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The ice on Birch Lake went out on March 14. Eight days later we woke to a new skin of ice over nearly the entire surface. As I write on March 28, the ice remains and is covered with almost a foot of snow. This is the first year in which we will have to note…

Grandson Tucker wants a musky fishing rod, and what better opportunity than his 12th birthday, coming up in May? A couple of times Tucker has had muskies on the line on Birch Lake – they’ve taken walleyes in mid-retrieve. I didn’t try to net the fish and bring them on board because I wasn’t equipped…

Celebrating Superior This lake country we live in includes two great lakes, each within a reasonable driving distance. I’m a Lake Michigan boy, but I find something even more captivating about Lake Superior. Seen from a place on their shorelines, Superior and Michigan look much the same: restful blue, impossible to see across, waves whitecapping their…

I’ve enjoyed good fishing for bluegills this winter, and as I’ve pulled them up through the Birch Lake ice I’ve been struck by their simple beauty. I’ve said before that tropical fish only  barely outshine some of our native species, notably crappies for their large and delicate-looking tail and fins, pumpkinseeds for their array of bright…

The funny fellow in the picture is seated out on Birch Lake, easily visible from the Birch Lake Bar windows. He’s the focal point of the annual “through the ice” contest, and in most years it would be months too earlier for him to be out there. This year is quite different. I can’t claim…

I’m remembering an earlt December a few years ago when quirks in the weather worked a miracle on Birch Lake. In the early ice season there’s often a push and pull, cold days firming and thickening the ice, warm days halting or setting back progress. During a warm spell in that December, a spring to the…

The mild days early this month are creating uncertainty about ice conditions. In my recent travels around the area I’ve seen signs of ice regressing on the larger lakes. Here on Birch things are not trending in a good direction for those who look forward to fishing, skating, snowmobiling and other pursuits. The lake finally froze…

Among tens of thousands of lakes in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, the most treasured are not necessarily the largest ones with the best fisheries and the highest property values. Many people gravitate toward smaller and more remote lakes that are often largely undeveloped. A November 8 webinar will explore these lakes, their importance, and what…

Imagine a Wisconsin where enhanced boat wakes are allowed as near as 200 feet from shore – and where local governments have no power to enact stricter limitations. That is the potential outcome of a bill supported by the boating industry and expected to be introduced in the state legislature in the very near future.…

I can’t remember how old I was when I first caught a fish on an artificial bait. I don’t even remember the kind lure of the species of fish. I am pretty sure I was older than grandson Tucker (age 11), who caught his first fish on something other than live bait in early July on…