in the shallow water. Bait presentations that worked the best were drop shots and crankbaits. Walleye anglers found little to no success during the daylight hours with the best bite being reported after dark. Perch anglers have started to put in some more hours with success varying between high numbers of small fish or low numbers of bigger fish. Live bait was the best for perch anglers. Muskie anglers had a difficult week with no muskies reported being caught.
• Sawyer Harbor – Smallmouth bass in Sawyer are much of the same as in Little Sturgeon Bay with most fish in the post-spawn pattern. Perch anglers found success just out from Sawyer Harbor as it drops off to 12 feet. Anglers reported catching upwards of 60 fish with a few anglers just missing their limit of 15 fish. Live bait under a float seemed to be the best technique for catching the perch. Other fish caught were freshwater drum and rock bass.

Brown/Kewaunee Co. - Bay side from Sturgeon Bay area south

• Metro Launch – Modest weather over the past week brought a decent group of anglers to fish out of the metro launch. Most boats were targeting walleye with slim success catching between 1-4 fish. Out of those fish caught only a couple made it to the cooler. A few boats took advantage of the increased catch in catfish and took a few of those home instead. There were a few crappie anglers fishing from shore over the past week but none of them landed any crappie. Anglers found themselves catching white bass, freshwater drum, and catfish.
• Fox River – Few trailers recorded and all interviews taken were pleasure boaters.
• Fairgrounds – Few trailers recorded and no interviews taken.
• Voyager Park – Most people were out to have a good time and weren’t fishing for anything specific over the past week. They found themselves hooking into a lot of white bass, freshwater drum, common carp, round goby, and catfish.
• Suamico – Anglers targeted walleye over the past week with continued inconsistent success. Few boats were catching over 10 fish for half a days worth of fishing but most were bringing in between 1-5 fish. Anglers also caught northern pike, freshwater drum and white bass.
• Duck Creek – Few anglers recorded. No interviews taken.
• Bayshore Park – The weather once again played a huge roll in fishing this week which kept many anglers at home instead of on the water. Anglers that got out in between storms found some success trolling crankbaits for walleyes, generally in water depths around 9-14 feet. Along with walleyes anglers noticed a big increase in freshwater drum and catfish being caught with the water temperatures reaching into the 70’s. A few perch anglers were interviewed with no success thus far in the early perch season.
• Red River Park – No anglers observed