Fishing Opener Marked By Record-Smashing Snowfall

Wisconsin’s fishing opener had everything: Thanks to record-shattering snowfall Thursday it had cancelations, overflowing rivers and even ice-fishing.

The Governor’s Fishing Opener on Lake Namakagon was near the bullseye of the storm, with 18 inches recorded west of Clam Lake, easily besting the record set in 1960 at Medford of 12 inches.

Pat Jones of the Happy Hooker Bait Shop in Hayward says you can’t fight Mother Nature: “It’s still winter basically up here. Once the lakes do open up, people are anxious to get up. We get calls every day wanting to know the status of the lake.”

At the River Rock Inn on Chequamegon Bay, owner Scott Bretting says he had a ton of cancelations: “A lot of guys like coming up this way for opener that fish the bay, and the bay still has ice on it. It’s tough.”

Cable Chamber of Commerce director James Bolen says this is usually a hopping time for resorts and bait shops.

“Until the lakes open up and people understand that the lakes have opened up and people understand that the lakes have opened up and spring has sprung, there’s going to be a delay in them coming up with really is stretching already thin wallets of business people a little thinner.”

Ironically, Bolen says the ice and snow was an advantage, at least in attracting more than 200 guests to the governor-less Governor’s opener – many of them outdoor writers.

“We actually had a record number of attendees. Many of them came because of the historic nature of the weekend. Some of them got on the open water on Lake Namakagon. Others went out on the Namakagon River trout fishing. Some hit nearby lakes that had open water. And a brave crew actually went out onto Lake Namakagon and ice fished as well.”

But the forecast is warm, the economy is recovering, and all three say inquiries and bookings are strong for the coming season.