Showers, mainly after 3pm. High near 53. Breezy, with an east wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Drizzle later and breezy all day. Watch for olives to hatch as they came off strong yesterday afternoon. They are the freakish looking size 16s. We also saw quite a few craneflies area wide. Subsurface fishing was best on frenchies and scuds and other tungsten weighted bugs. We have had little to no rain lately, which means creeks are clear with water temps in the low to mid 50s.
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April 2016
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east in the afternoon. It's warming up! After a couple very chilly days we're looking much more comfortable coming into the weekend. Look for increased fish activity throughout the day. We did not receive much rain at all, the creeks are clear and flowing a bit low. We saw some nice olive hatches in the cloudy weather the past couple of days, and as long as the clouds stay in, look for gently rising fish. The sunny weather predicted for Sunday will bring the caddis back out. Subsurface fishing has been solid on scuds and leeches (especially in olive) as well as smaller, heavy bead head nymphs. Fish are in the deeper holes unless a hatch is coming off.
Rain likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 44. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Cold, windy and rainy. Perfect fishing weather! The clouds have helped quite a bit making scuds more active, and the little rain has put a tiny bit of water in the system (not nearly enough to stain the water) but the bump of water has fish on the feed. Look for olives to hatch more strongly than caddis in this weather, although fish will eat pretty much anything in a size 16 if they are rising. Hippie stompers have been particularly effective... Creeks are low and clear with temps in the in mid 50s.
Showers likely, mainly after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Breezy, with an east wind 18 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Windy today as a storm system blows in. The weather will not get too dicey it looks like the short term forecast is calling for light rain on and off all week and into the weekend. The creeks could use the rain at this point, especially as nice soaking showers! Fishing has been lots of fun lately. The creeks are low and a touch clear with water temperatures in the mid 50s. Caddis are still the main hatch, but we have started to see craneflies appear, and the olives are still hanging on in the mornings and evenings. Subsurface fishing has been great on scuds, as well as dirty birds, frenchies, and leeches. Remember to twitch your bugs! Fish have been responding positively to a little wiggle, especially on the caddis and cranefly dries.
solated showers and thunderstorms between noon and 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a southeast wind 9 to 16 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Windy with a small chance of rain. We have yet to get ANY rain which means creeks are low and clear with temps in the 50s. The caddis hatch is still around, especially on the Timber Coulee, but it is significantly stronger on sunny days. When the clouds roll in the hatch dies down. We're doing well on the cloudy days on scuds and she hulks, something with a larger profile subsurface. There are still a few olives hatching when the sun is off the water too.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. South wind 9 to 11 mph. The caddis weather continues! We're seeing tan and black caddis daily on most creeks, and have even started to see some craneflies show up in the mix. Olives are slowly fading, but fish will still pick up on size 18-20 parachutes in the early morning and late evening. Trout are also eating larger parachutes (12-14) in the riffles mid day. Subsurface fishing is best on small pheasant tail type flies (frenchies!) as well as dirty birds and caddis pupae. Do not forget olive leeches as the creek lamprey are spawning right now. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the mid 50s.
Partly sunny, with a high near 58. North wind 6 to 10 mph. Between the caddis and the creek lamprey, fishing has been fantastic lately! The caddis hatch is still going on strong, both black and tan caddis are hatching mid day. There are still a few olives hatching as well, but they are far more active on cloudy days. The other big food event is the creek lamprey spawn. Look for little bowls of brushed gravel and fish a big olive leech in the holes nearby! Subsurface fishing has also remains steady on franchise, pheasant tails, she hulks, caddis pupae, and leeches. Creeks are clear and a touch low (we received no significant rain the past few days, just some sprinkles) with temperatures in the 50s. We've been getting more and more complaints about poor angling etiquette. Please remember that if there is somebody parked at an access point that you should check in with them to see where they are fishing and fish the other direction. If you can't see the angler you should move on to another access point. There is plenty of water to fish in the Driftless. Please do not hop in the water above another angler!
mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Wow, have the caddis been thick lately. While not on every creek, they are out and about in the afternoon getting fish to rise, even on the sunniest of days. There are some black caddis out, but tan seem to outnumber them. Creeks are clear and a bit low with temps in the 50s. Subsurface fishing is still solid on frenchies, dirty birds, and midge larvae. In addition to the caddis on the surface, fish will still take pretty much anything small and purple, as well as ants and beetles. We have had a few anglers report success on mice in the evenings already too!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. East wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of showers after 5 p.m. Back to normal spring weather, and the fish have responded. Subsurface action is much more consistent without the sun shining down on fish, and water temperatures have gotten back to normal averaging 50 degrees area wide. When the sun peeks out from the clouds, caddis will hatch. Otherwise look for fish to eat olives and some larger mayflies and some midges. There is also a sporadic spinner fall of olives in the early morning too that can have fish rising before the sun climbs high in the sky. Subsurface fishing has been hot on scuds, dirty birds, and leeches are still going strong right now. Creeks are a bit low and running clear with temps around 50 degrees. Hatches are beginning around mid day.
Scattered showers before 9am, then scattered showers after 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 61. East wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. The unseasonably hot weather is finally gone, now back to our regularly scheduled good Aril fishing. There should be much more activity subsurface today with scuds leading the charge. Fishing blue winged olive nymphs as well as midge larvae and other small, heavy bead head nymphs will be good underneath the clouds. Hatch wise, the weather has turned much more to mayfly weather, although the caddis hatch will still go on, just not as heavily as it does on sunny days. Creeks are crystal clear and flowing normal to a bit low with water temperatures in the low to mid 50s. The ground is very dry, and any light rain will be soaked in keeping creeks flowing clearly this week.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Unseasonably hot again today. Fish early and late and avoid the sun if possible. The warm sun has brought out the caddis, but where they are not hatching heavily the fish are hiding from the sun. Caddis are the main hatch with both black and tan flies present. Splashy rises mean fish feeding on caddis or caddis emergers. There are also olives still hatching and some creeks getting a morning spinner fall. Subsurface fishing is best on midge larvae, scuds, leeches in the mid day to get fish to come out from undercut banks, and caddis larvae/pupae. Creeks are very clear with water temperatures in the 50s to high 50s.
Sunny, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 9 to 13 mph. Caddis. That's really all that needs to be said. Tans and blacks hatching area wide starting around mid day. We've been fishing dries most of the day on our guide trips with success. On the creeks that aren't getting a heavy hatch, fishing subsurface with a dirty bird or frenchie has been effective.
Sunny, with a high near 72. Southeast wind 9 to 14 mph. The warm sunny weather has brought the caddis! The Timber Coulee has been the most prolific for the caddis, but most of the creeks are seeing rising fish and caddis hatches. Trout are also still eating olives on the surface even in the bright sun! Subsurface fishing has been best with tiny pheasant tails, frenchies, leeches, and caddis pupae/emergers. Water is clear and flowing well with temperatures in the mid 40s to low 50s area wide. The sun will shine all weekend, remember your sunscreen!
Sunny, with a high near 64. South wind 7 to 15 mph. Caddis are starting to show up slowly but surely on area creeks. With this warmer, sunny weather we should see more as we head into the weekend! Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid 40s to 50. The bright sun will be difficult to fish until bugs start to show up, so find some shade and concentrate on deeper pools and undercut banks. Subsurface flies that have been best are Dirty Birds, scuds, leeches, and pheasant tails. On the surface fish are liking simple parachute adams and hippie stompers. Where the caddis are hatching we have seen both black and tan caddis.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. South wind 11 to 13 mph. We're still on caddis watch! Some caddis hatching yesterday and a handful of fish rising, even in the bright sun. The hatch is not here quite yet, but with the warm and sunny weather on its way we might see them by the end of the week. We will keep you updated. Fish are feeding happily when the sun is off the water on scuds, frenchies, and prince nymphs. In the deeper pools mid day, leeches have been the ticket to get fish to come out from under structure and from the depths to eat. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid to high 40s area wide.
Sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. The weather has turned for the better! Consistent weather is excellent for the driftless, and although the sun will be shining through the weekend, the warming of the creeks should bring the caddis out to play! We have seen light and sporadic hatches here and there of black (and even a few tan) caddis already. Olives have also been hatching in the later afternoon and evening giving us rising fish the past few evenings. Subsurface action has been excellent on leeches, pink squirrels, she hulks, dirty birds, and scuds as well as simple pheasant tail and copper john patterns. Creeks are clear and flowing well with temperatures in the mid 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 45. Breezy, with a west wind 13 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Olives showed up yesterday, as did some caddis (not a ton of caddis, but enough to get us to take notice!). The caddis watch has officially begun. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid to high 40s area wide. Typically in the cooler mornings we are fishing sub surface with scuds, leeches, dirty birds, and heavy bead heads rolled along the bottom. As things start to warm up, fish will start to look up and are feeding mainly on olives and olive emergers. Watch for caddis any day now, and do not be afraid to tie on a smaller terrestrial if the fish are not responding to olive dries!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Northeast wind 7 to 9 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Sun is shining all day today which should give us an olive hatch in the afternoon. Otherwise, subsurface fishing has been best on leeches, franchise, she hulks, and dirty birds fished int he deep pools. Do not be afraid to throw ants or beetles to rising fish if they aren't interested in your olive patterns! This can be deadly this time of year.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Breezy, with a northwest wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. The weather outside is..... interesting..... chilly, breezy and lightly snowing (which may or may not turn to drizzle lately). The thing is, fishing is still good in the afternoon, when things 'warm up' a bit. Fishing has been solid bouncing bottom with scuds and dark bodied bead head. Leeches have been the meal of choice, often hitting them aggressively on the first pass. We're still seeing pods of blue winged olives sporadically getting a pool of fish to rise. We've been fishing olives until the fish will not take them any more, then switching over to a hippie stomper and getting more fish to eat! Saturday's weather looks good, as does Sunday morning.
Scattered sprinkles and flurries before 11am, then scattered sprinkles between 11am and noon. Cloudy, with a high near 44. North wind 10 to 14 mph. Despite some pretty mediocre weather for humans, the fishing has been really good! Dry flies most of the afternoon yesterday had fish eating on the surface on olives, midges, and hippie stompers. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid 40s. Subsurface fishing has been the most consistent with fish taking scuds, dirty birds, leeches, and BWO nymphs as long as they are fished along the bottom. In the afternoons you can switch to soft hackles and emergers as well as dries when fish start rising.
Rain before 10am, then a chance of showers after 3pm. Patchy fog before 9am. High near 48. Breezy, with a south wind 6 to 11 mph becoming northwest 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Another kind of dreary day... Great for fishing! The cloud cover gives us a bit of an edge sneaking up on the fish, especially on the clear flowing creeks! Fishing has been solid lately, mostly subsurface in the mornings on scuds, leeches, and heavy bead heads. In the afternoons we are seeing a few olives hatching and get rising fish.
Showers, mainly after 11am. High near 39. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Drizzle this afternoon, but nothing that should mess up water clarity at all. We're in our spring soaking shower phase of the season! Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s area wide. Nights have been very cold, so getting up first thing in the morning is not necessary. Still olives hatching, although it has slowed down with cooler water temps, and fish are still eating well subsurface on scuds, she hulks, leeches, and small dark bodied bead heads.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. North wind 5 to 8 mph. Creeks are in great shape, and fish are very happy! Water is clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the mid 40s area wide. The recent rains have done an excellent job in filling the springs, but have not been enough to stop the fishing! On the clear waters, we are fishing scuds, smaller bead head nymphs, and midge larvae subsurface, while olives have been hatching pretty well on a daily basis giving us the chance at some dry fly fish on mergers and flush riding surface patterns. On the stained waters leeches, buggers, and streamers have been a ton of fun!
A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before 9am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 35. Windy, with a northwest wind 22 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Really crummy wind today. Casting will be very tough! Creeks are in good shape with clear to stained conditions area wide. The olive hatch is still going on, but due to the wind dry fly activity is going to be slim at best. Look for fish to eat subsurface on scuds, leeches, and small bead heads in darker colors. Tomorrow the wind mellows out and the temperature climbs back to something a bit more comfortable.
Showers likely, mainly before noon. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 42. Breezy, with a light west wind becoming northwest 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Creeks have dropped and cleared well overnight. There was no significant rain late yesterday and the murky water started to subside in the afternoon. Overall expect clear to milky water area wide with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s. The weekend looks good condition wise, but windy which means fishing the olive hatch might be difficult! Find a sheltered area to get out of the wind. It looks like a leech, scud, and streamer Saturday. Sunday will be warmer and sunny again with the wind still prevalent, but still blowing.
