While it can be much cooler near the waters of Lake Michigan and Green Bay, high temperatures inland are expected to be in the 70s much of the next week. If that’s the case, trees that were practically bare a week ago will quickly pop with bright greenery.
Bluegills, bass and many other species will begin to fill the sun-warmed shallows, and anglers will follow. No boat? No problem.
Late spring offers some of the best shore fishing opportunities of the season.
The Great Lakes will also see more action. Bass, walleyes and pike catches should explode on Green Bay waters, while salmon will soon join lake, brown and rainbow trout in providing catches on Lake Michigan.
Meanwhile, backyard birders are seeing an influx of Baltimore and orchard orioles, gray catbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, ruby-throated hummingbirds, eastern bluebirds, indigo buntings and other colorful migrants this week. Sugar water, grape jelly, orange slices, mealworms and small pieces of cut fruit like grapes, strawberries and raisins will increase your odds of attracting the best variety. A bird bath or other water source is great, too, along with the usual mix of seeds and suet.
As baby wildlife sightings increase, some well-intentioned individuals will find young birds, bunnies, fawns and other babies they believe need help. Most of the time, the best course of action is to leave them alone. However, if you observe an adult animal get killed (such as in a vehicle accident), or you see an injured bird or animal, call the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary for advice at (920) 391-3685. For a complete list of wildlife rehabilitators by county, visit https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/directory.
The impacts of live-imaging sonar are not largely known, though the enhanced locating and targeting abilities, especially on vulnerable fish like trophy muskies or large panfish and bass in small lakes, are a real concern.
Ongoing research could provide a clearer understanding of the impacts and help inform fish management and potential rule changes. Meanwhile, some of the heavy hitters in the tournament world are weighing in.
Major League Fishing has updated its 2025 rules allowing tournament anglers to utilize the powerful fish-catching tools of forward-facing and 360-degree sonar technology while preserving traditional fishing techniques. Competitors will be allowed to use the technology for only one of three periods each day.
“Forward-facing sonar is the most effective bass-fishing technology that I’ve seen introduced in my lifetime,” said Boyd Duckett, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “It’s a powerful tool that provides an opportunity to access and catch fish that we’ve never been able to efficiently target before. For the sport to remain engaging to fans, participants or sponsors, it’s important that anglers can still compete using a diverse range of techniques.”
Meanwhile, the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society is putting what it’s calling “guardrails” on what and how much forward-facing sonar technology anglers can use. Elite and Classic competitors will only be allowed one live transducer. That’s four fewer than some anglers had, and two less than most.
Nominations are being sought this month for outstanding groups, programs, organizations, businesses or individuals working on the restoration, improvement or enhancement of western Lake Michigan or its watersheds.
The Lake Michigan Champions of Conservation Award recognizes and honors outstanding achievements in multiple categories, including water resources protection, environmental education and outreach, land use protection and habitat restoration, environmental justice and water equity, youth stewardship and policymakers who’ve led efforts to protect and enhance the resources.
Awardees will be celebrated Aug. 8 during Lake Michigan Day.
Learn more, and find the link for nominations, at https://www.lakemichiganstakeholders.org/champions.
A coalition on wake boats and lakes, now more than 75 organizations strong, supports creating state minimum regulation on wake-enhanced boating. One of their key recommendations is that enhanced wake creation activities should occur a minimum of 700 feet from shorelines, including islands.
Complaints and concerns about the negative impacts of wake boating have piled up in recent years, so much so that many local townships, tired of waiting for the state to figure things out, are passing ordinances designed to eliminate or limit the practice on all or most of their waters.
For more on this issue, visit the Wisconsin Lakes Association at https://wisconsinlakes.org/.
Lake Michigan and Green Bay water levels rose about four inches in April, but are down about seven inches from this time last year. Lake levels were seven inches below the long-term average, and have dropped 41 inches since the May record set in 2020. Water levels are still two feet above the record monthly low, set in 1964.
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