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Wolf River’s spring run underway

SP-OUT-wolf1-200326-FEAT SP-OUT-wolf2-200326 SP-OUT-wolf3-200326 A boat heads upstream at Gill's Landing near Weyauwega.
Greg Seubert Photo
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Rising waters of the Wolf River covered one of the boat launches at Gill's Landing near Weyauwega. A flood emergency on the Waupaca County stretch of the river downstream from New London went into effect March 18. Slow-no-wake is being enforced on the river within 500 feet of any permanent building, not including fishing rafts. Greg Seubert Photo

High water greets early walleye anglers

By Greg Seubert


Slow down.

That’s the message the Waupaca County Emergency Management Office has for boaters on the Wolf River.

A flood emergency for the county’s stretch of the river downstream from New London went into effect at 8 a.m. March 18. Slow-no-wake will be enforced within 500 feet of any permanent building – not including fishing rafts – and the declaration will remain in effect until the river recedes to a nonthreatening level.

Jason Lussenden of Bancroft showed up at Gill’s Landing, a popular boat launch a few miles east of Weyauwega, with his boat March 17.

“I’ve fished this stretch of river my whole life,” he said. “I’ve spent many nights out here catfishing, a lot of walleye fishing, a lot of white bass fishing.”

Although Lussenden brought his boat, he wasn’t interested in going after a few walleye despite a sunny sky and temperatures in the low 40s.

“I’m not fishing today,” he said. “A friend of mine has a raft down here. Right now, I’m doing some scouting to get some water depths and see where we’re going to put her. We’re putting her out tomorrow.”

Lussenden wasn’t concerned that one of the landing’s launches was mostly underwater.

“It’s the way it is, part of fishing the river,” he said. “There’s more water, so there’s more area for them to go. On the up run, fish the shallow sides and on the down run, fish the deep sides. You have to fish for them. It’s not a given that you’re going to catch fish.”

The Wolf’s annual spring walleye runs draws anglers from throughout the Midwest.

“It’s the beginning and people are picking up fish,” Lussenden said. “The water’s really cold yet. As soon as the flow’s increased, it tells the fish to start pushing upriver. There are fish in the river. You just have to find them.”

The stretch of the Wolf that flows through Shawano and Waupaca counties is part of the Winnebago System. The system, which also includes lakes Winnebago, Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan, will see its daily bag limit for walleye drop from five to three fish starting Wednesday, April 1.

The lower limit doesn’t bother Lussenden.

“I think it’s going to slow a lot of people down from out of town,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, three fish is six fillets for me. That’s enough for a meal. I can come down every day after work. I get out of work at 1 o’clock, come down here, catch a limit, take them home and eat them.

“They’ve been talking about (a reduction) the last few years,” he added. “You have a lot of your river rats that have been on this river for a long, long time. They have their opinion and they’re entitled to it, but why come down here and keep more than you need? There are guys that actually come down here and fill their freezers.”

Lussenden believes the system has more walleyes than in the past.

“I think it’s picking up,” he said. “There are more fish now than there have been in many years.”

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