This week in recent fishing history

In Port Washington, usually strong effort from the ramp and moderate effort from the shore during the holiday but light effort otherwise.  There usually has been decent action from the boats and shore with some real good days mixed in.  In Sheboygan, usually moderate to strong effort from the ramp and moderate strong effort from the piers during the holiday but light effort otherwise. The action has usually been slow from the boats and shore but there have been some real good days mixed in.

Reports based on personal observations and angler reports from the past three years.  Please comment or share information.

Port Washington:

Ramp:  Coho are still making up most of the action but Chinook, rainbows and lake trout are also getting caught.  The action has slowed but anglers are still catching limits.  As long as the water remains cold the Coho should stay around.  The Coho are getting caught in the top 100 feet or so in 100 to 300 feet of water, but are concentrated in the top 50 feet. Orange 00 dodgers and blue green gold peanut flies are still the favorite but lots of colors are working and most set-ups (planar boards, dipsy divers, weapons and downriggers) are working.  Anglers are setting up in 100 feet of water, trolling out to 300 feet of water (trolling speeds 2.0-2.4 mph) and working on catching limits by the time they turn around.

Over the past few years, there has typically been strong effort during the holiday weekend, but light effort otherwise, with some good days mixed in with some slow days.  This week last year was exceptionally good, but previous years have been slow.  Chinook, Coho, rainbows and lake trout are caught regularly; a brown trout was once caught during this week.  Most fish have been caught in 50 to 200 feet, but fish have been caught out as far as 400 feet of water, from the surface to the bottom.  Fish were caught with spoons, flasher/dodger flies and j-plugs on downriggers, dipsy divers, planar boards and leadcore.  Conditions:  air temperature was in the mid 60’s to mid 80’s, skies were clear to overcast and rainy, there were winds to the northeast or northwest and water surface temperature last year was in the low to mid 60’s, in previous years water surface temperatures fluctuated between the high 30’s and  low 60’s.

Pier:  Over the past few years, there has typically been moderate to strong effort during the holiday, but light effort otherwise.  There is usually at least a little action but last year this week saw good action.  Chinook, Coho, rainbow trout and a brown trout have been caught off the lakeside of the pier on alewives; conditions: 48-58° F, blue green with good clarity; air temperature was in the mid 60’s to mid 80’s, skies were clear to overcast and rainy, there were winds to the northeast or northwest; alewives present along the pier available to anglers.

Power plant:  There is typically light effort in the area with a little action.  Brown trout have been caught on spawn sacks; conditions:  Water color was blue green with moderate clarity, air temperature was in the mid 70’s to mid 80’s, skies were mostly sunny to partly cloudy and there were winds to the northeast and northwest.  A lake whitefish was caught on a night crawler.  Sub-legal trout are commonly caught.

Marina:  There is typically little effort in the area with no action.

Cedar Grove:

Amsterdam Road

ramp: Usually little or no effort; with some action.  Chinook, Coho, and Lake trout were caught in 60 to 100 feet of water, 20 to 50 feet down on spoons, flies and j-plugs.

Sheboygan

Ramp:  The action was still good over the past week, Coho and Chinook are making up most of the action but rainbows and lake trout are also getting caught.  The action has slowed but anglers are still catching close to their limits.  Inconsistent winds predicted for the week shouldn’t change the water temperature too much, so action should stay the same.  The fish are getting caught in 100 to 250 feet of water, Coho and rainbows are in the top of the water column and Chinook and lake trout are coming down deep.  Dodgers with flies and spoons have been working, regardless of color and most set-ups (planar boards, leaccore, dipsy divers and downriggers) are working, trolling speeds approximately 2.5 mph.

Over the past few years, there has typically been a moderate to strong effort during the holiday weekend, but light effort otherwise.  The action has typically been slow except for the holiday weekend last year, which saw exceptionally good action.  Chinook, Coho, rainbows, lake trout and brown trout have been caught.  Fish were caught in 60 to 120 feet of water from the surface to 50 feet down.  Fish were caught with spoons, flasher/dodger flies and j-plugs on downriggers, dipsy divers, planar boards and leadcore.  Conditions: air temperature was in the mid 50’s to mid 70’s, skies were mostly sunny to partly cloudy, there were moderate winds to the northeast and northwest and water surface temperature last year was in the low to mid 60’s, in previous years water surface temperatures fluctuated between the high 30’s and low 60’s.

Pier:  There is typically moderate to strong effort during the holiday, but light effort otherwise. The action has typically been slow except for the holiday weekend last year, which saw exceptionally good action.  Chinook, Coho, rainbows, brown trout and lake whitefish have been caught on alewives, spoons and soft plastics off both piers; conditions: Water temperature was 56-58° F, water color was blue green with moderate to good clarity, air temperature in the mid 60’s to mid 80’s, skies were mostly sunny to partly cloudy, there was a moderate wind to the northeast and northwest.

Shore:  There is usually little or no effort and no action to report.

Edgewater power plant:  There is usually no effort.

Cleveland:

Cleveland ramp:  Usually light effort with some action.  Chinook and Coho have been caught from the ramp.