The DNR on Aug. 1 released a draft management plan that recommends holding the statewide population at about 1,000 animals.

The plan includes provisions reducing the window for registering wolf kills from 24 hours to eight hours and issuing hunting licenses for specific wolf management zones. Wolf licenses are currently valid in any of the state’s six zones.

The DNR’s policy board is expected to vote on the plan in October. The public hearing on the harvest rules will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12.

Pre-registration is encouraged if you plan to speak during the hearing. To pre-register, download and complete the Hearing Appearance form at https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/doclink/forms/8300-014.pdf and send it to ScottR.Karel@wisconsin.gov.

Michigan’s Master Angler Patch is awarded to all entries meeting the established minimum length for 45 species of fish. Go to Michigan.gov/MasterAngler to apply.

The DNR will accept written comments by U.S. mail, email or online. The public can review the proposal and make comments online. All comments will have the same weight, including the verbal statements presented at the public hearing.

More information, including a link to the Sept. 12 hearing, can be found at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/82156.

Written comments can be sent to Department of Natural Resources, Attn: Scott Karel, P.O. Box 7921, 101 S. Webster St., Madison, WI 53707-7921. The public comment period is open through Sept. 15.

This is Free ORV Weekend in Michigan. Residents and out-of-state visitors legally can ride DNR-designated routes and trails without purchasing an ORV license or trail permit. All other ORV rules and laws still apply.

Upper Peninsula Power Co. said its fishing pier facility at Prickett Reservoir in Houghton and Baraga counties will be temporarily closed to the public from Monday through Friday. The closure is required to support planned maintenance and facility improvements.

Anglers in Marinette County, Wis., were heading out from the Menominee River to fish the Lake Michigan bay. Walleye anglers were finding fish around Green Island, Chambers Island, and the islands over on the Door County side.

Casting shiver minnows and jigging spoons was popular, the Wisconsin DNR said. Brown and rainbow trout were caught in waters 55 to 70 feet deep.

The Michigan DNR reported this Upper Peninsula activity:

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye fishing throughout the bay was good. Anglers reported catching fishing out of Kipling, “black bottom”, the mouth of the Escanaba River, south of Aronson Island, and areas from the Ford River to No See-um Creek. A lot of anglers were casting artificial snap jig type of lures, as well as jig heads. Trolling was effective with crankbaits or crawler harnesses. Anglers were targeting the bottom of drop offs and moving closer to or on top of the drop off during the dawn and dusk prime time. Smallmouth anglers reported good fishing.

Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth bass fishing was good. Anglers reported catching quality fish and frequent bites.

Fairport: Salmon angler pressure was down this week. Anglers that did go out reported fair to good fishing.

Marquette: Winds and rain prevented many anglers from making it out on the water. Anglers who did make it out reported the best places for catching fish were near the southwest side of the White Islands and trolling out towards Granite Island. Anglers trolling around 120 to 160 feet of water were harvesting the most lake trout near the White Islands. There were no reports of Chinook, coho, or steelhead harvested. Anglers trolling for lake trout around Granite Rock were having the most luck trolling at around 120 to 150 feet of water. Yellow tails, silver and pearl multicolored spoons, cow bells, and green and blue flasher flies were good lures for lake trout and Chinook salmon near White Rocks. Mostly lake trout were harvested out by Granite Island.

Munising Bay: Fishing pressure was low. Anglers were catching a few nice quality coho with an occasional Chinook salmon. Best times were at dawn and anglers were fishing within the bay and towards Trout Bay and Wood Island. There were some nice lean lake trout caught near Wood Island.

Au Train: Anglers who made it out seemed to catch near their limit. The best places for anglers to catch fish where near the northeast side of Au Train Island. Anglers trolling or jigging around 160 feet of water along the flats were harvesting the most lake trout. Trolling cowbells around 145 feet of water with sucker meat or smelt had good success for some anglers.

Les Cheneaux/Detour: Anglers in the Detour area were catching lake trout and Chinook salmon while trolling spoons south of the lighthouse when the weather allowed them to do so. The winds and pop-up storms made it hard to fish the area recently. In Hessel, anglers were catching a few pike, perch and smallmouth bass at the marina, but fishing was very slow there as well.

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Lake trout was the major harvest on Keweenaw Bay and Huron Bay over the last week. Reports coming off the water indicated water temperatures in the bays were dropping and more fish may be moving up in the water column and back south into the bays. During successful fishing trips anglers were trolling for lake trout and caught many. Some lucky anglers were also able to catch some coho and Chinook salmon during these trips. Most anglers were trolling in water shallower than 150 feet and caught fish around 60 feet down. Anglers suggested trolling with green, purple or orange spoons.

Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Canal: Anglers were catching lake trout and some coho in Big Traverse Bay and around the Portage entry canal. Anglers were mostly trolling with flasher flies and spoons in 100 feet of water. Some anglers had more luck during the morning hours however catches didn’t seem to be connected to time of day right now. The cooler waters were holding more bait fish.

Ontonagon River: Fishing on the river was good over the past week. Anglers had luck in finding respectable numbers of walleye and the occasional rock bass. Success occurred primarily in the morning hours, with the bite seeming to slow as the day went on. Reports showed that the methods of jigging and trolling yielded similar results.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: These ports stayed fairly busy over the past week despite some choppy conditions. A good mix of lake trout and the occasional coho salmon were the regular catch for most successful trips.

Black River Harbor: Fishing efforts at the harbor were low over the past week. Anglers that did make it out on the lake were rewarded with good numbers of lake trout and an occasional coho salmon. Successful trips occurred primarily in the morning hours and were usually finished before noon. Reports indicated that fish were being caught in a variety of depths when trolling artificial lures.

Carp and Pine Rivers: Small numbers of salmon began to run up the Carp River. Walleye fishing activity slowed down greatly on the Pine and Carp rivers.

St. Ignace: Anglers were catching a good mix of lake trout and Chinook salmon. Anglers were fishing deep as well as shallow when running long lines.