Wisconsin Fishing Reports & Outdoor Report for August 23, 2018

[Rick]

Torrential rains this week in southern Wisconsin washed out or flooded roadways in Dane and Iowa counties and have caused closures on some state trails. Sections of the Military Ridge and Badger trails are closed and the entire Sugar River State Trail is closed until further notice.With up to 15 inches of rain reported, some southern lakes and rivers are at or near flood stage. All four Madison chain of lakes have risen to near or above the 100-year elevation. The boat landing piers at the popular Governor Nelson State Park boat launch have been removed because of high water levels. The gates of Tenney Dam in Madison are fully opened to allow water to pass down the chain. Dane County has issued a slow-no-wake ordinance for all four lakes and Rock County has issued a slow-no-wake ordinance for long stretches of the Rock River.The rain also caused the Lower Wisconsin River to rise dramatically. The river doubled in flow at Muscoda from 4,500 to 9,500 cfs in the last couple days. The rise means that there will be many fewer sandbars and that the river flow will make paddling more challenging.

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