This past weekend’s warm weather spurred some thoughts of spring! The end of winter is near. Anglers won’t have to wait too much longer for an excellent late-ice panfish bite – the ice around the edges of lakes down south are starting to get thin, especially at the boat landings.
Remember that ice fishing shacks need to be removed daily after March 8 south of Highway 64. In the north, anglers have until Sunday, March 15 to remove permanent ice shacks.
There is still plenty of snow up north for various winter activities, but winter recreation enthusiasts will have to deal with ice and crusty conditions. Snowmobile trails are in good shape in the northern third of the state on the travelwisoconsin.com Snow Conditions Report. Cross-country ski trail conditions remain good to excellent in many locations. The sun has a little more warmth, so trails warm-up and may get soft before they freeze up again during the night.
Sandhill cranes and red-winged blackbirds are starting to be spotted, but snowy owls are still being seen, as well.