Fishing Down & Hunting Slow at Reedsburg Dam Fall 2015

Day 9

Reedsburg Dam Northern Pike 2012

The last two winters have been extra cold here and the ice has been extra thick, over 20" on Houghton Lake. Basically when the ice gets thick the vegetation gets less winter sun and can't produce enough oxygen for the fish. Each winter some of the fish die off. This is known as winter kill. With the ice extra thick more fish die. So although fishing has been good it hasn't been great, as it has been in previous years. Two years ago in the late summer and early fall there was a tremendous run on crappie on the low side of the dam. The year before that it was smallmouth bass, before that it was northern pike, and so on.

Reedsburg Dam Crappie 2013

Fishing for sunfish and bass on the flooding from a boat has always been great. This year though it was interfered with when the DNR decided to upgrade the boat launch with new slabs and a removable dock. The removal of the old slabs started at the end of June and construction wasn't finished until August. Without the boats buzzing around the lake the vegetation grew wild and made maneuvering through the seaweed near impassable. I use a two man boat with an electric trolling motor for power. I never even put my boat in at Reedsburg this year. I was afraid my 50 lb thrust trolling motor wouldn't be able to cut through the weeds. Normally I enjoy fishing Reedsburg flooding as there aren't to many boats and it's a bit more of a challenge. But this year the challenge was just too much.

 Bass Raider Two Man Boat at Backus Lake

Hunting also seems to be down possibly due to the warm weather. Normally I see a large number of hunters at Reedsburg but not this year.  The season is still young though and I'll wait and see. If another warm day comes along I may sneak over to Reedsburg and try some fishing.

Until tomorrow take care.

Ken