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Get Hooked on Wisconsin's Great Outdoors
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"Can I try, Dad?" won first place in the Natural Features In and Around Lakes/Rivers and Underwater category of the 2026 Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Photography Contest. Photo by Maggie Sanders
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Free Fishing Weekend!
June 6-7, 2026, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is again providing access to fishing on our public waters without the need of a license. This Free Fishing Weekend is a great excuse to enjoy time outside and explore Wisconsin's wild places. Not sure where to go in your community? The DNR has some great suggestions on places to fish in Wisconsin on their website, as well as a searchable database that helps you find great places to go and things to do on state lands.
If you're new to fishing, you can find articles and videos, loaner fishing gear, and so many other resources about fishing in Wisconsin, on the DNR fishing page.
Free fishing clinics are available in:
Take this opportunity to get away from "screen time"
and get into "green time" with a "blue mind."
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A&C Live Bait - A Fixture in Wisconsin
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Tommy White enjoys meeting folks of all ages who come through his doors and want to talk fishing. He reminds us of our responsibility to be stewards of our outdoor spaces so they can be enjoyed by future generations. Photos used with permission from Wisconsin Conservation Voters
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Perseverance Created a Legacy
A&C Live Bait, Wisconsin's oldest bait store (founded in 1968), and one of the only Black-owned bait shops in the Midwest, was started by Ace and Carrie White, and was the business venture that "stuck" and created a family and community legacy. Moving to Milwaukee from Mississippi they encountered many challenges, but through perseverance and a strong work ethic, their 24-hour bait store became a reality that lives on (now open 7:00 AM-10:00 PM).
Today, son Tommy White continues that legacy on Milwaukee’s East Center Street, where customers from across the country and beyond stop in before heading to local waters. Beyond serving anglers, A&C Live Bait has employed neighborhood youth, supported urban fishing access, and helped introduce hundreds of children and families to fishing.
A&C Live Bait is a powerful reminder that fishing can connect communities, build traditions, and provide opportunities for the stewardship of our shared waters.
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2026 Statewide AIS Outreach Campaigns
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It's important to drain all water from livewells, boats, and equipment before leaving the landing to help slow the spread of aquatic invasive species.
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Twice each summer, volunteers and professional partners team up at their local boat landings to promote statewide outreach campaigns that increase public awareness of aquatic invasive species (AIS) and how to prevent their spread. Here's a quick overview of these education events and how you can get involved!
DRAIN CAMPAIGN
WHEN: June 6-7, 2026
WHAT: Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) participants emphasize the “drain all water” prevention step during inspections, reminding anglers to drain their livewells and bait buckets before leaving the landing!
GOAL: To increase public understanding of the draining laws in WI during DNR’s Free Fishing Weekend
RESOURCES: There are lots of free AIS educational publications available to order from the AIS Publications Catalog, such as the ‘Catch on to Healthy Fish’ sticker (FH-249) or ‘Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers’ brochure (WT-801).
- item name and pub number
- number of stickers desired
- shipping address
GREAT LAKES REGIONAL AIS LANDING BLITZ
WHEN: June 29–July 12, 2026
WHAT: This concentrated AIS inspection and outreach effort focuses on sharing AIS prevention steps during the busy July 4th holiday (alongside other Great Lakes states and provinces).
GOAL: To share the AIS prevention message more broadly and enhance media attention
RESOURCES: Free Great Lakes Landing Blitz trailer stickers are available to order and hand out during the event!
- Landing Blitz stickers (WY-113)
- number of stickers desired - 50/pack
- shipping address
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Phenology Fun Fact
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The Eastern American Toad call is a long, uninterrupted trill lasting up to 30 seconds. Video by Wisconsin Citizen-based Monitoring Network
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What's that long trilling I hear at night?
Eastern American toads begin vocalizing their mating calls in May throughout central and northern Wisconsin. Their loud, high-pitched trill can continue uninterrupted for nearly 30 seconds! Toads can be distinguished from frogs by their bumpy skin, and their tendency to occupy moist forests rather than open water.
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Healthy Lakes & Rivers - Rain Gardens
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This rain garden on Legend Lake helps to capture and filter runoff from the house and driveway. Photo by Amy Kowalski
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A Monarch butterfly pollinates butterfly weed in this rain garden in Central Wisconsin. Photo by Amy Kowalski
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How do hard surfaces affect lakes and rivers?
Do you live within 1000 feet of a lake or 300 feet of a river or stream? Are you planning to build near water? If so, the amount of hard (impervious) surfaces on your property can affect the health of these aquatic systems - often increasing the amount of aquatic plants and algae and decreasing the health and diversity of animals that live in them.
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How can you minimize your impacts while living near the water?
Installing a rain garden is one way that you can help to prevent the negative impacts of the added hard surfaces (roofs, driveways, patios, etc). In addition to protecting nearby lakes and rivers, by capturing and filtering runoff, rain gardens also add beauty to your property and serve as habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies. Whether you want to install a rain garden as a DIY project or hire a contractor to help, step-by-step technical guidance is available on the Healthy Lakes & Rivers website. If cost is an obstacle Healthy Lakes & Rivers offers funding to help with installation.
Let’s make Healthy Lakes & Rivers together!
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Fish-related Resources from our Bookstore
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Freshwater Fish Series
Bluegills (Volume 1) - age 8+
This book will help you better understand bluegills and give you some ideas on where and how to find these beautiful sunfish!
Iowa Darter (Volume 2) - age 8+
Find out how these native Wisconsin fish grow from egg to adult, where they like to hang out, and what you can do to keep their waters healthy.
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Fish Hotel (hardcover) - age 5+
Tessa and her cousin Hugo grab their snorkeling gear for an underwater adventure and end up learning that trees in the water are helpful to fish. They convince their uncle to keep it in the water as a fish hotel. This story of cooperation and friendly neighbors captures the spirit of "up north" and teaches us how leaving trees in the water helps fish and lakes.
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Second Life for Trees in Lakes: As Useful in Water as They Were on Land - age 12+
Fish use submerged trees for spawning, since they provide cover for their young. Large, submerged trees can host entire fish communities. In Wisconsin, fifteen species of fish inhabited a single white pine tree on Katherine Lake. Shoreland property owners can increase fish habitat by leaving trees in place that fall in the water.
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Upcoming Events
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Wisconsin Lakes Southern Chapter Spring Conference
May 30, 2026 | East Troy
Wisconsin Lakes, your statewide nonprofit association, is bringing together leaders of lake associations, management districts, and other stewards of our southern lakes.
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Free Fishing Weekend
June 6-7, 2026 | statewide
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Clean Boats, Clean Waters Trainings
Many dates/locations | Statewide
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Aquatic Plant ID Trainings
June 9 and 10, 2026 | Delafield
June 23, 24, and 25, 2026 | Woodruff
No prior experience with aquatic plants is necessary to attend these workshops. They are intended to educate professionals that will be conducting aquatic plant-related work or non-professionals with an interest in learning more about aquatic plant identification and ecology.
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Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference
June 12, 2026 | Hayward
This is an annual opportunity for lake enthusiasts, local government officials, and others interested in protecting our water resources to take in educational presentations and network with conference attendees.
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Green Lake Association State of the Lakes Breakfast & Annual Meeting
June 20, 2026 | Green Lake
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Loop the Lake Benefit Bike Ride
June 20, 2026 | Madison
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12th Annual OWPP Paddle
June 27, 2026 | Hubertus
The Oconomowoc Watershed Protection Program is hosting its 12th annual guided journey through the upper reaches of the Oconomowoc River Watershed on Friess Lake.
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Lake Country Clean Waters Festival
June 27, 2026 | Pewaukee
The festival at Lakefront Park will feature family-friendly community education about lake topics, ecology, and more. Activities like paddleboarding and pontoon boat rides will be available and the Pewaukee Lake Water Ski Club will host clinics, demonstrations, and a water ski show.
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