Below average temperatures in northern Wisconsin this week slowed the progression to spring.

Reports of heavy snow were forecast for far northern Wisconsin later this week. Keep in mind that even if additional snow arrives, most snowmobile trails are now closed.

Ice conditions are deteriorating but with the cold snap this week in the north, some lakes were reportedly making new ice again. There are reports of some northern lakes still having as much as 30 inches of ice, but most northern lakes are now down to 16 to 18 inches with slush and soft ice on top.

Lakes are opening up in southern Wisconsin, including much of Lake Monona in Madison, but ice still remains on the larger lakes. The south fork of the Flambeau River is open, but the north fork still has frozen portions.

Some late-season ice anglers have been getting out by foot, but with the deteriorating ice, pressure has dropped off on most lakes. Anglers who ventured out experienced some fair success, with a few decent catches of perch, crappie and bluegill reported.

Some very nice walleye were being caught on the Fox River in Green Bay, with some 28- to 31-inch fish reported. The Rock and Crawfish rivers are still flooding adjacent fields in many locations and rivers and streams in Jefferson County are under emergency slow-no-wake rules. Anglers were catching some walleye on the Rock River and dip-netters were having fair success dipping carp and buffalo on the Crawfish and Rock rivers.

Anglers trolling Lake Michigan off of Door County were picking up some brown trout. All of the harbors on the Bay side of Door County remain iced over; however, the ice conditions are very dangerous.

Flows are good on Lake Michigan tributaries. Anglers fishing the Manitowoc and East and West Twin rivers were catching some very nice brown trout, steelhead and a few smallmouth bass. Anglers fishing the Sheboygan, Milwaukee, and Root rivers and Oak Creek have been catching a few steelhead. Anglers fishing in and around the Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Port Washington, Milwaukee harbors have been catching brown trout from boats and from piers.

The Mississippi River rose all week and was at 10.1 feet mid-week, up more than 18 inches in a little more than a week. The forecast for the Mississippi River is to rise another 2 feet in the next week or so. The Main Channel is seeing some barge traffic. There has been some decent perch fishing along the shorelines below the dams on the Mississippi River. Fishing below dams for sauger and walleye was spotty this week due to the rising water.

Rooster pheasants are crowing and some ruffed grouse drumming has started up. Wild turkey breeding activity is in high gear in southern Wisconsin with gobblers spending a lot of time each day with their harem of hens. Gobbling should increase during the next two weeks as the gobblers spend less time with hens and hens begin spending more time on their nests.

Wisconsin's second annual youth turkey hunt will be held this weekend, April 12 to 13. The hunt is open to people ages 12 through 15 who have completed hunter education and have purchased a spring turkey license and stamp and have a valid tag for spring 2008. Young hunters must be accompanied by an adult who is not allowed to hunt.

The first of six 5-day spring turkey periods then opens next Wednesday and runs through Sunday for hunters who were successful for that period in the spring drawing.

Large numbers of waterfowl can now be seen on the Mississippi River, along Lake Michigan and on open inland waters. Canvasback, goldeneye, bluebill, bufflehead, red head, mallard, wood duck, blue-winged teal, common and hooded mergansers, and northern shoveler are being seen. Pelicans have returned to the Mississippi River.

Horicon Marsh is now free of ice and providing excellent waterfowl viewing. Ducks and geese are at their spring peak and the next few weeks will be the best time for seeing ducks in their brilliant breeding plumage. As these birds move on with the opening of water farther north, they will leave behind the local nesting ducks and local nesting giant Canada geese. Many of these geese are already on the nest and incubating eggs, so the first goslings should appear in the last week of April and first week of May. Great blue herons have returned to rookeries.

Skunk cabbage and marsh marigold are coming up in the south. Pussy willows are budding. Chorus frogs and spring peepers were heard this week in the south, but just a few wood frogs were heard calling. Chorus frog's call sounds similar to that produced by running a fingernail across the teeth of a comb, while spring peepers make a series of "peep-peep" calls.

And a reminder, the Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearings and county Wisconsin Conservation Congress meetings will be held Monday, April 14 in each county beginning at 7 p.m. More information and meeting location can be found on the DNR Web site. The hearings are open to all residents to come and vote on proposed fish and wildlife rule changes, as well as to propose changes they would like to be see made in the future.