Partly sunny in the morning...then cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. Fishing has been very fun in the mornings and evenings. There are a handful of rising fish eating terrestrials and lighter colored mayflies on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been good on pink belly PTs, Brush Hogs, and leeches. Creeks are low and clear with water temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. Water temperatures over 65 mean poor fishing and much higher than that you can start killing trout when you fight them. Fish early and late as the sun is the major limiting factor.
Driftless Angler Fly Shop
Wisconsin's Premier Fly Shop and Guide Service
Blog
June 2016
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Light and variable wind. The week of pleasant weather continues! The entire week and into the weekend will be in the mid to high 70s. Excellent weather to be fishing in. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. Make sure you use your thermometer as a few creeks are running up in the low 70s and should be avoided as to not stress the trout. Anything over 65 degrees will be poor fishing. Midges and tiny olives in the mornings, terrestrials mid day, then a few yellow sallies and larger, lighter colored mayflies at night as well as more midges. Hopper/Dropper is very effective right now! Subsurface fishing has been best on pink squirrels, midge larvae, smaller scuds, and small nymphs with a tungsten bead head. The fish are sulking on the bottom of the pools and underneath undercut banks. Find shade and you will find fish!
Looks like June is trying to make up for the hot weather earlier in the month! We're looking at low to mid 70s for the rest of the week. Sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Fishing has still been best early and late when the sun is not on the water, as well as on the creeks that are running cooler. The sun and water temperatures are the major limiting factors. Looks for small midges and even a few olives hatching in the mornings with fish rising to them as well as craneflies. As things warm up a bit terrestrials become important on the surface. Look for yellow sallies in the afternoon and evenings too. Subsurface fishing has been best on thin bodied flies such as midge larvae or pheasant tail nymphs (especially the pink belly PTs!) with scuds and squirrels fishing well when the sun is off the water a bit. Mousing has been great lately as has fishing streamers at night.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph. It's summer! Fishing has been good early and late and on shady creeks. The real limiting factor has been the sun and water temperature. Watch your water temperatures and use your thermometer. Water temperatures that are 65 or above will signal poor fishing and could be potentially lethal to trout. There are good water temperatures in the area, focus more on the tiny creeks than the larger waters. There are few hatches going on with some midges and tiny olives in the mornings and lighter colored mayflies in the evenings. We have also started to see yellow sallies. Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead head nymphs fished deep, as well as scuds. On the cloudier waters, fish leeches.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Heat index values as high as 95. South wind 10 to 13 mph. Hot and muggy today! Fish early and late, and take a break mid day. It will be good for both you and the fish! Terrestrials with small bead heads dropped below them have been the ticket lately. The hippie stomper/frenchie combo has been especially effective. Creeks are clear to stained with water temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. Remember to use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and can be potentially lethal to hook fish in.
Sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Fishing has been solid so far this summer, especially when the sun is off the water. Fish early, fish late, and find shade for better fishing. Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s area wide. The sun today will slow fishing down around mid day, except on the creeks that are still running with a stain. The stain is enough to keep fish a bit happier, especially subsurface. It looks like this weekend we will get some more rain Saturday night. According to the forecast it should not be enough to blow things out completely, but it should put a nice stain on the water and drop water temperatures down a bit for Sunday morning. There are no significant hatches going on right now. We are seeing sporadic midge and lighter colored mayfly activity in the mornings and evenings. The major surface activity is still on ants, beetles, and craneflies. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on leeches on every creek, and on the clear water we are fishing zebra midges, ice cream cones, and pink belly pheasant tail nymphs.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming north in the afternoon. A nice break in the hot weather lately! Fishing has been best when the sun is off the water. Trout are eating terrestrials and generic attractor patterns on the surface (stimulators, hippie stompers etc) all day long. There are a few mayflies early and late as well as midges, but the surface feeding is mostly smaller terrestrials. Subsurface fishing has been good on ice cream cones, tungsten pheasant tails, and pink belly PTs. Creeks are low and clear to stained with temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. Remember your thermometer as anything over 65 will be poor fishing and can be stressful to trout.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly between noon and 3pm. High near 76. East wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A bit of relief this morning as we have clouds in the sky! Creeks are in summer mode with decent flows but water temperatures in the warmer range. Please use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be poor fishing and potentially harmful to trout as they near 70. There are midges hatching in the morning, terrestrials mid day, and some lighter colored mayflies in the evening. Subsurface fishing has been best on ice cream cone midges, and tungsten jig pheasant tail nymphs below a foam pattern.
Sunny, with a high near 80. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Warm and sunny again. Find shade to find fish! Creeks are low and clear to stained area wide. Water temperatures are in the high 50s to mid 60s. Remember your thermometer as anything over 65 will be poor fishing and much higher than that can be lethal to trout! Hatches are in the mornings and evenings with midges and lighter colored mayflies coming off. Mid day the fish will come up for terrestrials and craneflies, but the majority of the mid day fishing is in the deeper pools and beneath undercut banks on small, thin bodied bead heads fished along the bottom.
Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 14 mph. Hot and sunny the next few days. Water temperatures are getting warm mid day so please use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and could hurt trout. Seek shade, and fish early and late. The oddness that is this season continues. On some creeks the lighter colored mayflies have shown up again in the evening, otherwise fish are eating midges, terrestrials and craneflies on the surface. Subsurface has been best fishing deep and slow for fish getting out of the sun. Look for overhanging grass, undercut banks and deep pools to target. Creeks are low and clear to stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s.
Happy Father's Day! Sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Hot and sunny today. Fish early and late and find shade. Avoid the mid day heat! Fish will be happy when the sun is off the water as the hot weather will increase water temperatures rapidly today. Look for fish to sit deep in the pools and underneath overhanging vegetation and undercut banks. Remember to use your thermometer as water temperatures over 65 degrees can be poor fishing and potentially harmful to fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning. Creeks are in good shape! The sun will be the things that slows fishing down so fish early and late and find the shade. Terrestrials are key right now with beetles and ants catching quite a few fish on the surface. We're also starting to see our goofy big (size 12) lighter colored mayflies. They are usually a cream or fluorescent yellow and show up at first and last light. Subsurface action has been consistent on pink belly pheasant tails nymphs, frenchies, brush hogs, and she hulks. Creeks have cleared out for the most part so expect clear to stained water area wide with temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. Keep using your thermometer as anything over 65 will be slow fishing and possibly harmful to fight trout in.
Sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph. Creeks have generally cleared up after the rains a couple of days ago. Expect clear to stained water area wide. Temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. The high water has scoured the stream beds and knocked down backside vegetation making fishing easier! Trout have moved back into normal feeding positions below the riffles and into the pools. The sun will be bright all weekend, so fish early and late and find some shade for better fishing. Terrestrials are the top choice for surface flies. We are getting midges and craneflies in the morning, and there are a few lighter colored mayflies hatching in the evenings too, but ants and beetles are the top producers on top. Subsurface flies are getting smaller and thinner as the sun gets brighter during the day. Start with a hare's ear or she hulk in the morning, eventually switching to a heavy midge larvae or pheasant tail during the day. Fish are deep and underneath banks when the sun is out. Mousing has been a blast lately!
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 8 to 10 mph. Creeks continue to drop and clear today. There were many fishable creeks yesterday after the heavy rains, and more have settled down and cleared. Expect clear to murky conditions area wide with the larger streams (Kickapoo, Bad Axe) showing the most color. In the creeks with color to them fish black leeches and buggers as well as San Juan worms and larger scuds. On the clear creeks try heavy bead head nymphs and midge larvae as well as smaller scuds. On the surface fish are primarily feeding on terrestrials specifically ants and beetles. There are also a few lighter colored mayflies around as well as egg laying caddis and midges. Mousing has started up again after the rains. Try a larger streamer or surface pattern at night for a chance at a big fish!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. West wind 5 to 14 mph. The Driftless Split struck again last night. While Madison had about 8 inches of rain, Vernon county only received a couple. What that means is while we have some murky water this morning (the West Fork and the Bad Axe being the muddiest) things will be fishable later this morning and by the evening. And, looking at the longer term forecast we are not supposed to have any more rain, so later in the week and into the weekend are looking excellent! Look to fish murkier water with leeches, large scuds, streamers in black and San Juan Worms. On the clearer streams fish will eat scuds, copper johns, hare's ears, and even midge larvae. Our hatches have slowed down a bit but we are still seeing some lighter colored mayflies in the evening as well as egg laying caddis. Throughout the day fish will eat terrestrials and craneflies.
Isolated showers. Cloudy, with a low around 63. East wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Recent rains have some creeks running murky (especially the West Fork and the Bad Axe system). They will clear up to fishable clarity this morning and we should not see significant rain until later on today. These rains are much needed to fill the springs and flush the creeks a bit! We're forecasted for a bit more rain this evening that will keep water levels high and clarity low. In the murky water, look for fish to eat leeches and wooly buggers as well as other black bodied streamers. As the creeks drop and clear a bit, scuds are the ticket for stained water, especially on cloudy days. On the surface, terrestrials are still the strongest patterns. Ants and beetles are most effective and we have started to catch fish on some larger foam attractor patterns as well. Hatches have thinned out but fish are still eating lighter colored mayflies and darker bodied caddis in the evenings in addition to the ever present late spring craneflies.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. West wind around 6 mph. Hot and humid today. We had a good rain last night that will have creeks running with a bit of a stain first thing this morning. Expect everything to drop and clear pretty quickly. The key to fishing right now is to fish when the sun is off the water and find shade mid day. The sulphur hatch in the evenings is tailing off and we are still seeing some cahills at dusk. The best surface action is on terrestrials right now. Subsurface fishing has been great on tiny bead head nymphs and midge larvae. Make sure you check water temperatures! With this hot weather, creeks are warming rapidly throughout the day. If it is above 65 degrees fishing will be tough and much higher than that it can be harmful to fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 95. Southeast wind 6 to 13 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Hot and sunny today and tomorrow! Take extra water, and fish early and late. Avoid the mid day sun. The sun and heat will be stressful to both you and the fish today and tomorrow! Thankfully the heat drop a bit come Sunday. Creeks are low and clear with water temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. We still have rising fish in the evenings and they are taking lighter colored mayflies, midges, and craneflies. Throughout the day fish will eat small terrestrials happily. Subsurface fishing is trending smaller and thinner bodied. Thing midge larvae instead of pink squirrel.
A nice soaking rain right now With periods of rain all day long, mostly in the morning. High near 80. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Things have been good lately, and the rain should help cool things down a bit on some of the larger creeks. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Anything over 65 degrees will fish poorly and can stress trout. We're still seeing some lighter colored mayflies hatching in the late afternoon and into the evening, and fish are still feeding heavily throughout the day on terrestrials. A few trout will key in on craneflies throughout the day as well. Subsurface fishing has been best when your fly is rolled right along the bottom of the pool or underneath the bank.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. Absolutely gorgeous weather again today! Look for fish to be happiest when the sun is off the water. Terrestrials are the ticket right now with trout happily eating ants, beetles, and hippie stompers effective pretty much all day long. We're still seeing sulphur hatching in the evening as well as a handful of other lighter colored mayflies. Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller, thinner bodied patterns fished right on the bottom. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. Make sure you use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be slow fishing and much higher than that can be harmful to hook fish in.
A couple of gorgeous days ahead of us until it turns hot again for the weekend. Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Look for fish to be in a good mood today and tomorrow as temperatures drop a bit. We're still seeing sulphurs hatching in the evening with fish happily rising. Terrestrials are effective all day long (smaller ants and beetles, no hoppers yet...). Subsurface, the fish have been loving thinner bodied patterns such as midge larvae and pheasant tail type nymphs as well as scuds rolled along the bottom. When the sun is off the water, leeches and streamers are very effective. Mousing at night is starting to pick up too! Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. The temps are a bit high for normal, so make sure you use your thermometer as anything over 65 will make for slow fishing.
artly sunny, with a high near 69. Breezy, with a west wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. A cold front is blowing in. Today will be windy, so find some shelter against bluff faces or in the trees if possible. Fishing has been good, with fish eating terrestrials well (which they will do again today, especially with the winds!) as well as lighter colored mayflies on the surface and a handful of caddis and craneflies. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on ice cream cones and other small midge larvae as well as brush hogs and smaller tungsten bead heads rolled along the bottom. Creeks are a bit low and mostly clear with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. There are a few creeks that are already over 65 degrees at the hottest part of the day. Use your thermometer! Not only will the warmer creeks stink for fishing, but it can also put stress on the trout.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 74. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Some good, soaking rains last night will have a handful of creeks murky again this morning. Overall expect clear to stained water area wide with water temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. Remember to use your thermometers, although we have had rains recently, the water temperature has not dropped much. Anything over 65 will be difficult. Sulphurs are still hatching in the afternoon with fish rising late into the evening. We are also starting to see a few yellow sallies and other lighter colored mayflies. On top of this caddis, craneflies ants and beetles are catching fish. We've started fishing a hippie stomper with a bead head dropper with quite a bit of success too. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on leeches and smaller streamers in the stained water. In the clearer water, thin bodied flies in brown to black have been effective as have brush hogs and coulee scuds.
Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Southeast wind 8 to 11 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Sunny and warm today. The creeks are in good shape, but the sun will make fishing difficult mid day. Expect clear to stained water area wide with the creeks running in the mid to high 50s and in rare cases lower 60s. Sulphurs, ants, beetles and a few craneflies and caddis are still getting fish to eat on top. We've started fishing dry/dropper with a larger foam pattern and a smaller bead head down below. Subsurface fishing has been great on brush hogs, and ice cream cones. Leeches and buggers are working well in the stained water. Look for fish to be deep in holes and near undercuts in the sun, then out in the riffles and runs to feed when the sun is off the water.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening. Perfect conditions to get out and fish! Recent rain had muddied up the water, but things dropped and cleared quickly. Look for clear to stained water with only the larger creeks running murky. The sulphur hatch is still going strong, and we are seeing a handful of march browns hatching as well. On top of that fish are still eating craneflies and caddis as well as terrestrials throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on leeches on creeks that have a bit of a stain on them, and on the clear water, heavily weighted thin bodied flies as well as scuds are the ticket. Creeks are flowing at a normal level with temperatures in the mid 50s to lower 60s.
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 75. West wind 6 to 13 mph. Brief, heavy rain last night has things up and murky this morning. No forecasted rain means thing will begin dropping mid day. Expect stained to milky conditions area wide. This rain will cool down water temperatures are get fish eating! We needed this rain and things will pick up quickly starting this afternoon. Look for leeches and scuds to be effective as well as San Juan worms. The sulphurs are still hatching and we will see dry fly activity on the clearer water. Terrestrials will be slow until things dry out a bit an they start crawling around bankside.
