Hobbies And Interests
Large Fish
There are two types of very large fish in the Chippewa River. These include musky and northern pike. Musky fish, the technical term of which is muskellunge, are large freshwater fish which are relatively uncommon and difficult to find. The name musky loosely translates into "ugly pike," because it is of the pike family of fish. Musky are usually anywhere from three to five feet when fully grown, and often weigh over 60 pounds. Their large mouths, which have long, thin teeth, allow them to eat essentially anything that will fit. In the Chippewa River musky are found in the Holcombe Flowage, a 10.5 mile stretch of river where the water is gentle and flows more slowly than other areas of the river. The northern pike is a fish found in mostly freshwater regions in the northern hemisphere, for the most part. They are olive green with a yellow or white belly and small yellow speckles. They are relatively large, with a length of about 5 feet and a weight of 60 pounds when fully grown. Pike prefer cold water and shallow areas, making the Chippewa River a perfect home.
Small Fish
Smaller fish in the Chippewa River include walleye, crappie, smallmouth bass and panfish. Walleye are lean freshwater fish that inhabit areas in Canada and the United States. Walleye are called such because their eyes reflect white light and therefore look shiny. They also allow for excellent vision. Wallaye are mostly olive colored with flecks of gold and they have a large mouth with sharp teeth. They usually are no longer than around 30 inches and weigh no more than 20 pounds, though there have been a few rare cases of walleyes bigger than that. The walleye is a delicious freshwater fish and is fished in the Chippewa River both commercially and recreationally. Crappies are a small freshwater fish and are less elongated in shape than other fish in the river. The smallmouth bass are brown with red eyes. They have long, thin streaks of darker brown along their sides. They live in darker, murky waters so their coloring helps them to blend into their surroundings. Smallmouth bass are no bigger than 20 inches in length and do not weigh more than 10 pounds. They are not at all uncommon or sparse in the Chippewa River. Panfish are also small and are considered an edible game fish. They are blue and shaped much like the crappie.
Other Fish
While the majority of the fish in the Chippewa River are noted above, there are a few other significantly smaller fish in the river. One of these is the catfish, which is a bottom feeder that grows to about 12 centimeters in length. There are also many minnows in the Chippewa River, which mostly serve the purpose of feeding the larger fish.
Similarities and Differences among the Fish
One of the similarities among all of the fish in the Chippewa River is that they are freshwater fish. Given that the Chippewa River is located in Wisconsin, an area which is cold during many months of the year and only temperate in the warmer months, all of the fish can withstand colder temperatures. The fish in the Chippewa River inhabit different areas of the river, though, from fast, deep rapids to areas of slow-moving shallow and gentle water.