Rainbow Smelt Underwater Photos

The spring smelt run is underway along many parts of the Atlantic coast and we've added some cool new images of  Rainbow Smelt to our collection.  Our Sean Landsman, has expertly taken some dynamic, new images of these migrating fish including some attractive over/under shots.  You can view all his images in our Sean Landsman Gallery.

Northern Pike Spawning

Today we've added some amazing new Northern Pike pictures to our library of fish photography.  Viktor Vrbovsky, one of our top photographers has been busy this spring working in very cold water to photograph spawning northern pike.  In these photos, large females are accompanied by two or more smaller males in this annual spring ritual that's rarely seen because it so often occurs under the ice.  You can see all of Viktor's underwater fish photography, including his excellent new Northern Pike pictures in our Viktor Vrbovsky Gallery.

Minnows & Bass Underwater Video

In this short clip you'll see how a large school of minnows attract the attention of a group of largemouth bass.  A beneath-the-surface view of fish life and the close interaction between predator and prey.  Underwater HD footage.

What Are Wisconsin's Clearest Lakes? 2015

Time for my annual list of the clearest lakes in Wisconsin.  Every year, I consult with Jennifer Filbert at the Wisconsin DNR.  Jennifer manages the data for the state-wide citizen's lake monitoring group.  They're a network of individuals, usually lake-front property owners who monitor and regularly take a variety of water samples from lakes all across Wisconsin.  The data they compile helps to give us a look at how our lakes are doing. One of the many tasks lake monitors perform is to take regular sechi disc readings.  This is a universal way of assessing and comparing water clarity.  I'm always interested in knowing which Wisconsin inland lakes are the clearest.  Every year, Jennifer sends me a spreadsheet of some really comprehensive data that I'm happy to share with you.  Here are  the lakes that recorded the highest average water clarity in 2015. In short-here are Wisconsin's clearest inland lakes and their average water clarity in 2015:

1)   Black Oak Lake, Vilas Co. 33 feet
2)   Whitefish Lake, Douglas Co. 30 feet
3)   Big Newton Lake, Marinette Co. 29 feet
4)   Pine Lake, Waukesha Co. 26 feet
5)   Sugar Camp Lake, Oneida Co. 25 feet
6)   Millicent lake, Bayfield Co. 25 feet
7)   Maiden Lake, Oconto Co. 25 feet
8)   Blue Lake, Oneida Co. 25 feet
9)   Smoky Lake, Vilas Co. 24 feet
10) Presque Isle Lake, Vilas Co. 24 feet

To see the lake list from 2014, click here.  For the lake list from 2013, click here.  And for the 2012 list of clear lakes, click here.

Amazing Underwater Escapes

I've just put together another video clip.  In this one you'll see how large bass and walleye try to prey on crayfish and how they escape to live another day.  See the strategies they employ to evade capture.

Black Bullhead Underwater Video

Black Bullhead-The First 60 Days of Life:  Filmed over the course of 2 months, see black bullhead catfish move from fry stage to fingerlings.  After the eggs hatch, thousands of black bullhead fry fill the nest and are guarded diligently by the male.  Predation reduces their numbers, and by fall only a handful remain.  No longer under the protection of their parents, survivors from multiple nests begin to reform in large schools in shallow water, as a new year class of fish is created .  Unique, HD underwater video takes you below the surface to see black bullhead fry navigate the underwater landscape in their first few weeks of life.