Gary Engberg Outdoors

gengberg March 24th, 2008

The Wisconsin River is open for walleye and sauger fishing year-round. The portion of the Wisconsin River above the dam at Prairie du Sac has a walleye size limit of 15 to fewer than 20 inches and no fish between 20 and 28 inches. One fish over 28 inches is allowed per day as a trophy. The daily limit is 5 fish of any combination.

Below the dam at Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, walleyes must be 18 inches and saugers 15 inches to be legal. The daily bag limit is 3 fish of any combination.

The fishing below the Killbourn Dam at Wisconsin Dells is open and anglers are fishing open water. Most of the fishing is being done down river past the Rivers Edge Resort and in the area of the “cables.” Anglers are drifting water 17 to 25 feet deep and vertical jigging. Green has been a good jig color with medium to large fathead minnows. Check out the dock cam at www.riversedgeresort.com to see up to the minute scenes of the Wisconsin River.

The fishing below the Dam at Prairie du Sac is wide open with the boat landing at the VFW sanded and cleared. Most boats are fishing the “scour’ hole right below the dam and anchoring. Then, they’re vertical jigging, casting jigs, and slipping the current. The standard jig/minnow, jig/plastic (Power Bait, Gulp, Kalins, and Walleye Assassin plastics.) Use plastics from 3 to 5 inch in electric blue, purple, motor oil, chartreuse, yellow, white, black, and flecked colors. Also, a plain hook, a bead above for attraction, and a split shot put in a rod holder for your “dead’ rod is also working. You’ll catch many smaller males in the 12 to 16 inch range and have to sort through the fish for a few keepers.

If you’re using a bigger V-hull walleye boat be careful motoring to the dam area. Try fishing down-river away from the crowds for less fish, but better quality.

Lake Wisconsin is still covered with ice in all the lake with the exception of some of the small inlets. The “Fingers” at Harmony Grove, a good early crappie location, is half frozen. These spots will be open soon. Hookers Resort farther up the Wisconsin River toward the Dells is open and you can launch and fish that area.

Tipperary Bluff, Tipperary Point, and the Bob’s Landing areas are open

at the mouth of lake Wisconsin as of 3-24-08. But, none of the boat landings are plowed out yet. The whole upper lake area is open and can be fished as soon as the landings are opened up. This is a good early walleye area. It could be open any day, so keep checking.

None of the gates on the Wisconsin River are open yet because there hasn’t been any melt-down from up north. This will change when the weather warms. The river water temperature is now 34 degrees.

Keep checking www.garyengbergoutdoors.com regularly because we will have current up-dates on the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers.

Fly fishing the early catch and release season is going well. The streams are normal because the snow melt down has been gradual. The season is open till April 27, 2008. The Black Earth and Blue Mounds Creeks are at good levels and flows. Remember, this is artificial bait only and catch and release for all trout. Check the DNR website for more details.

• Fishing , Walleye , Wisconsin River , Sauger