Patchy fog before noon. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 34. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding in Iowa and the state parks of Minnesota right now. We have a string of really nice weather coming through the weekend. Saturday and Sunday are going to almost reach 40 degrees. In other words, get out and fish this weekend!!! Look for fish to be sluggish early and start to feed mid day when water temperatures start to climb. There is a possibility of a midge hatch mid day as well. The shop will be open Saturday and Sunday from 10-2
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We have a string of a couple warmer days (as in the temps will be in the 30s) over the next few days. Iowa and the Minnesota parks are open for fishing, while Wisconsin is closed. Look for some fish rising to midges mid day but most of the action will be subsurface on small and heavy bead heads and leech patterns. For the holidays: Check out our season long fly subscription. A dozen of our guide flies and most effective patterns for that time of year send directly to your door. Click here for more info.
A chance of flurries before 2pm. Sunny, with a high near 24. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Wisconsin's season is CLOSED. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. It's just cold out right now. While fishing can be good on the sunnier days when it is this cold (fishing mid day when water temps are highest), it isn't a bad idea to wait for the warm days like tomorrow and Thursday to fish. Typical rule of thumb if it is 25 and sunny or 35 and cloudy you will have a shot at fish. In colder water expect most of your fishing to be subsurface right along the bottom in the deeper pools and runs. If bugs come off it will be mid day to early afternoon and typically brief. There is no reason to be out at the crack of dawn. Breakfast and another cup of coffee are in order this time of year!
Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Recent rains had Iowa's creeks stained up a bit, but a couple days of drier weather has them clear to slightly stained. In the murkier water, leeches have been fantastic. On the clear water, tiny bead heads and scuds drifted deep have been the ticket to catching fish. We're in a cold front for the next week or so, so water temperature is key. The best fishing will be mid day, and sunnier days that heat the water up, are better. There are still hatches of midges and a few olives with a handful of fish still feeding on the surface.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph. Really gorgeous fall weather ahead for the next couple of days! Wisconsin's season is closed until January. We are fishing and guiding over in the Iowa driftless. Olives are still hatching daily over in Iowa, when there are rising fish, a sparkle dun or tilt wing have been killer patterns. We started to catch fish on smaller hippie stompers again too when the weather is drier. Fishing a small hippie with a little pheasant tail or two bit hooker below has been deadly. Deep nymphing the holes with a heavy scud has also been very effective. Fish are in spawning mode so please leave actively spawning fish alone!! Fish the deeper water below riffles and target rising fish.
Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa's Driftless. A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 51. South wind around 6 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Mild and drizzly the past couple of days. Great fishing conditions! Creeks are clear and fishing well. We're still seeing olives in the mid to late afternoon and fish rising during that time too. Subsurface fishing has been great on heavy czech style nymphs and scuds as well as midge larvae and pheasant tails. We as again that you please leave any spawning fish alone and do not step on any spawning beds!
Wisconsin's trout season is closed! This report is for Iowa's Driftless area. Fish are beginning to spawn. Leave spawning fish alone and concentrate your fishing in deeper pools and targeting rising fish. Cloudy, with a high near 51. South wind 3 to 6 mph. Solid fishing continues over in Iowa. Fish have really responded to the olive hatch mid day. Fishing is typically slow until about 9-10 in the morning as things warm up a bit. Once they do, fish are responding well to thicker bodied nymphs rolled along the bottom. Once mid day hits the fish will switch to thinner bodied nymphs and emergers as the olive hatch begins. Around lunch time fish should start rising and a tilt wing or sparkle dun will do the trick in getting them to eat on the surface! Want to make things easy? Pick up our staff's best Iowa bugs online here.
Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Sunny, with a high near 50. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Fishing yesterday was good, but only for a brief window of time. Creeks are in Iowa are in good shape flowing clear with cold water temperatures. Fishing was slow until about 11 when the mayflies (mostly size 18 olives) started to hatch. Fish were eating low riding patterns on the surface such as sparkle duns and tilt wing duns as well as emergers. They were also happily eating heavy subsurface patterns rolled along the bottom of deeper runs and pools. Please keep in mind that there are fish spawning right now. Leave spawning fish alone, there are plenty of opportunities in the pools and runs as well as rising fish to keep you occupied. Also be careful not so step on any spawning beds!
Sunny, with a high near 57. Light and variable wind becoming west 8 to 13 mph in the afternoon. Wisconsin's season is CLOSED, this report is for the open creeks in Iowa and Minnesota. Please check regulations before heading out and fishing. The driftless is in transition. With the colder weather and water temperatures fish are beginning to spawn. Please LEAVE SPAWNING FISH ALONE. There are plenty of put and take rainbows in Iowa to chase Fishing has been decent, but difficult with the sunny skies and clear water. We are still seeing slight hatches in the afternoon, but most of the action is subsurface. Heavy bugs rolled along the bottom and leeches twitched through the deeper pools are key.
Wisconsin's trout season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Rain, mainly before noon. High near 59. Breezy, with a southwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Looks like crummy and chilly weather until Mid Week. Then things get comfortable and quite good again. Look for olive hatches mid day. Hopper and Droppers are still working but things are starting to turn more subsurface before the olives as the frosts and cold nights are starting to kill off the terrestrial population. Do not overlook leeches this time of year! Remember, TROUT SEASON IN WISCONSIN IS CLOSED. THIS IS A REPORT FOR IOWA AND THE MINNESOTA STATE PARK LANDS
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. South wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Last weekend of season. You can fish through Monday the 15th, after that trout season is closed until January. Fishing has been good, and the weather cooperative. Creeks are clear to stained with only a couple of exceptions. Scuds in the mornings, switching to small bead heads below a hippie stomper mid day, then look for risers in the late afternoon and evening. Look for an olive hatch in the afternoon!
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 6 to 9 mph. Season closes October 15th! Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 6 to 9 mph. Things shaped up quickly yesterday. Two days of clearing after the relentless rains has been a great thing for the waters. Most creeks are clear to slightly stained and the fishing is back on track! Look for olives in the afternoon as the hatch showed up again yesterday! It will be chilly first thing in the morning this weekend. Look for fish to be feeding subsurface on scuds, thin bodied mayfly nymphs, and midge larvae early. Then switching to small terrestrials or indicator flies (hippie stompers in royal are HOT!) and emergers around mid day. If you are in the right place, the olives will start to show up in the later afternoon and get fish rising. Everything is in great shape for the last weekend of season!
Cloudy, with a high near 41. Breezy, with a west wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. After a day to drop and clear, creeks are sitting at clear to stained area wide with only a couple remaining difficult to fish. Things have finally dried out and are shaping up to get back to the exceptional fall fishing we had before the recent rains. On the clearer water, look for olive hatches late in the afternoon and into early evening. Before that, fish deep with a heavily weighted scud or small thin bodied fly like a perdigon or two bit. On the murky water continue to fish your larger scuds, pink squirrels, leeches, and San Juan worms. The fishing can still be excellent on water that is a bit stained. Season is over after the 15th! Get your fix in before the off season kicks in!
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a temperature rising to near 67 by 11am, then falling to around 59 during the remainder of the day. Southwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Finally, the big ugly storm missed us last night. While we got rain it was only an inch or so last night. What that means is we have muddy water this morning, but things will drop and clear quicker than expected if the rains stay away as they are forecasted to today. There are already some springs and tiny creeks that are flowing clear! (See picture) In the murky and dropping water, fish leeches and San Juan worms As things drop and clear further, fish larger scuds and pink squirrels. When things are cleared up, go back to matching the blue winged olive mayfly hatch both subsurface and on the surface.
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 9am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9am and 2pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 71. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A couple of inches of localized heavy rain fell last night. Creeks are chocolate this morning. Things may calm down and clear to a fishable clarity later in the day, but the forecast calls for more rain tonight! We're in good shape if the rains miss us. If the hit us, things will be muddy to murky all day. As usual, we will keep you posted.
UPDATE 3:00 p.m.: Things started to murk up around lunch time. Luckily no more rain has fallen since about 11. The larger storm that might hit us this evening looks like it is (hopefully) going to pass north of La Crosse a bit. We will see tonight... If we don't get significantly more rain, things will be in fine shape tomorrow. Stained to cloudy with a few clear creeks. If the rain hits, expect murky to muddy waters. Things are still clear to stained in our area, but the ground is saturated and if we get heavy rain we will see some muddying of the creeks. In the meantime, the olive hatch has been very strong out there. It isn't on every body of water, but the creeks that do get them have fish looking up most of the middle part of the day. On a rainy day like this, your best bet is subsurface if the olives aren't hatching. Fishing a scud, pink squirrel or larger pattern is a good idea. Leeches have also been quite good!
A 20 percent chance of rain before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 54. North wind around 8 mph. Rains missed us pretty much completely last night. We only received about 1/2 an inch of rain or so meaning everything is clear to slightly stained and fishing incredibly well. We're still fishing an attractor dry with a dropper during the day with fish loving the royal color hippie stomper and training wheels. Dropping a pheasant tail or zika midge below is deadly as you are covering multiple columns of water. It isn't bad idea to tie a trailing olive emerger later in the day too. Olives are hatching mid day through the evening and fish are keying in on them. A film critic or thorax baetis is perfect to throw at the risers. Subsurface fishing has been hot on scuds and squogs with smaller, thin bodied bugs fishing well later in the day to mimic the blue winged olive nymphs and emergers.
Scattered showers before 11am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 55. East wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. 1/4 to 1/2 an inch forecasted tonight. Although it has lightly rained the past few days, we still have crystal clear to slightly stained water area wide! Fishing has been quite a bit of fun lately with fish in fall mode feeding well. On the surface we are fishing hippie stompers and training wheels as well as other attractor dried and terrestrials. If possible, hang a bead head below! Olives are also hatching on most of our creeks and can get the fish rising steadily in the afternoon and evening. Do not neglect some emergers mid day on as fish can key in on things below the surface film during the early stage of the hatch. Subsurface is a mix of heavy, larger patterns with a fuzzy look to them (squogs, squirrels, scuds, she hulks etc) as well as the more 'match the hatch' flies like pheasant tails, midge larvae and other thin bodied dark colored bead heads. Just make sure your subsurface bugs are heavy as fish want them near the bottom early in the day. Leeches and smaller streamers are also working quite well. Fish are aggressively hitting them throughout the day as long as the clouds are overhead and the sun is off the water.
Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 7 to 11 mph. Fall keeps on rocking in the Driftless. Conditions are quite good and temperatures have cooled down back to normal again. Fishing has been quite strong lately with fish eagerly eating smaller terrestrials on the surface as well as mayflies (olive hatch!) in the afternoon and evening. It is almost to the point subsurface that anything will get a fish to eat. To dial in what they prefer switch back and forth between a thicker profile like a scud or brush hog, and a thinner bodied pattern like a perdigon or zika jig. Season ends on the 15th, get your Driftless fix in while you still can!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40% Cloudy with a chance of light rain today. The trout friendly weather continues!! Fishing has been quite good lately thanks to the prolonged cloud cover and cooler temperatures. Today is a slight bump up in temperature, but things get back to fall tomorrow. Fish have been happily eating training wheels with a bead head dropper in the morning through mid day. After that some of our creeks are getting a fall olive hatch that has fish looking up and eating film critics and tilt wing olive duns. Subsurface fishing has been good as well. Larger, buggier nymphs like the dirty bird and coulee scud on the stained water, and slimmer profile bead heads in the clear water. Creeks are clear to stained in our area. Near Fennimore they are runing pretty high and murky.
Patchy drizzle before 10am. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Things are looking better than expected after the rains yesterday. The Madison area got pounded with rain (again!) while Vernon County escaped relatively unscathed. We only received half an inch to an inch tops. This has the creeks clear to mildly stained with only a couple muddy. The fall has been absolutely fantastic so far! Cool temperatures, olive hatches later in the day, and happy fish. If the clouds stay in today, fish scud patterns and leeches. When the clouds go away, switch over to smaller mayfly nymphs and midge larvae. Look for fish rising to olives in the afternoon. Trout will also be looking up and smashing hippie stompers and training wheels. Season runs through October 15th. Still plenty of time to get your Driftless Fix this fall.
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 52. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Last night most of the rain passed south of us by quite a bit. Viroqua barely registered any overnight rain. So far, looking at the radar, the storms are south of us again. While we are getting some drizzle here and there things are in excellent shape so far. Look for olives hatching in the latter part of the day. Fish are becoming selective to these bugs when they start rising. When not rising, fish are happily eating terrestrials on the surface. Just make sure they are not too large. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on scuds and pink squirrels as well as tungsten pheasant tails and other heavy euro style nymphs as long as they are slimmer bodied. Leeches and streamers have also been hot during this cool down and cloudy weather. It is a good time of season to get some larger fish to eat a larger meal!
Isolated showers before 9am, then a slight chance of showers after 5pm. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 53. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Weather couldn't be better! Remember we still have until October 15th to trout fish in October and fall has been fantastic. The olive hatch has really kicked into high gear with the cool and cloudy weather with fish rising throughout the afternoon and into the evening. We're also still having quite a bit of success on hippie stompers and training wheels (larger attractor type terrestrials) with bead heads tied below. Leeches and streamers are also picking up fish lately, especially on the drizzly days and on stained water. Overall creeks are clear to stained with excellent water temperatures.
Widespread frost, mainly before 9am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a high near 55. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Fall fishing is great right now! Temperatures are more than pleasant to be outside, and the fish are quite happy. Look for trout to be sipping olive emegers in the afternoon and into the evenings. Otherwise they will be eating terrestrials on the surface, but nothing too huge size wise (12 and smaller). A training wheel and a dropper right now is deadly. Subsurface bugs are doing quite well too. A mix of thicker profiles like scuds and pink squirrels and tiny nymphs with a lot of flash. Don't forget leeches and streamers! They are getting some nice fish to eat especially on stained water and at night.
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 54. West wind 6 to 13 mph. Fall is on us and the fishing is fine! Creeks are in great shape (excluding the Timber Coulee) and fish are pretty happy. The sun is the limiting factor, fishing is best when it is cloudy out or early and late when the sun is not shining directly on the water. Fish are eating hoppers, beetles, and ants on the surface. We have olives hatching later in the day and fish are eating them quite well in the evenings. Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller, thin bodied bugs fished below a hippie stomper or a hopper. Anything with a bit of flash seems to be fine right now. We couldn't ask for better weather for the weekend! Tonight is supposed to be cold, so no need to get up early Saturday morning.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. West wind 7 to 14 mph. Rains yesterday dropped right about an inch. Enough to start to muddy things up yesterday afternoon. They stopped in the early evening leaving our creeks today clear to stained. Overall, things could not be better (outside of the Timber Coulee), tempeartures are incredible right now and fishing is pleasant. Fish and trees are putting on their fall colors. There is slight surface activity lately with some fall olives hatching when the sun is off the water. However, even without hatches, fish are looking up to terrestrials and flashy attractor bugs. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on scuds, pink squirrels, and perdigons. When the sun is high in the sky, scaling down your size and thickness of your bug is not a bad idea. Fish are happy if they are rolling along the bottom! At night, streamers and leeches are starting to pick up some big fish as they move into the creeks to prepare for the pre spawn.
High near 63. Northwest wind 5 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Fall has arrived! Cooler nights and pleasant days with the leaves starting to change colors and the fish getting into fall feeding mode. We're seeing a few small olives hatching later in the afternoon and into the evening. Fish are looking up to smaller terrestrials and other attractor patterns. Fishing a dry dropper right now is deadly! Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead heads fished below the riffles. Mid day, when the sun is bright in the sky, it is best to roll a larger scud along the bottom of the deeper pools. This is THE time of year to fish leeches and streamers when the sun is off the water. There are some bruiser fish cruising around right now putting on some pounds before the spawn starts.
Partly sunny, with a high near 73. South wind 7 to 11 mph. Gorgeous fall weather in the Driftless! Creeks are clear to stained area wide with excellent water temperatures. There are some olives hatching when the sun is off the water, but most of the topwater action has been on beetles, ants, and small hoppers. Subsurface fishing has been solid on pheasant tail type nymphs as well as heavy Euro style nymphs rolled along the bottom. Leeches and streamers are picking up lots of fish too as trout start to put on the feed bag before the spawn.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Lots of wind today! It rained an inch or two overall last night so expect creeks to be stained to milky this morning. It will be a good leech and san juan worm morning! There are a handful of clear creeks out there, and that list will grow later in the day and through the weekend. Fishing has been solid as water temperatures are really good for this time of year. Cool weather and an abundance of water means the springs are working overtime keeping the trout cool! Look for olives to hatch, especially later in the day and when the sun is off the water. Terrestrials are important and will become even more so as things dry out. Subsurface fishing is best on heavy bead heads rolled along the bottom or dropped below a larger indicator fly. The weekend weather could not be better for fall fishing!!
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 82. East wind 8 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Rains passed south of us for the most part. Fennimore had around 3 inches while Viroqua had less than 1 inch of rainfall last night. It is currently drizzle/light rain and looking at the radar it is supposed to be the same throughout the day. Creeks are clear to stained this morning. Perfect olive hatch weather! Fish are eating subsurface really well on scuds, pink squirrels and squogs, leeches and, on the heavily stained water, San Juan Worms. On the clear creeks, heavy midge larvae and thin bodied bugs fished deep are doing quite well. Surface action will be best on mayflies and midges today. Terrestrials and attractors will work well, but a bit more limited as the rains keep terrestrials away a bit. Do not neglect streamers in this weather! With the cooler days and cooler water temperatures, fish will chase larger bugs right now.
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 2pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 69. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Things are in good shape right now with a few creeks running stained from yesterday's rains. We are supposed to get a bit more rain tonight and will keep you updated on what the effect is overall. As of now, with the cooldown and bump in water flows scuds and leeches have been excellent as have San Juan Worms in the heavily stained water. We are seeing some midges and tiny olives hatching and are still getting a few fish to eat foam terrestrials on the surface (hopper/dropper is still strong). Subsurface fishing is best on heavy bead head nymphs rolled right along the bottom. Creeks are finally showing signs of recovery after the heavy flooding a couple of weeks ago. Things are back on track in the Driftless. Now just keep your fingers crossed that we don't get dumped on too heavily tonight!
Periods of showers and thunderstorms before noon, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between noon and 1pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. High near 75. East wind around 6 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. 1-2 inches of rain last night area wide. The rains were heavy at times which means creeks will be showing a stain with a few muddy this morning. We will be getting a bit more rain throughout the day and will keep you updated. After these rains it is time to dust off the San Juan Worms and Hale Bopp Leeches again! Fish will also be responsive to scuds and larger nymphs like the Squog. The good news is the temperature and humidity in the air has dropped and it is far more comfortable to be out on the creeks now! Just remember your rain jacket (or pick one up at the shop, they are on sale!) in case the rains show up while you are out there.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the low 60s area wide. Most every creek is in good shape right now as we have had over a week since the major rains. We're a bit warm weather wise, but a cold front is coming in over the next couple of days that will bring temperatures down to a very pleasant level! Fish are eating on the surface when the sun is off the water, rising to midges and small olive mayflies. During the day they will not hesitate to take a well placed terrestrial on the top too! Subsurface fishing is best when the water is clear and the sky sunny. Roll a heavy nymph along the bottom of any deeper spot and you will run into fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 3 to 8 mph. Outside of the Timber Coulee and West Fork, the area creeks are in good shape! Expect clear to stained water with excellent water temperatures for this time of year. Fish are most active eating on the surface early and late (watch for micro olives) as well as continuing to eat hippie stompers and beetles. For the wild card, have a few flush riding caddis patterns and twitch them along the surface. Subsurface fishing is best with either a midge larvae dropper behind your larger attractor fly or terrestrial, or heavily weighted nymphs rolled along the bottom wherever there is a dark spot in the creek. Bankside vegetation is knocked down, or in some cases washed away, so walking and casting is easier than normal!
Sunny, with a high near 79. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Warmer today, but sunny and dry again. Things are back on track for most of the Driftless. The Timber Coulee was majorly beat up, and the West Fork is still draining the reservoir where the dam burst. Other than that, the area creeks are in good shape running cold (water temps in the high 50s to 60) and clear to slightly stained. One silver lining from the high waters is that many banksides had their vegetation washed away, or knocked down making getting around and casting easier! We are seeing hatches of tiny olives and midges when the sun is off the water. On the surface, fishing with an attractor foam pattern (hippie stomper, user friendly, training wheel etc) is doing quite well, especially when a bead head is tied below it. The most effective fishing right now is with very heavily weighted nymphs rolled along the bottom. Since much of the gravel was washed clean, look for any dark spot and cast your heavy nymphs there and chances are you will find fish!
Sunny, with a high near 75. Light south wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Creeks are in pretty good shape today (excluding the Timber Coulee and West Fork). with clear flows and excellent water temperatures. The recent rains have the springs working overtime and we have even seen temperatures in the mid to high 50s on some creeks! On the surface, larger and brighter flies such as hippie stompers, user friendlies, and hoppers are working well. Add into the mix a few royal parawullfs and you will have a good selection. There are some olives hatching early and late too. Subsurface is all about the bottom rolling. Fish heavy nymphs deep as fish are seeking refuge in deeper holes during the day. Leeches have also worked well and can tempt some nice fish out of their hiding spots.
Sunny, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. The pleasant late summer weather continues over the next couple of days. The flooding and high water are behind us now and creeks are clear to stained. Things have changed quite a bit on some waters, and we are far from perfect, but things are more than fishable and fish are pretty happy right now. The Timber Coulee is the most beat up by far, with the West Fork close behind. Creeks to the east of us and south of us are in pretty good shape and fishing well. Everything is higher than normal for this time of year, and the springs are kicking out a ton of water making water temperatures excellent. Fish are feeding on midges and olives when the sun is off the water (hatches are sparse, but there) and large attractors and terrestrials on the surface through the day. Subsurface fishing has been best on scuds, pink squirrels, leeches, and heavy bead heads rolled along the bottom of deeper pools.
Sunny, with a high near 69. East wind around 8 mph. It's time to release our breath we have been holding the past week. The creeks are starting to clear up and we are starting to catch fish again. It is not all back to normal though as there is still a bunch of damage on the Timber Coulee and West Fork and we politely ask that if you are on those waters that you make sure and ask landowners if you can lend a hand for part of your day. South of the shop and to the east, things fared a bit better with normal, non-catastrophic flooding. Fish have been quite willing to eat on the surface, and as they start to settle into the new holes and runs, they will key in on larger attractor patterns and terrestrials. A bright beetle or hippie stomper right now is deadly! We have also seen a few olives hatching and fish keying on them when the sun is off the water. Subsurface fishing has been solid on heavy nymphs rolled along the bottom as well as on leeches and streamers. While there is fishing available, things are not perfect as the creeks are just beginning to recover from a pretty big change in the area! Be patient with the fishery, and please give back if you are able. As a final note, watch where you are wading. There is quite a bit of debris that has been moved around by the floods. Barbed wire can be a nasty surprise when submerged or hidden by bankside mud!
Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Light north wind becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Creeks are continuing to drop and clear and the ground dry out after a week of rains. Please note that people are still recovering from the floods so take some time to pitch in and help landowners this weekend!! We are also asking you to please avoid fioshgi the heavily impacted areas on the Timber Coulee and West Fork. Creeks are in better shape south of town and to the east of the shop too. Things have changed quite a bit on many bodies of water, but there are still fish to be caught. On the fishable water, trout are responding to leeches, scuds, and attractor dries as well as simple parachute adams. On the cloudy water, add some San Juan Worms into the mix! More water will be available through the weekend as things continue to drop and clear. Be very away while you are wading as debris can be anywhere right now. There were quite a few barbed wire fences specifically that have washed downstream. Watch where you step!
Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Light north wind becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Creeks are continuing to drop and clear and the ground dry out after a week of rains. Please note that people are still recovering from the floods so take some time to pitch in and help landowners this weekend!! We are also asking you to please avoid fioshgi the heavily impacted areas on the Timber Coulee and West Fork. Creeks are in better shape south of town and to the east of the shop too. Things have changed quite a bit on many bodies of water, but there are still fish to be caught. On the fishable water, trout are responding to leeches, scuds, and attractor dries as well as simple parachute adams. On the cloudy water, add some San Juan Worms into the mix! More water will be available through the weekend as things continue to drop and clear. Be very away while you are wading as debris can be anywhere right now. There were quite a few barbed wire fences specifically that have washed downstream. Watch where you step!
Sunny, with a high near 70. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Yes, SUNNY! We have finally passed 24 hours without some significant rains. The creeks are still high and stained to muddy but now have a chance to clear up a bit over the next couple of days. We're not forecasted for any more rain through the weekend as well. There are still quite a few road closures, especially along the main Kickapoo. Be cautious driving around as some smaller bridges are also still out and are not well marked. Please remember to avoid the Timber Coulee and West Fork (unless you are there to help landowners!) and other areas impacted by the major flooding as people are still picking up pieces of their lives.
Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10am, then scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 10am and 3pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 72. West wind 7 to 9 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A merciful 1-3 inches fell last night in Vernon county (much worse north of us). Today is the last forecasted day of rain. Creeks are high and murky, but things are better than the past couple of days. The rains today will more than likely muddy everything up again, but the creeks will begin to clear and drop quickly after this (hopefully) last push of rain. It has been a bit nuts here for sure, and the creeks have been changed especially the Timber Coulee and the West Fork. We are still asking people to avoid those creeks for a few extra days, even when they become fishable in order to let landowners pick up the pieces of their lives.
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch. More rain last night and more road closures this morning... The forecast shows the rains letting up Wednesday. There is very little fishable water in the area, but a break is coming later in the week! Again, if you are in the area, there is still a need to pitch in and help out with the cleanup effort north of us and all along the Kickapoo river.
Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 78. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. While things are getting better here, we are still dealing with road closures and bridges out after the flooding earlier in the week. We are currently getting some light rain, and are forecasted for rain pretty much all weekend. It might be good over the next couple of days to stay home sitll. Fishing is mediocre right now with only a handful of fishable creeks, and the area is still getting back on its feet after the high waters. There will be many volunteer opportunities area wide coming up soon if you are in the area and would like to help out.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. South wind 7 to 11 mph. The Driftless is still reeling from the recent heavy rains. There is fishable water south of the shop, but getting there is still tricky due to closed roads and bridges out. If you are insistent on fishing this weekend, please keep south of the shop as north (Timber Coulee and West Fork) sustained major damage. The creeks are mostly muddy and unfishable up there as well as people are still putting together the pieces of their lives. Again, if you are planning on fishing the area, stay south of Viroqua. The good news is that water is finally beginning to recede. The bad news is we are starting down a potenital 3-4 inches of more rain over the holiday weekend. We will, as always, keep you posted. If you travel plans allow it, this is a good weekend to skip,
Flood waters are beginning to recede with some springs finally running clear and not pumping chocolate milk. The damage to the creeks is staggering and we have cancelled all of our guided trips through the weekend so the area can recover and we can wrap our heads around what we have going forward. There are still multiple road closures, mostly on the smaller county roads that cross the creeks. Please give it another day or two as creeks are still unfishable and it is still dangerous driving around the area.
The area is recovering from heavy flooding. Multiple road closures and detours make it difficult to even get around locally right now. It's not worth even showing up as things are unfishable and will be for a couple of days. We will keep you updated.
High near 79. South wind around 7 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. Our luck ran out last night! Anywhere between 3 and 8 inches of rain fell in our area. Central Vernon county and north to hwy 90 got the largest amount of rain, while south of us got a bit less. This means creeks will be blown out. Thankfully our fishery rebounds quickly, but most of today, expect there to be little to no fishing. As things crop and clear, fishing leeches and San Juan worms will be very effective in the murky waters. We will keep you posted with creek conditions as things change. EDIT MAJOR flooding north of us near Coon Valley. Roads closed and smaller bridges out. Do not try to fish north of the shop! Let the crews clean up and observe all road closed signs. South of us a ways we found fishable water and some clear stuff. If you are here for the next day or two, please focus your fishing south of the shop.
Partly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Cold front returning to our area after some rains tonight! Creeks are in great shape (clear to slightly stained) with good flows and great water temperatures for late August. Tricos have been super spotty lately, while the olive hatch and spinner fall has been better to fish in the early morning and late evening. Subsurface fishing has been solid on smaller scuds, perdigons, and pheasant tails. The week is setting up to be excellent on paper as we are not supposed to see anything over the mid 70s for a high starting Wednesday!
Areas of dense fog before noon. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 81. West wind 3 to 5 mph. Creeks are in good shape, and outside of the sun poking its head out from behind the clouds later today, fishing conditions are great. Cool creeks after recent rains, and cool temperatures last week have everything falling into place for some good late August fishing. We are seeing olives in the mornings and evenings, with a smattering of trico spinners in the morning as well. When the sun does come out and dry out the ground, hoppers appear and other terrestrials become the main course. Subsurface fishing has been good, both as droppers below an attractor pattern or hopper and fished on the bottom of deeper pools.
Cloudy, with a high near 69. South wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, Cool and cloudy weather means rising fish through most of the day! The major rains that flooded Madison all but missed us and our creeks have been clear to slightly stained most of this week. The rains we are forecasted for are not worrying. If we get some sort of heavy rain we will let you know. We are seeing olives hatching in the mornings and evenings, and a reduced trico spinner fall in the mornings. Mid day fishing has been solid on hoppers and droppers as well as beetles and ants. We're at the tail end of another summer cold and wet front which has really made fishing pick up. On cloudy days like today, do not neglect fishing scuds subsurface. They move around quite a bit more when the sun is off the water. For this weekend, keep in mind that parts of highway 14 out of Madison are still closed. You can keep heading west on the highway 12 and hook south near Black Earth of Sauk City (follow the detour signs) or head in via I-90 and south on highway 27 (Sparta exit). We did not get any flooding here, it is just a pocked in Madison that was hit hard.
Sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Gorgeous weather continues! The flooding that hit the Madison area did not reach us. Our creeks are clear to stained and flowing well. Just keep in mind that driving here can be tricky if you do not take the freeway over the next couple of days as many bridges in near Madison are out. Trico spinners and olives in the morning followed by terrestrials with a dropper all day long. Deep nymphing is also working well on the sunny days when fish seem to be magnetized to the bottom. In the evenings we are seeing action on olives and even a few caddis dries.
Patchy drizzle before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. North wind 8 to 14 mph. Rains yesterday were good soaking rains that dropped up to 2 inches. This means many of our creeks will be murky to muddy this morning, but will drop and clear rapidly through the day. Smaller tributary creeks and headwaters will be stained to murky this morning changing to clear to stained this evening. Don't get stuck thinking that everything is blown out if your favorite creek is muddy! Hop into the car and drive around a bit and you will find fishable water. If you have even a couple inches of visibility, you can catch fish. When we get rains, the most effective bugs are leeches, san juan worms, and larger scuds. On the creeks that are clearer, scuds, frenchies and pink squirrels will do well today. On the creeks that have cleared up a bit by this evening, look for the olive hatch the latter part of the day. The cold weather and rain will set us up for a coupe of days of fantastic fishing ahead! Cooler water temps, a nice flush, and springs that will be pumping out water a bit more than normal in the middle of summer mean solid trout fishing!
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 10am. High near 74. East wind 6 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. After the rain rolls through today, we are set up for a handful of incredible weather days. The rain will cool down the creeks a bit and push more water through the springs. It is also going to drop air temperatures all week long!! Look for olives early and late as the cooler temps are more favorable for those hatches while the tricos will appear later in the mornings after cool nights. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on brush hogs, midge larvae, and other smaller, thin bodied nymphs such as perdigons and Liberace jigs. Hopper fishing has been fantastic, but with cooler and wetter weather, they will not kick around as much until later when things dry up and warm up a bit. Look for the terrestrial bite to be on in the afternoon and into the evenings.
Cloudy through mid morning, then becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Northeast wind 3 to 5 mph. Creeks have mostly cleared after the rains a couple nights ago. Only the larger creeks (West Fork, North Fork etc) still have a stain as of this morning. Overall fishing is good for mid summer! Tricos have been spotty, but when you find a cloud first thing in the morning, the fishing has been fantastic. We've started tos ee some micro olives in the mornings and evenings too. Most of the action right now is on ants and beetles on the calm days, and hoppers when the winds are up a bit blowing them into the creeks. Subsurface fishing has been quite good, but be patient as it seems to have to hit fish on the nose to get them to eat right now. Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the low 60s. Remember your thermometer as temps over 65 mean slow fishing and much higher than that can be harmful to trout.
EDIT: 4:30 pm. Larger creeks are still murky/muddy. Smaller tributaries and meadow creeks have dropped and cleared to a fishable level (clear to stained). Guide trips early in the AM did well on hoppers! It rained about 2 inches in town and north of us. South of the shop received 3-4 inches and east into Madison got way too much rain in the past 24 hours. Expect creeks to be stained to muddy this morning, but many of the smaller waters will drop and clear quickly. With no more rain in the forecast, things should be back on track for the weekend. On the murky water, fish San Juan worms and scuds as well as black leeches. On the clearer water your normal bead heads will work just fine. It will take a while for things to dry out so the hopper fishing will be off until later today. Try an attractor pattern on the surface through the day, and look for small olives in the evening. This flush is not a bad thing, it will recharge the springs and drop water temperatures a bit!
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 4pm and 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Fishing remains strong in the Driftless. The middle part of the day is not the most pleasant fishing, but a hopper dropper fished tight to shady banks can be deadly. The real action is early and late. Fish will rise to tricos and small mayflies in the morning, then feed on midges and olives in the evening. Last night fish would happily slurp a beetle alongside the natural bugs too! Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the low 60s. The storm tonight would be a blessing cooling things down and dropping the humidity. We will keep your posted if anything odd happens.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph. Some much needed cloud cover today! The sun being the limiting factor as we roll through the mid summer. Fishing has been good early and late, but can feel a bit tough mid day. Tricos and other small mayflies are hatching early, and late at night we are getting a midge and tiny mayfly hatch. In the middle part of the day fish are feeding on terrestrials. Ants and beetles on calm days, and hoppers on windy days. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the low 60s. Only a couple creeks are warming up into the high 60s. Make sure to use a thermometer as anything over 65 will be slow fishing and much higher than that can be harmful to trout.
Sunny, with a high near 82. Light and variable wind. Normal summer conditions will sit over us the next couple of days. Look for fishing to be best early (look for trico spinner falls) and later on in the day when the sun is off the water. It isn't too awful mid day if you are tossing ants and beetles near overhanging vegetation, or fishing a hippie stomper with a dropper. If you find shady areas, you will find more catchable fish! Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the low 60s. Make sure to check water temperatures as anything over 65 means slow fishing and can start to harm fish around 70 degrees.
Sunny, with a high near 83. Light west wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. About an inch of rain fell last night which means creeks will be running with a slight stain this morning, with most dropping and clearing very quickly. South of us is still recovering from the heavier rain a couple of nights ago. We're in our summer rhythm of tricos in the mornings, then hopper or hippie stomper with a dropper during the day. Smaller beetles fished right along the grassy banks have also been deadly. On creeks with a stain, fishing a scud or even San Juan worm is a good idea as fish will eat a bigger meal with some color in the water.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 77. Light east wind. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Scattered storms continue to roll through our area. Yesterday south of Viroqua was hit pretty hard by rain where the shop, and north of us were mostly spared. Expect clear to stained water with decent water temperatures area wide. Creeks to the south will be stained to muddy. Tricos in the mornings, then terrestrials through the day. Don't forget to fish a dry/dropper to double your chances!
Scattered showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. West wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. We're in a pattern of summer storms, which, outside the potential lightning, is not a bad thing. Creeks are clear to slightly stained as the rains that have hit lately have done so quickly and soaked right into the ground. It has also (mercifully) dropped the humidity briefly. With the sun being the limiting factor, days like today can be quite good. We're still seeing tricos in the mornings, then switching to terrestrials through the rest of the day. Fishing a hippie stomper with a dropper has been fantastic lately!
Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Breezy, with a south wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon. Hot and sunny today. Keep yout fingers crossed that the clouds roll in as the sun will be the limiting factor. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the low 60s. WIth the warmer day today, make sure to use your thermometer. Any creek over 65 will be slow fishing, and much higher than that can be stressful to trout. There are still plenty of creeks running in the high 50s to low 60s. Tricos in the mornings, and hopper dropper through the day. We're in our standard summertime pattern! Fish early, fish late, and find the shade to catch more fish. Your casts have to be right next to the banks on sunny days to tempt trout out from cover.
Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Fishing continues to be good here in the Driftless. Tricos are showing up in the mornings, and on calm mornings like we have today, the fishing can last from sunup to about 10 am! Look for the clouds of bugs over the stream and rising fish as they fall. It might not be consistent rising, but when a cloud drops the fish go nuts and feed on the tiny mayflies with abandon. The rest of the day, fishing a hopper or hippie stomper with a bead head below is still fantastic. We're getting very aggressive strikes from fish on hoppers! Unlike the past few years, our hoppers were not washed away from the spring floods, so there are quite a few more around which means fish are seeing more of them through the day. Terrestrials start working when the tricos shut down. It takes a while for the ground to warm up and dry out for them to get moving. When in doubt, fish deep. A competition style (heavily weighted) bead head nymph rolled along the bottom or underneath undercut banks can get even the fussiest summer trout to eat. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures at 60 degrees. There are a couple of creeks who are reaching the 65 degree mark. Fishing shuts down over 65 degrees and can be lethal to trout if it gets near 70. Please use a thermometer and avoid the larger, warmer creeks this time of year.
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Wow, what a day! Mini cold front coupled with a soaking rain last night has water temperatures and air temperatures excellent today! We received right around an inch of rain last night, but the ground was dry enough to absorb most of it. This means creeks will be clear to slightly stained this morning. The cold and misty morning will keep the trico spinner fall to a minimum. The action until about mid day will be subsurface. Scuds, brush hogs, leeches, and pink squirrels will shine as long as clouds stay overhead. As things get sunny hopper dropper will be deadly again.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Light northwest wind becoming southwest 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Overnight temperatures have been quite pleasant, which means morning fishing has been quite good. During the day, the sun is shining brightly and we are waiting for clouds to show up. Later afternoon water temperatures have climbed quite a bit, so make sure to use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing. Fish early, fish late (when the sun is off the water) and find shade to find fish! Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the 60s. Tricos in the morning. Terrestrials and droppers all day long. When the sun is off the water, fish will be right below the riffles. During the middle part of the day they retreat to deeper pools and undercut banks.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Light north wind. Summer weather! Hot, sunny and humid mid day. Concentrate on fishing early and late and avoiding the mid day heat for the best fishing. Tricos in the mornings, then a hopper/dropper all day long. Fish will be in the feeding lanes and pushed right up to the riffles early and late, then will retreat to deeper holes and beneath undercut banks during the mid day sun. Creeks are clear and a bit low with temperatures in the low 60s. It is time to start using a thermometer again, as a couple creeks are hitting the 65 degree mark. Once above that temperature, fishing pretty much shuts down.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Light north wind. Summer weather is back. While water temperatures are still well below normal, the sun has become a limiting factor again. Fish early, fish late, and find shade mid day. Tricos in the morning have fish rising. The spinner fall lasts from anywhere between sunup and about 10-11 in the morning. After that, fishing a hopper, beetle, or any is key. The terrestrial bite is still quite strong and fish will come out form under cover to smash a hopper lately. Subsurface fishing is best with small, thin bodied bead heads. Bouncing a tungsten fly on the bottom can be quite effective even when the fish are sluggish mid day. Fishing picks up again in the evening with fish looking up again. Into the night, the big fish come out to play and have been eating mice and larger streamers.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. A bit more normal summer temperatures the next couple of days. The good news is that water temperatures are still in great shape after the cold front, and the tricos have showed up in a big way. Fishing early and late is key right now. Finding any kind of shade is key when the sun is high in the sky (or taking a nap mid day is acceptable too!) Tricos are around from first light to about 9/10. After that we have been fishing a hopper/dropper with great success. Get your hopper as close to the bank and overhanging grass as possible. Fish will be tucked under the shade on sunny days like this. Overall creeks are in great shape. They are flowing clear and have water temperatures right around 60 area wide. Only a couple of larger creeks are getting to 65 degrees in the late afternoon.
There is a big fish holding in the pocket under that grass. How do you get a dry/dropper in there? Summer terrestrial fishing in the Driftless is in full swing right now with hoppers, beetles, crickets, and ants being the main course on the surface for our fish. This time of year is perfect for fishing a larger terrestrial or attractor pattern with a bead head dropper tied below it. Not only will fish aggressively eat the surface fly, but it also acts as an indicator for the subsurface pattern. Essentially a bobber that the fish can, and will, eat! Two problems inevitably come up when fishing dry dropper. The first being that the larger, wind resistant flies tend to helicopter, especially when fishing a lighter tippet material, and cause a huge twist and snarl that can be a nightmare to untangle. The second is that the dry/dropper rig tend to be very difficult to fish with accuracy. Here in the Driftless, we are fishing very narrow spring creeks with quite a bit of bankside vegetation and overhanging grass. It can be a game of inches where the flies need to be placed just right in order to get a fish to eat. Casting a larger fly followed by 3-4 feet of tippet material with a heavy bead head accurately is not an easy thing to do at all! The dry may land perfectly, but the dropper ends up snagged on the bank, or everything looks great until the dropper kicks to one side or the other at the end of the cast blowing the perfect drift. Using a bit of imagination and tinkering a bit we came up with the Driftless Dropper rig! Here is how it works. Short, stout leader (Rio Big Nasty 10lb, or any 7.5 2x) Tippet ring 3 feet of 4x tippet with your terrestrial threaded on (not knotted, it needs to be free moving) tippet ring 4 inches of 5x tippet Bead Head nymph With this system, the dry fly is pushed up against the lower tippet ring while casting. When your flies land, they land together. The short 4 inches of tippet prevents the flies from tangling during the cast. As the bead head sinks, your tippet material slides through the free threaded dry fly the entire 3 feet. The dry fly is stopped at the upper tippet ring giving you a tight connection with the subsurface fly like a normal dry/dropper. The added bonus is that the free moving dry fly will not helicopter and twist your tippet. Rigging this way makes fishing a dry/dropper close to the bank far easier, and much less frustrating! Give it a try next time you are out on the creek!
Sunny, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Still feeling the mild summer in the Driftless! It was only 60 degrees when I opened the shop this morning. This continued cool weather is more than comfortable to fish in, and has water temperatures well below where they normally are this time of year. Creeks are in great shape flowing clear with temps in the high 50s in the mornings with only the largest creeks hitting the mid 60s mid day. The trico spinner fall has momentum now and our early morning guided trips are finding spinners on quite a few creeks with rising fish. Afterwards we are fishing small terrestrials in the late morning, then switching to larger terrestrials (hoppers, hippie stompers) mid day and fishing them through the evening. Don't forget to tie on a dropper below! Subsurface fishing has also been great as fish are still responding well to smaller scuds, brush hogs, perdigons, and midge larvae. At night, larger streamers and mice have been getting very aggressive eats and there have been some larger fish showing up again.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 70. Northwest wind 6 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. No, that is not a typo. The high is only 70 degrees today!!! This cooler weather has summer fishing in the Driftless going strong. Creeks are clear (the rain missed us last night) and flowing with water temperatures in the high 50s to 60 area wide. Only a couple creeks are hitting the mid 60s at the end of the day (Bad Axe watershed specifically) Tricos are doing their thing in the morning and we have found pods of fish rising to the spinner fall. Once that fades we are fishing terrestrials with great success. Plopping a hopper or beetle next to overhanging grass has been extremely effective! Subsurface fishing is best on smaller, thinner bodied bugs. Think pheasant tail and midge larvae instead of a bushy hare's ear this time of season. It is rare we get these water temps this time of year. Tie on a hopper/dropper and take advantage of these conditions if you can!! Also, the summer clearance continues. 50% off men's and women's clothing and apparel as well as sales on select rods/reels/waders etc,
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 80. Light west wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Another cold front rolling in today! Tomorrows high is not supposed to top 70 degrees. Incredible summer weather. Creeks are clear and flowing a bit low. Morning temperatures are in the high 50s. Evening temperatures are in the low to mid 60s. We're seeing tricos in the mornings with rising fish sipping spinners until around 9-10 on some creeks. After that we are fishing a terrestrial with a dropper. Ants, beetles, hoppers, and larger attractor flies are great on the surface, while subsurface fishing is best with smaller bead head nymphs and midge larvae. At night, the mouse fishing has been lots of fun with some aggressive eats and a few larger fish being landed lately. Remember our summer sale is going on too, with gear, apparel and accessories 25-70% off!
Sunny, with a high near 80. Northwest wind around 10 mph. The sun is our limiting factor right now, otherwise things are great for mid July! Tricos in the mornings, take a break mid day, then terrestrials with a dropper Creeks are clear and running right around 60 degrees. Get out there and take advantage of this incredible cool weather!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Looking at the forecast, today is going to be the warmest day all week! We can say it enough, this weather is unbelievably trout friendly for mid summer! Creeks are in excellent shape with great clarity and water temperatures that are just around 60 degrees. A few degrees cooler than average. We've been seeing trico spinner falls on some creeks in the mornings, and overnight temperatures have been cool enough that the spinner fall is a couple hours past first light instead of at dawn. Mid morning we are switching to fishing terrestrials and attractor flies on the surface. Tying a dropper on one of these is THE way to fish right now. Fish will rise again in the evening time to simple parachute dries and emergers.
A 20 percent chance of showers after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. North wind 9 to 11 mph. The cool weather continues and the fishing is responding!! Creeks are flowing clear to stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s area wide. This unseasonably cool weather has trout in a very good mood! The trico spinner fall is on us! They spinners are showing up a bit later in the morning due to cooler overnight temperatures. As they start to slow down, fish start to switch to feeding on terrestrials on the surface. The hopper bite has been a ton of fun lately! Subsurface fishing has been solid on smaller, thin bodied patterns such as perdigons, pink belly pheasant tails, and purple zebra midges. With the cloud cover lately, leeches and scuds have also been effective. We don't normally get this good weather in July, and it is forecasted to last into next week as well!
Partly sunny, with a high near 76. North wind 9 to 14 mph. Incredible mid summer conditions this weekend. Mild weather with scattered cloud cover will keep fish in a great mood. It rained less than 1/2 an inch here since yesterday evening. We're seeing some tricos in the mornings with fish just starting to key in on them. Mid day through the evening is all about terrestrials. Hippie stompers, ants, beetles, are all working on the surface. Coupling them with a dropper can be deadly! Creeks are clear to stained and flowing at high 50s to low 60s area wide.
Cloudy, with a high near 70. Northwest wind 6 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. The rain fell very gently last night. We received about an inch total area wide. The major storms missed us meaning the rain had a chance to soak in leaving our creeks clear to stained this morning. The weather is about as good as you can ask for this July. Water temps are cool and the daytime temperatures are more than pleasant. Tricos have arrived and we are starting to see the spinner falls in the mornings. It is the very early stage of the hatch, and fish are not yet laser focused on them, but give it a day or two and the early spinner fall fishing will be excellent. For the most part, fish are keyed in on terrestrials on the surface. Ants, beetles, and hoppers have all been fantastic! A hopper or larger attractor pattern with a small bead head tied below as a dropper is the best way to fish right now. With the cool and cloudy weather, we have a chance of seeing more rising fish to some sporadic mayfly hatches (parachute adams hatch!) today. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on zebra midges, brush hogs, perdigons, and pink belly pheasant tails. Today, with the clouds, also fish a scud or leech.
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. South wind 7 to 13 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, Another great summer day in the Driftless!! If you can, this is the weather to take advantage of in our fishery. It is cooler and cloudier than normal and the fishing when the sun is off the water has been quite good! Clouds should be overhead all day today, and a bit of rain in the afternoon means fishing all day. The sun has been the limiting factor. Even with water temperatures staying pretty stable, a cloudless sky shuts fishing down. Normally we're fishing very early and very late and avoiding the mid day sun. Today we don't have to worry about that! The cloud cover means solid subsurface fishing all day. Smaller, thin bodied bead heads are the ticket as underwater fish are seeing midges and trico nymphs. Sprinkle in a few scuds (they are much more active on cloudy days) and you should have fish eating all day. On the surface, attractors will be key. Terrestrials will start up later today and be slower if we get the rain. However, a bigger, bright fly on the surface will entice fish to eat. Creeks are clear and a touch low with water temperatures hovering right around 60 degrees on average.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Fishing remains great for this summer! Creeks are clear and flowing at about 60 degrees thanks to the cooler nights and mild days. The sun is still the limiting factor, so make sure you fish early and late, then grab a bit to eat and take a nap mid day! It is all about terrestrials and attractor flies right now. A hopper, beetle or ant on the surface is doing very well. Subsurface fishing has been steady especially when fishing deeper with heavy flies, or tying on a bead head as a dropper below your terrestrial. We have started to see some fish rising in the mornings and the first few tricos are showing up. It isn't the full blown spinner fall yet, but we should see that very soon! If you are chasing big fish, now is the time to fish a mouse or large streamer at night! Don't forget that our summer sale is going on right now too! 25-50% off pretty much everything in store!
Sunny, with a high near 79. North wind 3 to 7 mph. All is good in the Driftless! Opened the shop with 60 degree temperatures. The cool nights and relatively mild days means fishing has been solid lately! Creeks are clear and flowing with water temperatures right around 60 degrees. Terrestrials are the ticket right now. Ants, beetles, hoppers, crickets, hippie stompers.... Fish are keying in on them on the surface especially when fished near undercut banks and overhanging grass. Subsurface fishing has been hot on anything with a slimmer profile (we're usually dropping them below our terrestrial or attractor fly). Brush hogs, pheasant tails, purple zebras, zikas, and Liberace have all been catching fish! Creeks and fish are in really good shape and will continue to be so this week as we are not forecasted to see a air temperature hitting 80 for the next week!
Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 80. North wind 6 to 10 mph. Temperatures remain pretty cool this week for mid July. We're still in summer so make sure you use your thermometer. Water temperatures over 65 mean slower fishing and anything much over 68. Aquatic insects are slow right now which is normal for this time of year. We're waiting for trico spinner falls to show up. While we have not seen them yet, we have started to see some rising fish in the mornings. In other words, they're coming.... Terrestrials are the main course on the surface right now. Fish are happily eating hoppers, crickets, ants, beetles etc especially near overhanging vegetation and fished right up against undercut banks. Subsurface fishing remains solid, with fish eating brush hogs, perdigons, midge larvae, and ice cream cones.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the morning. Another round of rain yesterday mostly missed us! We have had about an inch in the past 24 hours which means creeks will be stained but not unfishable (with only a couple creeks running muddy this morning). They will be clearing quickly as well. These rains have cooled things down immensely with a pleasant weekend ahead and next week's highs do not top 80 degrees! Look for fish to eat attractors and terrestrials on top. Training wheels have been excellent lately as have hippie stompers and small hoppers. Subsurface fishing is all about the brush hog right now. With the cloudy weather and stained water, scuds have also been quite good. Do not neglect to fish a San Juan worm or leech too, when there are clouds in the sky and a stain on the water, fish will look for these bigger meals!
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. West wind around 6 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch Brief but heavy rains last night have creeks stained up this morning. They are already fishable and clearing with only one or two blown out. The rains were a blessing as they dropped the major heat we were experiencing and dropped both air and water temperatures a bit! We're looking at the low 80s to 84 for highs this weekend, not too shabby for mid July. The creeks are running with water temps right around 60. It is still a good idea to carry a thermometer as if they warm up much past 65, things start to shut down. On the stained creeks, scuds, leeches and san juan worms will be effective, while on the clear stuff terrestrials with a dropper is key. Most of our aquatic insect hatches have slowed down (which is normal for this time of year as we wait on the trico spinners). But, surface action has been very solid on ants, beetles, hoppers, hippie stompers and other attractor flies. Subsurface fishing has been all about the brush hog and pink belly pheasant tail. Mousing at night has been fantastic, but will slow a bit for a day or two as the rains have things pretty soggy bankside.
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 88. Heat index values as high as 96. South wind 7 to 11 mph. Hot and humid today, Potential relief in rainstorms tonight and into tomorrow. We are in our standard summer cycle. A few hot days followed by rain to get rid of the heat and humidity, then a few comfortable and cooler days. Saturday through Wednesday look pretty good right now! The good news is that the water temperatures are still holding on. We're seeing mid 60s peak on some of our normally warmer creeks in the evening time. Remember your thermometer as anything over that 65 degrees will mean poor fishing and can be lethal to fish much higher than that. Fish early, fish late, and avoid the mid day sun! Fish are far more responsive early in the morning when water temperatures are coolest. Action picks up again in the evening time when the sun leaves the water and things cool down again. Aquatic insect activity is slow this time of season, which is normal. We're waiting for the tricos to show up for our next major match the hatch moment. In the meantime, terrestrials have been fantastic! Ants and beetles and smaller hoppers are very effective on the surface, and fishing a buoyant pattern with a bead head below (brush hog, pink belly PT, perdigon) is deadly this time of year.
Hot and sunny weather continues a couple more days. Fishing is still solid, but things warm up a bit mid day. Make sure you use your thermometer as anything over 65 will be poor fishing. Creeks are clear and flowing in the low 60s. Morning fishing has been decent on tiny things both surface and subsurface, but the evenings have been when things turn on. Ants and beetles are hot, and fish are also eating small grashoppers. Fishing a terrestrial with a dropper has been very effective with brush hogs and pink belly PTs below being the best. Mousing at night has also given up some nice fish and some aggressive eats too!
Sunny, with a high near 79. East wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. We're looking at excellent weather for the weekend! Low temperatures in the 60s, highs hovering right around 80. Creeks are clear and flowing well with temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. The limiting factor will be the sun, so fish early, fish late and find shade for better fishing. Hatches are sparse which is normal this time of year. You have a chance to run across some caddis when the sun is off the water, and we have seen fish rising even in the mid day sun to some midges! The main action is on terrestrials. Even when we have seen fish rising, throwing a beetle or ant at them can get them to eat! Subsurface fishing has been solid on perdigons, brush hogs, pink belly PTs and purple zebra midges. Early and later fish are in the shin to thigh deep water. In the mid day sun they find shade under undercut banks or deep in pools.
Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 82. Light west wind becoming northwest 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Wow, a perfect sting of summer weather the next few days. Highs in the high 70s and nighttime temps around 60, The heat yesterday was wiped out thanks to a couple rain showers. The rains here were not enough to blow things out and creeks remain clear to stained with water temperatures right around 60. The few creeks that are stained will clear up quickly as the storms hit early evening yesterday. Fish have been feeding on the surface, even in some cases mid day, on a mix of bugs including caddis, tiny mayflies, midges and craneflies. The major surface action has been on terrestrials. Small hoppers, beetles and ants (floating and sunken) have been the main course for a while now. Fishing a dry/dropper with a foam pattern on top and a brush hog or pink belly pheasant tail has been excellent. Subsurface bugs have been best with a tungsten head and typically thin bodied. Fish them in the shin to thigh deep runs as well as underneath undercut banks. At night mousing has been a ton of fun, and some big fish have been caught fishing larger streamer and leech patterns.
A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 99. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Hot and humid today until the clouds roll in and hopefully dump some rain and get things back to normal. The past couple of days have been very good fishing as long as you were not out there mid day. The fish are definitely more interested in feeding early and late when the sun is off the water and water temperatures have dropped a degree or two. Overall creeks are in great shape flowing clear with temperatures in the low 60s. While we are seeing a few caddis hatches and some lighter colored mayflies, terrestrials are the main course right now. Beetles, hoppers and ants are getting fish to eat all day long. Fishing a dry/dropper rig near grassy undercuts and right below riffles has been a ton of fun. Late at night, mousing has been quite fun with lots of fish willing to swipe at a bigger meal.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Summertime in the Driftless and the fishing is good! Creeks are clear to slightly stained as the rains mostly missed us last weekend. Temperatures are in the low to mid 60s area wide. The sun has been the limiting factor lately. Morning fishing has been great until the sun climbs higher in the sky. Mid day fishing means fishing deep, or beneath undercut banks. We have also had success casting hoppers and other terrestrials tight to the grassy banks mid day. Hatches have slowed down a bit which is very normal for this time of season. We're still seeing some caddis and lighter colored mayflies, but the major surface action is on terrestrials right now! Small hoppers, crickets, ants and beetles are all working well on the surface as well as sunken just below the surface. Subsurface fishing has been great on brush hogs, squogs, scuds and other heavy nymphs fished below riffles. Just remember to fish early, fish late, and find the shady spots for better fishing during the sunny periods of the day!
Sunny, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning. After another couple of abnormally hot days the later weekend got things back on track. The rains we received Saturday were perfect. Nice, gentle soaking rains (in vernon county specifically) that did not significantly stain the waters up. It also dropped temperatures and put the fish in a much better mood. We're still a little warm so continue to use your thermometer. If things are above 65 degrees, fishing will start to shut down rapidly and can be harmful to trout. Find cooler creeks, find shade and you will find happier fish. Overall creeks are clear and a touch low with temperatures in the low 60s. Hatches are sparse, however we are still catching fish on caddis and craneflies. On the surface terrestrials have become the main course. We have been doing very well on ants and beetles and you can have quite a bit of fun fishing a hippie stomper or training wheel with a brush hog tied below! Subsurface fishing is also still solid, especially when the sun is high in the sky and the surface activity tapers off. Heavy flies such as perdigons and squogs as well as pheasant tails and purple zebra midges have been effective both as droppers off of terrestrials as well as fished deeper under indicators.
Sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 105. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. It's ugly hot out there! Creek temperatures are still stable but it is borderline dangerous to be out in the mid day heat. Fish early, fish late, and find shade to find fish. Fish will be deep near the springs prepare to deep nymphs and throw terrestrials near the bank for the best success!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Hot weather is coming! Fish early and fish late and find shade to find trout. Water temperatures are still good but the sun is shining brightly and will make it uncomfortable for anglers mid day as well as will make the fish spooky and fussy. Creeks are clear and flowing well. We're still seeing some hatches of caddis, light colored mayflies and craneflies, but the focus has begun to shift to terrestrials on the surface. We're catching fish on smaller hoppers, beetles, and ants (try sinking your ant or beetle!). Fishing a hippie stomper and a dropper is deadly right now. Night time fishing on mice and large streamers has been a ton of fun too.
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Perfect summer conditions today! Rains yesterday missed us for the most part leaving creeks clear to slightly stained with only one or two exceptions. Water temperatures are in the mid 50s to mid 60s area wide. It is starting to get to the point that carrying a thermometer is a good idea again as a couple of the larger creeks are hitting the mid 60s water temperature wise. Over 65 and fishing slows down quite a bit and can be stressful on fish. Overall though the fish are very happy eating a mixture of mayflies, craneflies and caddis early and late on the surface while starting to aggressively eat ants beetles and hoppers all day long. Subsurface fishing on the cloudy days has been excellent with leeches and scuds. On clear days in clear water we are doing well with soft hackles, midge larvae, and thinner profiled flies (pink belly PT, perdigon etc). As is the case each summer brush hogs are a go to subsurface fly. Don't hit the creeks without a few in your fly box!
Showers and thunderstorms likely before noon, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between noon and 3pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 3pm. High near 72. Southeast wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Things are still hopping in the Driftless! Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. As we transition into summer we will start to see some warmer water temperatures. It is a good idea to carry a thermometer with you. When you start to see surface temperatures of 65 degrees, fishing will be slow. Overall temps are in great shape though, and the trout are happy. Fishing is best on days like today when there are clouds in the sky! Look for fish to feed early on the surface, then retreat subsurface near mid day. They will venture out to the shallower runs in the evenings to feed on the hatching mayflies. Terrestrials including ants, beetles, and small hoppers are great right now on the surface. We're still catching fish on craneflies, caddis and light colored mayflies too. Subsurface is best on scuds, squogs, and brush hogs on cloudy days. Sunny days have been fishing well on pheasant tails, zebra midges (especially purple) frenchies and perdigons.
Partly sunny, with a high near 79. East wind 8 to 14 mph. Fishing has been quite fun lately. Water temperatures are in the high 50s to low 60s area wide. Creeks are clear to slightly stained. Sun will be the limiting factor today, so make sure you fish early and late and find the shade. Fish have been happy to eat ants, beetles, and small hoppers throughout the day on the surface. Hatches of sulphurs and cahills are still around mostly in the evening. Cranflies and flush floating caddis dries skated and twitched on the surface are very effective right now too! Subsurface fishing has been best on zebra midges (especially purple), ice cream cones, frenchies and brush hogs. Fish are holding early and late in the shin to thigh deep water and will fall back to deeper pools and undercut banks when the sun is shining on the water.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph. Things are fishing well right now! Creeks are clear to stained and flowing with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s area wide. We're seeing the return of lighter colored mayflies hatching in the evening, and in the mean time hippie stompers and user friendlies have been catching fish like crazy. We're doing well on our evening hatch aquatic insect fishing, but the terrestrials are starting to take over as the most successful patterns on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been solid on leeches, scuds, pink squirrels frenchies and squogs. Sun is still the limiting factor so fish early and late and find shady areas and you will catch more trout.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Light north wind becoming northeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Despite the light rain the past couple of days we do have fishable water! Yesterday we found some clear water and some rising fish too! Expect stained to cloudy water area wide. Things are clearing quickly as we did not get intense rain yesterday. Do not expect the larger creeks to be clear. Focus on the headwater areas and smaller feeder creeks. Stained water was fishing well yesterday on san juan worms and leeches as well as larger attractor patterns (training wheel) with a scud dropper. Clear water was fishing well on craneflies, cahills, and hippie stompers with a pheasant tail type fly dropped below it. Water temperatures are excellent right now and fish are happy. This cloudy weather has dropped temperatures and made fish very comfortable as well as re-invigorated some of our hatches.
Rains have stopped. We lucked out again and only received light rain throughout the day. We have fishable water and even a few clear creeks. We are not expected to see any more rain tonight and through tomorrow which means things are dropping and clearing quickly. On the murky streams, San Juan Worms, leeches and scuds are working. The clear creeks are fishing well on craneflies, soft hackles, and pheasant tails. Sorry for the late report! Forgot to click save this morning!
UPDATE: No extra rain has fell since this morning!! And it looks like we are not supposed to get any more. Creeks are dropping and clearing quickly here. We have fishable water right now and will have more by this evening! Raining this morning as we opened the shop. It has been fairly heavy so far, but nothing on the radar behind it. Creeks yesterday were clear to mildly stained. With the rain this morning expect stained to muddy in the morning with a handful clearing out by this afternoon (barring any more rain). It isn't disastrous as the first storm has already passed as of the writing of the report. San Juan worms, scuds, leeches in the murky water. Scuds, brush hogs, Squogs, and hare's ears in the clear to stained water. A temporary pain, this rain has super cooled things and refilled the springs which means solid fishing for the near future!
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8am, then showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. We received about an inch of rain throughout the night last night. Rain intensity varied from valley to valley which means we will have some clear water this morning as well as some murky water. This rain was a much needed relief after a hot and humid weekend! Look for fish to be feeding on scuds, leeches, and San Juan worms in the murky and cloudy water. As things drop and clear they will switch to scuds and other larger nymphs. The rain will suppress the terrestrial activity a bit, but we should see some decent aquatic insect activity on the stained to clear creeks throughout the day.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 97. Light and variable wind becoming south 9 to 14 mph in the morning. Fishing has remained strong despite the horribly hot weather. Make sure to fish early, fish late, and stay hydrated if you do not take a break mid day. Fishing is best when the sun is off the water. We're still seeing fish feeding heavily on ants and beetles throughout the day as well as responding to soft hackles swung below the riffles. In the evening fish are rising to lighter colored mayflies and yellow sallies. Subsurface fishing has been good below the riffles on thinner profiled nymphs and small midge larvae. This is the time of year to fish a mouse pattern at night! We've had some nice fish caught after the sun goes down lately.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Heat index values as high as 98. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Hot. Sunny. Fish early and late and find shade to find the happy trout. Hatches in the evening including larger size 12-14 cahills and 16-18 sulphurs continue daily. We're also seeing yellow sallies. Terrestrial fishing has been great, even mid day. Fishing a hopper and dropper is not a bad idea right now (especially if the dropper is a sunken ant!) The mousing at night has been fantastic with a couple huge fish being caught recently.
Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Some much needed cloud cover is around today. While spotty, it will be far better than the bright sun we had yesterday. Fishing has been quite good with creeks clear to stained and running in the mid to high 50s to 60s temperature wise. We are seeing our bug soup in the evenings with all kinds of different light colored mayflies, yellow sallies, caddis, craneflies and midges hatching. During the day fishing a hippie stomper with a dropper is very effective as is fishing a heavy tungsten bead pattern right below riffles and into the undercut banks. Fish are feeding in the riffles and runs early, then will slip into deeper water and under cover mid day only to emerge into the riffles and runs again in the evening. If you aren't too tired after a day of fishing, mousing at night has been a lot of fun lately!
Sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Fishing conditions are great right now! The recent rains missed us leaving our creeks clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the mid 50s to 60s area wide. We're doing very well on terrestrials and attractor flies with small bead heads tied below (dry/dropper) as well as still catching fish on caddis, craneflies, sulphurs and other lighter colored mayflies on the surface. Subsurface action has been quite good right below the riffles on perdigons, pink belly PTs, brush hogs, and soft hackles. Mousing at night is really picking up. We've had lots of aggressive eats each night we have been out mousing lately with a couple larger fish being hooked (notice I did not say landed!)
A slight chance of showers before 10am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Things are still looking great in the Wisconsin Driftless! The recent rains have all but missed us or given us some light soaking showers. Our creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the mid 50s to 60s. We're still seeing hatches of olives on cloudy days. Also hatching are lighter colored mayflies and even a few caddis are getting fish to eat on the surface. Aquatic insects are usually better early and late, with terrestrials (ants, beetles, hoppers) working mid day. Fishing a dry dropper mid day with a larger, visible attractor pattern and a bead head tied below it is great right now! Subsurface fishing is still hot on heavy bead heads rolled along the bottom of deeper pools and right below riffles where fish are feeding. Mousing at night is picking up with quite a few fish hitting a slowly swimming mouse pattern!
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 4pm and 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. East wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. The rains passed south of Vernon county yesterday. We only received a half inch or so overall in the past 24 hours. Our creeks are clear to slightly stained today with temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. Lighter colored mayflies are hatching, especially in the evenings and we are having success on dries throughout the day. In addition to the sulphurs and cahills, tan caddis are working as are terrestrials. Subsurface fishing is good on pretty much anything right now with pheasant tails and brush hogs being a safe bet.
Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 1pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. High near 71. East wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A bunch of scattered rain is due to fall today. So far it is not looking to be anything that will blow out waters. Fishing has been quite good and a bit of rain will only make it better by recharding some springs and cooling the water (hopefully putting a slight stain on it as well!). Lighter colored bugs are the main course. We are seeing decent numbers of sulphuirs, cahills, and even some sallies and craneflies out there. Tan caddis are still working, and on cloudy days we are STILL seeing olives hatching. Subsurface fishing has been quite solid on most anything with a thinner profile and with some decent weight to it. Fish are in the runs feeding well and will push up into the shallower riffles if a hatch is present.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. East wind 5 to 7 mph. Consistently good fishing out there right now. Tan caddis are getting fish to eat in the mornings, switching to small terrestrials mid day and even some cahills and sulphurs if the clouds remain overhead. Subsurface fishing is quite good, especially on heavy tungsten bugs fished right below the riffles. Fish are quite happy and feeding throughout the entire day. The cloud cover we have been seeing lately makes for excellent conditions!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. We love seeing the clouds! Fishing has been quite good lately with quite a few different flies hatching. Fish are looking up to sulphurs, caddis, craneflies, ants, beetles, and even small hoppers and hippie stompers! Subsurface fishing has been good on heavy flies (tungsten heads) like frenchies, squogs, dirty birds and perdigons. Creeks are clear with the exception of one or two and flowing with temperatures in the high 50s to 60s. Fishing has been best when the sun is off the water, so if the clouds hold overhead, it should be quite fun out there today!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Another gorgeous spring day in the Driftless. Nothing much has changed over the past couple of days of fishing which is an excellent thing. Stable weather means solid fishing. The sun is your limiting factor right now. Creeks are a bit low and clear with temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. The sun shining down on crystal clear water means fish will seek shelter mid day while they wait for the evening hatches. Sulphurs and other lighter colored mayflies are the main course right now with a few caddis, craneflies, and terrestrials also getting fish to rise. Subsurface fishing has been best on thin bodied nymphs with a bit of weight and flash. Things like the rainbow perdigon and two bit hooker have been good when the sun is out. Early and late we are doing well with thicker bodied patterns like the Squog and the brush hog. Looking ahead weather wise, we are getting into the pattern of possible rain each night. Nothing horrible is forecasted and the evening showers/storms can make fishing even better by re filling the springs and possibly putting a stain on the water. As usual, we will keep you updated!
Sunny, with a high near 77. Breezy, with a light west wind increasing to 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Spring time bug soup is on us! We are seeing sulphurs, yellow sallies, caddis, craneflies, olives, PMDs, Cahills, and even some larger March Brown type mayflies throughout the day. Dry fly fishing has been quite fun lately with the best fishing early and late. Mid day surface fishing has still been effective, but leaning more towards small terrestrials and attractor patterns. Subsurface fishing has been solid on Sqogs, brush hogs, small scuds, and pink belly pheasant tails as well as perdigons. Fish are in the shin to thigh deep water below the riffles and will push into the riffles when a hatch is coming off. Creeks are clear and a bit low with water temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Southeast wind 9 to 13 mph THings are back on track with the weather in the Driftless for the next couple of days. It feels chilly this morning, and we are supposed to get some showers this evening. Fishing has been quite good lately with fish rising early to some mayflies and attractor patterns as well as small terrestrials. Mid day we are doing well on nymphs rolled right below the riffles at the head of the pool. In the later part of the day fish are moving up into riffles to feed on hatching sulphurs and yellow sallies. Terrestrials are quite important when mayflies are not around. Fishing an attractor foam pattern with a bead head nymph below is great for prospecting. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s area wide.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Light east wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Fishing is good in the Driftless! We're seeing quite a few bugs hatching with caddis, yellow sallies, and sulphurs. Most of the hatch activity is concentrated later in the day, but we have had rising fish all day regardless of the bug situation. Terrestrials are also doing quite well with ants and beetles getting fish to eat. Subsurface fishing remains good on pretty much everything. This has been the year of tungsten bugs. Fish your nymphs deep and you will find fish! Creeks are clear to stained and flowing in the high 50s to 60s area wide. We're starting to get rid of the higher water temperatures from last week, but taking a break mid day on sunny days is not a bad idea. The weekend looks quite pleasant weather wise with only a small chance of some showers Saturday night.
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the morning. What a difference in weather! It cooled down quite a bit and we received about an inch of rain throughout the area yesterday. The rain wasn't enough to muddy up anything significantly outside of a creek or two. Most creeks will be clear to stained with water temperatures dropping back down to the high 50s and low 60s. The fish are in a much more willing mood right now and are eating well both surface and subsurface. On the surface fish are still eating caddis and craneflies, and we have started to see some lighter colored mayflies (sulphurs, cahills etc) as well as yellow sallies appear over the past couple of days. Subsurface fishing is still best on thicker profile flies like brush hogs, prince nymphs, and pink squirrels. We are slowly transitioning to slimmer bodied flies like pheasant tails, perdigons, and some euro style tungsten bead head bugs. Do not neglect terrestrials. Fishing a dry dropper with a beetle or hippie stomper has been quite good, especially mid day. Finally, mousing has been quite fun the past few nights! Slowly swimming a mouse pattern through a pool at night is a ton of fun.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Forecast dropped thunderstorms and changed to showers today! Hopefully we get a nice soaking rain all day today to soak into the ground and cool things down. Fishing has remained good despite the past few days of unseasonably hot weather. With more normal temperatures look for the return of lighter colored mayflies, craneflies, and even a few caddis. Don't forget your smaller terrestrials on the surface as they are catching quite a few fish! Subsurface fishing is starting to slowly move away from the thicker bodied patterns (prince nymphs, brush hogs) and move to slimmer patterns (pink belly PT, perdigon). It has not fully transitioned yet, but having a couple different profiles is not a bad idea. At night, mouse fishing has really picked up and we have had a few reports of some nicer fish eating on the surface in the dark!
Apparently the hot weather melted the fishing reports too. Sorry about the past couple of days. We have things up and running again! Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. East wind 5 to 9 mph. It has been more than unseasonably hot out there! It looks like today is forecasted to be our last hot day for a while (we hope!). With the warmer temperatures we are limited to fishing first thing in the morning then late in the evening. It isn't worth overheating to be out there mid day. Fishing has been strong early with fish rising to a mix of mayflies and terrestrials as well as feeding subsurface on heavy bead heads. Please make sure to take a water temperature as things have warmed up significantly. If you find anything near 65, head to a different creek as you can stress fish. Some much needed normal weather is on its way soon!
Areas of dense fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Warm front rolling in starting today. Look for this weather to rejuvenate the caddis fishing and continue the good cranefly and terrestrial action. Creeks are clear to mildly stained with water temperatures in the mid to high 50s. Fish are eating on the surface sporadically on craneflies, caddis, and terrestrials. This is a perfect time of season to fish a dry/dropper combo as searching patterns and attractor patterns on the surface are working. Better to have a fish eat your indicator fly than an true indicator! Subsurface fishing is a mix of success as fish are taking pretty much every kind of subsurface pattern. Just make sure it is a heavy bug. Remember to move your flies! Action is important this time of year!
Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Light and variable wind. Things are really nice in the Driftless right now. The rains yesterday put some stain on the water, but nothing was blown out completely that wasn't already. This leaves us with the majority of our creeks clear to stained and running with water temperatures in the mid to high 50s. Fishing has started to pick up on terrestrials lately. Fishing a beetle or hippie stomper on top has gotten quite a few fish to look up. With the cloudy weather we are seeing mayflies early in the morning, and we are still seeing a few caddis during the day too. Craneflies are also hatching throughout the day! Subsurface fishing has continued to be good on heavy bead heads with a bit of thickness to them. Think more prince nymph than midge larvae. With the stained water, do not be afraid to fish a leech or San Juan worm.
Periods of showers, mainly before 4pm. High near 59. East wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Fishing is still strong in the driftless! The recent rains this morning did not do anything significant to the creeks. We are still finding clear to stained water area wide. Caddis and craneflies are getting fish to look up, and we have been having more and more success on training wheels and hippie stompers. Subsurface has been excellent fishing on thicker bodied bugs. More prince nymph and hare's ear thickness than midge larvae. Mousing has started to pick up at night too!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Far better weather than the heat wave of mid week! Creeks are low and clear with warmer than usual water temperatures. The cloud cover and drizzle through this weekend should help cool things down quite a bit. Caddis and craneflies are hatching, but with the cooler and cloudy weather, the caddis hatch will subside a little bit and we should see a couple mayflies hatching on and off instead. The cranefly hatch will sill be there. Look for splashy and random rises and you have found the craneflies. Fishing subsurface will be great on scuds through the weekend as long as the clouds hold. The general rule of thumb applies that the sunnier the weather, the smaller and thinner bodied the fly and the cloudier the weather, the thicker and larger the fly. Night time fishing is starting to pick up on larger streamers and mice.
Sunny, with a high near 81. Light and variable wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Cranefly and caddis hatches are pretty solid right now! Creeks are clear to slightly stained. The heavy rains earlier this week missed us and we have had rising fish for the past couple of days. On the surface fish are eating craneflies fished with a twitch and skitter, and caddis that float very low in the surface film. Subsurface fishing has been best on brush hogs, rainbow perdigons, and other heavy patterns that tend to be thicker. Temperatures are in the mid to high 50s area wide.
Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Creeks are in excellent shape! Fish are looking up for caddis and craneflies most of the day and we have started fishing terrestrials with success too! Creeks are flowing well and clear with temperatures in the mid to high 50s. The rains for a couple days ago missed us completely and our creeks are fishing very well. Look for splashy rises as fish are feeding on caddis and craneflies from mid morning through the day. On some creeks we are still seeing some mayfly activity especially in the evenings and in shady areas. Subsurface fishing has been best on frenchies, brush hogs, and and pink squirrels. Think thicker bodied patterns as these represent caddis larvae and cranefly larvae. Don't forget about the brook lamprey too. A large olive leech fished right below riffles can be deadly this time of year! Night fishing is starting to happen too! Fishing a large leech or streamer at night has gotten some fish to go.
mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Light and variable wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Things are in great shape right now! The last couple of nights of rains were light to non existent leaving our creeks high and clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the mid 50s. We are seeing caddis and craneflies hatching throughout the day, and we are even still seeing olives popping off in the evenings as the sun starts to go down. (For early risers there is a small spinner fall in the mornings on some creeks too). Subsurface fishing has been very solid on frenchies and scuds as well as continuing to be great on anything heavy rolled along the bottom. Do not neglect terrestrials as we have been catching quite a few fish on ants, beetles, and hippie stompers.
A 20 percent chance of showers after 2pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 58. East wind 8 to 10 mph. Wow did we dodge a bullet. It did not rain nearly as much as predicted last night leaving creeks in much better shape than we expected today. It only rained about a quarter of an inch last night. Creeks are clear to heavily stained and flowing high. There is fishbale water to be found and a chance of dry fly fishing on the clearer headwater creeks today. Most of the water will have a stain and fish well with subsurface flies such as San Juan Worms and Leeches as well as scuds.
Periods of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm. High near 43. Breezy, with an east wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. We can't catch a break! Another 3/4 ro an inch fell last night in the Wisconsin Driftless. West of the Mississippi got up to 4 inches in some spots. Our creeks are muddy again. We are forecasted to get more rain today and a bit more tonight. The ground is mostly saturated and there is little rain soaking in anymore. What that means is that we will have some ugly water today. There will be lots of high and muddy creeks with a few fishable (leeches and San Juan worms!). There is a chance of finding the needle in a haystack stained creek, but probably not until tomorrow afternoon. If we receive more rain through the day and night Saturday will also be very dicey. Check the tributaries and headwater creeks as they are your best bet at finding fishable water.
Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. It didn't rain last night! Creeks are dropping and clearing well today. We're clear to heavily stained area wide with the smaller creeks and tributaries clearer for the most part. Caddis are the main hatch, although we are still seeing olives on the cloudy days. Watch for craneflies on the sunnier days too. Keep an eye out for brook lamprey. These non-parasitic lamprey are a huge meal for large trout! Make sure you have a few larger olive leeches or streamers in your fly box!! Water temperatures are in the 50s to low 60s area wide.
Cloudy, with a high near 69. South wind 9 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Cooler and drizzly throughout the day today. We received about 2/3 and inch of rain last night which will bring up some creek levels and put some color back into the water too. In the murky water fish leeches and san juan worms as well as scuds. Caddis are hatching on the clear creeks mid day and fish are taking dries as well as larvae and pupae. The creek lamprey are showing up again so do not be afraid to throw a large olive leech pattern.
Partly sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 13 to 15 mph. Warm and sunny again today, the next few days we will see cloud cover and some showers. It doesn't look like the disastrous heavy rains we saw last week though! The cloud cover will help quite a bit, and the drop in temperature will be much more comfortable for fish and anglers. We're fishing caddis and craneflies on the surface as well as starting to fish small terrestrials (ants and beetles). Subsurface fishing has been best on heavily weighted thicker bodied bugs like frenchies and brush hogs. Leeches and larger scuds are also effective, especially on the creeks that are still showing a bit of stain. Overall creeks are clear to stained with temperatures in the mid to high 50s.
Sunny, with a high near 77. Southeast wind 5 to 11 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Finally a night without rain! Creeks are dropping and clearing slowly. Main branches are still stained to murky and smaller tributaries are clear to stained. Water temperatures are 50-60 area wide. On the murky creeks, we are still finding success on leeches, San Juan worms, large scuds, and pink squirrels. On the clear creeks we are catching fish on caddis larvae and pupae as well as fishing to rising fish with caddis (both black and tan) as well as craneflies. Things are looking good for the week ahead!
Hot and sunny today. Creeks have dropped significantly and are beginning to clear out nicely. While most of the larger streams are still running muddy, there is clear to stained fishable water out there right now. Leeches and San Juan worms are quite effective in the cloudy water, while caddis are hatching on the clear creeks. Sunday and into early next week are looking to set up to be excellent fishing!
Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 7 to 15 mph. Flooded. We received another 2 plus inches of rain and things are out of the bank. The problem is that bankside vegetation has not rooted out and banks are not stable and falling in creating an even muddier situation. This should clear up through the day and give us fishable water by tomorrow, but today is ugly. There will be a couple tiny creeks that you may stumble upon today, but overall it is not fishable today.
A 30 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Patchy dense fog before 9am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon. Creeks went up a bit last night as we received 1/2 to 1 inch of rain overnight. Things are clearing quickly again and we already have reports of anglers catching fish. It won't be pretty again, but stock up on your leeches, san juan worms and scuds. Keep the caddis handy as some creeks are only slightly stained and we should see some hatch activity with the bright sun this morning getting things going quickly. Creeks are muddy to slightly stained with temperatures in the low to mid 50s.
Cloudy, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. We received anywhere from 2-3 inches of rain last night. Things are muddy as of this morning, but clearing quickly. The ground soaked up quite a bit of it and we found some fishable water (ugly, but fishable with a couple rising fish). Things will drop and clear quickly through the day, but it is definitely a leech and San Juan worm day. We will keep you posted on the conditions! Larger creeks are out of their banks and muddy, focus on smaller tributary creeks and headwaters, especially those with a meadow that gives the high water somewhere to settle out.
Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. High near 76. Breezy, with a south wind 7 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Some much needed spring rain heading our way! Fishing has been quite good recently with fish eating caddis and olives on the surface. Splashy rises mean caddis eaters, gentle rises mean olive eaters. Creeks are low and clear this morning with temperatures in the 50s. Subsurface fishing has been great on pheasant tail type flies as well as scuds and bushy, thick bodied nymphs. Leeches and streamers have also been good, but only when the sun is not shining on the creeks.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph. It's caddis time in the Driftless! Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the high 40s to high 50s area wide. Caddis have started to show up in pretty good numbers over the weekend. Mostly black caddis, but a few tans are already appearing too. This hatch is in addition to the olives which are still around and have been hatching even in some sunnier weather. Subsurface action has been best on frenchies, brush hogs, pink squirrels and other heavy tungsten bead head flies. Do not overlook emergers and pupae too, especially on windy days like today, fishing just under the surface during a hatch can make a huge difference!
Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 7 to 11 mph. Fishing is quite good right now! Creeks are clear and a bit low with water temperatures in the high 40s to high 50s. We are still seeing olives and caddis (both black and tan) as well as beginning to see some early craneflies. This is a very busy weekend. DO NOT CUT OTHER ANGLERS OFF!!!!! If you see a car at an access point and can not check in with the angler to see where they are headed move to the next access point. There is plenty of water and there are plenty of fish that you do not need to crowd. Fish nice out there.
Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Breezy, with a northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Fishing has been quite good in the Driftless lately. We are still catching fish on olives on the surface, especially on the more shaded areas, and the black caddis are starting to show up in greater numbers. We have also started seeing tan caddis and a few craneflies. It is approaching bug soup! Creeks are clear and flowing with water temperatures in the high 40s to high 50s There are quite a few anglers in town this weekend so remember your stream etiquette! It is never ok to hop above another angler (high holing). If there is a car at an access point and you can not check in with the angler already there, please find new water. There is enough fishable water in the area to go around. Again, it is not ok to hop in the stream directly above another angler, or in between anglers!!!
A 20 percent chance of showers after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Light west wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Fishing remains solid. Creeks are clear and flowing well. We have seen olives, black caddis, tan caddis, and even some craneflies hatching the past couple of days. Water temperatures are in the mid to high 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 59. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the morning. You really could not ask for more pleasant weather to be outside in! Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing a bit low. The olive hatch has been a ton of fun in shady areas, and we are seeing black caddis show up in the sunny meadows. Look for the intensity of the caddis hatch to ramp up over the next few sunny days. Subsurface fishing has been solid on heavily weighted nymphs and scuds with a thicker profile (dirty bird jigs, prince nymphs, pink squirrels etc). On the surface olive patterns that float low in the water are key. Caddis wise, the Coulee Caddis in black has been the ticket.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Light north wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Conditions are incredible right now. Very pleasant weather, clear to stained water, and hatches have returned! Yesterday we saw olives and midges with rising fish here and there most of the day. A few caddis were also spotted. Subsurface fishing was great on frenchies, and rainbow perdigons as well as other heavy bead heads throughout the day. There are a few creeks that are murky, but the vast majority are clear to stained with water temperatures in the mid to high 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the afternoon. The snowmelt is pretty much done with the valleys free of most snow. The runoff yesterday dropped water temperature but did not significantly muddy things up. Look for olives and midges as well as possible caddis today with the sunny weather. Creeks are in good shape with clear to stained water. Temperatures are 40-48 area wide.
Cloudy, with a high near 56. South wind 3 to 5 mph. Things are going quite well despite the snow we had a couple days ago. Water temperatures are diving quickly due to the snowmelt, but we have not had any major runoff as of today. Hatches are going on, but with the cooler water temperature there are not a ton of rising fish. Fish deep and fish slowly, and fish before the snowmelt starts to drop temperatures (use your thermometer!)
Sunny, with a high near 52. Light and variable wind. Keep on melting snow! We did have some snowmelt turn creeks muddy yesterday, so expect clear to stained conditions area wide with creeks clouding up again this afternoon as we still have a bit of snow on the ground. Fishing is still good while water temperatures are rising (we had a couple creeks measure in the high 40s yesterday!), and will slow down considerably when the snowmelt hits the water (use your thermometer). Leeches and scuds were good yesterday, with a few fish eating frenchies and a handful of risers. There is still snow on the banks, but we are already seeing bare spots in the open areas that receive sun. As long as the snow melts slowly we should not see things muddy up to unfishable levels.
Sunny, with a high near 43. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. That's more like it! We got about a foot of snow overall yesterday, but it looks like that will be the last of it (finally!!!!) What we do have is melting already. Today's sun and temperature should get rid of the majority of the snow. Make sure you use your thermometer as once water temperatures drop, things will shut off. We're in the best case scenario heading into the weekend. Good sunny days to thaw the remaining snow, then cold temperatures at night slowing down any catastrophic runoff. Expect stained water for the weekend. We're still seeing olives and midges daily and with the sunny and warmer weather we should see the return of our caddis hatches too.
Snow, mainly after 10am. The snow could be heavy at times. Some thunder is also possible. High near 33. Northeast wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. Another snow day today! The good news is that the creeks have rebounded from the weird weekend storm and most are in fishable shape (clear to stained). There are a few that are still muddy, especially those with flood control dams on them. Yesterday we saw fish feeding on olives and trout were also happily eating midge larvae and scuds sub surface. While the snow will be a pain in the butt today, it should not have any lasting effect on the creeks outside of the melting dropping water temperatures. Make sure you have a thermometer with you over the next couple of days as once the snow enters the creeks and the temperature dips, fishing grinds to a halt.
Partly sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Gorgeous day today with the sun shining early. This will help to warm the creeks up and get some of the snow melting quickly. Make sure you use your thermometer as once the snowmelt hits the creeks and the temperatures stop climbing, fishing will shut down. Unfortunately we are forecasted to get another round of snow tomorrow (Wednesday)... We will keep you posted on conditions. Right now the creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the low 40s. We just have to re-wind a little back into winter fishing. The best fishing is from about 9 to 3 (again use your thermometer and fish the climbing and stable water temperatures). Subsurface is key and there is a slim chance we will see some olives or maybe a black caddis or too if it warms up quickly enough.
A chance of snow before 2pm, then flurries likely with a slight chance of snow between 2pm and 3pm, then flurries likely after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Breezy, with a northwest wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Wow are we glad the weekend is over! The rest of the week looks ok with a small storm coming Wednesday. We have about 4-5 inches of snow on the ground which will slowly melt over the next couple of days. The creeks are fishable, but you have to watch water temperatures. If nothing crazy happens things should be back on track by later in the week.
Snow. Patchy blowing snow between 1pm and 3pm. High near 28. Blustery, with a northeast wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. This weather will end soon! Monday brings sunnier skies and temperatures will climb over this week. The fishing will bounce back quickly too. We were still seeing olives hatch even in muddy water. We were also seeing caddis before the weekend storm! Creeks are still murky after the heavy rains on Friday and Saturday, but should clear up quickly. We are looking at a few inches of snow on the ground so keep an eye on snowmelt (we will, of course, keep you updated) in the middle of the week.
Sleet, possibly mixed with freezing rain before 5pm, then sleet, possibly mixed with snow and freezing rain. High near 32. Windy, with an east wind 24 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.2 of an inch possible. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Awful weather on top of heavy rains yesterday. Creeks are blown out, not a weekend to come fish.
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 10am. High near 41. Breezy, with an east wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. We've already had thunder sleet this morning! Crazy weather that has turned for the worse. Today will be ok fishing, but the wind will make things difficult. This weekend looks like a bust weather wise. Heavy winds, ice, rain and snow. It will be good weekend to stay home. Things warm up again next week and we will see the re-emergence of the black caddis with the sunny weather.
Widespread fog, mainly before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Creeks are in good shape, but still low and clear. Yesterday was a breakthrough day with olives, black caddis, and even some craneflies showing up. Guide trips were fishing dries pretty much all day! Unfortunately we are getting a turn in the weather. We are forecasted for rain tonight and through Saturday. Most of our snow is gone and this rain (unless it falls heavily) should not do major damage to the fishing conditions. It is a gamble, but through the weekend if the rain falls normally to gently we could be rewarded with some higher and cloudy water which we have not had in quite a while! Again it is a bit of an unknown at this point. We will keep you posted. Today should be a repeat of yesterday's hatching, just later in the day as we have lost the sunny skies. Fish caddis larvae and olive nymphs deep in the morning as well as leeches and scuds. Once the bugs start to hatch look for olives to be the main hatch with a few scattered caddis.
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 51. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Warmer day today, it actually feels like spring outside! This warmer weather alongside some rain will melt the remaining snow. If it muddies up the creeks, we will let you know but we are optimistic that it won't do too much to screw fishing up other than temporarily. As of now, creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the low 40s. Olives are the main attraction with hatches each afternoon and evening. During the early part of the day, bouncing a heavy tungsten pattern along the bottom or twitching a leech slowly through the pockets and pools has been very effective.
Cloudy, with a high near 42. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. The cold weather is finally starting to break up a bit! We have a window of a couple really nice spring days ahead of us. Fishing has been solid despite the cold weather. There is no reason to get up early. Fishing subsurface is best in the mid morning hours until mid day. Using a chunkier fly early, then switching to a thin bodied bug is recommended. Just make sure your nymphs are HEAVY early. Fish are not moving far to eat subsurface until things warm up a bit. After mid day, look for rising fish feeding on olives. Make sure you look at the rise forms. If they are just pushing water, try an emerger. If their noses are coming out of the water, tie on a dry.
A 20 percent chance of snow before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Despite some cold and crappy weather for April, the fishing has remained solid. This weekend we had olive hatches every afternoon and fishing stretched into the evening. There is little snow on the ground, and we are going to get some warmer weather mid week which means everything should be melted again soon. Creeks are still low and flowing clear. Water temperatures are 40-45. Fishing has been best subsurface on heavily weighted nymphs (thick profile in the morning, then thin profile mid day) fished deep as well as scuds and leeches. Fish are starting to rise after lunchtime to olives. Look closely as there are some pods of fish eating emergers and some eating dries.
Partly sunny, with a high near 27. Blustery, with a northwest wind 18 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Hats and gloves today! Despite the chilly weather, fish have still been eating mid day. Just rewind your thinking to late winter conditions and you will do fine as long as the sun is warming things up. Larger, heavy bead heads with a bushy profile in the morning, thin bodied heavy bead heads mid day, then a slim chance of olives hatching in the afternoon. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the low 40s.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Make sure you have your thermometer out there with you today. The snow on the ground will begin to melt and cool water temperatures down in the afternoon. The morning is bright and sunny and the creeks will start fishing fairly early today thanks to the sun. Look for fish to feed in the deep pools and runs in the morning, then push into the tailouts and riffles mid day as the insect activity increases. Fishing will shut down when the snowmelt hits the water. Use czech style nymphs and heavy scuds early, then switch over to smaller profile, but still heavy, nymphs around lunch time. There is still a chance to see some olives and midges hatching mid day too. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 28. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph. Quite a bit of snow fell last night. We're looking at ankle deep snow area wide. It has already begun to melt in the sunny areas though meaning it should not stick around for too long. With the cooler weather things have swung back to late winter/early spring fishing. Expect most of your fish to eat subsurface until late afternoon when we should see a few fish rising to midges and olives. Creeks are still a bit low and flowing clear with water temperatures in the low 40s. We just stocked quite a few new tungsten jig head patterns in the shop, swing in and check them out, they are perfect for these conditions!!
Snow, mainly after 11am. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 34. Breezy, with an east wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. Might be a good day to not be out fishing... Windy and snowy. We are all sick of snow, but the added moisture to the springs is a very good thing as we are still dealing with some lower than normal water temperatures.
Sunny, with a high near 53. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. The sun returns! Looking at low clear water and sunny skies again for the next couple of days. Fishing has been difficult especially in the mornings when water temperatures are chilly. Midges are still around and fish are rising to them later in the day. Olives are just starting to show themselves but the major hatch is not on us yet. Subsurface fishing is best on scuds, leeches, dirty birds, and other heavy bead head nymphs fished on the bottom and underneath undercut banks. Find the shade, fish rising water temperature and you will find the most willing fish.
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Another chilly morning this morning. The rain that hit last night was not at all heavy leaving our creeks low and clear. Low clear and chilly water (temps are still in the low 40s) are making fishing difficult until the bugs show up. The good news is we finally saw our first significant olive emergence last night! It is not quite ready to be an every day event, but with some warmer and cloudier weather, we should expect to see more olives over the next week. Otherwise, midges are still hatching mid day and fish are eating pheasant tails, dirty birds, scuds, and midge larvae subsurface.
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 47. Southeast wind 8 to 13 mph. We're actually rooting for the rain. Creeks are quite low and clear with water temperatures hovering right around 40. Today is the first real cloud cover we have seen in days and the fish should respond. Look for midges and winter stones (and a slim chance of olives) mid day today on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been solid on tiny bead heads, scuds, and leeches. Water temperature is crucial right now, make sure you are using your thermometer and fish a rising water temperature. Mornings are pretty chilly, there is no need to get out first thing.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 45. East wind 7 to 11 mph. We could really use the clouds right now! Creeks are low and clear and fish spooky. Temperatures are in the high 30s overnight to low 40s mid day. Fishing is best as water temperatures climb and we are still seeing rising fish here and there mid day until about 3. Finding some sort of shady area or fishing underneath undercut banks and on the bottom of deeper pools is key as water is warming up. The fish are hesitant to come out in the bright sun lately. Midges are still the major food source, both subsurface and surface. We are waiting on a few more warmer days and we should start to see some mayflies. We are also catching fish on scuds, leeches, and other heavy nymphs (small 16-22, and black or brown) rolled right along the bottom.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Spring fishing at its finest right now. While we still have not seen a change in insects (still midges and winter stones), fishing has been quite solid the past couple of days. Midges moving about all day with fish eating them subsurface through the day, and rising to the emerging pupae mid day. Trout are also eating scuds and pink squirrels well subsurface, and on the shadier creeks, and in deeper pools, they are taking leeches and buggers well. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the low 40s.
Cloudy, with a high near 36. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northeast in the morning. The clouds are important today as they will put fish in a better mood to feed. Creeks are clear for the most part with a couple slightly stained. They are flowing a bit low with few exceptions. Temperatures are in the low 40s. We're still seeing fish eating midges and winter stoneflies on the surface mid day. Subsurface they are feeding on tiny bead heads, scuds, pink squirrels, and leeches.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Light and variable wind becoming east 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Things are pretty darn good in the Driftless right now. We have warm temperatures that are heating up the creeks and the ground slowly and steadily. Most of our snow is gone and there isn't a ton of mud to walk through. Creeks are clear and a touch low with water temperatures hovering right around 40 degrees. Because of the lack of snow right now, fishing starts late morning and will last much longer as snowmelt does not drop water temperatures as quickly. It is still midges and a few tiny black stones hatching, but with the conditions we should see olives pop up in the next week or so unless we see a massive cool down. Subsurface fishing is best on heavy bead heads fished right on the bottom. It seems like even an inch or two off the bottom and fish will not eat. Most fish are in the pools early, then will push out into the runs to feed mid day.
Sunny, with a high near 44. North wind around 9 mph. Another gorgeous day in the Driftless. Fishing should pick up with the new weather front settling in. The sun will warm up the creeks quickly and get bugs and fish moving earlier than normal. With a bluebird sky, look for shady spots and deeper runs for trout if they are not feeding on the surface. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing a bit low. Temperatures are hitting 45 mid day. Midges and winter stones are still around mid day with pods of fish rising to them. Most of the action is still subsurface on scuds, leeches, pink squirrels, and tiny dark bodied nymphs and midge larvae. The weather looks great through the weekend!
Sunny, with a high near 46. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Gorgeous weather today (except for the wind...) Nothing major has changed with midges and scuds being the food of choice. With the warming, sunny weather we are watching for olives to show up in greater numbers. It is still a bit early yet but if things warm up quickly, then we will be in good shape! Creeks are a bit low and running clear with water temperatures in the high 30s to mid 40s.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 33. North wind 7 to 15 mph. Looks like spring is here for the next week or so! Most of the snow is gone with only a bit hanging around in the shaded areas. Creeks are flowing clear with water temperatures in the low 40s. With the snow gone, we are less worried about water temperatures cooling down throughout the day. Fishing can be good longer throughout the day instead of just mid day now! Midges are still hatching mid day, and we have started to see one or two mayflies (olives). The olives have not started hatching yet, but they are showing up here and there. Subsurface action has been great. Scuds and pink squirrels are great right now, and the tiny bead heads we have been using all winter long are still very effective as long as they are fished right along the bottom. Olive leeches are starting to pick up fish alongside the black ones, and grey colored streamers are getting fish to eat now too. It looks like a great weather week ahead of us! Shop is open 7 days a week and we have a bunch of new flies and gear coming in daily!
Partly sunny, with a high near 37. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Gorgeous trout fishing day in the Driftless. Watch your thermometer as with some melting snow in the afternoon water temperatures will drop and slow things down considerably. Fishing has been solid on scuds, leeches, pink squirrels, brush hogs, and midge larvae. There have been a few hatches mid day (midgtes) that are getting fish to rise. Creeks are a bit low and clear. If the snowmelt is heavy it will stain the water up a bit, but it doesn't look to be too hot to muddy things up significantly.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. Light and variable wind. A gorgeous weekend ahead of us! The only limiting factor will be the snow melting later on in the day, while we do not have much of it make sure to keep checking water temperatures. The sun will warm up the creeks quickly and get fish moving. Once enough snow gets into the system it will drop the water temperature and shut things down immediately. Midges are still hatching mid day, and on warmer days we have a slim chance of seeing some early olives. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on small leeches, scuds, pink squirrels, and tungsten bead head nymphs fished right on the bottom. With the warmer winter temperatures fish should start moving out of the deeper pools and holes and into the runs mid day to feed.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 29. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Another sunny winter day in the Driftless. It will not be warm enough for any melting, but if the sun stays out all day, look for midges to hatch mid day. Creeks are flowing clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s. The sun is key when it is this cold out as it will warm the stream bed and get things moving water temperature wise. Midges and other tiny dries are effective when you see rising fish. Subsurface fishing is best on tiny, heavy bead heads as well as scuds and squirrels. Don't neglect streamers and leeches fished slowly (twitch them, don't strip them) as some bigger fish are caught this time of year!
Partly sunny, with a high near 27. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Absolutely gorgeous day in the Driftless today. Despite the colder weather, we are already getting a trickle of snowmelt. Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures right around 40 degrees mid day. With the snow back on the ground (it should melt by this weekend) we will be concentrating on fishing rising water temperatures from about 10-2. Make sure and use your thermometer! Midges and a few winter stones are getting fish to eat on the surface. Scuds, pink squirrels, and heavy midge larvae and nymphs are working subsurface. The creeks with stain have been really fun lately fishing streamers and leeches on too! It looks like we will get a slow melt heading into the weekend. The weekend will give us 40 degree days!
A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Light and variable wind becoming north 9 to 14 mph in the morning. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. We received 2-3 inches of snow last night. The weather the next couple of days will not be horrible,. but watch for snowmelt dropping water temperatures in the warmer part of the day. Fishing has been good, despite the weird weather fluctuations. Look for midge hatches on the sunny days, and subsurface fishing on the cloudy days. TIny bead head nymphs and midge larvae and scuds are still working best, with leeches and streamers getting some larger fish when slowly twitched in the deeper pools.
Windy, colder. A slight chance of rain and snow early in the morning, then snow...possibly mixed with rain in the afternoon. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Near steady temperature in the mid 30s. East winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts to around 45 mph. Chance of precipitation 100 percent. Shop is open 7 days a week now! The major melting is done and over with creeks flowing clear to stained. Temperatures are in the low 40s. We are predicted to get another dumping of snow the next couple of days which should not do much damage to the fishing. Fish have been happily eating scuds and leeches subsurface the past couple of days, and on the sunny days we are still seeing midges hatching and some fishing rising. Temperatures are not quite warm enough to see early olives in any numbers but we have noticed a few here and there on the really warm days.
Clouds with a high of 48. Snowmelt continues area wide making most creeks muddy and cold. It should clear up and settle down for the weekend. Shop will be open Saturday from 9-2 then 5 days a week starting March 5th!
NOTE: SHOP WILL BE OPEN SATURDAY FEB 24 AND SATURDAY MAR 3. WE GO TO 7 DAYS A WEEK STARTING MARCH 5TH. ALL CALLS, ONLINE ORDERS, EMAILS ETC WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF MAR 5TH. FISHING REPORTS WILL ALSO RESUME MARCH 5TH. UPDATE Sun is out and didn't take long to melt all the ice that was on the ground. We're seeing some signiicant runoff now. Creeks are.not chocolate milk, but they are high and stained. Partly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind 8 to 14 mph. Some slow melting going on right now. Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures hovering right around 40. As long as we do not get a major heat wave coming, things will be just fine. It's mostly subsurface lately as the sun has not come out early enough to get midges hatching. Tiny bead heads, leeches and scuds are the ticket right now Next week things are going to get pretty warm and we should see some significant snowmelt. There is not a ton on the ground right now, but there will be enough to muddy things up for a day or two next week.
Scattered snow showers, mainly before 10am, then a chance of snow after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 31. East wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Another winter storm is supposed to roll in tonight bringing potential ice and sleet. Be careful driving tonight and tomorrow! It is a weird weather mix coming up. Temperatures are good, and the creeks are in good shape, but the clouds can't decide whether to rain or snow. There is not a bunch of snow left on the ground. It is fairly easy to get around on most of the creeks right now. As long as it doesn't rain heavily (which it isn't supposed to anytime) things will be good! Fish are feeding well on tiny stuff subsurface. Midge larvae, two bit hookers, and pheasant tails. There have been sporadic hatches of midges mid day with rising fish. We have also been doing well on scuds, pink squirrels, and streamers and leeches. Creeks are flowing well and mostly clear with temperatures at right around 40 degrees.
Partly sunny, with a high near 24. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph It's sunny and gorgeous out there today. A good day to be out fishing with the sun heating up the stream beds quickly. We had a couple days of pretty good melting where we are seeing a few bare spots here and there. Look for a midge hatch mid day on sunny days like today. Sub surface fishing has been best on scuds and heavy bead head midge larvae and other tiny nympjhs. Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s.
Rain. Patchy fog before 11am. High near 35. Breezy, with an east wind 8 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Icy storm predicted this evening. While the weather is excellent for winter fishing, travel tonight and tomorrow could be pretty rough. Creeks are clear to slightly stained after a couple of days of slow melting. Fish have been happily eating midges both surface and subsurface lately with hatches mid day. Scuds, pink squirrels, and leeches have also been effective, especially on the cloudier days. Do not overlook streamers as this is an excellent time to chase big, aggressive trout! We still have some snow on the banks, and fishing success is still tied to water temperature. Make sure you are checking the temps throughout the day. Once it starts to drop, fishing shuts down.
Sunny, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as -1. West wind 7 to 14 mph. The sun is out today and water temperatures are actually good despite a bitter wind. We needed a cold day and night to lock up some of the snowmelt. It wasn't making things muddy, but it was keeping water temperatures down. Look for today mid day and tomorrow to be some pretty decent winter fishing. It's all about midges and tiny winter stones right now. Fish are eating tiny bead head subsurface and will typically rise mid day to the tiny bugs. Make sure you have a good selection of larvae, emergers, and dries. Leeches and streamers will also be effective when the sun comes off the water a bit.
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Light west wind becoming northwest 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Yesterday's fishing was quite good. Today should be just as good! The melting snow locked up last night and things are warm quickly. Midges were hatching and stoneflies were around too. The surprising thing we saw yesterday were olives! There were a few mayflies hatching with the warm weather yesterday!!! Creeks are clear and flowing well. Remember your thermometer and make sure you are fishing when the mercury is rising. Once the snowmelt hits the creeks, things shut down.
Sunny, with a high near 41. South wind 7 to 14 mph. For those of you not celebrating love day, today is going to be a great day to be fishing! Warmer and sunny all day. Today, a thermometer is essential. Make sure you are fishing rising water temperature. Once the snowmelt hits the creeks and drops the temperature, things will shut down quickly. Midges, scuds, leeches and streamers are on the menu. Look for rising fish around late morning and mid day.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 29. South wind 11 to 15 mph. What a good winter week we have ahead of us. Good temperatures all week with re-freezing at night. Look for midges to hatch mid day and fish to eat scuds, leeches, small copper johns, and other heavy bead heads through the day. Creeks are flowing well and clear with water temperatures in the high 30s to mid 40s area wide. There is some snow, and if things melt and get cloudy it is streamer time!
Sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -14. North wind 3 to 7 mph. Cold today, but the week rebounds nicely mid week. The sunny weather means fish are feeding and midges are hatching, however it is just too cold to be out fishing with the wind chill! Wait for tomrrow, or even better Wednesday when the temperatures will reach 30-40 degrees.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -2. North wind 6 to 9 mph. A bit of snow last night blanketed the area. Creeks are in decent shape for the winter time. Wider, more open meadow sections are free of ice, while shaded spots and narrower creeks still have a bit. Fishing has been surprisingly solid for a few hours mid day lately. We have even found pods of rising fish in the middle of the day as long as the sun is shining. Otherwise, fishing a scud or leech will get fish to eat.
A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 19. Wind chill values as low as -1. West wind 3 to 7 mph. Despite the chilly weather, the fishing has been solid. There were even fish rising to midges yesterday! We're supposed to get a few inches of snow tonight, so be careful if you are driving this evening. Fish are feeding mid day on midges, scuds, and small bead heads fished deep. If the water temperature rises enough, the fish are pushing up into the runs and feeding on midges (even on the surface!). If it stays cloudy and chilly, they stay in the deeper pools and will move for a slowly twitched leech or streamer. Slow your presentation down, and use your thermometer to make sure you are fishing rising water temperature and you can catch a few fish even on cold days!
Increasing clouds, with a high near 11. Wind chill values as low as -1. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph. Cold again today, and we got another inch or so of much needed snow. Despite this awfully frigid weather, there have been some (crazy) people out fishing and doing ok for a couple hours on streamers. If you do go out and fish, please make sure to keep fish in the water! Freezing weather can damage their gills and eyes. Waiting for some warmer weather is a good idea both for fish and for anglers.
Snow, mainly between 1pm and 5pm. High near 13. Wind chill values as low as -14. Southwest wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. Winter! Cold and snowy again, unpleasant to be outside and fishing. We're supposed to get more snow this week, and while we were celebrating clear bank sides, the snow is necessary to fill up the springs for next year. (Can you tell we are trying to be optimistic during another cold snap?!)
Snow likely, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 31. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Not horrible out there today. It would be a good day to get out there and cure cabin fever. Look for fishing to be best subsurface on leeches, streamers, and scuds fished slowly and deeply. Without the sun hitting the water there should be limited dry fly action today.
A 20 percent chance of snow after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 15. Wind chill values as low as -17. West wind 6 to 8 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Still bitterly cold in the Driftless. Tomorrow will give us a high of 26 degrees, which while not awful, is also not ideal. Dress warmly! Fishing has been pretty good for the winter on days that it hasn't been too blasted cold to tolerate being outside. On the sunnier days we have seen surface activity mid day as fish feed on winter stoneflies and small black midges. On the cloudier days the water temperature takes a bit longer to warm up so the best fishing is subsurface on leeches, streamers, and larger nymphs fished deep or swung through the deep pools. This weekend is the ski jump tournament in Westby which means county P at the headwaters of the Timber Coulee will be closed tonight through Saturday night.
Scattered flurries before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 6. Wind chill values as low as -17. Blustery, with a northwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. It's just cold. Yesterday was quite nice, and by Saturday this brutal cold weather will give way to...... cold weather. Not horrid for the weekend, but perhaps not worth a long drive unless you need to get out of the house. On sunny days flies and fish are much more active, look for feeding fish mid day on midges and winter stones. On cloudy and colder days swinging leeches, streamers, and even soft hackles works well as long as you fish them slowly and deep. Creeks are in great shape with temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s.
A chance of flurries between 1pm and 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 26. South wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Winter weather is back. There will be a brief warm up on Wednesday then normalizing to chilly, but not awful temperatures for the weekend. Fishing has been solid, but you need to slow things down quite a bit. Scuds and streamers and leeches fished slowly are the key. Fish are holding deep in pools on the cloudier days, and will come up into the shallower runs to feed when the sun is out and warming the water temperature.
Scattered flurries before 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 21. Northwest wind around 9 mph. We're getting into a good rhythm of melting, then re-freezing over the past few days! Things are clear to stained with water temperatures in the low 40s. Chilly to mild early this week, but if the sun peeks out then fishing will be solid. We will see another lockup of runoff late in the week, then back to chilly over the weekend. If the sun is out and water is clear, watch for winter stones and midges hatching. Fish will also pick up on scuds and tiny bead heads fished slow and deep/. If the clouds are in the sky and things are a bit cooler, fish a streamer or leech very slowly and very deep. There have been some really nice fish picked up lately swinging streamers through deep pools.
A chance of sprinkles after 4pm, mixing with flurries after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 39. West wind 9 to 13 mph. Creeks are clear to stained with temps from 40-45. Make sure to use your thermometer! A rising water temperature means good fishing. Once it starts to dip, things shut down. Conditions are quite good right now for winter. We had a few creeks yesterday that had rising fish throughout the sweet spot of the day (10-2). Otherwise, fish are hunkering down in deeper pools and runs eating midges, scuds, and streamers and leeches swung like soft hackles.
A slight chance of showers between 11am and noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 47. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Warm and cloudy today. The clouds staying overhead will keep things from running off too quickly. As it is, we do not have a ton of snow cover left on the ground so we are not too afraid of muddy water for the weekend. Fishing has been solid on heavy bead heads fished deep in the pools, and fish are also chasing leeches and streamers fished slowly. A stream thermometer is very important this time of season. Fishing will be good only when the water temperature starts to climb (roughly starting at 9 am) and will shut off once snowmelt starts to drop the water temperature (roughly 2 p.m.). make sure you are checking temperatures often!
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Southeast wind around 8 mph. Looking good in the Driftless! Warmer weather through Saturday will have fish eating again. Look for midge hatches and winter stonefly emergences mid day, and look for fish feeding on midge larvae and smalls scuds during the warm part of the day. A thermometer is a must as fishing is only good when water temperatures are rising. Once snowmelt hits the creeks, things slow down quite a bit and fishing can shut down. Typically fishing is best between 10 and 2. Do not overlook fishing streamers this time of season. Some larger fish will eat a big meal in the winter!
Patchy fog between 10am and 11am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a high near 29. West wind 3 to 7 mph. After some gnarly winter weather, things have gotten back on track. We had some melting a couple days ago, then freezing rain and a small amount of snow. With the weather the next few days we are expecting a slow melt and the creeks to be in great shape! Fish will be rising to midges and winter stones, especially on days when the sun is out early to warm the water. Otherwise subsurface fishing is the way to go. Heavy midge larvae, leeches, scuds, squirrels and streamers are catching fish right now.
Snow, mainly before 8am. High near 28. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Weird day yesterday, we had melting, then rain, then snow. A lot of creeks experienced run off and turned cold and murky. Nothing special to note about weather today, except it is cold and will lock up some of the run off. There is still not a lot of snow left on the ground. We get another nice warm up starting Wednesday which will set us up for another nice late week and weekend of fishing. Midge hatches and winter stone emergences are happening daily, and subsurface fishing on scuds, midges, and leeches has been effective too. Just remember to fish your flies deep and slow, and keep an eye on the water temperature. As it is climbing, fishing is good. Once it falls, fishing shuts down.
Rain before 9am, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm between 9am and 3pm, then rain likely after 3pm. Patchy fog before 9am. High near 37. Breezy, with a northeast wind 14 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. The weekend was good for fishing! The next couple of days are chillier and dropping some precipitation. Not very pleasant until Wednesday when the sun comes back out. Mid week looks decent, Friday and Saturday look ideal again! Fish have been feeding on the surface on midges and winter stoneflies, and subsurface on midge larvae fished deep, heavy scuds, and some are chasing leeches and streamers. Use your thermometer this time of year. A rising water temperature is important as that is when things happen on the water. Once the temperature starts to drop it is time to pack it up and head back to basecamp.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. South wind 7 to 13 mph. Downright balmy out there the next few days. This should be a great weekend for fishing. Look for fish to feed as the water temperature rises through the late morning and mid day. Once snow starts to melt into the creeks and the water temperature drops, the fishing shuts off. It is very important to carry a thermometer right now. There is a high chance of a midge hatch mid day, and possibly winter stoneflies too. Subsurface fishing is best on heavy, thin bodied nymphs rolled along the bottom as well as slowly twitched leeches. With the warmer water temps, scuds should start to pick up some fish too. There is not a ton of snow bank side, most parking areas are pretty clear too.
Sunny, with a high near 35. Southwest wind 8 to 13 mph. What a glorious day outside today! The conditions on paper could not be better for some early season fishing. Fish are rising mid day with the sun out and heating the water up. Look for midges on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been best on small, dark bodied nymphs as well as on leeches and larger scuds. The weekend is supposed to be in the 40s, with the overnight lows 20. These conditions are excellent as we get a window of fishing from about 9-2. When the snow starts melting and trickling in, things shut down. Luckily the colder nights lock up the runoff and resets the fishing for the next day!
Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as -14. Southwest wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Warm front rolling in! Today is fishable, but windy. Look for fish to feed on midge larvae and leeches subsurface as well as larger scuds. There is a chance to see some dry fly activity mid day in places that are out of the wind. The next few days have us pretty excited. Temperatures will be in the mid to high 30s through the weekend with nights chilly enough to re-freeze any runoff we receive. On paper it looks like a recipe for some great winter fishing! The fishing will be best as water temperature rises. So make sure to grab a thermometer and check it often.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 13. Wind chill values as low as -7. Northwest wind around 9 mph. Crummy cold day again today. Over the weekend we received about 3 inches of snow. The next couple of days are cold and wintry, however things change starting on Thursday where we are looking at temperatures hitting 32. Friday and Saturday will be 39! Mark your calendars for this weekend as it is the best weather we have had so far in January!
Sunny and cold, with a high near 5. Wind chill values as low as -24. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph. Too cold to fish. It will not be good for anglers to be out there, and if you were crazy enough to go out and fish, their skin and gills would flash freeze in this cold of weather if exposed to the air.
Sunny, with a high near 11. Wind chill values as low as -12. North wind 11 to 13 mph. Just when the waters clear up and fishing gets good. ...... It's cold again. As in stay home and tie flies cold. High temperatures will not hit even 20 degrees until Thursday. We're open on Saturday from 9-2 just in case you are itching to scout some water.
Areas of fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. South wind 9 to 13 mph. Looks like the last excellent winter weather day before the weekend. Fishing has been quite good during these warmer days with fish midging mid day and feeding on tiny bead heads and leeches subsurface. Remember to fish warming water temperature for best results. Take your thermometer and use it! We're open by appointment during the week, and 9-2 on Saturday during January.
Partly sunny, with a high near 38. Southeast wind 7 to 11 mph. Well this is a much more pleasant weather forecast! Today and tomorrow are great conditions for fishing. There is little to no snow on the ground right now and with the warmer temperatures, fishing starts a bit earlier than normal for this time of year. Look for midges hatching mid day and possibly some winter stoneflies. Fishing subsurface is still the best with heavy midge larvae and leeches being go to flies. Scuds are starting to pick up quite a few fish too. Later in the week we're forecasted for a bit of snow and a cool down before the weekend. The shop is open by appointment during the week and 9-2 on Saturday. Call if you are going to be in town and we will open up for you!
A slight chance of freezing drizzle after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Wind chill values as low as zero. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. A brief warm up is heading our way starting today. That will make fishing start to pick up after the brutal cold we have endured the past few days. It is still winter fishing so make sure you are on the water as temperatures rise. A thermometer is your friend this time of year, use it often to see what water temps are doing throughout the day. Fishing is best on midge larvae and small dark beadhead nymphs rolled along the bottom, as well as leeches and small streamers twitched through deep pools.
Sunny, with a high near 10. Wind chill values as low as -14. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.\ Still cold in the Driftless. If you are ambitious enough to head out and fish bundle up and please keep the fish in the water! We don't want their gills freezing. Tomorrow and Monday look far more pleasant weather wise as temperatures creep up into the mid 30s. Look for midges hatching mid day, and subsurface action on leech patterns fished slowly as well as tiny bead heads rolled below the riffles. The best time to fish is late morning until late afternoon. Use your thermometer as fish are happiest as the water temperature climbs. Once it starts to fall fishing shuts off.
Sunny and cold, with a high near 5. Wind chill values as low as -19. Northwest wind around 7 mph. It is still very cold here. And looks to be so through Saturday. Season opens on Saturday but we are not expecting a fantastic start to the season. We have quite a bit of frozen water. If you need to get out of the house this weekend, come and visit. With temperatures as chilly as they are on Saturday (Sunday/Monday looks much better) it might we worth while to avoid a drive and fish another weekend. Having said that, we will be open on Saturday from 9-Noon.
Sunny and cold, with a high near 1. Wind chill values as low as -25. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Bitterly cold again today. The opener is January the 6th. Looking at the weather and the creeks (there is a lot of frozen water out there) I would say you might want to consider staying home and staying warm. Weather all this week is sub zero or less than 10 degrees for a high. While there will be a handful of fishable water Saturday, it will not be worth a long drive to find it. If you are in need of a mental health day, then by all means come and enjoy walking the creeks, just don't expect too much on the fishing side of things. Having said that, we will be open on Saturday the 6th from 9-noon. Happy New Year!
