UPDATE: The fishing pier has now opened and We Energies reports that plenty of fisherman have already been out.

The winter storm that passed through southeastern Wisconsin this week delayed the opening of the Oak Creek Power Plant fishing pier. The pier, which extends into Lake Michigan, usually opens March 15.

Safety is the number 1 priority of We Energies who consistently monitor the pier to determine its safeness for the public. Weather permitting, it will remain open during daylight hours through November 15.

Al Kunda, maintenance planner at the We Energies Oak Creek plant, uses Lake-Link’s Oak Creek Power Plant pier forum to update fishing enthusiasts on the pier’s status and closures. He notes the pier is subject to closures “at any time due to poor weather conditions, early snowfalls in fall, late snowfalls in spring and extreme high surf due to strong easterly winds,” making Lake-Link a good resource to check before taking up your tackle.

While on private We Energies property, the pier is open to the public for fishing and provides picnic tables, trash bins and access to a nearby public beach. Swimming, boat launching and fires are not allowed, but the beach welcomes walkers and dogs.

The Oak Creek Power Plant pier is a good spot to catch coho and chinook salmon, and brown, rainbow and lake trout, among other types of fish. The fish are attracted to the change in water current and the slightly elevated temperature of the water discharging from the power plant. On a clear day, fish can be seen swimming in the plant’s discharge channel.

To access the pier, take East Oakwood Road from South Howell Avenue, turn onto Fishing Pier Road and then take North Bowl Road to park.