A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 9am. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. No major rain last night means creeks are clear to mildly stained today! Creeks are looking good water temperature wise thanks to the rains recharging the springs. We're still seeing mid 50s to low 60s area wide. Fishing on the stained water is best with san juan worms, scuds, and leeches. The clear water has been fishing well with an attractor dry fly, such as a hippie stomper, with a thinner bodied nymphs dropper like a pheasant tail or ice cream cone. Fish are also still gorging on pink squirrels and scuds when clouds are in the sky. Mid day fishing has been solid on sunken ants and beetles. Get them just below the surface film for the best fishing.
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June 2017
EDIT: From reports rolling in, anywhere outside of Vernon county got pounded with rain. Some creeks were out of the banks and into the fields as of this morning. We received approximately 1-2 inches total last night which is enough to muddy things up, but they should be fishable fairly quickly today in Vernon county. A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. West wind 6 to 9 mph. The good news is that the major thunderstorms missed us. The rain that fell in the Viroqua area was a good soaking rain, heavy at times, but not terrible. We have stained to murky waters today with the exception of the larger waters (West Fork, North Fork) that are running very muddy. There was no gully washer yesterday as the bad storm split around us. On the murky water, fish san juan worms and leeches and larger scuds. As water clears up, and on the creeks that are already clear to stained, fish scuds and pink squirrels when there is some cloud cover in the sky, and pheasant tails and midge larvae when it is not. Surface wise, hippie stomper season is on us. An attractor foam fly with a dropper is excellent all day long. Fish are rising really early in the morning and late in the day when the sun is off the water to a mix of mayflies and midges. Mid day terrestrial fishing has been solid. There is now only a less than 50% chance of scattered storms tonight and into tomorrow, while the creeks are not crystal clear, we dodged a rainy bullet yesterday for the most part. Bring your stained water tactics this weekend, this morning may be tough to find clear, fishable water but by this afternoon and evening (barring another rain storm) we will catching fish! Hot flies: Hippie Stomper Coulee Scud Dirty Bird Hale Bopp Leech Film Critic
Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2pm. High near 72. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Stormy day today. Don't fish when there is lightning. It will be a good day to tie flies and catch up on chores etc. If you do decide to head out and fish, look for fish to eat leeches and streamers before the rains and some scuds being active while the clouds are overhead. It is forecasted to storm all day today, but the rest of the week will be better.
Sunny, with a high near 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing just a bit low with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s area wide. Mayflies and midges hatching in the mornings, ants, beetles and even some small hoppers catching fish on the surface mid day. In the evening, lighter colored mayflies and caddis are around as well as some craneflies. Subsurface fishing is best on thinner bodied nymphs in the clear water, and scuds and hare's ears in the stained creeks.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Cold snap continues and it is a great thing for the creeks. The cold nights and mild days have put water temperatures below normal for this time of year. We have seen re-emergence of mayflies and midges whenever the sun is off the water, and we are still getting terrestrial action on the surface. The sun is still the limiting factor, when it is shining on the water fishing is much slower. Fish are eating random mayflies and midges on the surface in the morning. We call it the parachute adams hatch as a simple parachute fly or a film critic will do the job well. Subsurface is still best on gray coulee scuds and brush hogs along with pink belly pheasant tails.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Breezy, with a west wind 8 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Weather mix today. The forecast does not predict a lot of rain which is good after the heavy rains from a couple of days ago. Things have dropped and cleared quickly. There are still quite a few creeks that have not cleared, but many of the tributaries and smaller creeks are clear to slightly stained. The stain on the water really will give the anglers and edge over the next couple of days. Look for fish to be feeding subsurface on scuds, pink squirrels, and leeches. As things start to clear, look for midge larvae and pheasant tails to start to be effective again. On the surface, attractor patterns will be effective on the clearer waters and we should get back to our mayfly and midge hatches early and late. On the clear creeks mid day, look for ants and beetles to be effective.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Breezy, with a light northwest wind becoming west 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. It's a draining day! We received 1-4 inches of rain (more south of Viroqua). That means muddy water for most of the day. Things will hopefully drop and clear quickly which means expect stained to muddy water tomorrow. We will keep you updated. Leeches, San Juan Worms and larger scuds and pink squirrels will work in the muddy water. We will have eyes out on the creeks all morning this morning and keep you updated on whats going on. It won't be a wasted Saturday/Sunday, but fishing will probably not be pretty and if we get any more rain (slight chance 20-30% all weekend) things will blow out again pretty quickly.
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 8 to 14 mph. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. As of this morning creeks are clear to stained and fishing quite well. Temps are in the mid 50s to low 60s. We're predicted to get some summer rains today! It could be upward of an inch overall after today and tomorrow. Things will come up and get muddy, but the mud shouldn't last too long (we will keep you updated for sure). Cooler weather, cold rains, and the weekend COULD be lining up for some fun fishing. It all depends on how much rain we get today and tonight. Keep tuned for updates.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. It feels like things are back to normal for June! After the heat wave a couple of weeks ago, flows and temperatures have gotten back to normal for late spring and early summer. Fish are feeding on the surface in the mornings and evenings to midges and a mix of mayflies, craneflies, and a few caddis. Mid day they are eating ants and beetles and indicator dry flies especially those fished close to banks or underneath overhanging cover. Subsurface fishing is really good on thin bodied bead head nymphs such as pheasant tails, frenchies, and ice cream cones. On the stained water and when the clouds are overhead, scuds are a great choice. Mousing has been fun lately with some aggressive hits and some nice fish being pulled out at dusk and after dark.
Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before noon. High near 72. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. The rains have been a blessing! While some things are mildly stained, the rains have not been heavy enough to make things super muddy. We still have clear to stained water area wide, with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. There have been fish eating midges in the mornings and evenings as well as the occasional mayfly hatch (still seeing sulphurs and cahills). Craneflies and caddis are fishing well on the surface too. Subsurface fishing will be solid on scuds and larger nymphs when it is cloudy, then slimmer and smaller bead heads when the sun is out and on the clear creeks.
Scattered showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50% We're in the weather pattern where it might rain, and it might not! Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures having dropped a bit. They are in the mid 50s to mid 60s area wide. With the cooler temperatures and when the clouds come in, the fishing has been really solid. Early we are getting rising fish to eat parachute adams and midges. Mid day surface fishing has been hot on ants, beetles, and hippie stompers. Late in the evening we are getting fish on lighter colored mayflies and caddis too. Subsurface fishing is all across the board. The cloudier the water and the cloudier the sky, use a thicker bodied pattern such as a scud or hare's ear. The clearer the water and clearer the sky, use a thinner bodied pattern like an ice cream cone or pheasant tail.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning. An inch to inch of a half of rain fell quickly and heavily last night. Expect murky and muddy water this morning that will hopefully clear up to at least a fishable level by this evening. Leeches, scuds, and San Juan worms will be effective in the murky water. If you have a couple feet of visibility you can catch fish. And, there will be some surprise fishable and possibly clear water in the area. Just don't head out expecting it this morning.
A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Things are getting back on track! The recent rains have not hit our area hard so creeks are mostly clear to stained area wide. The cooler temperatures are a great break from the heat wave of a few days ago! Cloud cover will help quite a bit too. There is a chance of storms this weekend, but as of now they are predicting less than 50% chance and little to no accumulation. Keep your fingers crossed! The hatches have returned and we saw rising fish yesterday in the morning, then again in the late afternoon into the evening. There are craneflies, a few lighter colored mayflies, midges, and egg laying caddis around. The most surface action has been on small terrestrials lately. Even when hatches are coming off, fish can not resist an ant pattern! Subsurface fishing has been solid on brush hogs, frenchies, ice cream cones, and atomic mayflies.
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 86. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Hot and humid today, but the temperatures are dropping over the next few days. We had another heavy and brief rain yesterday that dumped an inch of rain area wide. This gave us a mix of muddy to crystal clear water throughout the area. Creeks with a steeper valley and those with a larger, more open meadow will clear the quickest. We do not expect the creeks to stay murky for very long. Hatches are sparse and found in the mornings and evenings. Surface fishing has been good on terrestrials and craneflies even throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been good on leeches, brush hogs, and pink squirrels.
UPDATE 1:30- A brief but heavy rain just hit the area. Dumped about another inch area wide. Look for things to temporarily blow out but should drop and clear quickly as long as there were no bank collapses. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming south 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Things are still warm here, but stabilizing to normal temperatures over the next couple of days will really help things after the heat wave. Luckily, the fishing is still pretty good! Fishing early and late is the key and avoiding the mid day sun and water temperature peaks. We're seeing fish still rising to craneflies and generic mayflies in the morning and evening (parachute adams hatch!!) and we are getting more and more fish on terrestrials such as hippie stompers and training wheels. Subsurface has been solid on brush hogs, frenchies, and ice cream cones.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph. We're still slogging through some unseasonably hot weather. Water temperatures are getting a bit high in the afternoon so make sure you use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and the couple creeks hitting 70 thanks to this heat wave, can be lethal to hook trout in. The good news is that we received an inch or two of rain last night. It has been dry enough that it will not put a major stain on the creeks as the ground is dry enough to soak most of it up. The bad news is we are still forecasted for hot weather until Friday. Fish early and fish late. Rising fish have been pushed to time of day when the sun is off the water. Otherwise most of the action is subsurface on midge larvae, pheasant tails, and brush hogs.
Sunny, with a high near 89. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 34 mph. The forecast isn't pretty today. It will be hot, sunny, and windy. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. In this type of weather, the key is fishing when the sun is off the water. It is far more comfortable for anglers, and the fish are much happier in the shade. You can also seek out cooler tributary creeks and fish small terrestrials underneath overhanging vegetation for some success. Stay cool and hydrated out there this weekend!
Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph. Gorgeous day to be out fishing. We're still seeing sulphurs hatching and fish rising to them in the morning and evening. We're also having some success on craneflies and smaller terrestrials. The subsurface action has been very good on pink squirrels, pheasant tails, small dirty birds and ice cream cones. Creeks are clear and a bit low with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. Make sure you are fishing early and late and avoiding the mid day sun and heat. We are looking at very hot temperatures this weekend (highs in the 90s Saturday and Sunday) so make sure you take extra water and don't fish mid day this weekend. We should not see too many creeks get too warm, but if you are on a larger body of water it is not a bad idea to have a thermometer to check water temps this weekend.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Some much needed cloud cover today and into tomorrow! Look for the sulphur hatch to continue mid day, and then the spinner fall in the evening. Add into the dry fly mix craneflies and smaller terrestrials! Subsurface fishing is heading towards the small to tiny bead head nymphs, but scuds and brush hogs are still really effective too. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s.
Sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 3 to 5 mph Another sunny and pleasant day in the Driftless. Fishing has been good from first light until it gets hot mid day. It picks up again in the later evening as the sun starts to go behind the ridges and things cool down a bit. Creeks are low and clear to stained with water temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s area wide. We are still seeing rising fish to sulphurs in the mid morning, then if you are at the right place at the right time, sulphur spinners at last light. Subsurface fishing (especially below an indicator dry such as a hippie stomper or training wheel) has been great with a mix of patterns from ice cream cones to dirty birds being effective. Keep changing flies and the fish will let you know what they want!
Sunny, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Absolutely gorgeous weather to be outside! The creeks are low and clear and running with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. Fishing is best early and late when the sun is off the water. Perfect conditions for a mid day nap! Sulphurs are slowing down, but fish are still rising to lighter colored mayflies in the later morning and again in the evening. Craneflies are fishing well, as are smaller terrestrials, especially when fished in shady areas and under overhanging vegetation. Subsurface fishing is best on small scuds, pheasant tails, ice cream cones and brush hogs.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Northeast wind 7 to 10 mph. The heat wave is over! We're back to normal temperatures and fishing should get back on track. We're still focusing our efforts early in the morning and late in the day and avoiding the mid day sun. Sulphurs and craneflies are the main courses, with hatches in the mornings and an occasional spinner fall of sulphurs in the evening. Terrestrials are taking on a large role on the surface, especially in the shade and around overhanging vegetation. Subsurface fishing is good on scuds and medium bodied patterns, but that too is starting to trend towards smaller and thinner bodied bead heads, especially when the sun is in the sky. Creeks are clear and a bit low with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s.
Isolated showers before 9am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 5 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%. Still sunny, but the fishing remains good! Sulphurs and craneflies are the main course on the menu and we have seen rising fish throughout the day. Your best dry fly action is from daybreak until about noon, then again in the evening when the sun comes off the water. Mid day we have been fishing dry/dropper with beetles and hippie stompers as our indicator fly. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the 50s to low 60s.
Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning. The Driftless is fishing well The sun is the limiting factor on the clear creeks (creeks are low and clear with temps in the mid 50s to low 60s) so fish early and fish late and avoid the high sunny part of the day. The good news is that the sulphurs are hatching late morning and lasting until it gets too warm, then you can see them again sometimes in the evenings. Mid day terrestrial fishing has been fun. Fish are even starting to eat hippie stompers and training wheels! In the evenings, fish are rising again to a mix of mayflies, craneflies, and caddis. Subsurface fishing has been best on pink belly PTs, brush hogs, and scuds fished deep. There is a slight change of some rain this weekend, but they are not predicting anything heavy at this time. Some cloud cover and rain would really get things going and make fishing easier!
Sunny, with a high near 76. West wind around 5 mph. Fishing has been good, but really only when the sun is off the water. Make sure you fish early and late, and seek out shade or fish deeper pools and undercut banks. Sulphurs and craneflies are the major hatches and we have been seeing yellow sallies around too. Surface bugs should be orange to yellow to match the hatches. Subsurface fishing has been best deep. Tungsten beads are your friends right now. We're fishing everything from pheasant tails, to brush hogs and even jiggy prince nymphs. As long as they are bouncing bottom you will hook fish. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained and running in the 50s temperature wise.
