Snow cover is now limited to about the northern quarter of the state but with some areas still holding a foot or more of snow.
The Brule River State Forest and Turtle Flambeau Scenic Waters Area were both reporting skiing was still possible though conditions were marginal with trails icy in the morning after they freeze overnight, and then get soft as the day warms up. Some people were skate skiing on northern lakes in the early morning hours before the snow softens up, and ice skating where the snow and slush has melted into a smooth ice. The cold nights keep the snow firm making it easy walking through the woods in snowshoes and even without snowshoes, but if the crust fails you may find yourself in knee-deep snow.
Most larger lakes in the south are still holding ice, but shorelines and inlets and outlets are opening up and what ice remains is honeycombed and no longer safe. Some lakes in the north are still toting over 20 inches of ice.
The trout season opens March 30 on the Bois Brule River from US Hwy 2 downstream to the mouth at Lake Superior. Anglers fishing the Menominee River off Hattie Street and up by the dam report catching a few brown trout. Lots of ice was observed floating around and jamming up the river. Anglers fishing the end of the Oconto breakwater report a mixed bag of whitefish, northern and a couple walleye. It is still early, but walleyes are in both the Wolf and Fox rivers but high water with ice chunks flowing downstream were making for challenging fishing conditions.
In the southeast, all Fox River launches are open at Fox Point and the docks are put in. Anglers fishing from boats report good catches of walleye. Ice is almost completely melted at Lakeshore State Park. Open-water fishing is available from the majority of the shoreline on the island portion, as well as along the Lake Michigan and harbor walls.
Ice melt and a high rate of flow are luring steelhead fishermen to Lake Michigan tributaries in Door County, with a few fish caught. The near shore ice on the waters of Green Bay is deteriorating quickly, and despite the lack of a whitefish bite, late ice anglers were still venturing out.
Farm fields with even the slightest amount of sprouting, green vegetation are luring herds of deer out of the woods for a much welcomed meal. Elk bulls are starting to drop their antlers and shed hunters are combing the woods to find them.
Tom turkeys are starting to sing their springtime song and have been seen fanned out with their hens. Turkey hunting is right around the corner with the statewide youth hunt on April 13-14. Leftover turkey harvest authorizations will continue to be available until they are sold out.
In the south day lilies are poking out of the ground on south facing slopes; skunk cabbage is emerging, and prairie smoke rosettes are starting to green and grow. Maple tappers still going strong in central and northern Wisconsin and a decent amount of fresh syrup is being produced. Tundra swans made a big move this week with hundreds seen in flooded fields and wetlands. A water bird watch at Harrington Beach in Ozaukee County tallied over 1,600 on March 23 and another 2,000-plus on March 25. Large numbers of migrant eagles continued, including an impressive 267 bald eagles and 23.golden eagles tallied overhead in Bayfield County on March 23.
