MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The state Department of Natural Resources is looking for the public's thoughts on how to improve fishing on state lands in southwestern Wisconsin's Driftless Area.

The DNR has scheduled nine public hearings around the state next month to give anglers and other outdoor lovers a chance to share their thoughts. The meetings are part of the agency's master planning process for more than 200 state properties. Most of the properties are narrow strips along trout and smallmouth bass fishing waters.

The Driftless Area is a swath of the state untouched by the glaciers that leveled much of the rest of Wisconsin. As a result, the terrain remains rugged and harsh, with towering, thickly wooded bluffs rising over narrow valleys and ravines.