Science & Outdoors
The Green Beat: Fishing for opportunities
The Pointer
kbose675@uwsp.edu
With the hope of warmer temperatures arriving in March, most fishermen’s thoughts turn from ice fishing to open water angling. Though many ice fisherman are still braving the cold and blustery Wisconsin weather, there are only a few more weeks left to catch that trophy fish on the ice in the comfort of an ice shanty.
The regulations for removing ice shanties have changed from 2008 and failure to comply to the new law can result in fines as high as $248. The law requires that for waters south of Highway 64, ice fishing shanties must be removed daily and when not occupied after the first Sunday following March 1. North of Highway 64, the shanties must be removed by the first Sunday following March 12.
“March 1 is a Sunday this year; that’s probably why it’s not as clear,” said Barb Wolf, regional conservation warden for the Department of Natural Resources, in a press release. “But because the law says the Sunday following March 1, this year that means beginning on Monday, March 9, shelters must be removed daily and when not occupied or in active use.”
Shelters north of Highway 64 will need to be removed daily when not in use by Monday, March 16 this year. After removing ice fishing shanties from a frozen lake or river, an angler may continue to use a portable shelter, but must remove it when it is not being actively used.
Although the ice fishing season begins to wrap up as the spring temperatures arrive, there’s still an opportunity to fulfill a fishing crave in early March. Catch and release trout fishing season kicks off March 7, the latest date it can open by law.
“The cold, snowy winter we’ve had so far should leave trout streams in good shape,” said Larry Claggett, DNR coldwater ecologist, in a press release. “The groundwater recharge means they have a good amount of water and it’s cold and clean and the trout are happy.”
The catch-and-release season closes midnight April 26, and then there is a week break before the regular season. Most trout streams will be open to the early catch-and- release season with the exception of most Lake Superior tributaries and most streams in northeast Wisconsin.
With mid-term exams quickly approaching and many students facing difficult financial times in the economy, fishing is a great way to take your mind off stressful situations. For more information on ice shanty removal dates and trout fishing regulations, visit http://dnr.wi.gov.
