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Location: Madison, WI | Any of you Madison guys know the water temps yet, and when the muskies typically move up to the dam? Obviously it's been a bad winter, so I assume it'll be later than usual. Would love to go take a sneak peak at some big gals! |
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Posts: 633
Location: Madison, WI | Hard to know water temps when the lakes are iced over |
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| danmuskyman - 4/3/2014 7:39 PM
Hard to know water temps when the lakes are iced over
What, thermometers don't work when it's cold outside? |
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Location: Yahara River Chain | You can almost bet its normally about tax time - April 15th.
I was there Sunday and it was way too cold, the ice on Wingra was mere feet from the spillway yet. |
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Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin | The weather is warm today in Madison but still a lot of ice on Lake Monona, keeping the water temps down. Lake Wingra is about 60% thawed. There were only 2 small muskies under the spillway today.
It seems the spawning run is 2 weeks behind this year due to obvious reasons.
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Posts: 50
Location: Madison, WI | Thanks so much for the replies guys. Steve, that was super informative, thanks for your input!  |
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| I was down later in the afternoon and saw probably around 8-10 different fish. Most were in the mid 30s, most likely males. Saw about a half-dozen attempted jumps in about 20 minutes. There was one decent fish that was probably over 40, inches that is... So it's happening fast! |
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Posts: 50
Location: Madison, WI | Awesome! I had a chance to get down there today too, ended up seein about 5 or 6 different fish. Biggest one pushing 42", the rest were anywhere from 30-35. Gonna keep going each day until the big girls show up. haha |
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| For those familiar with this, how long of a time frame does this go on for? If its not raining saturday, would you expect there to be a decent amount of fish or would next saturday be better? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | some big ones hanging over by the MGE hot water discharge as well...
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Do you know of any other locations where muskies are known to negotiate upstream over dams or lowhead weirs? Years ago when I tagged muskies lots were recaptured in the lakes tagged or downstream which was not surprising. However one fish was recaptured about 30 miles upstream which would have required it to get over a dam of about 10feet in height or about 6 feet above the downstream water level. I always found this surprising but someone suggested some stop logs might have been removed at some point to work on the dam.
The Wingra situation is the only place I have heard of this happening on a reoccurring basis. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | happens in a ton of places... |
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Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin | Fishfinder, this goes on for about 2 to 3 weeks in April, sometimes longer. From the comments above it looks like the fish are starting to move in now. From now to the end of April will be peak time. In the past the run started the last week in March but was delayed this year by cold water temps.
The best time to actually see the fish jumping the dam is in the mornings or early afternoons with sunny weather.
Peek spawning activity is around 50-53 deg. water temp but the fish move in before that.
Edited by Steve Reinstra 4/7/2014 4:57 PM
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Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin | Horsehunter, I have heard that the muskies make a run below the Lower Oconomowoc Lake west of Milwaukee but I have never witnessed the event. I have also heard of muskie spawning runs below the dams at various locations on the Wisconsin River.
Maybe the guys from Milwaukee can clue us in.
Edited by Steve Reinstra 4/7/2014 5:17 PM
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| Thanks Steve! |
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Posts: 50
Location: Madison, WI | I used to frequent the boat launch at Oconomowoc a few years ago when the muskies run there and that is quite the site to see as well. If you want to see some legitimate 50"ers, that's where to go. I've had my 50" dwarfed by a musky there before. Jaw completely dropped. Awesome sight to see down there, highly recommended!
Let me know if anyone needs directions to where to check em out
Edited by abergendahl 4/7/2014 8:14 PM
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Location: Eastern Ontario | I've seen lots of muskies below dams its the jumping like salmon or steelhead that's new to me. |
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| this Saturday will be a good day for off-season muskie fun in Madison...
- stop by the Wingra dam late morning
- swing in to Dorn's for their annual 20% off muskie sale
- head over to 5100 Bar for the CCMI seminar and fundraiser at 1pm
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Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin | I believe one reason the muskies jump at the Wingra spillway is due to the fact that the wall is only 3' high & the fish sense that they can make it into the lake to spawn.
Great suggestion by Mike W. above! A muskie weekend for certain.
Edited by Steve Reinstra 4/7/2014 8:52 PM
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Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin | The Big girls came in the past few days. Pushed out the little ones. |
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Posts: 280
Location: McFarland | Some big girls showed up today for sure. A couple at or above the 50" mark! |
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Location: Madison, WI | Holy cow, thanks for the heads up! I know where I'll be tomorrow |
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Location: Yahara River Chain | I was there today as well. They are getting stacked in there. |
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| anyone been there lately? |
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Location: Hayward WI | Stopped by yesterday, water is dirty, saw 4 different fish, mostly low 30"ers, pic is of one "resting" after it tried to jump over but just swam against the wall half out of the water.
(2014-04-22 11.16.56.jpg)
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Location: Contrarian Island | saw 2 on tuesday one 40ish, one 45-46ish |
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Posts: 47
| Was there yesterday and saw a few. I'll try to upload pictures later tonight.
Edited by emo_musky1 4/23/2014 12:17 PM
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Posts: 47
| Pictures
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Posts: 285
Location: NE Wisconsin | Apr 15th the DNR caught a 49.2 and a 47.4 in Wingra. The 47 was tagged in Monona in 2012, so it jumped the dam for sure. Here is one of these not sure which one.
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Posts: 59
| About escapement, muskies are really prone to leaving reservoirs. The Kinkaid fish barrier has been copied because of its success. |
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