Free Fishing Weekend June 2-3

From the WDNR

Residents and non-residents of all ages can cast a line this weekend without having a fishing license or trout or salmon stamps. All other regulations such as length and bag limits do apply.

With Wisconsin’s 44,000 rivers, 15,081 lakes and a number two ranking as a top fishing destination, heading out for free fishing weekend just might get your family hooked.

Water Level Today - 776.31

Lake levels have maintained near the DNR summer max of 776.33 for several days now.

Both wicket gates are closed. All slide gates are open.

Memorial Day Weekend is HERE!

Today's lake level is 776.43 - 2 3/4 inches ABOVE the DNR Summer target.

Check out the fishing reports on the right side of this page.

Check out the weather forecast HERE;

Take in the fun in Fort;

Be courteous at the boat landings;

Be safe - expect to see the Jefferson and Rock county sheriff boat patrols, the DNR patrol as well as the Rock River Safety patrol on the water this holiday weekend.

And take note - the local Rock River Safety patrol now has a "spotter" PWC to assist their mission of safe boating;

And most importantly, honor our veterans and active soldiers this weekend - Fly our Flag!

More on DNR Wetland Audit; Koshkonong Version

Past posts relevant to Wetlands -

1. Aerial Photos

2. Despite the joint RKLD/DNR OHWM study from 2001 proving the area of the wild orchid is far above flood waters, LKWA persisted with their claim

3. DNR Pulled their testimony

4. We made an enforcement decision at that time that it wasn't something we were going to pursue

5. There was conflicting available information, as well as some concerns over our legal jurisdiction.

Memorial Weekend in Fort Atkinson

From the Daily Jefferson Union HERE

The 14th annual Fort Koshkonong Rendezvous and Stockade History Days takes place this Saturday and Sunday at Fort Atkinson’s Rock River Park.

This year’s event is being held as a commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Black Hawk War and the building of Fort Koshkonong in July 1832. The rendezvous offers a glimpse of what life was back in Wisconsin in the 1830s, with craft demonstrations, skill competitions, carriage rides, food and items for purchase.

Audit finds fault with DNR

Sound Familiar?

From the Milw Journal-Sentinel

Monitoring of wetlands poor, enforcing of protections uneven, it says

...The audit also questions why staff members in some of the five DNR regions appear to check more aggressively for wetland violations than others.

...Violations occur when wetlands are disturbed without a permit or when those with a permit ignore its conditions.

The DNR cannot fine violators.

Instead, DNR staff must rely on cooperative compliance from landowners on wetland violations, the report says. Uncooperative landowners have been referred to the state Department of Justice, where financial penalties as high as $125,000 have been given.

Frontier Days in Fort Atkinson this Weekend

Brian, Just a heads up, that Frontiers Days is this week-end. Saturday, Sunday & Monday.

It's really fun for kids & adults.

British soldiers marching into town in there silly red robes, settlers firing musket loaders, mock battles with the Indians, settlers & the Brits, pioneers making tools, canoes & furniture, horse draw carriage rides, Chinese laundry services, food & drink etc, etc, all @ the old fort.

Hope you get a chance to see it, maybe even advertise it on the blog as it represents the Indian fights between the Black Hawks & General Atkinson as well, of which Fort Atkinson is named..

Water Level Today - 776.88

Today's lake level is 776.88 - a drop of 4 inches just since Friday.


DNR Summer max is 776.33.


DNR Summer target is 776.20 - we have another 8 inches to drain.

CHECK YOUR SHORELINE

Today's lake level is 777.01 - the RKLD water level request is a 7.2 inch increase to 777.00

Is anyone out there thinking the water levels today are too high?

We need ALL riparian property owners, both on the lake and along the river, to be aware of what the water level actually looks like and why our opponents are just plain wrong about nominally higher levels.

RKLD should be permitted to begin closing a few gates today.

Why not catch fish virus before it spreads?

Story HERE

...The DNR has no reason to believe the virus is in nearby Lake Koshkonong, but it already risks affecting that lake's fishery.



Hatcheries were ready to dump a half million walleye fingerlings into Koshkonong.



Wisely, that's on hold until the DNR does more testing for the virus around the state. If those fingerlings don't go in Koshkonong this year, expect fewer walleyes hitting the legal size around 2010.

Preseason tips on boat landing etiquette

THIS is TOO true!

...He said because anybody who knows how to write a check can master boat ownership, the Department of Natural Resources needs to work on more than just boat safety.“They really need to add a pamphlet on boat landing etiquette,” said Tailspinner.

...Probably the most important rule, they say, is that the boat landing is for launching/loading your boat. Period.

“If you’re doing anything other than those two things, you don’t belong there. It’s sort of like an airport runway — only to be used for actual landing and takeoff. Everything else is done at the gate,” he said.

Tailspinner said the landing area is not the place to take the cover off the boat, put the cover on the boat, put on rain gear, take off rain gear, make phone calls, load equipment into the boat, remove safety straps, trim the motor, find the mooring rope, clean out the boat, etc.

...“There are a lot of people headed north every weekend who can drive like Mario Andretti on the highway, but hook a boat behind them and put the transmission in reverse and it’s like they’ve just been put them in charge of a shuttle launch,” he said.

“Look, if you want the trailer to go left, turn the wheel to the right and vice versa. It’s not that hard. Practice in your driveway . . . or an empty parking lot. Figure it out.”

“If you don’t know how to back a trailer, admit it."

...He said once people load their boats, they should immediately get out of the landing.“And by ‘out of the landing’, that doesn’t mean 20 feet in front of it, either. That means completely out of the landing (i.e., parking lot), so others can use it,” he said.

...“We’ve seen vehicles with empty trailers sitting in landings for half an hour waiting for the boat to arrive. Great for them, bad for everybody else,” he said.

...Here’s a Leinie’s Guys’ checklist for the parking lot prior to pulling into the landing: battery is charged, plug is in, motor is trimmed up, all equipment loaded into the boat, rope attached to the boat to hang onto once it leaves the trailer, gas tank is full, all tie-down straps undone, etc.

Harassment case a good lesson

From the Vilas County News-Review
HERE

(This article will also be posted permanently on our Community Page)

... The owner apparently asked the angler not to fish around his pier or in the area his grandchildren use for swimming, as to avoid problems with lost hooks that could injure someone.

The angler’s reply, according to warden Tim Price, was that it was a publicly owned lake and that he was a taxpayer who had a right to fish anywhere on the lake.

What transpired next, according to Price, is exactly why the state of Wisconsin created a law that prohibits the harassment of persons involved in legal hunting, fishing and trapping.

“The property owner threw two or three hardball-sized rocks toward the boat, in the area where he was casting, to deter his ability to fish,” said Price. “When he cast his bait in another direction to the side, the man threw smaller rocks to that location. Frustrated but not looking for a confrontation, the angler left.”

Lake Levels Continue to Drop

Today's water level is 777.34 - 13.68 inches above the DNR Summer target.

On this date...May 14, 1907

(Tuesday) - Some young women in Beloit have formed a “Lemon Club,” but none of the members' identity is known, nor does anyone know the purpose of the club, which emulates an organization in Milwaukee.

Charles Sager of Rock County says he married Margaret Mulholland, even though he was already married, because the Mulholland woman said she'd throw herself into Lake Koshkonong and drown if he didn't marry her; he's in jail, but says he thinks a jury will believe his story and free him.

UPDATE
When the woman did indeed throw herself into Lake Koshkonong, her boating companions yelled to her, "Peg, stand-up. Stand-up Peg!"

No Wake Lifted (Again)

To:
Ed Marshall, Town of Janesville
Tom Presny, Parks Director, City of Janesville
Sheriff Bob Spoden, Rock County Sheriff’s Dept.

From: Evan Sayre, Town of Fulton Chairman

Date: May 10, 2007

Re: Slow No Wake


As of today, May 10, 2007, at 1:30 pm the Town of Fulton Chairman indicated the “no wake” be lifted for the entire area in the Town of Fulton.

If you have any questions, feel free to call the Town Office at 608-868-4103.

Thank you!

Busseyville Birdman

New articles posted on the community page of the website:

HERE

and from the Spring

HERE

Water Level Today

Today's lake level is 778.02 - 21.84 inches ABOVE summer target level.

We are far from flood stage. Enjoy this while it lasts.

No Wake Clarification

As reported in the e-newsletter last week, the RKLD has no authority in imposing the Slow-No Wake - or removing the Slow-No Wake - for the river portion in the town of Fulton.

If you have an opinion, please call the town of Fulton, Town Hall -

Evan Sayre, Chairman
Connie Zimmerman, Town Clerk
608-868-4103

The Rock County Sheriff's Department takes direction from the town chairmen along the river as when to impose and remove the No Wake orders.

It is the Sheriff's Department that posts the boat launches and enforces the orders, not the town.

Is this confusing? Yes. The paper and radio reported the No Wake was removed, but the landings are still posted.

Should the No Wake be removed? Yes. We are more than a foot under when the No-Wake was imposed on March 23rd.

As of Friday, there was no standing water in the public launch near the DNR building at the end of Ellendale Road.

Again, this is for the portion of the river from Harbor Recreation Marina downstream to the Indianford Dam.

New Board Member

The Town of Fulton has appointed Mike Guiselman to the Lake District Board. Mike joins Rock County Supervisor Mary Mawhinney as the 2 appointees from the respective municipalities with the largest tax base.

Mike works as Director of Parks for Rock County and was key in the improvements made to Royce Dallman Park/Landing on the lake near the Buckhorn.

See Commissioners page for contact info.

Upcoming Events

Thursday, June 7th
6:30pm
Monthly Board meeting

Wednesday, June 27th
Scheduling Conference with Rock County Circuit Court
re: RKLD vs. DNR

Saturday, July 28th
9:00am
Annual Meeting, Fort Atkinson

No Wake Lifted (Friday)

From WCLO website HERE

May 1 - Summer Operating Orders Now in Effect

776.33 is Summer Max.

776.20 is Summer Target.

Today is 778.71

We are currently 30 inches OVER the summer target - 30 INCHES!

Slow-No Wake Question IV

Is the slow-no wake being removed this week?

Today's lake level is 778.71 - or 7.8 inches LOWER than when the Slow-No Wake was applied back on Friday, March 23rd.

With no precipitation forecast through the weekend, I would expect the county sheriff will remove the orders before this weekend.

Enjoy the Lake and River!!

Slow-No Wake Question III

Brian, I spoke with many people this week-end about the water levels & the no wake zones. The odd thing was that someone has portrayed the RKLD as the group that is responsible for posting no wake signs & that the RKLD has not been doing it's job. My guess is the DNR is spreading this rumor, which is making many property owners angry as they are having there homes splashed with water.

I explained that it is not the RKLD's responsibility & then people asked why & who should be doing it. Do you know who is responsible, is it really the DNR as we suspect & our they avoiding the issue just to annoy people effected by the high water ??? Many people were very upset. Pls. advise.

Thanks for the info. I should probably address this on the website and in an e-newlsetter. It is the county sheriff’s responsibly. The Lake District has never been a law enforcement entity. The DNR enforces permanent and regular, seasonal no-wakes. But the county has always enforced the temporary periods of high water. It is just an issue of whether the county sheriff’s depts are inclined to put a boat in the water.
Brian Christianson

Thx Brian, I think this is another issue that needs to be moved back up to the front burner. I was surprised to see how much debris was pushed up against the back of my house by the wake. My house never floods but it does get splashed by wake when the water is high. I will explain this to the people I spoke with that it is the sheriffs responsibility.

Slow-No Wake Question II

Hey Brian,

Do you have any insight as to who monitors the “slow no wake” ordinance? I am trying to figure out when it will be lifted. It currently is a joke as no one enforces it (but me) and sure enough if I start making a wake I get a ticket…Thanks for any insight you may have. Chip