Wisconsin Fishing Reports & Outdoor Report for May 3, 2018

[Rick]

Wisconsin's general inland fishing season opens this Saturday and while lakes across the lower two-thirds of the state are ice free, many lakes in the north are still locked in ice. Warm temperatures in the last few days have more lakes opening and some smaller northern lakes will likely be open by Saturday. As of Thursday lakes were opening up across Barron, Rusk and Price counties. Anglers who want to fish in the Northwoods this weekend should check out smaller lakes, or fish the open water of the Wisconsin and other major rivers.Most of the snow cover is now gone statewide, but snow banks still remain in northern areas. Prior to this week's rain, fire danger conditions had reached extremely high in some areas and Red Flag Warning went into effect in several counties. In the past week, 161 wildfires burned 520 acres in DNR protection areas and 15 buildings were destroyed while another 88 homes and other buildings were threatened but saved with firefighter assistance. Pasque flowers are blooming in southern Wisconsin.Photo credit: Sara KehrliWith recent rain many trout streams are high and even out of their banks in some locations. Trout anglers who fish stocked waters should be aware that while stocking of catchable size inland trout has occurred in southern inland waters, deliveries of fish to some northern inland waters is delayed beyond the fishing opener at due to road weight limits and ice conditions.

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