Areas of southern and central Wisconsin were deluged with rain in the past week, with some areas reporting as much as 8 to 11 inches of rain within a matter of a few days.

As a result, almost all southern river systems are at flood stage this week and many lakes are also out of their banks. Counties and communities throughout southern Wisconsin have enacted emergency slow-no-wake rules for boaters. These rules are enacted by local governments so boaters should check with local law enforcement agencies for the status of waterways.

Canoeists and kayakers are being cautioned that many rivers have very hazardous conditions, with a lot of floating debris, submerged dams, fast and unusual currents and other hazards and are being advised to stay off swollen rivers. The rain washed out sections of state trails and damaged some state parks.

As of this week, the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, La Crosse River State Trail and 400 State Trail were closed until further notice. Portions of the Badger State Trail are also closed. Wildcat Mountain State Park in Vernon County will likely be closed through the end of the month because the access road to the park washed out. Kohler-Andrea State Park closed temporarily but has now reopened. Other parks have camping areas or other facilities that are closed due to storm damage. Visitors can check for current conditions on the Department of Natural Resources Web site, or better yet, call parks, forests or trails directly for the latest updates.

Northern Wisconsin also received rain this week, but much lesser amounts, and in some areas it was welcome. Lakes and rivers in northwestern Wisconsin, which have been low after prolonged drought conditions, have come up some with recent rains. Lake Superior has also come up some recently.

The continuing erratic weather has made for some inconsistent fishing success over the past week. Panfish and musky were the highlights of the week in the north, with some very good catches of bluegill, crappie and musky being reported. Bluegill have started spring spawning period and many nice fish have been observed on the beds. Walleye success has been real inconsistent. The mayfly hatch has just begun on many lakes and this will disrupt the regular walleye bite for the next few weeks.

Prior to the rain, northern pike and largemouth bass were active on many southern waters. Bluegill action was spotty with, anglers were reporting catching fish that had not yet spawned.

Angers were still reporting musky action on the Fox River at Green Bay. Walleye were still being caught in the river and lower Green Bay. The perch bite was relatively slow this week. Lake Michigan tributaries are at flood stage, and near shore waters are very turbid. There have been some reports of the mud line out 2 miles into the lake. Large floating debris is common; use extra caution when boating out on the lake. Before the rains, however, some rainbows and browns were caught near shore and trollers were catching chinooks as well as a few rainbows, coho and lake trout.

The Mississippi River is once again on the rise and was at 15.54 near Prairie du Chien as of June 11. Flood stage is 16 feet. It is very turbid and has a large amount of floating debris.

It is likely that the rising water levels flooded out numerous nests of a variety of marsh and ground nesting birds, including redhead ducks, bitterns, rails, terns, coots and turkeys. Some of these birds have time to relocate and renest before the summer is through, but the full impact of the recent floods to wildlife reproduction will be difficult to assess.

Fawns, baby geese, ducklings, baby bunnies, bear cubs, and red fox kits are plentiful. Great blue herons are hatching out young in their rookeries. Snapping turtles are laying eggs now, so please be careful and try to avoid them on roadways. Mosquitoes are still being reported as very plentiful in many areas, especially in the Northwoods, so be prepared with repellents.

Other wildflowers blooming include starflower, wood anemone, columbine, honeysuckle, spiderwort, cinquefoil, fleabane, and yarrow; and the elegant lady's slippers are in bloom along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

A 3-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling 608-266 2277.