Antigo Times

Top Menu

  • E-Editions
  • Contact Us

Main Menu

  • News
    • Business
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Courts
  • Arts & Ent
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • Obits
  • Video
  • Best of 2022
  • Class of 2020
  • E-Editions
  • Contact Us

logo

Antigo Times

  • News
    • Business
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Courts
  • Arts & Ent
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • Obits
  • Video
  • Best of 2022
  • Class of 2020
DNRDNRHunting & FishingNews
Home›News›DNR›General Fishing Season Opens May 7

General Fishing Season Opens May 7

By Antigo Times
May 4, 2022
572
0

FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is excited to announce the 2022-2023 fishing season will open on Saturday, May 7. All regulations and license requirements apply.

No matter where anglers decide to fish, all Wisconsin residents and non-residents over the age of 16 are required to purchase a fishing license. You can buy licenses through Go Wild, the DNR’s license portal, or from a license agent.

Over the past year, DNR staff have worked hard to responsibly manage Wisconsin’s fishery resources by maintaining and enhancing critical fish habitats, conducting fish population surveys, adding classified trout waters, and stocking millions of fish into inland lakes, streams, and Great Lakes.

As anglers head out to their favorite fishing locations, the DNR would like to remind them to:

  • Always wear life jackets
  • Practice safe and sober boat operations
  • Know the regulations
  • Release your catch responsibly
  • Minimize the spread of aquatic invasive species by removing plants and animals from your boat before and after launching, draining all water from compartments and never moving live fish away from any waterbody

 

Fishing Forecasts

Based on early season fishing reports, the DNR predicts anglers across the state will have a successful opening weekend despite a slower spring thaw.

“Spring has been slow to arrive across the state, and with the late ice thaw on northern lakes, the fish will be hungry and eager to bite,” said Justine Hasz, DNR Bureau Director of Fisheries Management.

Anglers searching for panfish will find them in warm, shallow water near trees and stumps, though with the late warm-up, they may be sluggish. Expect to catch some perch in the weedy bays and at the mouths of smaller tributaries around the Winnebago System.

With minimal precipitation and shorter vegetation along streams, anglers should be stealthy while fishing for trout. Brown trout and splake are abundant this year in Lake Superior and can commonly be found in the shallow waters of the Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay region in the spring. Brown trout are also in the shallow waters around the shores of Lake Michigan, and you can find lake trout around harbors and rocks.

Cooler temperatures have delayed walleye spawning in the northern parts of the state. As a result, they will likely be hanging around shoreline habitats. Anglers can expect to find plenty of walleye over 15 inches in the St. Louis River, its estuary areas and along Wisconsin’s Lake Superior south shore. Anglers should focus on fishing Lake Wisconsin for the opener as walleye make their way back after spawning on the Wisconsin River.

Like panfish, bass have remained sluggish, and anglers should head to deeper waters to find those that haven’t moved into shallow, warmer waters. Northern pike will likely be in post-spawn mode and actively feeding.

Steelhead are just finishing their spawning runs, though anglers may still find them in rivers and harbors, and Coho salmon are starting to make their annual northward migration along the Lake Michigan lakeshore.

Contact your local fisheries biologist for more information or find a launch or fishing location near you.

The DNR wishes all anglers a safe and successful 2022 fishing season.

 

Previous Article

May Is Clean Air Month

Next Article

Life-Saving COVID-19 Treatments Available Throughout Wisconsin

Related articles More from author

  • Arts & EntertainmentLocalLocal InterestNews

    Rural Fire Control Volunteer Fire Department Annual Magic Show

    October 8, 2019
    By Lyn Gore
  • BusinessLocalLocal InterestNews

    Antigo Zeon Unveils New Website. Redesign at Antigozeon.com

    January 13, 2021
    By Antigo Times
  • News

    12th Annual Classic Cruise has successful turn out

    February 9, 2015
    By Antigo Times
  • DNRDNRLocal InterestNews

    Practice Firearm Safety During Spring Turkey Hunting Season

    April 21, 2022
    By Antigo Times
  • Arts & EntertainmentNews

    Pet Parade and Fall Festival fundraiser is a great success

    October 23, 2015
    By Antigo Times
  • Arts & EntertainmentNews

    Christmas Programs & Holiday Concerts

    November 19, 2015
    By Antigo Times

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Timeline

  • May 20, 2022

    Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake’s Statement on CDC’s Updated COVID-19 Booster Dose Recommendations and Expansion to Children Ages 5 -11

  • May 20, 2022

    Unified School District of Antigo Board of Education Meeting Agenda for 5/24/22

  • May 20, 2022

    WisDOT North Central Region Road Construction Update #7

  • May 20, 2022

    Smith, Hofrichter, Hagerty Compete At 2022 USA Wrestling Northern Plains Regionals

  • May 20, 2022

    PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×