Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph. Yikes, the wind today!!! Creeks are clear and a bit low, and that has been the main hurdle to catching fish. They were super spooky for opener. The wind today will ripple the water a bit giving you a little edge, but prepare for spooky fish. If you focus on the broken water just below the riffles you will up your chances too. Small, thin bodied tungsten bead flies are key. As it warms up a bit, switching to a leech pattern twitched near the banks will work quite well too.
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Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. North wind 7 to 9 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Happy opening day! Catch and release opens today in Wisconsin and the creeks are in great shape. The weather is not quite as good as they were forecasting, even yesterday. Today will be chilly, but definitely fishable. Focus on the middle part of the day when water temperatures are climbing. Tomorrow will be much more pleasant temperature wise, but a stinking wind is coming in with crazy strong gusts. A good leech and streamer day tomorrow. Creeks are clear and flowing well. Temperatures are in the high 30s to 40. Nymphing is key right now. Get your small, thin and dark bodied flies right on the bottom as fish do not like to move much in the winter. Dead drifting leeches and streamers with an occasional twitch is also very effective in cold water. If you are lucky, you will find some fish rising to midges mid day. This hatch is stronger on sunny days when the stream bed is able to warm up a bit, but do not be surprised to see fish sipping on the surface mid day.
A 20 percent chance of snow after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 35. West wind 3 to 5 mph. It just keeps stacking up in our favor! Another gorgeous, if not unseasonably warm, day heading into opening weekend. Creeks are clear and a touch low (normal flows for winter) with temperatures in the high 30s to 40. There is not a lot of snow on the banks which makes it easier to get around, as well as keeps runoff from dropping temperatures too quickly in the afternoon. Look to fish tungsten nymphs deep for the early part of the day. Fish will hold just below the runs at the lip of the pool until things warm up a bit. Mid day, they will swim up into the runs and riffles and feed on midges. There will be some dry fly activity, or you can continue nymphing the shallower water. Winter is the time to chase larger fish. Cast a streamer or leech, then let it dead drift with a few twitches and hold on!
Increasing clouds, with a high near 40. Southwest wind around 9 mph. Wow are things looking excellent for the opener of catch and release this Saturday!! Creeks are clear and a touch low with decent temperatures (high 30s to low 40s) and unseasonably warm weather. The best fishing will be between 9 and 3. Fish are rising sporadically for midges and even some winter stones and olives on the warmest creeks mid day. The hatch is not huge but you should see some rising fish if the sun is out. Otherwise, focus your efforts deep with competition style nymphs and scuds or leeches twitched slowly through the holes and runs. The creeks are clear, so make sure you move with some stealth!
Snow and freezing drizzle likely before 10am, then snow. High near 32. West wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. Catch and release season opens up January 4th! As ugly as it looks today, it is not a big deal at all. We have little to no snow on the ground, and it will warm up again mid week. The opening weekend looks quite nice with temperatures in the mid 30s on Saturday then high 20s on Sunday. Creeks are in great shape with clear flows and a at normal winter levels. To prepare for the weekend, focus on midges for the mid day hatch, and dark, thin bodied bugs subsurface. Think black copper johns, spanish bullets and zebra midges. Do not neglect leeches! A black leech twitched through a run or hole can be deadly in the winter!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. West wind 8 to 10 mph. Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Our season opens up January the 4th. Holy cow has the weather been warm! There has been a lot of fishing going on over the river in Iowa, and it is setting up for a good Wisconsin catch and release opener on the 4th. The warm weather means there is no snow on the ground, and none forecasted for the few days. As of now, January 4th is predicted to be in the mid 30s! That means happy fish, and a longer fishing day as snowmelt will not shut things down as quickly. Fish in Iowa have been eating leeches and streamers fished slowly in the pools and runs. They have also been happily eating pink squirrels and scuds in the shin deep riffles.
Sunny, with a high near 34. Light and variable wind. Wisconsin's season is closed until January 4th. Iowa is open and a few creeks in Minnesota are open too. Check your regulations! 34,37,39,42. Highs for the next few days! This is winter fishing weather. If you can get away and head over to Iowa, it is a great time to escape all the holiday stuff and get some fishing in during December before things get cold again! Nymph deep runs and pockets or slowly twitch leeches along the bottom. With the warmer temperatures trout will also chase some larger streamers. Mid day, watch for midge hatches. While not prolific you might happen on a pod of rising fish! Creeks are in great shape and there is not a ton of snow stream side to create muddy water. These are the type days we wait for during the winter! Call the shop if you are heading to fish this weekend and want to pick up bugs. We will not have regular hours but will be there in a couple minutes when you call!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -10. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Wisconsin's season is closed. Re opens January 4th. Iowa is open and limited water in Minnesota is open during the winter. Check your regulations! Today stinks. Tomorrow through the weekend looks great. Temperatures pushing 40 degrees Saturday and Sunday means fish will be active through the middle part of the day! Nymph deep and slow, swing some streamers, or look for midge hatches mid day!
Wisconsin's season is closed. This report is for Iowa and Minnesota. Only a few Minnesota creeks are open, check your regulations before heading out. It's chilly out! We're in full on winter mode. The general rule of thumb is fish 25 degrees and sunny, or 35 degrees and cloudy for a chance at fish. The fishing day is short, typically from 10-2 when the water temperature is the warmest. Expect very limited surface action (sparse midge hatches) and lots of deep nymphing or slow twitching of leeches. The weekend looks rough with high temperatures barely reaching 10 without windchill. It might be a good weekend to clean gear, tie flies, or just relax! Wisconsin's season opens January 4th. Shop is open Saturdays from 10-2 the next couple of weekends.
Drizzle and snow, possibly mixed with freezing drizzle before 2pm, then freezing drizzle, possibly mixed with snow. Areas of fog before 4pm. Temperature falling to around 19 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. That the long way to say it is yucky outside. Temperatures take a dip early this week with highs near 10 on Tuesday and Wednesday and a cold, but more tolerable mid 20s Thursday. Low 30s Friday and into the weekend. It's winter condition time. Fish when it is 25 and sunny or 35 and cloudy and focus on mid day when water temperatures are the warmest! Slowly twitch leeches or nymph deep.
Wisconsin's season is closed until Jan 4th. We are fishing over in Iowa and on the select creeks in Minnesota that are open. Check your regulations! Creeks are clear to slightly stained with cold temperatures. Things don't get moving until later in the morning after chilly nights. It looks like Saturday and Sunday will be our last warm-ish days for a while. Get out there and fish! Fish are eating leeches very well, and are also happily munching on pink squirrels and scuds. There are a few risers late in the morning into mid day, but unless you luck out, the rising fish are sporadic and not predictable. Having a couple midge emergers in your fly box is still not a bad idea though!
Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing over in Iowa. There are also a limited number of creeks in Minnesota that are open during the winter. Check your regulations before heading out! Sunny, with a high near 28. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. After a messy Thanksgiving weekend, the weather looks pretty decent mid week and later this week. A couple of cold days early, but sunny-ish with Tuesday through Thursday predicted to have temperatures in the low to mid 30s. Saturday/Sunday are looking good too! Fishing has become true winter fishing. It starts slow in the mornings, then picks up as water temperatures start to creep up. You want to make sure you are fishing rising water temperatures as that is the best fishing! Heavy nymphs fished along the bottom under and indicator or tight lined are key this time of season. On the warmest days there can be sparse hatches of midges and some brief surface activity, but plan on fishing low and slow most of the day.
A chance of drizzle, snow, and freezing drizzle before 3pm, then a slight chance of rain between 3pm and 4pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 34. Light southeast wind becoming east 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Wisconsin's trout season is CLOSED. We are fishing over in Iowa. Kind of ugly weather the past few days and heading into the next few. It's probably wise to stay home instead of making a long drive to fish right now. If you are already in the area, or going to brave the weather, we are back in winter mode. Nymph deep in the pools and runs. If there are spawning fish present, please leave them alone.
A slight chance of rain between 1pm and 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 44. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Today and tomorrow are the last really nice weather days we will have in a while! Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing over in Iowa. Nymphing is still key right now. Drift nymphs deep in the mornings, then move into the shin to thigh deep water mid day. There is a chance to see some dry flies later in the afternoon, but the hatches have been brief if they show up. Please watch for spawning fish. Stay off the shallow gravel as much as possible so you don't crush the newly laid eggs too.
Sunny, with a high near 34. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Finally a little sunny weather..... Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Some Minnesota creeks are open too, make sure to check your regulations before heading out. Creeks are in good shape. Flowing well and not too cold right now. Fishing nymphs and leeches until the afternoon will get you fish. Concentrate on deeper water (runs and pools) as the sun warms things up, the fish will push a bit into the riffles. There have been a few dry flies showing up (midges and some late olives) but don't expect spectacular surface activity. It's a bonus this time of year, not a given.
Rain likely, mainly before 11am. Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 34 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northwest wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60% Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. There are also limited areas in Minnesota open for fishing right now. Check youre regulations before you head out. A bit of light rain this morning, but it is not enough to make anything color up on the creeks. Fishing has been good lately with the warmer temperatures making it more comfortable for humans to be outside. Fishing is still almost all nymphing with a smattering of late afternoon hatches bringing the trout to the surface briefly. Please note that fish are spawning right now (brown and brook trout. Rainbows spawn in the spring). Leave spawning fish alone and try to stay off the shallow creek bottom when legally possible!
A chance of drizzle and snow before 10am, then a slight chance of drizzle between 10am and 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 40. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Excellent weather for fishing BUT. Driving around in Wisconsin yesterday to look at creeks, the fish are in full on spawning mode. The fish would prefer that you did not disturb spawning I'm pretty sure. If you fish (remember Wisconsin is closed, Iowa is open and only portions of Minnesota are open) please take care and stay out of the water as much as possible (and legal) and do not fish spawning fish! Concentrate on the deep pools below the riffles. This hold true through the entire winter and early season. Please wade lightly and do not walk over spawning beds. That's the future population sitting in the gravel.
Wisconsin's trout season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa and there are limited waters open in Minnesota. Check you're regulations before you head out fishing! Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Light and variable wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Warm-ish cloudy and light winds. GO FISH GO FISH GO FISH! Fish nymphs deep and roll them in the runs and into the pools. Fish can move up into the riffles in the later afternoon and there is a slim chance you will see some fish rising to midges in the later afternoon. Use some caution! This is the start of spawning time. If there are active spawning beds, DO NOT FISH THEM. Leave the gravel alone and fish the pools well below.
Partly sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning. Pretty nice weather this weekend! Far better than we have had in the past week or so! Remember Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa and Minnesota has some water open. Check your regulations! The whole weekend looks mild compared to what we have had lately. Fishing will be good on nymphs fished deep in the runs and pools. With the warmer weather there is a chance that some fish will be rising to midges in the afternoon. Today kicks off our 5x points on Scott fly rod holiday bonus. Buy a Scott fly rod and get 5X shop credit on your Driftless Angler Loyalty account! Have any questions, shoot us an e-mail or call.
Wisconsin's season is closed. Iowa is open and state park waters in Minnesota are open. Check your regulations before you head out! Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 29. West wind 6 to 8 mph. Today is pretty mediocre condition wise. The next 4 days temperatures are forecasted to be in the high 30s. This is greenlight to get outside and fish weather! Most of the fishing is subsurface on scuds, midge larvae, competition style nymphs and even slowly drifted leeches. There is a chance that late afternoon will get some fish rising to midges but don't count on it.
Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa (when it warms up a bit!!) Sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -10. Northwest wind around 7 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Quite cold the next couple of days. It looks like Friday through the weekend might be bearable. But mid week will not be a good time to be out on the creeks.
Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Sunny, with a high near 24. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. It's cold out there, but with the sun shining it is actually quite pleasant to be outside! There is no longer a reason to get out there early. Things have cooled down enough that water temperatures are cold. Give the creeks a bit of time to warm up and fishing will be better. Nymphing is key and will be for the rest of the fall/winter. Roll your flies deep in the mornings, then in the afternoon start fishing the runs and even riffles. Hatches are dwindling. There are a few midges and olives around, but the major dry activity is done until we get some warmer temperatures.
Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. A 50 percent chance of snow, mainly between 3pm and 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 32. North wind 6 to 10 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. The first real snow of the season last night has things blanketed with a couple inches of snow this morning. Be careful driving around as the morning has been a slippery one. The snow is heavy and wet and will trickle into the creeks slowly. It shouldn't cause things to muddy up or drop water temperatures too drastically. Nymphing and fishing streamers is the way to go still. Fish slow in the deeper pools and drop offs and hope that the afternoon brings some olives hatching as they will get fish looking up.
Wisconsin's season is closed until the first Saturday in January. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Scattered rain showers after 10am, mixing with snow after 5pm. Cloudy, with a temperature rising to near 41 by noon, then falling to around 36 during the remainder of the day. West wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. While the weather is pretty miserable looking on paper, it isn't awful out there! Fishing has been solid subsurface on midge larvae and scuds. The creeks are clear to slightly stained and running well. There is a chance of seeing some rising fish in the afternoons to midges and some leftover olives too. The hatches have been sparse but if they show up, fish are rising to them!
Cloudy with a high near 38. SW wind 6-8 mph. Chance of some scattered snow/rain today. Not the prettiest weather to be out in, but the fish are already wet and don't care! Wisconsin's season is CLOSED until the first Saturday in January. This report is for Iowa. Fishing remains solid subsurface all day long with fish eating heavy bead heads rolled along the bottom as well as midge larvae in the riffles later in the day. There has been sporadic surface activity, but nothing crazy good lately.
Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. West wind 5 to 7 mph. Dusting of snow on the ground this morning. but overall a pretty day. It's starting to morph into cold weather fishing mode. Fishing smaller nymphs and scuds deep under an indicator or tight line nymphing in the morning, then switching to olive dries if the fish start to rise in the afternoon. While chilly, it is still quite pleasant out there right now.
Sunny, with a high near 48. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Wisconsin's season is closed. We are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. The last couple of frosty mornings have started to put a hurt on terrestrials. While we are still using larger foam patterns as indicators through the day, they have begun slowing down in the fish catching department. Rolling small nymphs and scuds below the runs is still effective, and we are seeing some spotty rising from fish mid day and into the evening. There is no need to get up early as the chilly mornings are typically quite slow. The real action is when the sun warms the stream bed a bit and the bugs start moving around.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a southeast wind 6 to 11 mph becoming west 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Today is the last day of trout season in Wisconsin. Get out there and fish. The shop will be open until noon (we need to get our last few fish in this afternoon!) Thank you all for a great season!
Areas of frost before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 47. Southwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Creeks are in good shape. Only today and tomorrow to fish. We're going to simply suggest you get out and fish and do not worry too much about what's going on. Hopper with a dropper and streamers/leeches today and tomorrow. Shop closes at noon tomorrow (tuesday).
Showers, mainly after 1pm. High near 42. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Cold this morning and the wind is a bit annoying. Good thing the fish aren't as fussy about cold and wind! Fishing was solid yesterday with fish loving crickets and darker foam patterns on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been great on zebra midges, perdigons, purple drank and food as well as scuds. There have been many anglers hooking some really nice fish on leeches and streamers too! Season shuts down after the 15th, only 4 more days of fishing left! Get out there while you still can.
UPDATE 4:15 Rains today missed most of the Wisconsin Driftless. They stayed west of the Mississippi for the most part. Only brief light drizzle in town and the surrounding area. A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Southeast wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch. While the weather sounds ominous on paper, this is excellent fishing weather (if you can tuck in and avoid the wind) The rain isn't scary right now. It looks like they are predicting drizzle to light showers which should not do anything to mess our creeks up. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures perfect for this time of season. The fish are starting to put on their fall colors and become aggressive on streamers and foam patterns on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been great on purple hot spot pheasant tails, small frenchies and zebra midges as well as pink squirrels and prince nymphs. There are only 5 days left in Wisconsin's season (closed after the 15th) get out and fish!!!!
Sunny with a high near 67. South wind 11 to 13 mph. Gorgeous fall day today! Season closes after the 15th, so get out there and fish. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with only the lower end of large creeks still sowing some color. Fish have been happily eating smaller terrestrials all day long on the surface, then switching to olives in the late afternoon and early evening. Subsurface fishing has been best on scuds, purple belly pheasant tails and food. Fishing nymphs in the riffles or just having one tag along with a terrestrial as a dropper has been effective. Streamers and larger leeches are starting to pick up some larger fish too as the fall weather has trout becoming a bit more aggressive than normal!
Sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Creeks are clear to stained with excellent temperatures. The murkier water is down near the kickapoo river. If you drive up the creeks a bit the clarity is far better. The majority of water is in excellent shape despite the rainy weekend. The past couple of days things have dropped and cleared quickly. We're fishing scuds and heavier bead heads deep in the cooler morning, then switching to hopper and dropper mid day. In the later part of the day olives are hatching and bringing fish to the surface consistently. Remember season closes after the 15th! Get out and enjoy the great weather and conditions!!
Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 55. Breezy, with a southeast wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Raining as of opening this morning. This first system will be some normal rain and not muddy things up completely. There is a second band coming through that will hit around 11 or noon-ish. After that, there should be no more rain.
Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Calm wind becoming northeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Creeks are clear to medium stained. The headwaters are in great shape, the creeks that flow into the Kickapoo or have flood control dams on them tend to be much murkier. Fish were feasting yesterday subsurface on larger nymphs (scuds, purple drink, prince nymphs etc) and should continue to do so on the stained water. Fishing a foam indicator is still very effective, but a bit slower as the cooler and wetter temperatures mean less movement by terrestrials. Size down a bit and the fish will eat them more often. Leeches and streamers are picking up steam. The cooler temperatures combined with the stained waters have fish looking for some bigger meals right now!
Moistly cloudy with a high near 54. Breezy with a northwest wind 10-16 mph gusting to 25. No real rain yesterday gave the waters a chance to drop and start clearing. The smaller creeks and headwaters are clear to stained and the larger creeks are still going to be muddy, especially the lower sections that dump into the Kickapoo. Things drained a lot quicker than we expected and we had fishable water as early as yesterday! In the murky water, fish black leeches and squirmy wormies. In the clear stuff go back to using a foam fly with a bead head dropper (hippie stomper or chubby chernobyl with food and drink below). We're finally getting some fall weather the next few days so look for fish to start getting a bit more agreeable and aggressive if the weather doesn't heat up again! Remember season closes after the 15th of this month. Make some time to enjoy the Driftless again before things shut down!
UPDATE 8:00 Our guide Nick has already found fishable water. While the majority of our creeks are still murky, this is a great sign that things are dropping and clearing quickly. Showers likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 56. Northeast wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. We're on the tail end of the rains. Anywhere between and inch and two fell in the last 24 hours. The good news is that the heavy storms last night went south of us. While our creeks are muddy this morning, they did not blow out like crazy as they were forecasted to do yesterday. This means things are dropping and clearing through the day today. Expect the tiny springs and even some small, headwater creeks to be fishable if not clear by this evening. Barring any more major rains, tomorrow is looking good!
Periods of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Temperature falling to around 63 by 5pm. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. The luck streak seems to end today. It's already raining and we are forecast for an inch or two tonight. Today and through tomorrow are looking grim. We will head out after the rains as always and keep you posted as to overall clarity. But it looks like a couple days of poor to no fishing are in the cards.
Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Conditions are excellent right now outside of the wind. Creeks are clear and flowing well with really solid water temperatures. The next couple of days are showing some rain especially Tuesday night. Things are good now, but keep an eye on our report for what the rains Tuesday are going to do to the creeks. Foam with a dropper and olives in the evening.
Showers likely, mainly before 8am. Cloudy, with a high near 64. East wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Yesterday we received no rain and the creeks were clear. Last night we only had some light rain, up to 1/4 of an inch. This morning there is no real rain, only some drizzle. That means the creeks remain clear to stained!!! Fishing has been good, but the sunny days have been tough, especially mid day. The major feeding activity has been in the evening when the olives are hatching. Otherwise, fishing shady areas with a hopper/dropper close to the bank or tight line/competition nymphing the deeper runs has been successful.
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 4pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 65. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Creeks are clear this morning. We had a very brief and very light shower roll through the area, but it was drizzle. Not nearly enough to change the clarity much at all. We might get a bit more rain later today, but so far we are not worried. Fish are happily eating smaller terrestrials with bead head droppers as well as olives that are hatching in the evenings. So far, things are looking great for today and into tomorrow rain and clarity wise!! If anything happens we will keep you posted.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 5 to 9 mph. Ahhh fall in the Driftless. The leaves are beginning to turn, the trout have started to get their fall colors too, and the fishing has been great! Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing well. Fish are eating midges and the occasional olive spinner in the mornings, then switching to terrestrials once the sun dries the bankside vegetation off. Fishing foam with a dropper is deadly through most of the day. In the evenings we are getting a hatch of fall olives as well as a few craneflies. Do not neglect leeches and streamers right now too. Fish have started to chase some bigger meals as they transition into fall pre-spawn mode.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and in excellent shape. The storms missed us pretty much completely last night (see radar photo, Vernon county barely got hit) Olive spinners first thing in the morning, then hopper and dropper all day long. In the evening we are still seeing hatches of olives and a few craneflies and caddis. The hatches are spotty and seem to be random. If there are not a lot of bugs in the air and fish are rising but not eating your olive patterns, tie on a small ant or beetle! Larger fish are starting to chase streamers and leeches again too as the water settles down.
Sunny, with a high near 75. Southwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with only the ones near the main branch of the Kickapoo still murky. Water temperatures are in the high 50s to 60. Fishing is fantastic so far this fall! Fish are happily eating foam on the surface (hoppers, hippies, ants etc) and also subsurface. Scuds, hot spot pheasant tails and other thin but flashy patterns (think perdigons!) are working well. For dry fly activity, the later afternoon and evening has fish rising to olives and craneflies. Fish are starting to get aggressive on streamers and leeches too. Look for some aggressive strikes especially on cloudy days and stained water.
Sunny, with a high near 71. Light west wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. After a rainy weekend things are back on track. Many of the larger creeks will be heavily stained this morning, but will drop and clear out pretty quickly (except those that dump into the main Kickapoo, they will remain fairly murky). The small stuff is where it is at right now. Fish are happily feeding in the stained water on larger foam patterns with droppers below them, leeches and buggers, scuds and san juan worms. In the afternoon and evening we are seeing craneflies, and olives hatching with fish rising sporadically. Fall fishing is here and the fish are hungry! They are also starting to get their fall colors! Get out there and fish as our season ends October the 15th.
Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. High near 67. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Cloudy and drizzly day today! The major rains missed us for the most part over the weekend and creeks are clear to stained. The lower sections of creeks will be murky as they dump into the larger, non trout rivers. Fishing has been fantastic this weekend with fish happily eating foam attractor patterns and hoppers as well as rising to olives, craneflies and midges in the afternoon and evening. Subsurface fishing has been good on just about anything too! Larger fish are eating leeches and streamers and the fish are starting to put on their fall colors.
Cloudy and breezy with a high near 72. Chance of showers and thunderstorms at 40%. Things are actually quite good area wide with the creeks clear to slightly stained. Only the larger creeks that flow into the Kickapoo are still murky. We're watching the potential storms closely. It is a slim chance it will rain today, but tonight could drop some moisture. The ground is saturated, so any heavy rain could blow things out. We will keep you posted! For now, hoppers and foam with droppers are still the main menu item. We are seeing some midges and olives hatching mid day and into the evening so keep an eye out for rising fish.
A slight chance of showers before noon, then a slight chance of showers after 4pm. Patchy dense fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 80. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%. No more rain fell yesterday or through the night giving the creeks a change to clear up quite a bit. While the lower sections of larger waters will still be murky, look for clear to stained water at the headwaters and on the smaller tributaries. Fishing scuds, leeches, worm patterns and pink squirrels in the murky water is working well right now. On the clearer water, zebra midges, brush hogs, and scuds subsurface. Fish them below larger hopper or foam indicator patterns. We are still seeing blue winged olives hatching in the later afternoon and evenings. Saturday is still dicey looking at the weather forecast. The ground is pretty saturated. If it rains things will more than likely muddy up again. It all depends on the amount and intensity of the rain, something that we will not know until it hits.
UPDATE 3 PM. Significant dropping and clearing on some tributaries (like this one on the Timber Coulee). While most creeks are still murky we are starting to find fishable water. If things stay dry (only 10% chance of rain tonight and only 30% tomorrow) fishing will hold through Saturday. We're still a bit nervous about rain on Saturday. If it hits we could be muddy again... UPDATE: 1PM Things had calmed down rain wise but most creeks are still muddy. It is settling quickly and, barring any more rain, we should see headwaters fishable by the evening, but still not very good out there. Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 78. South wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Steady rain all night last night. The rains fell in a really weird pattern seemingly random through the night. While we have been out scouting this morning and will continue to do so, things are pretty grim for fishing this morning. While some creeks are running chocolate milk however, we have found some with only a medium stain (in other words fishable). Put in some windshield time this morning and you could find some fishable water. If you do, toss larger scuds, San Juan Worms, leeches and pink squirrels. We will keep you updated on conditions through the day.
Partly sunny, with a high near 81. South wind 9 to 13 mph. Although a bit warm for humans, the fish are happy with the cool flows and good levels. Hopper and dropper is the way to go through the day until olives start hatching. When noses come up switch to a parachute or an emerger. There are some scattered storms predicted to roll through the area tonight. We will keep you posted!
Sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 6 to 11 mph. Creeks are clear to stained with only the lower sections of 'big' water showing a medium to heavy stain. The rains have had plenty of time to clear out! Water temps are in the mid 50s to low 60s. Fishing has been solid lately mid morning once the sun has dried the ground. We're fishing ants, beetles, hoppers etc with a dropper when we can. The dry/dropper fishing lasts until the evening when fish start rising to olives and olive emergers. Nymphing with heavy tungsten bead flies is also very effective. Fishing them below indicators or tight line/competition style is quite good, especially mid day when the fish are sulking on the bottom hiding from the sun. Leeches and streamers and mice are very effective when the sun is off the water (dusk until dawn!). While it will be warm the rest of the week, cooler weather hits this weekend. The warm temperatures are not making fishing harder as water temperatures are very stable and the fish are happy.
Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with good water temperatures. While we are due for some warm-fish late summer weather (hitting highs near 80 most of the week) the fishing is more than solid. Look for fishing to pick up in the late morning when things dry out and the terrestrials start moving around. Fishing a foam fly with a dropper is excellent right now! In the evenings we will see some rising fish eating olives. Simple parachutes and film critics will get the job done. Subsurface flies are trending toward thinner bodied. Food, copper johns, pink and purple belly PTs etc.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Light southwest wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Creeks have had a lot of time to drop and clear. We did have rising fish on some headwater creeks yesterday, and the main branches had calmed down and were fishable, but not pretty. Today should be a whole different ball game. Expect clear to mildly stained water through the area and north. South in Crawford county and into the Fennimore area, things were hit far harder by the rains and creeks will be chocolate again. Leeches, squirrels, worms and scuds in the stained to murky water. Hippie or training wheel with a dropper (food, purple drank, perdigons, purple zebras etc) in the clear water. Also watch for olives on the clear creeks as they have been coming off. It still isn't a massive hatch but where they appear, fish are rising to them.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Breezy, with a west wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Creeks are stained to muddy today. Rains hit heavy at about 7 pm last night. That gave some creeks enough time to start to drop and clear overnight. Rains hit far heavier south of us in Crawford and Grant counties. Most creeks will be murky (the West Fork was blown this morning) but the tributaries and head waters were looking fishable. Things will only get better as creeks drop and clear through the day. While it might not be dry fly water, fish will be happy later today and through the weekend. On the murky water, fish worm patterns, leeches, large scuds and pink squirrels. On the clear water, terrestrials caddis and olives on the surface with thin bodied bead heads (food, perdigons, pink and purple belly pheasant tails). We dodged a pretty big bullet the past couple of days. Amazed that the creeks held up with the onslaught of rain the past few days!
howers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a high near 70. East wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Heavy rain hit about 3 in the morning muddied things up, but it was less than we expected. Nothing major on the radar so far this morning. We will keep you posted. Expect murky water through the day today. Leeches, large scuds and San Juan Worms. If the next batch of rains misses us, then we will go back to normal as things drop and clear. We will keep you posted.
EDIT 12:25 Forecast for the rest of the day (until 3 am now) This Afternoon Cloudy, with a high near 79. South wind around 7 mph. Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 79. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. First round of storms missed us this morning! One a few rain drops and some threatening thunder as we opened, but the major storm was north of I-90. We're not forecasted for another round until about 5 p.m. That means the window is open to enjoy some really solid fishing. Yesterday was excellent with creeks clear to slightly stained as the ground soaked up quite a bit of the earlier rains. Fish were rising all day (not crazy strong but a nose popping here and there) on most of the creeks we fished and scouted. Olives are hatching, so make sure to have some good flush riding patterns in your fly box. Other than that, fish are still responding well to both larger and thicker bodied sub surface bugs (scuds, purple drank, pink squirrels) as well as thin bodied smaller flies (zebras, food, pink and purple belly PTs). We're still fishing our nymphs below a hopper or large foam indicator fly. Even with the periodic rains and wet grass, fish will occasionally eat the foam pattern. It serves as an edible indicator!
Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10am. High near 83. Southwest wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Anywhere from half an inch to an inch and a half of rain in the past 24 hours. Expect stained to muddy water. We aren't supposed to get anything after this morning so things will be fishable by the afternoon. Bad news is that rain are predicted to hit the area again through the week. We will keep you posted. Fishing has been quite good with fish happily eating subsurface and rising to olives, caddis and midges in the evenings. With the rain putting color in the water, focus on scuds, squirmy wormies, and leeches in black. In the stained to clear water your normal bead heads and olives on the surface will work.
Update 12:30--- So far scattered showers but nothing heavy. Nothing bad to report! Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3pm. Patchy fog before 1pm. High near 68. Southeast wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. The forecast sound foreboding, but so far, it looks like a band of heavy rain will hit quickly. We will keep you updated on what we see. Olives have become THE item on the menu. Over the chilly and cloudy weekend they showed up well in the afternoon and into the evenings. The terrestrial bit slowed down a bit with chillier and less dry weather, and looking at the week ahead that will not change. Look for action to be subsurface until the olives show up.
Saturday, September 14th, we are happy to have a fly line demo day sponsored by Scientific Anglers! What it is: Bring your own fly rod or rods that just do not seem to be performing right. Representatives from Scientific Anglers will be on hand with pretty much every fly line that they make. You will be able to test different tapers, weights, and textures of fly lines to create a perfect match for your fly rod! Instead of just guessing what will work well with your fly rod, you get a chance to test drive a bunch of different lines to get a perfect match for your fly rod and casting style! This is not a parking lot event, there will be water to cast on (as well as a bar inside...) to get a true feel. The event is free and starts at 3 p.m. at the Bad Axe Country Club in Esofea. For more information or directions, please e-mail or call the shop!
Increasing clouds, with a high near 70. Light west wind becoming northwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Beautiful weekend for trout fishing! Cool water temps and good flows have the fish very happy. There are a few tricos around in the morning, but the spinner fall has been very spotty all summer long. Mid day fishing a foam attractor or terrestrial (beetle/hopper etc) with a thin profile bead head below is the ticket. Fish are eating the nymph far more often than the hopper, but bigger fish will come up and smash the foam! Just make sure to target grass lined banks. In the later afternoon and evening we are seeing an olive hatch as well as a few caddis.
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 73. North wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Last windy day today before the weekend. The wind isn't necessarily a bad thing though as it is blowing terrestrials into the creeks! We're looking at some cloudier weather for the weekend and a slight chance of drizzle. In other words, it will be cool cloudy and give anglers the edge versus a bright sunny sky! Excellent conditions We're still doing best on hoppers with droppers during the day. A chubby chernobyl or a user friendly (the fish are liking slimmer profiled foam flies) with purple drink, food, frenchies or zebra midges dropper below are great right now. In the late afternoon and evening we are seeing our late summer hatch of olives. A sparkle stacker or bunny dun emerger (as well as simple parachutes) will get the rising fish to eat. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the mid 60s. Excellent summer conditions!!
Sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures in the high 50s to 60. Fishing hoppers should be better today as the sun is bright first thing this morning drying out the bankside grass. Tricos are sparse with only a few spinner falls area wide getting the fish to rise early. Seek out the grassy banks and plop a foam fly with a dropper today for the best success. Olives are hatching in the evenings, but the hatch is still young and not quite thick yet. Leeches and streamers in the stained water have been deadly!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Northwest wind around 6 mph. Things are great after the rains a couple of nights ago. Creeks are clear to stained and the flush in the creeks have the fish feeding a bit better than normal. Today will be an extremely pleasant summer day (again!) Tricos are still around in the mornings, but not in great numbers. Unless you are a morning person, sleeping in is a good thing! Fishing during the day on hoppers with bead head droppers is the key. Not only true hoppers, but foam patterns such as hippie stompers and training wheels or beetles have been good on the surface. Bead heads do not have to be anything fancy, but purple and a bit of flash seem to be working a bit better. In the evening we are seeing some olives hatching and fish feeding on the surface. If they do not seem to be eating olives, fish a royal stacker midge or a smaller foam ant.
UPDATE: Apparently we got a bit more rain than expected. Buzzing around creeks mid day today, a lot of things are murky out there. It is dropping and clearing quickly, but not clear like we reported first thing this am. A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before noon. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 79. Breezy, with a southwest wind 8 to 18 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Last warm day in a while. A bit breezy and drizzly this morning, but nothing awful. Creeks re in great shape and fishing has been fantastic lately. With a touch warmer weather, the trico spinner fall has been a bigger thing, but still nothing to be super excited about. The main action is terrestrials and nymphs still. Fish are loving ants, beetles and hoppers as well as simple foam attractors. Tying a bead head below them lets you hit two different pieces of water at once. In the evening fish are rising to some late summer olives. Again, not the major hatch, but enough to get fish looking up. This has been one of the best trout summers we can remember. It's definitely worth getting out here and fishing and things will only get better as the rest of the week cools down!
Sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 3 to 7 mph. No, that is not a typo. High is 71 today.... Fishing remains strong. With the stable weather we have seen more trico spinners, but still not enough to get super excited about. The main attraction is fishing foam and a dropper through the day, then if fish are rising on the creek you are on, fishing olives in the evening (or ants!!!). Creeks are clear and fish can be spooky mid day, but overall the conditions are fantastic for summertime. Saturday's high is 67 and cloudy with a chance of drizzle.....
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a west wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Great weather continues. No major changes to creeks or conditions. We did get some light rains yesterday and last night, but nothing to stain creeks significantly. This is still incredible weather for summertime! Get out there and toss a hopper or other foam bug with a dropper and you will catch fish! There are a few sparse hatches of olives, a few trico spinners in the mornings on select creeks too. Streamers are catching quite a few fish lately too.
Cloudy, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. It sure doesn't feel like August! Mild weather continues all week with a few days high temperature barely reaching 70 degrees. The creeks are in great shape, crystal clear and cool for mid summer (temps in the mid to high 50s to low 60s). Hopper, ants, and beetles are still the food of choice from mid morning into the evening. We are also seeing sporadic hatches of olives and craneflies on many of the creeks. If the fish are rising, a parachute (don't forget to twitch it) or a film critic will get fish to eat. If not, an ant certainly will! Foam with a dropper is still the go to rig with most fish eating the bead head, and the larger fish eating the big foam pattern. We're still waking up each morning and our jaw hits the floor when we step outside and are chilly. This is unseasonably awesome weather. Get out here and fish!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph. It's gorgeous out. Go fish! Hopper dropper is hot. We've got quite a few sparse hatches too. Caddis, olives and craneflies are around and we have seen quite a few rising fish through the day. Creeks are clear and flowing well and temperatures are solid pretty much area wide (mid 50s to low 60s) This is absolutely fantastic weather for August. The trout are very happy and it is just pleasant to be outside.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. East wind 6 to 8 mph. All weekend the weather is going to be in the mid 70s with overnight lows in the low 50s! We might not see this weather again in August again. It is seriously amazing to just be outside and the trout are in great moods. Fishing is a bit slow in the morning but you will find fish rising to midges (royal stacker midge) and parachutes (purple and adams). The major fishing is mid day though (so weird to say that in August!) on hoppers and droppers. Hippie stompers, training wheels, hoppers and large beetles are working up top. Ice cream cones, purple jig PTs, zebra midges and food are working subsurface. In the evenings we have started to notice an olive hatch. It isn't super intense, but there are bugs hatching and fish rising. The hatch is on the smaller creeks and headwater streams. The key seems to be finding the grassier banks. The larger rivers and even to an extent the grazed creeks are not fishing as well as the jungle-esque waters right now.
A chance of sprinkles after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon. The incredible weather continues! It's just pleasant to be outside in late August with the weather like this. Add to that cold water temperatures are very good trout fishing. Why aren't you hear fishing? Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing well with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. There are a few fish rising early to midges and parachute adams. Through the day, a foam hopper or attractor pattern with a thin bodied bug below is deadly. The evening fishing is good with the hopper/dropper but we have already seen small hatches of blue winged olives and started to see a few pods of rising fish too.
Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Creeks are clear and flowing well with cool water temperatures. The high the next few days will be in the mid 70s and the lows in the low 50s! What more could you ask for in August?!?! Sparse hatches early and late, fish a purple parachute or CDC and elk caddis to rising fish. The vast majority of fishing right now is a hopper or foam fly with a bead head dropper. Hippie stompers, user friendlies, beetles etc with a purple drink, food, or simple red copper john below is excellent right now! The weather has been more than fantastic lately, we hope you can get out and enjoy this cool summer weather and chase our happy trout!
Isolated showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 11am and noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temps in the high 50s to low 60s. This is forecasted to be the hottest day the rest of this week. Once again, get out here and fish! We do not get mid August weather like this often and the trout are in VERY good moods. Hopper/dropper is the key right now as hatches are sparse. Seek out the creeks with lots of bankside vegetation and even some shady areas and fish later in the morning and through the day. Terrestrials are not active first thing in the morning when there is dew on the grass. Early morning, and on the more open water, tight line nymphing, competition style fishing, or nymphing deep with an indicator will catch fish. They are a bit unwilling when the sun is overhead so fish early and late. Hatches are very sparse (which is normal this time of year) so focus on simple generalist patterns like purple parachutes and royal stacker midges for the surface bite.
Sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Creeks are clear to very slightly stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. The summer continues to give us incredible fishing with fish feeding well on terrestrials and bead head droppers. Hatches are sparse, but there were fish rising yesterday to craneflies, egg laying caddis and midges. Fishing was best on small heavy droppers fished in the riffles and runs. The larger fish are actually the ones slurping the terrestrial so do not forget to use a larger foam pattern in your rig right now! While the percentage is low, the big fly is a tempting target to larger Driftless trout. Fishing is still best early and late when the sun is off the water. If you can find some tree lined creeks then fishing is good all day! This has been one of the best summers in the past decade! The weather this week looks good again with only one day over 80 and mid week temps in the mid to low 70s.
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9am and 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. West wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Brief Sunday rain report. It did rain last night in our area, locally heavy rains of up to an inch in the 'new normal' quick storm. Overall though creeks remain clear and fishable to stained. The larger amounts of rain were well south of Vernon County. Guide trips all went out this morning, and scouting around the area first thing this morning we found quite a bit of fishable water. Hopper dropper on the clear water. Leeches and San Juan worms on the stained stuff!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Creeks are clear and just a bit low with water temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. Excellent conditions for the middle of August! The terrestrial fishing is still extremely strong with fish eating beetles, ants, and hoppers quite well. Fishing a hopper/dropper or a hippie/dropper right now is a ton of fun. Fish are eating the larger terrestrial well and the shy fish are still eating subsurface. Purple hoppers, hen sitting on egg hoppers, and hippie stompers have been the most effective with Japanese beetles and Ungamunga beetles a close second for the foam/dropper rigs. Subsurface fishing has been best on purple zebra nymphs, purple drink, frenchies, and food. We can't say enough how good the water temps and flows are for this time of year! Get out there and enjoy some mild summer weather and trout fishing!
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. This is about as warm as it has been the past week! The unseasonably mild weather has fish in a great mood. While we have had some rainfall, most creeks are flowing clear and the rain has helped keep water temperatures cooler than normal for this time of year. Terrestrials have been HOT. Like trout cruising out from under cover and across the creek to eat your hopper hot. Hatches are sparse and the trico spinner fall has been mediocre (partly due to it being too cold), but ants, beetles, crickets and hoppers are making up for the lack of aquatic insect surface activity. While you can catch fish all day, your best fishing is still early and late avoiding the mid day sun.
Showers, mainly before 10am. High near 70. North wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. There was rain last night, anywhere from and inch to half an inch area wide. It was heavier north of the shop. It should not be enough to blow anything out or ruin fishing by any stretch of the imagination. Today is more than pleasant weather wise! We're forecasted for continuing temperatures in the 70s and cool overnight lows the rest of the week. While there are no major hatches going on (the tricos are sporadic and ok, but don't bet on the spinner fall being consistent) fish are looking up to terrestrials all day and simple purple parachutes in the evening. Subsurface fishing has been great lately too with fish eating mostly smaller, thin bodied nymphs as well as scuds and pink squirrels on days like today with some cloud cover.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 8am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. The long weather report means it might drizzle with the slim chance of some localized heavier rain. So far it is nothing to be scared of. Overall creeks are clear to stained with excellent water temperatures for the summertime. Some scattered rains last night have a couple of creeks flowing stained this morning, but not anywhere near unfishable. Tricos have been showing up much later in the day due to cooler temperatures. We're seeing the spinner fall around 9 instead of 5 or 6 on the creeks that have tricos. The best fishing on the surface right now is on terrestrials. Fishing a hippie or a training wheel with a bead head tied below will consistently catch fish. Many days you can even take off the dropper and fish the foam pattern exclusively! Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller and thinner patterns like zebra midges and pink belly pheasant tails. Streamers and mice are doing a good job of picking up some larger fish at night right now too.
Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Patchy dense fog before 10am. High near 75. East wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Very humid out this morning which will go away once it rains. The rain forecast is not scary at all, it is just calling for some summer showers. If that changes, we will let you know. Creeks are clear and flowing well for summer with water temperatures much cooler than normal for summertime. This translates to really good fishing!!! Tricos are around in the mornings, but the spinner falls have been just OK with nothing too heavy to get excited about. The foam hatch, on the other hand, is great! Yesterday we never changed from foam hoppers and training wheels. Hoppers, ants, beetles and simple attractor patterns fished near the banks and below riffles have gotten fish to eat all day long. Subsurface fishing is also quite good with smaller, thinner profile bugs being the best (think perdigon and frenchie instead of hare's ear and prince). Either fishing them below a foam/hopper pattern or tight line nymphing them deep in the pools is effective. Early and late, fish are chasing streamers and leeches as well as mice too! Trout have been in a very good mood lately.
Scattered showers, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. A bit of cloud cover and drizzle this evening could really get trout moving. As it is, the summer has been wonderful. Cooler than average water temperatures and pleasant days out on the creeks. Tricos are showing up in spinner falls in the mornings, then fishing a hippie stomper or large beetle with a bead head below through the day. Nothing too noteworthy fly wise, but solid fishing all day long right now! At night, some bigger fish have been eating mice and larger leeches too.
Sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 3 to 7 mph. Can't complain about the weather so far this August. Temperatures are cooler than average, the creeks are clear and flowing well thanks to a rainy spring keeping the water levels up, and the fish are eating tricos in the mornings and terrestrials all day long on the surface! Dry dropper is the way to go after fish stop feeding on tricos at dawn. Fishing a training wheel or hippie stomper with a bead head tied below will work all day long! We're even forecasted for some clouds and drizzle tomorrow. With the sun being the limiting factor right now, a break from sunny summer days usually means better fishing. Shop will be open from 9-5 tomorrow (Saturday).
Sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained. Weather is gorgeous, trico spinner falls are happening on most mornings, and the terrestrial bite has been excellent lately. With these cooler temperatures, fish are very happy for August! It's time to take a sick day or two.....
Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Scattered storms the past couple of days have some larger creeks stained up. Expect clear to slightly stained water area wide. Fishing is in its summer rhythm. Tricos in the morning, then terrestrials (with nymph droppers) all day long. When the sun is off the water, fishing is better! Very pleasant few days ahead with highs in the high 70s to 80! This has been an EXCELLENT weather summer for trout fishing.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 83. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Summer Driftless fishing! Weather is still incredibly pleasant for mid summer. We're seeing tricos in the mornings and fishing hoppers and droppers through the day. Fishing is still best when the sun is off the water so fish early, fish late, and avoid the mid day sun. If you're out mid day, toss your terrestrials right on the bank and underneath overhanging vegetation, or fish nymphs in the deep pools. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the low 60s. Only a couple creeks are hitting 65 degrees (the larger ones). It is still a good idea to use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be slow fishing and much warmer than that can be harmful to hook trout in.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Light north wind. This has been a huge block of stable weather, and the trout are loving it! Creeks are clear with only a couple still stained. Water temperatures are right around 60 with the exception of one or two of the larger creeks. In other words, near perfect summer conditions! Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials on the surface all day long. Fishing a hopper or attractor foam pattern with a dropper through the day can be deadly. Rolling a nymph along the bottom (whether it be tight line nymphing or indicator nymphing of the deeper pools) can also produce some excellent fishing during the summer. Mousing reports have been generally positive but lately numbers have not been great. The good news is it seems the best mousing is at dusk and slowing down late at night.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Light north wind. This has been a huge block of stable weather, and the trout are loving it! Creeks are clear with only a couple still stained. Water temperatures are right around 60 with the exception of one or two of the larger creeks. In other words, near perfect summer conditions! Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials on the surface all day long. Fishing a hopper or attractor foam pattern with a dropper through the day can be deadly. Rolling a nymph along the bottom (whether it be tight line nymphing or indicator nymphing of the deeper pools) can also produce some excellent fishing during the summer. Mousing reports have been generally positive but lately numbers have not been great. The good news is it seems the best mousing is at dusk and slowing down late at night.
NOTE: Shop hours have been changed while we are on our hosted trip to Fernie B.C. Shop will be open 9-2 Monday-Sat and 9-Noon on Sunday. Fish early, stock up mid day, then fish again later in the day! Sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind. Tricos in the morning, switching to ants and beetles in the later morning. Hopper (or hippie stomper, or training wheel!) with a dropper through the mid day, then back to ants and beetles in the evening. Stable summer conditions with excellent water temperature and clarity. Thanks to a very rainy spring, the creeks are flowing well and mostly clear with temperatures in the low 60s. The key is timing right now. Fish early, fish late, and find shade. Undercut banks and deep pools provide a break from the sun for fish mid day.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. North wind around 6 mph. Chilly nights and mild days the rest of the week! We have started to see some tricos spinners in the mornings!! It is still in the early stages, but clouds of tricos are in the air on some creeks right now. Fishing through the day with a foam pattern and a bead head is still key. Hatches, outside the tricos, are sparse so throw terrestrials on the surface. Subsurface fishing is best on smaller, thinner bodied bugs like zebra midges, purple drink, and perdigons. The best fishing is still early and late when the sun is off the water, however in these cooler temperatures it is more comfortable for trout (and anglers!) to feed mid day. Make sure your casts are right on the bank and near overhanging vegetation for the best results.
UPDATE: Eyes on the creek are telling me that the Timber Coulee and tributaries are clear and the West Fork even looks good. The rains were far more severe south of us. So head north of the shop to find clear and fishable water! Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Northwest wind 6 to 14 mph. It did rain last night with at least 1/2 an inch falling and in some cases up to 1.5 inches. This means we will have murky water on some creeks this morning but it should drop and clear very quickly on all but the largest creeks. Otherwise, the fishing conditions have been excellent for mid summer! Water temperatures are very good (again with the exception of the larger creeks) and these summer rains help keep things cooler than normal for late July. We have started to see some trico spinners in the mornings! It's just about time to start waking up early and chasing risers to these mayfly spinners. Otherwise, fishing a terrestrial with a bead head dropper has been fantastic. Chubby chernobyls, hippie stompers, even small hopper patterns with a brush hog, purple drink, or frenchie tied below has been great all day long. Fishing is still best when the sun is off the water, but mid day temps are such that bombing the banks with a hopper/dropper is productive and comfortable for anglers! (all week we are looking at highs in the high 70s or 80)
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Sunny, with a high near 85. West wind 6 to 9 mph. Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Remember anything over 65 will be poor fishing and much higher than that can be lethal to trout! Mornings have been good, but a tad slow on the surface. Nymphing and hopper/dropper in the mornings and through the day is effective. The evenings have been where the action is the past couple of days. Fishing ants, beetles, training wheels, and purple parachute have been quite a bit of fun! Subsurface fishing is decent all day. Go deeper as the sun gets higher in the sky. Fish will pod up in the pools mid day and push into the riffles and runs to feed when the sun is off the water. With stable weather and water levels, mousing is picking up!
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. A consistent week of weather means stable fishing. Great water temperatures this summer mean happy trout. Things are great this summer in the Driftless! Creeks are clear to stained with only a couple still showing some stain (bigger creeks are still heavily stained). Early in the day and later at night (when the sun is off the water) you will see some rising fish. These fish are eating stacker midges and purple haze. As the sun comes out and dries things up, terrestrials start moving around and become the preferred meal for trout on the surface. Ants, beetles, even small hoppers are effective right now. Fishing a large foam patterns (hippie stomper, training wheel) with a bead head tied below it is the way to be fishing. Not only will the fish eat the subsurface fly, but they are crushing the indicator bug too. In the deeper water, leeches and streamers are turning some significant fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Another gorgeous summer day in the Driftless! Creeks are mostly clear with a few showing a persistent stain. The smaller waters and tributaries are all clear. Fishing has been great for summer early on bead heads below hippie stompers and hoppers, then later in the day going to smaller terrestrials on the surface fished right next to vegetation and overhanging trees. Of course you can also keep your foam/bead head dropper on and catch fish all day! Actual hatches are sparse this time of year, but you will still get fish rising to some rusty spinners in the morning, and midges and craneflies in the evenings.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 82. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Solid summer conditions! Stable temperatures and good water temperatures have the fish very happy for late July. The limiting factor is the sun. Fish early and fish late and avoid the mid day sun. Spotty showers yesterday especially east of Viroqua have a few streams running with a stain again today. While it might take a little windshield time, each valley received a different amount of rain so while one may be murky, another is crystal clear. Most of the hatches have dwindled as we wait on the trico hatch/spinner fall. Fishing midges and generic mayflies early and late works for rising fish. The main tactic right now is fishing terrestrials right up against the bank and near overhanging vegetation, or fishing a hopper or foam fly with a bead head dropper.
Sunny, with a high near 79. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. It felt chilly first thing this morning! Weather has stabilized and it looks amazing for the next week. Creeks have calmed down from the storms late last week and most are clear to slightly stained. The high waters moved some things around and changed some holes, so expect some new holes and runs out there. The rains insulated water temperatures from skyrocketing with the heat wave last week too. Things are in more than great shape right now. While there are no major hatches, sporadic mayflies, midges and craneflies are getting fish to eat when the sun is not shining on the water. During the middle part of the day, fishing a beetle, ant or even hopper is very effective! Fish are hitting terrestrials with abandon right now. Subsurface fishing has been great lately with scuds, leeches, and squirmy wormies working on the stained water, and zebra midges, perdigons and brush hogs getting the job done on the clear creeks.
Sunny, with a high near 76. North wind 6 to 10 mph. Weather is back to normal! After a weird last few days with heavy rains, flash floods, and a heat wave... Things are back on track in the Driftless. There are still quite a few creeks running with a heavy stain. Many are fishable and all are dropping and clearing quickly now. Fishing leeches and streamers, squirmy wormies, and scuds on the stained water has been very good. We started to see the return of rising fish yesterday too on the clear waters. They're eating terrestrials and attractor patterns on the surface as well as midges at night. We're looking forward to a week of stable conditions and comfortable summer weather. Creek temperatures are quite good for this time of year as the recent rains have everything a bit cooler than normal.
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Things are SLOWLY clearing and dropping. Unfortunately we are predicted to get some scattered heavy rains again this afternoon. There is a little fishable water. Lots of leech and San Juan worm opportunities with a few headwater creeks clear enough to dry fly or nymph regularly. If you are out this morning, it might take some drive time to find the surprise creek that is running clear to slightly stained. It isn't pretty out there, and if we get the rains predicted then things will blow out again. The only piece of good news is the rains have kept the water temperatures from rising rapidly in the heat wave of last week.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 107. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Bad news: We got some heavy rain that has creeks high and muddy this morning. Bad news #2: It is supposed to be over 100 degrees with the heat index Good News: The high water and rains will help keep water temperatures down Good News #2: The temperatures are predicted to return to normal tomorrow (high of 85 Saturday and 79 Sunday) Expect muddy water this morning. The storm that looked like it was going to miss us last night ended up pouring the area with rain this morning. Looking at the precipitation totals, there has been about 4 inches give or take in the past 24 hours. We're not supposed to get any more rain which means we will have fishable water by this evening and though the weekend, but today is pretty much a bust until much later on. The heat wave is supposed to break tonight too. So giving the creeks a day off (and not roasting in the heat today) means cooler temperatures and cleaner water for angling tomorrow.
Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Heat index values as high as 102. Southwest wind around 11 mph. Might be a good day to not fish.... Rains hit harder south of us dumping 2-3 inches. North of the shop was only 1-2 inches, but enough to muddy things up this morning. While the creeks will bounce back quickly, the heat will be rough today. We're looking at very hot an humid conditions. Be safe if you are out fishing and drink tons of water, sit in the creek to cool down etc. Or better yet, wait a couple of days for the heat wave to dissipate! Fishing has been quite good so far this summer especially in the evenings on terrestrials.
Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Despite the heat, the fishing has been good. Just make sure to use your thermometer as some of the larger creeks are hitting the 65 degree mark. Once water temps get there, fishing shuts off. The fish are not boiling in the water, the just hunker down near the springs and relax. Otherwise, fish early and late and find some shade! Creeks are clear to slightly stained due to the spotty rains we have had the past few days. Hatches are sparse. Midges and parachutes in purple and adams get rising fish to eat right now, as well as craneflies. Most of your trout are being caught on terrestrials. Fishing a larger foam indicator pattern or even a hopper with a bead head below is deadly this time of year. Rolling heavy nymphs along the bottom on a tight line is another great way to catch fish that are deeper in the pools. Don't neglect ants! They are excellent in the summertime, both dry and fished as a dropper below foam.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Southwest wind 3 to 7 mph. It's still hot here in the Driftless. Fishing has held on for the most part, but larger creeks are starting to get warmer and slow down. Look for the smaller headwater streams and fish early and late (when the sun is off the water) for the best fishing. It doesn't look like the heatwave will last forever, we just have to get through the weekend then things are predicted to normalize. Midges and purple parawullfs in the morning and evenings on the surface. Hopper or hippie stomper with a dropper all day long.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Hot time, summer in the Driftless... Creeks are clear with a couple still stained. Water temperatures are in the low to mid 60s. We're starting to carry thermometers again with this heat wave. The larger creeks are creeping above 65 degrees which means slow to no fishing. Otherwise, the smaller creeks are still in good shape for mid summer. Look for the best fishing when the sun is off the water. This means getting out early, taking a break mid day, fishing late, and finding shade through the day. Hatches are sparse, but that does not mean you are forced to fish subsurface. Terrestrials during the day and into the evening are a hoot, while early in the morning and at dusk, fish are rising to midges and some egg laying caddis. Subsurface flies are thinner profile, small-fish(16-20) and heavy. Fish them in the bottom of the pools and below undercut banks.
Sunny, with a high near 85. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Summer in the Driftless. There are still trout to be caught! Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the low 60s. The main factor will be the sun. Try not to fish hard when the sun is on the water. Concentrate your efforts early and late when there is shade. There are sparse hatches early and late. Mostly midges and random mayflies (parachute adams or purple hatch!) and craneflies. During the day it is terrestrial time. When the sun dries the dew on the grass, ants and beetles are out and about. We're even seeing baby hoppers now. Fishing a single terrestrial tight to vegetation, or a larger foam bug with a bead head dropper is excellent right now. At night, mousing and throwing larger streamers can be effective. It hasn't been the best mousing year so far, but with a string of drier weather for the next few days it could pick up quite a bit!
Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 78. North wind 6 to 9 mph. Looks like the last cool day for a while. We have low to mid 80s coming up for the next few days. Water temperatures, thankfully, are holding steady right around 60. Creeks are clear to slightly stained. Midges and parachute adams early and late when the sun is off the water and fish are rising. During the day, we are in summertime mode. This means fishing an ant or beetle near overhanging grass and vegetation, or fishing a hopper/hippie with a dropper below.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 82. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Cloudy and 82 in the summertime? Excellent! Fish have seemingly stuck in summer mode. They are feeding on midges in the mornings and evenings when the sun is off the water, then feeding on hopper/dropper through the day. Tiny hoppers, hippie stompers and training wheels on the surface, perdigons, purple drinks, and food subsurface. Nothing too tricky right now in the Driftless! Creeks are clear to stained with the exception of one or two larger creeks. Water temperatures are in the low 60s.
HEADS UP: There is a roofing job going on across the street on main street and traffic is being re-routed. This means there will be no main street parking for the next few days! Please park on the side streets and municipal lots to the west of the fly shop. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Summertime in the Driftless! It's getting warm mid day and a wee bit uncomfortable to be out fishing for humans. Luckily with the recent rains, water temperatures are still hovering right around 60 degrees on most of our creeks. The larger ones are getting a touch warmer, but we have not found anything to be in the 65 plus range yet. If we keep up the night time temperatures in the 60s and daytime not quite topping 80, then all will remain well. Midges on the surface in the morning and evening, then fishing terrestrials with a dropper throughout the day! There are still a few light colored mayflies and caddis hanging around, but not in huge numbers. It's all about ants and beetles right now!
Partly sunny, with a high near 84. North wind 3 to 5 mph. Creeks are clear to stained. The recent rains the past couple of days have water temperatures a touch cooler than normal for this time of year. Look for fish to rise early to midges and small mayfly spinners. Once the sun hits the water the rising activity will stop. After a couple hours of nymphing terrestrial fishing will start to pick up (wait for the dew on the ground to dry). Fishing a hopper or indicator pattern with a dropper will catch fish all day long. Some deep nymphing will also be effective below the riffles and under cut banks during the day. In the evening fish will start rising again to midges, caddis, craneflies and a few mayflies. The hatches are sparse so don't expect magic. If there are not a ton of rising fish, continue fishing your foam pattern with a dropper.
Shop will be closed July 4th. Back to regular hours on Friday the 5th!
Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the morning. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Little to no rain yesterday has creeks clear to medium stain today. The larger creeks are still running murky. Fishing was solid yesterday as water temperatures are unseasonably cool and flowing well. The hatches are not strong this time foyer, which is very normal. You can catch fish on midges and skittered caddis as well as parachute purple things when trout are rising early and late, but the main surface activity is on terrestrials. While we have not seen much in terms of hopper activity yet, ants and beetles are quite good. The vast majority of feeding is subsurface with fish eating scuds, perdigons, pink belly pheasant tails, and purple drinks. On the murky water leeches and San Juan worms are still deadly.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Quite a bit of rain again last night has creeks stained to muddy this morning. The relentless rain has really narrowed down the number of fishable creeks. They are out there, but the number is shrinking as we get more rains. Today looks like a break from the rains thankfully with a small chance of scattered showers through the day. Again, these rains, although temporarily annoying, are a good thing heading into summer as they keep the springs pumping cold water into the creeks, and will keep things cooler than average. Fish are feeding well on ugly bugs. Leeches, San Juan and Squirmy Wormies as well as large scuds and black streamers. As things drop and clear, the hippie stomper hatch is in full swing!
Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then isolated showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. West wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. We're looking at a chance of storms all week long. This is a double edged sword as the rains are keeping things cooler, and the stain is definitely helping with fishing on sunny days, however the ground is saturated and enough heavy rain will cause things to muddy up quite a bit, When the rains come, spend some extra windshield time as certain valleys tend to clear quickly even after heavy rains. Yesterday and this morning's rains were heavier south and east of the shop (Fennimore area got pounded again!) so head north and you have a better chance of finding fishable and clear water. In the murky water, black leeches, San Juan worms and squirmy wormies work quite well. On stained water, scuds are your best friend as are other larger bead head nymphs. When things clear up, an indicator dry (hippie stomper, training wheel, unsinkabeetle) with a bead head below will catch fish. Hatches are spotty and sporadic. There are still some caddis and light colored mayflies around, and midges are becoming a popular menu item for trout recently too.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Light and variable wind. Hot and sunny this weekend. Fish early and fish late and avoid the mid day sun. It will be far better for fishing as well as angler health/comfort! Creeks have dropped and cleared significantly with only the largest bodies of water still murky. Expect clear to stained conditions area wide. Hatches will be sparse and limited to when the sun is off the water. Look for midges and a few lighter colored mayflies. Most of the action will be on terrestrials right now. Fishing a hippie stomper with a dropper has been excellent. Deep nymphing the pools below the riffles is the other way to go. Photo is from our guide Pete this morning.
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 9am. High near 85. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. After a brief, but heavy thunderstorm yesterday afternoon creeks were muddy but dropping. This morning at about 5 am we had another brief thunderstorm that caused micro flash flooding area wide. An hour later, there is no more rain here (quite a bit south though) in Viroqua. What this means is that the creeks will be muddy this morning. It looks like the storms have passed us for now, but we still have the chance for a bit more rain in another hour or two. We will keep you updated.
EDIT 2:15 p.m. A large gully washer briefly pushed through the area casing some minor flash flooding. Expect muddy water for a few hours, and mud to continue through tomorrow if we get the forecasted 1-2 inches of rain tonight. We will keep you posted. Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Summer fishing is in full swing here. Water temperatures are in the high 50s and low 60s. Still excellent area wide if it weren't for the bright glowing orb in the sky. The sun is the major limiting factor. Fish early, fish late, avoid the mid day sun and find shade to find fish. Fishing an indicator pattern (hippie stomper, training wheel) with a dropper is the most effective way to catch fish right now during the day. Very early and very late we do have some rising fish, so have your light colored mayflies and some midge patterns handy. Subsurface fishing has been best on perdigons, frenchies, pink and purple belly pheasant tail nymphs and ice cream cones.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. West wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Light rain happening first thing this morning. Nothing to muddy up the creeks. Rains were sparse yesterday in Viroqua and north. There was one cell of rain south and east of us that hit hard. Overall the creeks are in very good shape today, clear to slightly stained with a higher chance of stain and cloudy water east and south of the shop. Trout are easing into summer mode meaning fishing through the day with terrestrials on the surface or a larger foam attractor pattern with a bead head is effective. As always, tight line nymphing heavy bead heads is working too. In the evening we are continuing to get rising fish. They are eating a mix of lighter colored mayflies (cahills), caddis, and parachute adams. Remember to twitch your flies as fish are keying in on movement right now.
UPDATE: 3:00. Rain was only south and east of us. There has not been a drop of rain in Viroqua and the sun is shining! They also dropped the chance of rain today to 40%. It's looking like we are dodging a bullet again today! Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 72. Southwest wind 6 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. We were dead wrong about yesterday. The storms never came and it was on and off gentle showers most of the day yesterday! Creeks are still in good shape right now. We are supposed to get some more storms this afternoon however. Fishing continues to be solid area wide with fish feeding subsurface throughout the day, and focusing on the hatches in the evenings. While this week will warm up temperature wise a bit, water temperatures are excellent for summer. Just avoid sunny parts of the day and you will catch trout!
ncreasing clouds, with a high near 75. Southeast wind 9 to 14 mph. Today is looking great. Creeks are clear to stained with temps in the low to mid 50s. These temperatures are 5-10 degrees colder than normal for this time of year!! Fishing a hippie with a dropper during the day is catching fish. If you are an early riser, you can find fish feeding on small spinners and midges first thing int he morning on the surface. The evening brings out more hatching bugs (light colored mayflies and caddis) and can get the fish feeding. If the hatches do not come off, just continue to fish the indicator dry and dropper or nymph deep to catch fish. Tomorrow doesn't look friendly with thunderstorms predicted all day long.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Southeast wind 6 to 14 mph. Looks like rain will hold off until late this weekend! Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the 50s. You did not read that incorrectly, we are still getting temperatures that low right now! Fish are starting to key in on terrestrials right now with fish eating ants and beetles well. That also means the hippie stomper and chubby chernobyl bite is getting even better. (Don't forget to tie on a bead head dropper below your larger foam pattern!) Subsurface feeding has been very random as fish are seemingly eating everything. From perdigons to brush hogs, from food to coulee scuds. Your best bet is to grab a bunch of varying patterns. Think/thick, dark/bright etc. Keep switching bead heads until the fish tell you what they want. Mousing and streamer fishing at dusk and into dark is definitely picking up!
Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Light and variable wind becoming northeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Another gorgeous day in the Driftless. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the 50s. Everything is going just fine for the last day of Spring. Fish are eating on the surface early in the mornings and again in the evenings on most creeks. They're feeding on a mix of caddis, craneflies, and lighter colored mayflies. When in doubt, a parachute adams or parawulff in purple will get fish rising. During the day smaller terrestrials (ants and beetles) are doing great on sunnier days like today. Fish them close to the overhanging grasses especially near undercut or shady banks. During the mid day lull, a hippie stomper or training wheel with a bead head tied below works. The larger fish have been eating the hippie on the surface instead of the bead head! Your bead head does not have to be specific. Instead carry some thicker bodied flies, and some thinner profiled flies and let the fish tell you what they want to eat. There is a ton of food drifting around right now, so change flies often to get the subsurface bite dialed in!
Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the 50s. Only one or two creeks are still heavily stained from the rains a few days ago! Fishing is good during the day on nymphs and terrestrials. As things dry out, beetles and ants become more effective throughout the day. Throwing a heavy nymph right below the riffles and into the pockets in the riffles is deadly all day long. In the evening things light up with most of the creeks having pods of rising fish. They are feeding on craneflies, caddis, lighter colored mayflies and even midges!
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. Mild and partly cloudy today! This spring weather has been more than excellent for the trout streams. The rains have kept the springs pumping out water and water temperatures have been incredible. Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures in the 50s. We're still seeing quite a few hatches including sulphurs, cahills, caddis and craneflies. Most of the hatch activity is in the evening. During the day fishing nymphs either tight lined, or as a hippie stomper/dropper is effective. While the fish are not pattern specific subsurface (outside of scuds!) having a few tungsten bead nymphs in thick and thin profiles is not a bad idea. Keep switching flies and the trout will tell you what they like. With the recent rains, mousing has slowed down a bit. Look for a string of drier days and mousing will pick up again.
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind. Creeks are clear to medium stain after a weekend with spotty rains. Only one or two creeks are muddy as everything has had quite a bit of time to drop and clear. On the clear creeks, fishing heavy bead heads during the day right below the riffles and rolling them below undercut banks is key. As the sun starts to go down later in the day, we are seeing lighter colored mayflies (sulfurs, cahills, PMDs) hatching alongside of craneflies and a few remaining caddis. On the stained water, larger scuds, leeches and San Juan worms will catch fish.
Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Good weather morning this morning! Fishing has been quite solid with cooler weather and cloud cover. We are not expecting much in terms of rain today, but we will keep you posted. Creeks are clear and flowing well with temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s. Caddis, craneflies, light and dark colored mayflies are the main hatches. Subsurface fishing has been solid on heavy patterns fished deep or as a dropper below a hippie stomper.
Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Outside of the winds, conditions couldn't be better for mid June! Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temps in the mid 50s to low 60s. We're still seeing sporadic hatches of a bunch of bugs. When it seems overwhelming with the amount of insect life, keeping things simple is key. Parachute adams, parachute cahill, CDC and elk and craneflies will match most anything out there right now. On windy days like this, the ant and beetle fishing can be fantastic! Fishing them near grassy banks both dry and just subsurface can be a blast. Of course, going with the standard hippie stomper or training wheel with a dropper will work. Bead head wise, again nothing too specific. While scuds are hot right now, fish are also eating pink and purple belly pheasant tails, hot spot hare's ears, food, and purple drink flies. On the creeks that still have a stain, fish leeches, large scuds, and squirmy wormies.
Sunny, with a high near 67. North wind 6 to 10 mph. Cool and sunny today. Expect stained water with a couple clear creeks and only one or two muddy creeks. The rains fell heavily early yesterday and one heavy shower around 7 p.m. The ground did a pretty good job of absorbing much of the rains yesterday and the creeks have had all night to drop and clear. On the clear water, nymphing with a thinner bodied bug (zebra midge, food, coulee scud) has been excellent. On the creeks with a stain leeches and streamers as well as San Juan worms have been excellent! On a sunny day, finding a creek with a stain can be a good thing as fish are more comfortable.
UPDATE 8:40 a.m. Raining heavier than predicted. We will keep you updated, but some valleys have already received about an inch of rain. Again, the rains are not supposed to last for a long time and things should clear quickly. Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 1pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. High near 63. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. The forecast sounds far more ominous that it looks. We have a small cell of light rain over us that will turn into a brief shower at about 8, then it mellows out quite a bit with nothing backing it up. The rains should not be heavy enough to muddy things up as we have had little to no rain fall since last night. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. Hatches include craneflies, caddis, lighter colored mayflies, yellow sallies and a bunch of random mayflies (parachute adams hatch) Subsurface fishing has been best on the purple drink, coulee scuds, oops, and prince nymphs.
Cloudy, with a high near 73. Southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. So far no rain in Viroqua. Just light sprinkles here and there. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temps in the mid 50s to 60. This cooling trend is doing wonders to fishing! Fish are happily eating subsurface on purple drink, pink squirrels, oops, and scuds. On the surface we are still having success with craneflies, light colored mayflies, and small terrestrials (ant hatch!!!)
A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Cloud cover, sweet cloud cover! The past couple of days have been tough with the bright sun and hot temperatures. It felt like August out there instead of June! The coming week looks like it will get back to normal. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. Hatches are all across the board with caddis, sulfurs, yellow sallies, red quills, march browns and more hatching. Your best bet is to have a variety of sizes and colors to you dry flies. The key is the twitch. Move your flies for best results. Subsurface has been a bit better on slimmer and more subtle patterns like zebra midges and ice cream cones. As the sun goes away a bit and water temperatures cool down, the thicker bodied patterns and scud will pick up again. Do not neglect mice and leeches at dusk! We're seeing some aggressive and some larger fish showing up at night.
Sunny, with a high near 84. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Creeks are clear with water temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. We're still seeing hatches of craneflies, caddis, and lighter colored mayflies. The sun is a limiting factor right now as it is causing a lull in fishing action mid day. Fish early and late and find shade for the best fishing! The upside of the sunny weather is that it has terrestrials moving around quite a bit. Our success with beetles and ants (especially sunken) has been quite good the past couple of days. Subsurface fishing is still best on heavy bead heads fished right below and up into riffles. Perdigons, purple drink, frenchies and scuds are all fishing well. The weekend looks like more of the same weather, so fish a hippie or training wheel with a dropper through the day and match the hatch early and late when the sun is not directly on the water.
Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 81. Calm wind. Things continue to roll along on our trout creeks. Expect clear to slightly stained water area wide with only one or two creeks still showing a medium stain. Everything is fishable! Water temps are in the high 50s to low 60s. Craneflies, caddis, lighter colored mayflies (cahills and sulphurs) are hatching and we are seeing yellow sallies on a few creeks too. Subsurface action has been great with tungsten bead head stuff working well. Prince nymphs, purple drank, and other thick bodied patterns are working on the stained waters where pheasant tails, midge larvae, and the oops fly are doing well on the clear waters. Do not be afraid to fish foam indicator flies. Even hoppers are catching fish even though there are no hoppers on the banks! A foam fly with a dropper is a great way to fish through the day when nothing is hatching. When the sun comes out switching to bottom bouncing nymphs is a good idea as things will slow down a bit with the sun directly overhead.
Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Northwest wind 3 to 5 mph. Patchy rains hit us yesterday, but only an inch or so with a few valleys getting anything much heavier. In other words, we escaped the bad storms once again. While there will be a few murky creeks this morning, the vast majority are going to be stained with a few already crystal clear as of this morning. If you find murky water and do not feel like fishing leeches and Squirmy Wormies (which are deadly on the stained water right now!) drive a valley or two over and you will find something clearer and fish willing to eat dries. Water temperatures are in the high 50s to low 60s. We are seeing light colored mayflies hatching in the evenings, as well as caddis and craneflies throughout the day. Subsurface fishing on the stained water will be great on leeches and squirmy worries. On the clearer creeks, coulee scuds, purple drink jigs, and other tungsten bead head jigs are quite effective. Especially when put below a hippie stomper or training wheel!
UPDATE 1:00 I was a bit wrong. The rains did stain the water fairly heavily this morning. However, it was a true 'mini flash flood' and creeks have dropped and started clearing as of mid day. There is quite a bit of clear to medium stained water out there now with only one or two creeks still murky. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A small band of rain rolling through this morning. It will be gone by 9. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and fishing well. Hatches include craneflies, caddis, and lighter colored mayflies. Hippie stompers and chubby chernobyl's are doing well as indicator flies with a bead head dropped below. Bead heads of every variety seem to be working! Purple is a hot color right now. If fish aren't targeting thicker bodied flies like the brush hog or prince nymph, then switch to a zebra midge or perdigon. Water temps are mid 50s to high 50s. This rain will not muddy things up significantly with the rains this morning.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 5 to 9 mph. It's almost too nice out there right now! Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. Lots of bugs are hatching including caddis, craneflies, and lighter colored mayflies. Fish are also feeding well on ants and beetles. Fishing a hippie stomper with a bead head below has been just deadly lately. Do not forget to twitch your flies every once in a while. Subsurface fishing has been best on medium bodied patterns with a bit of flash. In the middle part of the day on the super clear creeks, switching to a zebra midge or something a bit thinner and more subtle will get spookier fish to eat.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the mid 50s to high 50s. Everything is going well in the Driftless! We're seeing hatches of crane flies, caddis, lighter colored mayflies, and yellow sallies! When the fish are not rising we are fishing a hippie stomper with a bead head below. There was a brief storm this morning that was more thunder than rain. We're looking at a great cloudy day today.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. West wind 7 to 11 mph. Hot and sunny today, but it mellows back out for the weekend. We're still seeing a bunch of hatches right now including; Caddis, craneflies, sulfurs, cahills, and yellow sallies. Add to that terrestrials on the surface (ants and beetles, no hoppers yet) and you have a great chance for some fun dry fly action this weekend. Subsurface fishing has been great on thinner bodied patterns. perdigons, pink and purple belly pheasant tails, spanish bullets, zebra midges. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with only one or two still running with a heavy stain. Water temps are in the mid to high 50s. Remember, we have Andrew Grillos as a guest tier this Saturday at the Bad Axe Country Club in Esofea! The event runs from 5-9. Free event with brats and sides available for purchase, and a cash bar! Call or e-mail for more info.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Creeks are all clear except one or two that have a slight stain to them! Water temperatures are in the mid to high 50s. We have seen caddis, craneflies, olive spinners, midges, sulphurs, and yellow sallies on the surface the past couple of days. In other words, we are in a bug soup situation! Creeks are mostly clear to a medium stain at worst on one or two larger bodies of water. Fish are feeding in the slicks and flat pools in the mornings until the sun shines on the water. They then push into the runs below riffles waiting for hatches and feeding heavily subsurface. In the evenings, they spread out again looking for mayflies. If the sulfurs continue hatching, look for trout to feed on them the last few hours of the evening. Subsurface fishing has been best on pink and purple belly pheasant tails, as well as purple zebra midges and scuds.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. West wind 6 to 11 mph. Yesterday was excellent with clear water. The morning rains did not affect the creeks at all. Last night we had some very quick and heavy rains. Rainfall totals for the past 24 hoursup in La Crosse were pushing 1.5 inches, Richland center register 1.75 inches, down in De Soto 1 inch. Viroqua was less than half an inch and Newton only received 1/4 of an inch in last nights storm. What that means for fishing is that the closer to Viroqua you are this morning, the better the water will be! Scouting this morning, creeks just to the east of us were in great shape, clear to slightly stained. There is fishable water out there, and the creeks that are running muddy will drop and clear quickly as the rains came and went very rapidly last night around 10 pm. In the murky to stained water, it's worm time! A San Juan or squirmy wormy can be deadly. Add to that leeches and large scuds and you will be set. On the clear water, we will see caddis on the surface again, as well as craneflies. With the bright and sunny weekend, it is doubtful any olives will show up except late in the evening. Subsurface bugs should have a bit of thickness to them to imitate the caddis and cranefly larvae. If you run into a murky creek, drive into the next valley! It might take a bit of exploring first thing this morning, but there is fishable water out there and rising fish were spotted at 6 this morning!
UPDATE 10:30 AM. The storm lost intensity on the Mississippi. While it is still raining lightly, it looks like we escaped the heavy rains. There is no storm backing this one up, so expect some creeks to stain up this afternoon, but with no major muddy damage for the most part. In other words, later today and into tomorrow are looking quite good! Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 67. East wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. We're watching rain start to develop this morning. Overnight we had some light rain, not enough to do any damage. Expect updates throughout the day as we monitor the rains. If this storm hits it will not be anything to permanently muddy up the creeks outside of for this afternoon. The holiday weekend will be fine. As of 8 this morning the storm is in central Iowa and losing some intensity as it travels east. Fishing has been quite good lately as the storms have barely touched us leaving our water in great shape! Caddis, olives, craneflies and midges are hatching daily (usually in the afternoons) and, while not on every stretch of water, pods of rising fish are being found. Subsurface fishing has been great with heavy bead heads with a thicker profile (pork chop express, purple pills, prince nymphs, and brush hogs are catching fish regularly. We're fishing them under hippie stompers and chubby chernobyls. A few fish are eating the large indicator fly too! Leeches and streamers have been excellent on the days with cloud cover and if we have some stain on the water.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temps in the mid 50s. Caddis (both black and tan) and craneflies are hatching, and we ran into a pretty nice olive hatch last night too. Everything is humming along in the Driftless! Subsurface fishing has been good on pretty much everything. From scuds to zebra midges, and brush hogs to dirty birds. The key is changing quite a few times to find out what the trout want! Get out there and fish, this is the peak of season!
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Breezy, with a southeast wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Fishing remains strong! Creeks are a bit stained up after up to an inch of rain last night, but most streams are slightly stained while only a few are murky to muddy. Everything will drop and clear quickly as the rain hit last evening and we are not predicted to receive any more today. The rollercoaster weather has everything hatching, but in limited numbers. We are still seeing caddis, craneflies, a few olives and midges. You can find pods of happy fish, but we haven't seen entire packs of risers the last couple of days. Subsurface action has been good as we need a bit more stable weather for excellent dry fishing. Fishing a heavy pattern right along the bottom can get fish to eat all day long.
Showers likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 53. Breezy, with an east wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Things are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the low to mid 50s. It looks like things will cloud up a bit but we are not supposed to get any significant rain. Look for olives and craneflies again today! Subsurface fishing has been hot on scuds and brush hogs as well as purple and pink belly pheasant tails. Do not neglect leeches and streamers, especially on cloudy days like today.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. North wind 6 to 11 mph. The storms this weekend just brushed us and never hit hard. We have clear to slightly stained water with only one or two creeks unfishable in our area! Fish have been eating craneflies and tiny olives on the surface. If the clouds stay overhead the olives will continue to hatch. If it clears up and becomes sunny then look for caddis to be more abundant. Craneflies are hatching regardless of the weather. Subsurface fishing has been best on purple belly pheasant tails, coulee scuds, and brush hogs. The photo is from yesterday mid day!
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 69. Southeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Wow have we lucked out. The rains last night missed us and the storm today is splitting around our area! Creeks are clear to stained and fishing quite well. On the stained water, leeches and scuds are key, while on the clear water fishing a dry/dropper with a high visibility attractor fly (hippie stomper/chubby chernobyl) with a flashy dropper nymph. Yesterday our guides were even fishing dries as there are craneflies, caddis, and a few stoneflies and olives around;.
EDIT 1:30 Rain missed us mid day. It doesn't look like anything is behind this storm right now, so fishing will remain solid into the evening!!! Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 58. East wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Creeks are clear to stained with the exception of the largest creeks which are stained to murky. We had no more rain after the brief storm yesterday morning which means things have dropped and cleared significantly for today. We're forecasted for showers with a random storm cell here and there in the afternoon. Nothing to freak out about through the day so far. Things should be on track. The weekend might be a different story. Tonight is a wild card, we might get some rain again, but nothing significant. The same goes for Saturday. Saturday night is the rough forecast as it is supposed to dump an inch or two of rain on us. What this rain will do we will not know until it falls. If it is a shower or gentle rain we will have fishable water. If it falls heavily and over a short period of time, then things will get messy. We will keep you posted! For today, caddis and craneflies on the surface, as well as small terrestrials (ants, beetles, and attractors such as the hippie stomper). Keep an eye out for some larger spring stoneflies too as they were coming off yesterday. Subsurface fishing has been excellent with scuds and pink squirrels as well as pink and purple bellied pheasant tail nymphs in the clear water. Swinging soft hackles and leeches below riffles has also been extremely effective.
EDIT 4:45: Creeks to the north were clear to a fishable level about mid day. Some of the medium sized creeks have lost their murk and are now fishable with a heavy stain (leeches and scuds!). We're still have sunny skies and rain is still not predicted to hit until tomorrow afternoon. Lots of positive reports on the Coulees and other smaller streams from mid day! Of course there will be muddy water out there, especially on the larger bodies of water, but there is water out there that is in good shape (even caddis hatches on a couple). Get out of your comfort zone and explore on days like today! EDIT: 2:00 Rain hit hard this morning, but the storm was very brief. Guides found stained water and fish already this morning on some smaller, upper sections of creeks. Things are dropping and clearing quickly and there is no more rain forecasted for today (it is sunny in Viroqua as I type this). The photo is from Nick's trip this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. The rain today is a narrow band that is currently north of us (as of 7:15 am). The storm looks to be very brief and should not do any damage to our creeks. We will keep you updated! With the switch in weather, look for olives to show up today with a smattering of caddis and craneflies. Subsurface fishing will be quite good on leeches and scuds with the cloudy day along with the normal nymphs that have been working (brush hogs, pink and purple belly pheasant tails). We are not flooded! The flood warnings you see on weather reports are for the Mississippi river, not our trout creeks. The creeks are clear and slightly low with water temperatures in the low to mid 50s.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 3 to 7 mph. Another gorgeous day in the Driftless! Creeks are clear with water temperatures in the mid 50s. The sun today will be a bit of a limiting factor. Plan on fishing dries early and late, and concentrate on deeper pools and undercut banks or shady areas mid day. We're seeing caddis and cranefly hatches on most creeks. These hatches have not been steady or consistent. More like a pod of rising fish here and there throughout the day. Dries are definitely working though, both matching the caddis and cranes as well as attractor dries and small terrestrials (ants have been hot the past couple of days!) Subsurface fishing has been best on heavy tungsten beaded nymphs fished directly below the riffles and near undercut banks. When the sun is off the water, fish are very grabby on leeches and smaller streamers too.
Partly sunny, with a high near 66. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Creeks are clear and a touch low with water temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Fishing has been quite good with craneflies and caddis hatching. Move your dry flies as trout are picking up on movement on the surface right now! Subsurface action has been best on brush hogs, pork chop express, pink belly pheasant tails, and scuds. It's gorgeous out there right now and the bankside vegetation is low and manageable! This is the peak of season, get out and fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. North wind 3 to 7 mph. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Fishing has been quite good lately with fish eating craneflies and small training wheels on the surface. There have not been any predictable or major hatches, but we have seen a few caddis here and there on certain creeks. Scuds are starting to really ramp up, as long as they are fished quite deep. Leeches and streamers have been catching some nicer fish in the evenings too!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained. The rains a couple of days ago did nothing to our water levels or clarity. Yesterday was a good day of fishing! Today will be a touch more difficult with the sun shining on the water. Look for fish to be most active morning and evening when the sun is off the water. Unless we see a caddis hatch, fish close to the banks with small terrestrials and fish the deeper runs and pools with heavy bead heads. Do not neglect the riffles as fish are starting to move into shallower water to eat emergers! Water temperatures are right around 50 degrees. We're still seeing olive hatches (mostly on cloudy days) as well as craneflies and caddis. Subsurface fishing has been best on brush hogs, pink belly pheasant tails, and Spanish bullets.
Isolated showers before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Breezy, with a west wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. The rains yesterday were thankfully light in our area. While we received up to an inch in or more in Vernon County it never poured. What that means is we are expecting light to heavy stain on the water this morning, and everything dropping and clearing quickly today. With few exceptions there was not any crazy flooding of the creeks. Fishing leeches and san juan worms in the off color water will be excellent, then switching to craneflies, caddis, and olives as things clear and fish start rising will catch fish.
Periods of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. High near 45. Breezy, with an east wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. Chilly drizzle this morning. Creeks are clear and flowing well with only one or two having some stain or color. It doesn't look like this rain will muddy things up over today and tonight, but we will keep you posted. On cloudy days like this, the olives have still been hatching well and we are also seeing craneflies throughout the day. Subsurface fishing is best on frenchies, spanish bullets, and hot belly pheasant tails. We are also still having quite a bit of success with a small training wheel (attractor terrestrial) with a bead head tied below. It's not too early for dry/dropper!
Partly sunny, with a high near 58. East wind 9 to 11 mph. Creeks are clear to stained with water temps in the low to mid 50s. The fish are very happy as long as the sun is not shining directly on the water. Craneflies showed up yesterday in pretty good numbers. If you see splashy rises without seeing many bugs, they are feeding on craneflies. Subsurface fishing has been best with your fly right on the bottoms. Tight line nymphing with a heavy tungsten bead or too is deadly right now. There are a few olives hanging on and that hatch should intensify with the clouds and drizzle the next couple of days.
UPDATE: We did find that the West Fork is muddy this morning. Other creeks are in good shape. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Northeast wind around 9 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Most of the week is calling for cloud cover and showers! This weather has been excellent for fishing. Creeks are running clear to slightly stained with water temps in the low 50s. The rains last night were brief and didn't do any major damage to the creeks. Things are in really good shape again today. We're seeing olives hatch in the cloudy weather, and caddis when the sun peeks out. Craneflies are hatching all day regardless of weather. There are pods of rising fish, usually in the mornings and evenings, but if the clouds stay overhead we have had some risers all day long on a handful of creeks. Subsurface fishing is solid on pretty much anything from pink squirrels to spanish bullets to purple zebra midges. Add in leeches and streamers for larger fish and you have the perfect conditions for fishing the Driftless right now!
Partly sunny, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. The clouds are all but gone in the area meaning the olive hatch will disappear and (hopefully) be replaced with caddis. Creeks are clear and flowing with temps hovering right around 50 degrees. Surface fishing has still been best on terrestrials. Fishing While the olive hatch was strong the past couple of days, with the loss of clouds it will fade into the background bit. Watch for caddis and craneflies. Subsurface fishing has been best on brush hogs, pork chop expresses, and purple belly PTs. Don't forget to move your flies! Action and movement has been catching a bunch of fish that were otherwise lockjaw!
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning. The cloud cover the past couple of days has made the fish very comfortable! We've had olive hatches that have lasted hours the past couple of days. If the clouds stay in the area, expect more solid fishing. Creeks are clear and running normal to a touch on the low side with water temperatures in the high 40s to low 50s area wide. With the cloud cover the olive hatch has been excellent. While we are not seeing them on every creek, the ones that do have them are cranking out bugs! Subsurface fishing has been great on pink and purple belly PTs, brush hogs, perdigons, and, of course, pink squirrels. We are seeing creek lamprey on their beds too. Fishing a larger olive leech or streamer can be a great way to get a really large fish to eat right now!
Isolated showers before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 52. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Although the temperature is a bit chilly, the olives returned and fish are rising happily through most of the day! Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures high 40s to low 50s. Fishing leeches and streamers are very effective while trout are waking up first thing in the morning. In the later morning and through the afternoon we are seeing rising fish to olives and a handful of craneflies and caddis (this hatch will last as long as the cloudy weather stays overhead). Smaller foam terrestrials are still working too. Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller, heavy tungsten bead heads. Zebra midges, pheasant tails, brush hogs and frenchies. Late in the day, throwing a larger streamer can move some signifiant fish.
Periods of showers, mainly before 11am. High near 51. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Drizzle and clouds all day today. This weather should put the fish in a good mood! This is the forecast for the entire early part of the week as well. Look for the caddis hatch to have slowed down a bit with the cloudy and wet weather. Mayflies (olives especially) and craneflies will take over as the important surface food. Subsurface fishing has continued to be excellent on spanish bullets, brush hogs, and zebra midges. We are still fishing them below hippie stompers and training wheels. And, yes, fish are eating the terrestrial type flies too! With the gloomy weather, look for the all day effectiveness of streamers and leeches to climb. This is a great way to find fish through the day.
Snow before 3pm, then rain and snow between 3pm and 4pm, then snow after 4pm. Steady temperature around 34. East wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. It is snowing. Heavily... Ugh.... Good news is that it will not significantly mess up the creeks (much better snow than rain!). Fishing will be solid despite the snow. Look for olives to hatch today, and subsurface activity on leeches and scuds to be solid.
Sunny, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Wow does today look nice. Outside of a bit of wind, it will be an excellent day to be out there and fishing. Tomorrow's forecast is terrible. 4-10 inches of snow. Seriously.... Then Sunday turns around and is sunny and mild, but nice again. If you don't mind the snow, it will probably be a good day of fishing as miserable weather usually is. Creeks are clear to stained after recent rains with nothing unfishable due to water. The flood warnings you see on the weather forecasts are for the Mississippi and Wisconsin, not our trout creeks. We're still finding caddis as the main menu for trout. The hatch is still seeming a bit spotty and coming in waves throughout the day and week. It can be strong in one spot, then fade only to appear on another creek or farther upstream. But the bugs are around and the fish are keying in on them. Subsurface fishing has been quite good on heavy, thicker bodied patterns. Think prince nymph and hare's ear instead of midge larvae and pheasant tail. Getting the fish to roll along the bottom just below the riffles is fantastic this time of season. The guides have been doing well fishing with an indicator fly and bead head dropper. Stimulators, hippie stompers, training wheels... All are catching fish right now while doing double duty and acting as your indicator. When the sun is off the water, leeches and streamers are fishing very well with some big fish being hooked and landed recent.y
Rain showers. Highs in the lower 60s. West winds 5 to 10 mph...shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Chance of showers 90 percent. Light drizzle predicted today, and we need the rain! Most creeks are a touch low. Overall creeks are clear to stained and have temperatures in the mid 40s to mid 50s. The caddis showed up again on a couple of creeks north of the shop yesterday, and we will continue to see them even through the goofy weather the next couple of days. Subsurface fishing has been best on thicker bodied patterns like brush hogs, pork chop express, and pink squirrels. Fishing them below a foam indicator fly has been quite good lately. Soft hackles fished downstream and swung with a bit of speed below riffles has been very effective too! When the sun is off the water, do not neglect fishing streamers and leeches!
Sunny, with a high near 71. Light and variable wind becoming south 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Well, the caddis stayed home a bit yesterday to aggravate us. They are around and hatching sporadically. Where you do find them hatching the fishing is excellent! Otherwise we are fishing essentially a hopper/dropper using a hippie stomper or training wheel on the surface and dropping bead heads below. The fish are picking up on smaller terrestrials and attractor patterns on the surface when there is no major hatch coming off. Soft hackles are another great way to catch fish right now. Swinging them below riffles will get some aggressive strikes. The fishing is better in the mornings before the sun has been on the water for too long (fish are spooky as our creeks are clear), and at the last hour of the day. In the evening tie on a leech or streamer and hold on!
Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 62. North wind 10 to 13 mph. Caddis showed up in good numbers yesterday (finally!) Both black and tan. We did get some rain last night, a nice soaking shower that dropped about 3/4 of an inch. This will not muddy things up in our area significantly. Expect clear to stained water today. Creeks are flowing pretty normal after the rain yesterday with water temperatures in the mid 40s to 50s. If the caddis continue, that will be the #1 meal on the menu for trout both on the surface and subsurface. Caddis larvae, pupae, and dries were effective yesterday, as was swinging a soft hackle below the riffles. We have also started to spot creek lamprey. Fishing a large olive colored streamer will get some larger fish right now!
High near 78. South wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the high 40s to mid 50s. Fish are eating thicker bodied nymphs in the morning (Pork Chop Express, Brush Hog, Cold War Caddis) as well as streamers and leeches fished slowly in the pools or swung down and across. In the afternoon we are seeing dry fly activity with the caddis hatch ramping up around mid day. A bit of cloud cover is needed to make fish happy and feed on the surface. Guide have also had success with small terrestrials and attractor flies with bead heads below.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Happy Easter everyone! Another sunny day which is nice to be out in, but the fishing can be tough. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the high 40s to low 50s. We saw a few caddis yesterday, and conditions are right to see the hatch show up in a big way and second now. Fishing subsurface caddis larvae and pupae as well as pinks squirrels and scuds has been excellent along with zebra midges. On the surface, hippie stompers, training wheels, parawullf adams and caddis are the ticket. The fish are fussy because of the bright sun. If you find shade, or find a hatch the fish are hungry! Do not neglect streamers, even in the sun fish are chasing a larger meal right now.
Sunny, with a high near 68. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Beautiful holiday weekend. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the mid 40s to mid 50s area wide. Were officially under caddis watch! They are showing up sporadically in between hatches of olives. Once the big hatch shows up we will let you know. It will be any day now.... Otherwise, fishing bead heads below and indicator fly (hippie stomper or training wheel) is a good bet until you see fish rising.
Sunny, with a high near 59. North wind 8 to 14 mph. Conditions are PRIME to start seeing the caddis hatch again. While we can not guarantee (political and fly shop owner speaking here) a hatch, things are lined up to where we should the hatch turn on this weekend. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid 40s to low 50s area wide. We did not suffer from the recent rains, and have had good fishing the past few days! The olive hatch is still around, but starting to fade a bit. Scuds are moving around subsurface and our bead head patterns are getting larger and thicker (think more pink squirrel and brush hog than zebra midge and PT). Leeches and streamers are still catching fish, and you can run into some larger fish in the lower sections of the creeks right now.
Patchy drizzle before 11am, then isolated showers after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Major rain missed us yesterday with only a couple of brief showers. That means our creeks are clear to slightly stained and in good shape this morning! We've seen olive hatches daily lately and while they are fading, fish are still looking up and can be caught on attractor patterns and even small terrestrials right now later on in the day. In the mornings we are fishing deep with heavily weighted bead head nymphs and leeches. With the warmer and sunnier weather tomorrow and Saturday we should see the caddis hatch show up again!!!
A chance of rain and thunderstorms, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. High near 56. Breezy, with an east wind 11 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Looks like rain this afternoon. Creeks are in excellent shape, and this rain doesn't look like it will be heavy which means the ground will soak quite a bit of it up and we shouldn't have muddy conditions. Olives are the bug of choice on the menu for surface activity in the afternoon. Unless the wind starts howling, fish are rising around lunchtime and will eat olive dries and emergers. Subsurface fishing is heating up on scuds along with the normal leeches, heavy tungsten bead head flies (squog, pork chop express etc) and midge larvae. Do not neglect streamer fishing as these temperatures have some larger fish on the prowl right now!
Isolated showers before 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Light and variable wind becoming northeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Warmer and cloudy today. It feels like olive weather out there! Look for hatches in the afternoon. We're still fishing heavy nymphs and leeches early in the morning, but quickly shifting over to smaller nymphs (to match the olives) and emergers. There are a few olive hatches going on from lunchtime into evening. They are still a bit spotty so you might have to move a spot or two if you are chasing rising fish. Otherwise, just keep throwing your bead head and emerges and you will be fine. With the slight warm up, fish are also eating foam patterns again! Hippie stompers and small training wheels with a nymph tied below are hot again.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 53. Light and variable wind becoming south 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Things are back on track for springtime fishing in the Driftless! Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in th low to mid 40s. Nymphing and slowly twitching leeches in the morning is catching fish, and we are starting to see the return of olives in the afternoon (around 2 p.m.) as the sun warms the creeks a bit.
Cloudy, with a high near 39. West wind 11 to 14 mph. Far better out there today and through the next few days. There is little snow on the ground and is slowly melting through the day. The creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s. We're fishing deep with the cooler weather and water, heavy tungsten nymphs rolled along the bottom and leeches or streamers twitched slowly through the runs are catching fish. We are still seeing a few olives but hatches are going to pick up over the next few days as things warm up!
UPDATE: Guides have caught a few fish out there, but things are not great. We pushed trips to tomorrow. There is nothing wrong with the creeks temperature or clarity wise, they just feel 'off' today. A slight chance of snow before noon, then a chance of rain and snow between noon and 4pm, then a slight chance of rain after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 37. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. The ugly stuff is over. There is an inch or two of crusty slush on the ground right now that will start to melt slowly today. The creeks are in great shape and the melting should not significantly muddy things up. We're still seeing a few olives hatching in the afternoons, but due to the cold snap fishing bead heads and slowly twitching leeches has been the most productive. Creeks are clear to stained and flowing well with temperatures in the low to mid 40s.
Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 4pm. High near 36. Breezy, with an east wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. Sorry for the lapse in reports! We have been in Argentina fishing the last week. With the cooldown in temperatures things have stayed stable in the Driftless. This means we are still seeing olives in the later afternoon on some creeks. Nymphs and streamers are still the best way to catch fish right now. Fishing starts mid morning and lasts until the sun goes down at night. We have crummy weather for the next couple of days, but things look good for the weekend.
Snow before 7am, then scattered snow showers between 7am and 8am. High near 50. West wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Wet snow falling early this morning, but it is all melting as soon as it hits the ground. This will not affect fishing or driving in the area. Creeks overall are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid 40s. Olives are hatching, and we are seeing some spring stoneflies around too! Fish are responding on the surface to larger attractor patterns so we have already started fishing dry/dropper through the day. If the hatch comes off, it is typically later in the day. Subsurface nymphing has been good on the heavy thin bodied patterns, and scuds are starting to heat up.
Sunny, with a high near 40. West wind around 9 mph. What an end to the month! Fishing is quite good here in the Driftless with clear creeks and water temperatures in the mid 40s. Nights are still chilly, so there is no need to be up at the crack of dawn to catch fish. The best fishing of the day is between 9 and 5. We're still seeing some olives hatching, and we started to see some of our spring stoneflies flying around. Leeches and streamers are deadly, as is tight line nymphing a heavy bead head on the bottom. When you see noses coming up, do not be afraid to toss a small dark foam pattern as well as olive emerges and dries.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind around 6 mph. Things continue to get better day by day in the Driftless! Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s that will touch 50 degrees when the sun is shining on the water through the day! We're seeing more and more olives, and even a few really early caddis have been reported out there. It is still chilly in the mornings and the fish are sluggish. Giving them something larger (leech/streamer) will wake them up. Mid day nymphing in the runs with heavy bead heads has been very productive. Later in the afternoon is when we are seeing the dries come out. It has been sporadic and localized, but make sure you have some emergers and dries (blue winged olives) just in case!
A slight chance of rain before 2pm, then a chance of sprinkles between 2pm and 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. North wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Things are still quite solid in the Driftless! With the increased cloud cover we have seen a few more olives hatching. Still not the major hatch, but noticeably more bugs are beginning to show up. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s. Things are still cooling down at night, so getting up at dawn is not necessary. Leeches, streamers, and larger nymphs early in the day are getting sluggish fish to eat. Once things warm up a bit, switching to heavy nymphs fished deep in the runs has been deadly. At the peak water temperature (keep using that thermometer!) we are seeing some sporadic hatches of midges and blue winged olives.
Partly sunny, with a high near 62. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph. Windy day today! Find some shelter in the trees or up against bluff faces. Creeks are clear to stained and flowing well. Temperatures are in the low 40s. We're still doing well with leeches and streamers early, showing the trout a larger meal for breakfast. Mid day nymphing has been best, just make sure you are getting down to the bottom, fish heavy bugs! In the later afternoon we have seen some dry fly action. Both midges and olives. It isn't a mega hatch yet, but you do have a shot at finding a pod or two of rising fish.
Sunny, with a high near 49. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the morning. Only a tiny bit of snow hanging on in the shaded areas and north facing slopes now! Spring is in full swing with clear creeks and good fishing. We're still getting chilly nights, so fishing something larger in the morning to wake the fish up has been very effective. Later in the morning switching to nymphing deep with heavy tungsten flies has been deadly. Once things really top out water temperature wise, switching to a dry dropper or just a dry can be a ton of fun. We have already started to catch some fish on small foam patterns! Creeks are clear and a touch low (sneak up on the fish as they are spooky on sunny days!) with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s.
Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 44. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph. Fishing is strong in our part of the Driftless! Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures right around 40 degrees. We still have a bit of snow on the hills, but nothing significant. Make sure you have your thermometer ready for the afternoon as snowmelt is still cooling things down on area creeks. Streamers and leeches are strong early. As the sun warms the creeks a bit (we have even gotten peak day water temps at 50!) we are switching to nymphs and emergers. Midges and a handful of olives are hatching making it possible to see some noses mid day and into the later afternoon. Make sure you are getting right down to the bottom as fish are still a bit sluggish and don't want to chase flies right now. Roll those nymphs deep!
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 52. Light east wind becoming northeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning. We are still getting melting snow in the later afternoons that is cooling the water down and slowing to shutting down fishing. However, with each passing day, there is less and less snow and things are shutting down a few minutes later each day! Fishing has been quite good for the winter/spring season. The streamer bite is on early with fish chasing some larger patterns and leeches slowly twitched or swung through deeper pools. As water temps rise, the fishing switches to nymphing the runs. We are seeing some dry fly activity, but it hasn't been as predictable the past couple of days. Mainly midges are hatching and we are seeing some olives still starting to show themselves later in the day. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temps in the low to mid 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 45. North wind 5 to 11 mph. Fishing remains solid for early spring. We still have a bit of snow on the banks which means we are getting a trickle of snowmelt each afternoon. This snowmelt, while not muddying up the waters significantly, will put a stain on the water, but more importantly it will drop the water temperature and slow fishing down quite a bit. Your best bet is to fish early-ish and make sure you are on the water for the peak of the day (10-2). Frenchies, midge larvae, dark spikes and other heavy, thin and dark bodied nymphs are working well. Hatches of midges are still around, although they have slowed down a bit the past couple of days. On the warmest springs, we have started to see olives hatching. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the low 40s.
Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 49. North wind 7 to 14 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Spring fishing continues to be good in the morning and into the afternoon. Late afternoon snowmelt is dropping the water temperature and shutting fishing down. The smaller creeks are clear to slightly stained while the larger creeks are stained. Things lock up at night due to colder temperatures so we do not expect things to get muddy. Fishing has been good on midge larvae, small dark bead heads and leeches fished slowly on the bottom. Streamers twitched through the deeper spots have also been quite good right now. Midges are hatching mid day and there is a good chance you will see some risers mid day. Creeks are running in the low 40s.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 44. West wind 8 to 11 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained in the morning with water temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s. In the later afternoon, snowmelt is still cooling water temperatures down and increasing the stain on the water. Make sure to use your thermometer as once the water temperature starts to drop, fishing slows down considerably! Midges are still hatching mid daily and fish are rising for them. We have seen mayflies (olives) here and there, but not a major hatch yet. It is coming soon. Most of the action is sub surface on small (16-20) thin bodied dark nymphs rolled along the bottom. Scuds, leeches and even San Juan worms have been very effective too. We have also had some success twitching large streamers for larger trout.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Major runoff is over. We're still left with some snow and the clear creeks (there are quite a few out there now!) will start to cloud up and have the temperature drop in the later afternoon. Creeks in more open valleys have far less snow than ones with shady banks. Overall creeks are clear to stained with water temps right around 40. Midges are still hatching mid day, and we have started to see the beginning of the olive hatch. Subsurface fishing has been quite good on heavy, small bead heads in black as well as on large scuds and leeches.
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 39. West wind 3 to 8 mph. Our runoff ended this weekend and things are starting to shape up nicely! We've had a few guide trips this past weekend that were catching fish on dries! We have about 20% of our snow left, and this week is going to give us very pleasant days and nights that drop down below freezing again, making the chance of any major blow outs of the creeks quite slim. As of now creeks are clear to stained and running with temperatures right around 40 degrees. Midge hatches are still happening, and we have started to see some olives here and there too. Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead heads rolled along the bottom of the runs. Spring is here is here in the Driftless!!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind 6 to 8 mph. Things are calming down! Runoff peaked early yesterday and things are beginning to drop and clear. There is fishable water out there, not a lot, but it exists. Look for even more stuff to start opening up later today. Creeks are muddy to stained but dropping and clearing. Water temps are in the high 30s to low 40s. Look at smaller creeks and headwaters to clear up first.
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 36. Breezy, with a northwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Most of our snow has melted over the past couple of days! Things are quite high and muddy right now, but should start dropping slowly. With the colder weather and overnight lows dipping below freezing again, any remaining runoff will freeze up again giving the creeks a chance to flush out. We will keep you posted on what the creeks look like, but there is a bit of optimism for smaller creeks this weekend!
Showers before 11am, then a chance of showers after 1pm. Patchy fog before 11am. High near 53. Southeast wind around 9 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Snowmelt continues through today. We're getting rid of a lot of snow and ice area wide. Don't expect fishing today as it did not cool down enough through the night to lock things back up again. The good news is that tonight and into the weekend, the temperatures dip back to normal which means pleasant weather to be outside, and overnight freezes that will keep runoff from ruining fishing!
Rain, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Widespread dense fog, mainly before 2pm. High near 49. Southeast wind 6 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A good light rain most of the day yesterday and overnight temperatures above freezing means we already have snowmelt first thing this morning. We have two more good days of melting ahead of us before things lock up again over the weekend. Today and Thursday will be dicey fishing, while on paper the weekend is looking good.
Rain likely, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 43. South wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Creeks are in really good shape for this time of season. We're getting some melting every day the sun pokes out or we get some rain. Most of the melting so far this week has been slight. Enough to drop water temperatures in the later part of the day, but not enough to blow things out on the small to medium sized creeks. We do have a couple of warmer days with a chance of rain coming up tomorrow and Thursday. Things cool down again on Friday just in time for any runoff to lock up a bit for the weekend! Midges are still hatching and if we get the warm up over the next few days, it would not be shocking to start to see olives hatching too. Creeks are a bit low and clear with temps in the mid 30s to mid 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 32. West wind 7 to 9 mph. After a weekend of rainy and snowy weather, things are back on track this week as spring start to show up. We have a few days of decent temperatures ahead. Just keep an eye on water temperature. As the bankside snow slowly melts, the temperature will drop and shut fishing down. As we start to warm, look for olives to hatch along side of the midges and winter stones. They haven't appeared yet, but they are due to show up soon! Creeks are flowing clear to stained with water temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Today is one of those perfect winter days on paper. Warm enough to get fish to eat, but not too warm to cause significant melt. Unfortunately the weather report for the weekend turned sour. They are forecasting wind and snow now. The temperatures are still solid for winter fishing, but getting around might be a bit difficult. If you are out fishing this weekend, look for quite a bit of subsurface activity on midge larvae, and smaller bead head nymphs in dark colors (black/brown etc). The chance of dry flies is good, but not as good as a sunny day. Still, look for midges to hatch mid day and hopefully get some fish to rise for them. Creeks are clear and flowing winter time low so you still need some stealth approaching fish.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as -1. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Cold and cloudy today, not the best weather for fishing. Yesterday was surprising as the sun really warmed things up and got the fishing going. The sun is the key right now! The weekend forecast changed to look pretty grim. While the temperatures are quite good for winter fishing, there is now snow and wind in the forecast as well as potential freezing rain. Friday looks excellent, while Saturday and Sunday will still be good days to be fishing, but might get a bit tricky with the wind and winter weather.
A chance of flurries between noon and 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 21. Wind chill values as low as -4. West wind 5 to 11 mph. Still winter conditions. WHen the sun has peeked out from behind the clouds fish have been rising, even in subzero temps. It is just too dang cold to be out fishing! Things warm up for the weekend. Friday and Saturday look like considerably better weather than we have had the past week or so. The shop is closed this Thursday, but will be open regular hours (9-5) on Saturday and 9-Noon on Sunday.
Scattered flurries before 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 11 by 5pm. Wind chill values as low as -5. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 18 mph. Still winter, but warmer weather is coming this weekend! We're supposed to get a warm (for winter) weather system rolling in and we should see 30 degrees on Friday. The shop will go to normal hours (9-5 M-Sat 9-Noon Sunday) starting this Saturday!
Increasing clouds, with a high near 6. Wind chill values as low as -29. West wind 5 to 14 mph. Cold. Again. The good news is that the days have been sunny meaning the streams have been keeping warm during this cold spell. Near the springs over the past few days we have been getting water temperatures pushing into the mid 40s. This cold weather releases its grip starting on Friday. We will see normal temperatures in the 30s to 40 over the weekend!
Scattered flurries before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Typical winter day. If the sun peeks out fishing will get good like it did yesterday. It is still a bit too much of a gamble to travel too far to fish, but after next week's cold front, warmer weather is finally predicted! Midges hatched yesterday when the sun was shining on the water, and nymphing with small bead heads took fish most of the middle part of the day. There is still quite a bit of snow on the banks and getting around can be tricky in some of the drifts.
Snow, mainly after 1pm. High near 25. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible. Yes it will snow again today.... The temperature is good, but tomorrow drops back down to too cold to fish. It isn't worth much of a drive to come and fish unless you are also skiing, snowshoeing, fat tire biking (there are trails here!) etc. Wait for better conditions for fishing. They will be here soon.
A chance of flurries between 11am and noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 20. Wind chill values as low as -3. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph. Still cold.... There is a brief warm up on Saturday and with some sunny skies, it could lead to a mid day feed for trout, but it really isn't worth driving a long distance for. Unless you are suffering from major cabin fever and would like to snowshoe and fish a bit on Saturday! The creeks are in really good condition and running winter low and crystal clear. The snow on the banks will be excellent to keep the springs pushing a large volume of water out through the late winter and early spring. We're just waiting for some warm weather!
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -3. Northwest wind 5 to 14 mph. Creeks are running clear with good flows, but it is still too dang cold to fish. We're just waiting on some nicer weather.
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -3. Northwest wind 5 to 14 mph. Creeks are running clear with good flows, but it is still too dang cold to fish. We're just waiting on some nicer weather.
Snow likely, mainly after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 12. Wind chill values as low as -15. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Nothing spectacular weather wise this week. Pretty cold with a bit of new snow on the ground. Roads are clear but parking spots along the creek are pretty covered. It really isn't worth traveling here to fish right now. Creeks are in good shape though with pretty good flows and clarity. It's just cold!
Our apologies! After our hosted trip to Belize we got caught in the blizzard in Rochester MN. We were supposed to be back in the office today but the roads might not be open again until tomorrow. Please email us with any concerns or issues. The trip was incredible but we’re ready to be home!!!
Isolated snow showers after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 34. Breezy, with a southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20% Not a bad day to fish today, but the window of opportunity will close quickly as we get a cool down for the weekend. Midges and winter stones were out yesterday in the sun and should show up in the middle part of the day again today. Otherwise rolling a scud on the bottom will get some fish to eat. NOTE: THE SHOP WILL BE CLOSED THIS WEEKEND AS WE WILL BE AT THE HAWKEYE FLY FISHING SHOW
Mostly sunny, with a high near 24. West wind 5 to 11 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Today and tomorrow are tolerable! The weekend brings cold weather again. We will be closed this weekend as we will be at the Hawkeye fly fishing show near Cedar Rapids.
Sunny and cold, with a high near 2. Wind chill values as low as -25. Breezy, with a west wind 11 to 16 mph. Way too cold again! Shop is closed this weekend and will reopen on Tuesday. Come visit us at the Badger Fly Fisher's Spring Opener Show in Madison this Saturday.
Snow. Patchy blowing snow after 5pm. Temperature falling to around 19 by 5pm. Blustery, with a northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. Icy rain last night with snow on top of it today. Not really what we would call pleasant fishable weather! Small roads are dangerous right now. Stay home. If you are looking for something to do this weekend to beat cabin fever, why not join us at the Badger Fly Fishers show in Madison? The shop will be closed on Saturday.
Snow likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 23. East wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. Melting from the past couple of days has stopped leaving creeks high and a bit stained. Weather is back to normal for winter and it really doesn't seem like anything noteworthy for the rest of the week. Tomorrow and Thursday look ok, but there is a chance for some freezing rain. If you are out fishing, it is all about midges! They have been hot subsurface and, with the correct weather, they hatch mid day too.
A slight chance of freezing rain before 11am. Areas of dense fog before noon. Otherwise, cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 21 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. After a couple of warm days, there is a lot of melting going on right now. Creeks are high and muddy and cold! Things will start to stabilize later this week as some sort of normal winter weather returns. It does not look like anything to get too excited about fishing condition wise all week.
Areas of fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 39. Southwest wind 6 to 11 mph. The deep freeze of last week is slowly releasing. There are pockets of fishable water to be had, but much of our fishery still has quite a bit of ice on the edges. We still recommend getting outside just to get rid of the cabin fever and enjoy some fresh air! Decent weather today and tomorrow then rain on Monday. Midges will be the key this weekend on the fishable stretches. Either that or drift a leech under the ice shelves near undercut banks and hold on!
Scattered flurries before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -6. South wind 5 to 9 mph. Ugh. It is no longer looking rosy for the weekend. After driving around a bit most of our creeks are locked up with enough ice to make fishing difficult to, in some cases, impossible. No real melting today as it is still cold and the sun is behind the clouds. Tomorrow will bring some excellent weather (especially compared to the past week!) and will make for a great day to be outside with some mediocre fishing. If you are headed to the area, bring your snowshoes and expect a good mental break day or two, but don't expect wonderful fishing outside.
A 50 percent chance of snow, mainly after 3pm. Increasing clouds and cold, with a high near -3. Wind chill values as low as -36. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Still dangerously cold out there today. Tomorrow remains quite cold with windchill, then Saturday we hit almost 40 degrees. This is a bizarre weather pattern for sure as we are forecasted for rain on Monday! We will be out tomorrow scouting creeks and updating you on conditions. Today, we're inside trying flies again and trying not to get cabin fever too heavily.
Sunny and cold, with a high near -15. Wind chill values as low as -53. West wind 11 to 14 mph. It is really dangerous to be outside in the cold today. Please stay warm and stay safe. We are expecting a 90 degree change in temperatures (it feels weird to even type that) and are looking at favorable temperatures for Saturday and Sunday. We will keep you posted as the weekend gets nearer.
A 20 percent chance of snow. Patchy blowing snow after noon. Partly sunny and cold, with a temperature falling to around -13 by 5pm. Wind chill values as low as -39. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Ugh. Record setting cold possible this week. Don't bother fishing as it could be dangerous even to be outside for long periods of time! The good news is the weekend is going to reach the mid 30s! Just a few more days and we will be able to get outside and play on the trout streams of the Driftless again!
Not much to report. Lots of snow last night up to 12 inches in some areas and it is still snowing lightly this morning. It will be quite cold the next few days with Wednesday a balmy -17 for a high before wind chill. No reason to go fishing. On the tolerable temperature days it is quite nice snowshoeing right now though!
Cloudy early, then gradual clearing and cold, with a high near 2. Wind chill values as low as -16. West wind around 6 mph. Yup, still cold.
A chance of snow before 1pm, then scattered flurries between 1pm and 3pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 20. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. As of mid day, the snow has stopped and the sun is out! If you are around, the afternoon should be some good fishing! We're expecting a really cold snap coming up through the weekend with super cold temperatures and wind chills. Stay home and stay warm.
Winter storm warning in our are. Snow and possible ice predicted. In other words, stay home and stay safe. The snow is needed as we had some pretty bare ground so far this year. Creeks are clear and cold with some shelf ice forming after a cold snap. It's winter, and we are waiting for another warming spell so we can get out and fish again!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 14. Wind chill values as low as -11. Southeast wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Nope, too cold to fish today. The next few days don't look great either with some more snow coming and a high of -1 coming on Friday.
Sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -2. North wind around 10 mph Cold, and we just had about 6 inches or more dumped on the area. Good weekend to stay home and tie flies!
Snow and freezing drizzle before 1pm, then a chance of freezing drizzle between 1pm and 3pm. High near 29. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. Not the prettiest of days, but the last warm day for a while. Fish midge larvae deep all day and you will catch fish! The chance of a hatch is slim as the sun is not out today. Creeks are clear and cold with water temperatures hovering around 36.
Sunny, with a high near 26. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Just barely tolerable to be out fishing today as the sun is shining and the wind is low. There will be active fish, but you will be fighting icy guides most of the day. It doesn't look like it gets much better condition wise from here on out. A slight warmup flirting with 30 degrees tomorrow and below 20 for the weekend. Looks like a good few days to tie flies! The shop will be closed this Saturday as we will be at Cabin Fever Days in Appleton. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday this weekend! https://foxvalleytu.org/cabin-fever-day-2019/
Patchy drizzle between 3pm and 4pm, then patchy freezing drizzle after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Mild for January, but very slippery out there today. Be careful driving and walking if you are out fishing. Conditions are not the best, but better than normal for January. We are still seeing midge hatches mid day, but most of your fishing is subsurface on tiny, heavy bead heads rolled along the bottom of runs and pools.
Patchy fog before 4pm. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 30. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Pretty ho-hum day today, nothing really exciting condition wise. Fishing has been decent mid day with fish responding well to midge larvae fished deep, and some soft hackles fished below the riffles when the water temperature is at its peak. Today and tomorrow looks nice while the rest of the week starts getting quite chilly. Remember your thermometer! You want to make sure you are fishing rising water temperatures. The only silver lining to chillier weather is there is little to no snowmelt that will rapidly chill the creeks down in the late afternoon.
Cloudy, with a high near 32. East wind around 9 mph. Still nothing fantastic condition wise. Fishing is good, but winter good. Make sure you are fishing rising water temperatures. That is, by far, the most important variable for catching fish in the Driftless in the winter. We're seeing midges and a few winter stoneflies on the banks, and pods of rising fish in the middle part of the day.
Sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -1. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Winter is here. Too cold to fish! The weather warms up a bit (for Wisconsin) starting tomorrow and we will see 30 degree temperatures again by the weekend.
Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 24 by 5pm. Windy, with a west wind 14 to 19 mph increasing to 21 to 26 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. The weather is trying to return to normal winter weather. It looks like a cold snap until the weekend. The good news is that the runoff we had yesterday has stopped leaving creeks clear to slightly stained again. Fishing has been good for winter. Anglers having the most success are fishing the middle part of the day during the warmest water temperatures and seeking out the springs and seeps to find even warmer water. Midges are hatching on the sunny days and there is a chance to see rising fish in the afternoons. Otherwise, fishing deep and slow with tungsten bead nymphs and heavy leeches is the key.
Rain, mainly before 11am. High near 45. Southeast wind 7 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Light rain this morning and warm temperatures to start off the morning. This weather has snow melting and entering the creeks. Expect some stain on the water, and cooler water temperatures. These are not excellent conditions as the snowmelt dumping cold water into the creeks slows things down quite a bit. The weekend was quite good fishing with midges and winter stoneflies hatching/emerging and water temperatures in the high 30s to 40. We should see that again this coming weekend, but after today and tomorrow we get a cold snap. Midges and tiny tungsten beads rolled along the bottom are the key, as are small leeches and buggers. On sunny days, larger attractor patterns subsurface work too.
Sunny, with a high near 45. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Happy catch and release opener!! Unseasonably warm weather this weekend means being outside will be more than pleasant. Make sure you are using a thermometer as there will be a little snowmelt today. Once that happens it will slow fishing down quite a bit. If it is severe it will also make things cloud up in the afternoon. Scouting yesterday we saw midge hatches and emerging winter stoneflies. Today should be more of the same which means you may have a shot to rising fish. Otherwise roll some heavy, black or brown, and small (16-22) nymphs along the bottom or slowly twitch a leech under an indicator and you will run into some fish.
Sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 3 to 6 mph. This is not normal January weather! This opening weekend will be unseasonably warm. Just beware of snowmelt as once it starts hitting the creeks, things will shut down quickly. Make sure to have a thermometer along. Plan on fishing small, dark patterns tight to the bottom in the deeper pools in the morning, then starting to target the runs as the sun warms the stream bed up and midges start to (hopefully!) hatch. We have also started seeing winter stoneflies crawling around. As of now, creeks are in great shape!
Wisconsin's early season opens Saturday! Sunny, with a high near 35. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Unseasonably warm weather is headed our way starting today and through the weekend. Saturday's opener is forecasted to be 45 degrees!! Creeks will start to slightly stain up in the afternoons with the warmer days creating some snow melt. There is not a ton of snow on the ground and the color of the water should not matter, but water temperature will. Make sure to use your thermometer and fish rising water temperatures! Once snowmelt starts hitting the creek and dropping the temperature fishing will slow down or even stop completely. Heavy, dark bodied flies in smaller sizes (16-22) are key right now. Midges are the main food source both subsurface and surface. You can also catch fish on leeches and streamers fished slowly.
Wisconsin's season opens this Saturday (the 5th) for catch and release! Partly sunny, with a high near 23. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Creeks are in good shape right now. The first real snowfall of the season hit yesterday and today, but only dumped a couple of inches on us. We're supposed to warm up enough starting tomorrow through the weekend that much of that might melt. Creeks are clear and cold (it is winter....) and flowing well. Make sure to come ready with some heavy bead head nymphs and small leeches for opener. If the weather is warm enough, look for a mid day midge hatch too. You'll be surprised at the dry fly activity on warmer winter days. Shop will be open Saturday 8-Noon.
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
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!
It's another ugly cold day. The entire week is a stay inside and tie flies type week. The weekend is looking just a touch warmer with Saturday's high being 17. While this isn't necessarily fishing weather, it will be pleasant enough to layer up, and take a walk along some creeks with the chance of catching some fish.
Wisconsin's trout season opens January 6th. It's quite cold out there right now, with the forecast for opener is, well, Wisconsin in January. Sunny with a high of 12 degrees is what they are calling for. We will be open on the 6th from 9 until noon. In the winter time, fishing is best mid day as things warm up. If you can catch a rising water temperature, you will run into fish. Because of our spring creeks, water temperatures are chilly, but stable and with the sun warming things up, bugs and fish get active mid day. The limiting factor is angler comfort.
Weird weather of up and down temperatures all week. Friday is forecasted to be in the low 50s, the rest of the week is all across the board in the 30s and 40s. Although the weather is decent, fish are in full on spawning mode. We highly encourage you to either not fish, or if you are over in Iowa please target the put and take stocked rainbow trout creeks.
Cold weather until Sunday. We're in the freeze overnight and hit the high 20s to mid 30s weather this week until Sunday (high of 65). Fishing is ok right now, but only for a few hours in the afternoon. We're seeing some rising fish, but most fish are eating small bead head nymphs and scuds bounced along the bottom. We're hesitant to head out, no because of the cold, but because fish are in spawning mode now. Please leave all spawning fish along and fish the deeper water below beds!
Wisconsin's trout season is closed. Thank you all for a fantastic season! Fishing has not stopped as Iowa's driftless is open all year. The olives are hatching over there right now, and fish are happy. If you head out and fish, please leave any spawning fish alone.
WISCONSIN'S SEASON IS CLOSED! We're taking a week off and will periodically update the fishing report for those of you heading to Iowa or Minnesota's driftless in the fall and winter. Thanks for a great season!
UPDATE 10:45. So far the major rains have stayed south of us. We've received some light rain that is already letting up. Dodged the first bullet of the day! Showers and thunderstorms likely, then periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 59. East wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Change to the forecast. The creeks are in great shape, but the wind will pick up today. The rain should not do major damage to the fishing, but we will keep you posted just in case. Please make sure to give other anglers space this weekend. It will be a busy weekend this weekend. Please do not hop above other anglers, make sure to check in before you fish!
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 62. Light and variable wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Last weekend of season. Things close down on Monday the 16th. Conditions are excellent. Clear to stained water that is running cold. Clouds in the sky, olives hatching mid day into the evening and fish are happy. If you see rising fish, try and olive or hippie stomper. Subsurface fishing has been good on scuds and pink squirrels as well as pheasant tails. Deeper holes have been giving up some nice fish on leeches and streamers.
Patchy drizzle before 9am. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 59. South wind 6 to 10 mph. 4 more days of season, and conditions are excellent. Scuds, leeches, and larger patterns subsurface. Olives hatching in the afternoon. Creeks stained and flowing well and cool. Get out and fish, it is excellent!
Areas of drizzle before 8am. Cloudy, with a high near 59. Northeast wind 7 to 9 mph. The season is finishing with a bang! Only 5 more days of fishing before season closes. We are able to fish through October the 15th. Creeks are cold, and clear to slightly stained area wide. We're forecasted for clouds and drizzle through Sunday! You really cold not ask for better fishing weather. There is no reason to get up at the crack of dawn. Things are cool enough that the fishing does not pick up until things have warmed just a bit. Fish are eating scuds and pink squirrels very well sub surface. They are also chasing leeches and streamers. On the surface, fish will rise to olives and midges, especially in the afternoon. Fishing a simple parachute adams or olive will work, as will a campara-dun or sparkle dun.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. North wind 9 to 13 mph. Clear to stained area wide, with good flows and excellent temperatures. Sunny today which will keep fish deep. We are due for some cloud cover over the next couple of days, that will bring the olives back out in the afternoon. Fish a dry/dropper with a smaller foam terrestrial and a thin bodied bead head below on the clear water, and fish scuds and pink squirrels or leeches on the water that still have a stain to them. Season goes through October 15th. Conditions are great and the weather is comfortable to end the season on!
High near 66. South wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Over the past 24 hours it looks like we got 1.5 to 3 inches of rain. Scouting around this morning I did find clear water though! It might take a bit more windshield time, and scouting some different creeks, but there is fishable to clear water out there! Remember that after a rain fishing really picks up and if you have a foot or two of visibility you can catch fish. Today might not be a perfect dry fly day on the larger creeks, so fish subsurface with a leech or wooly bugger, scud, pink squirrel, or San Juan worm. The creeks that are clear should see some surface feeding as olives have shown up over the past couple of cloudy days. It hasn't been a gigantic hatch yet, but conditions are right for fall olives for sure! Creeks are slightly stained to murky and flowing a bit high. Things are dropping and clearing quickly.
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm. High near 62. Light east wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Another round of light showers yesterday did not stain the water up significantly. We're still at stained to clear area wide. Fishing has been really good lately with the cooler temps and cloud cover. We are supposed to get some rain this weekend, but so far they are predicting showers and not thunderstorms. If this holds, we will be looking at slightly stained to medium stained water area wide, and while it may suppress the olive hatch activity a bit, the subsurface fishing should be excellent! We will keep you updated on the rain totals, but we are not panicking about it. Terrestrials have been the ticket, but only after things warm up and dry out a bit. Early in the morning fishing has been best subsurface on heavy tungsten nymphs and scuds. In the evening we have started to see some olives hatching, but have still had more success on small ants and beetles on the surface. The heavy nymphs have been solid all through the evening too!
Scattered showers before 11am, then a slight chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%. The creeks were surprisingly clear yesterday after Tuesday nights rain. They remain clear to stained and flowing very well with cool temperatures. Our guides did excellent on streamers and leeches in the morning, then switching to hoppers in the afternoon/evening. Expect much of the same today. Subsurface in the morning, then look for olives to hatch late afternoon. Fishing a small hopper or ant on the surface will get fish to eat after lunch time too. 10 more days of season! Conditions are just perfect right now. Get out and fish!
Sunny, with a high near 66. Light north wind becoming west 8 to 13 mph in the morning. An inch to two inches of rain fell quickly and heavily last night. Look for stained water this morning that will drop and clear very quickly. Break out the San Juan worms and leeches after the rain! This is another weather adjustment and looking ahead the forecast is for cool weather and drizzly days. This means olive hatches in the afternoons! With the cooler and wetter weather, terrestrials will not be as effective until later in the day when things have a chance to dry out. Most of the action early will be subsurface. Season is open through October the 15th! Get out there and enjoy the weather, and the excellent fishing fall gives us!
EDIT: I mis typed this morning. Season is open through the 15th, not the 25th. Typing the report a bit too quickly! We have 13 days of fishing left in the Wisconsin Driftless. Mat Isolated showers between 9am and 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a light south wind increasing to 12 to 17 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 10%. Season is open through October 15th and conditions couldn't be much better. A bit of cloud cover through the day means fish will be happier. Look for a possible olive hatch in the late afternoon if the clouds stay in. Otherwise surface activity will be terrestrials and fish rising to mayflies and midges in the evening. Subsurface activity has been solid on scuds, and tungsten bead head bugs fished in the shin to thigh deep water. Fish will retreat into the deeper water if the sun comes out mid day, but will return to the runs later in the day. Things are great right now in the Driftless!
Sunny, with a high near 65. Light east wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Look for fish to feed more heavily subsurface today due to the sun. When the sun is off the water, the surface feeding will increase. While there should not be any major visible surface feeding, trout will still come up to eat a smaller terrestrial even in the bright sun, so fishing a hopper with a dropper is not a bad idea. The creeks are in excellent shape, with good flows and cool temperatures. Expect clear to stained conditions area wide. Most fish will be in the riffles and runs until the mid day sun when they will retreat into deeper pools and underneath the banks. They will come out to play again when the angle of the sun drops a bit.
Sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 9 mph in the morning. A cool, crisp fall weekend ahead of us. Things are quite good in the Driftless right now. Water flows are really good and temperatures are quite chilly after a few nights that have dipped down into the 40s. Creeks are clear to slightly stained area wide. Fish are eating midges and a few trico spinners in the mornings on the surface. Subsurface they are liking scuds and squirrels early. Mid day fishing has been best on smaller terrestrials on the surface, and smaller thinner profile bugs subsurface. In the late afternoon and evening, look for some olives (size 18-20 mayflies) as well as some larger (14-16) mayflies to hatch and potentially create a spinner fall in the evening. With the cooler temperatures, do not hesitate to fish a leech or streamer as fish are starting to kick into fall mode and seek larger meals. Your best fishing on larger bugs is when the sun is not shining directly on the water, or on the handful of creeks that have a stain to them.
sunny, with a high near 70. Light west wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Conditions couldn't be more pleasant in the Driftless right now. The cool fall weather has both anglers and trout very happy! Look for sporadic rising fish in the mornings on a mix of tricos and midges. As the day warms up a bit, the terrestrial surface bite turns on with fish eating ants, beetles, and smaller foam attractor patterns. In the evening, our bug soup comes out and has fish looking up yet again. Midges, olives, craneflies and more will be out at night. If you are having trouble getting fish to eat on the surface, tie on an emerger and give it a twitch or two! Subsurface fishing has been good on both larger, thicker bodied patterns such as scuds and pink squirrels and on clear water with smaller thinner bodied bugs (zebra midges, frenchies). Fish are pushed up into the riffles and runs most of the day retreating to the undercut banks and bottoms of pools when the sun is at its mid day peak. Mousing is still going strong, and will continue to be good until it gets really cold. Slowly fishing a mouse pattern on the surface can yield some explosive eats as well as some larger trout!
Sunny, with a high near 63. Light northwest wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Wow. It really couldn't be better in the Driftless for the fall. Our season ends October 15th, and creeks are flowing well with very cool water temperatures. The recent rains stained things up a bit, but most of the creeks were fishable yesterday, and have cleared up quite a bit overnight. With the drop in water temperatures, we have seen the return of the olive hatch and spinner fall. That on top of remaining tricos in the morning and terrestrials mid day means some fun dry fly action potentially all day. Subsurface fishing has been hot. With frenchies and pink squirrels leading the charge. Scuds have started fishing well again when cloud cover is overhead or the creek is showing a bit of stain. We're forecasted for a week or so of very mld fall weather with temperatures not topping 70 degrees and cooling down into the 40s at night. This is what you want for end of season fishing!
Showers likely, mainly between 9am and 4pm. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 71. Light and variable wind becoming west 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. The worm has turned! The rain last night (1-3 inches, the heavier rain was south of Viroqua) has many of our creeks stained to muddy, however the guides are all out on clear to stained water this morning, so it is out there! Things will drop and clear quickly as today's rain is supposed to be lighter drizzle and showers. The temperatures drop back to fall levels starting this evening. The night time lows in the 40s are key for late season fishing to really turn on (remember out season lasts through October 15th!). Leeches, scuds, and San Juan worms in the cloudy water, then scuds and pink squirrels in the stained water. Today we may see some olives hatching in the afternoon too.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%. The last day of the hot weather! We should see some rain tonight and into tomorrow then the temperatures drop back down to the 60s during the day and 40s during the night. In other words, it's going to get really good again soon! Look for trico spinners in the morning, terrestrials all day, then the bug soup in the evenings. As things cool down the bug soup should turn into a bit more consistent olive hatch. This won't happen right away, but over the next few cold days we should see them again in noticeable numbers. Subsurface fishing is still best with heavy and thin bodied bugs. As things cool down, fish will move out from undercut banks and deeper pools and start to push up into the riffles and runs again too. Season is open through October 15th, and the fall fishing can be some of the best in the Driftless!
Sunny, with a high near 88. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Enough with the hot weather already! Warmer again today, and will start to cool down come Monday/Tuesday. Fishing is good in the early morning and late evening. Mid day, find some shade on a smaller tributary creek or cast as tight to the banks as you can to find fish. Tricos and midges in the morning, small terrestrials all day, and rising fish again in the evening that will fall for small parachutes and comparadun patterns. Subsurface flies should be heavy, small, and thin profiled.
Sunny, with a high near 91. Heat index values as high as 97. South wind 8 to 15 mph. Looks like summer is trying to desperately hold on. This is the last hot day in a while. Fortunately the earlier summer was cool and rainy which means water flows and temperatures are actually still good as of today. Just fish early and late and avoid the mid day heat. Creeks are clear to stained and flows are quite good for early fall. Fish are eating midges and trico spinners in the mornings, then seeking shade and deeper water during the day time. Fishing a small foam attractor pattern or a terrestrial neat the bank can be deadly this time of year. Especially if you have a bead head tied below your terrestrial! Fish will eat subsurface all day. Just make sure that your patterns are heavy and bouncing on the bottom. In the evening fish are eating on the surface again (once the sun goes behind the bluffs). Try fishing a midge, cranefly, or mayfly emerger for best success. Also, do not overlook night fishing right now. Putting on a headlamp and hiking back to some slower flowing pools and tossing a mouse pattern on the surface or large leech subsurface can be excellent!
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Despite the warm front, fishing has remained solid in the mornings and evenings. Look for trico spinners in the early mornings with fish rising until about 9-10 a.m. After that fish will feed subsurface on small beadheads fished deep in the runs and near undercut banks. In the evening, fish will start to rise right at dark to a mix of midges and mayflies. Creeks south of the shop got some heavy rain yesterday. Expect muddy to stained water. Things are more clear north of the shop. The sun will be the limiting factor right now. Fish early and late, find shade and undercut banks, and you will find more trout!
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40% Cloudy and warmer today. The warm weather might be a bit uncomfortable after the past few chilly weeks, but the cloud cover will do wonders for the fishing. Creeks are still in great shape with good flows and colder temperatures than normal for late summer. Look for trico spinner falls in the morning. Fish will be rising until about 9 or 10. After that, fishing smaller terrestrials and foam patterns is working well, especially with a bead head nymph dropped below. In the last couple hours of the day, we are seeing fish rising to a mix of mayflies and midges. A small parachute pattern will work well. Subsurface fishing has been the most consistent. Make sure your patterns are heavy and get down right away. Early and late, fish are feeding in shin to thigh deep water. Mid day, many of them will retreat to the deep pools. Do not overlook fishing mouse patterns at night. It has been a good mousing year!
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Fishing has been a ton of fun lately! Tricos in the mornings, then small terrestrials through the day. In the evening we are seeing some sparse hatches of olives and midges. Subsurface fishing has been very good on midge larvae, frenchies, and black leeches. Creeks are flowing at good levels and clear with temperatures staying very solid thanks to an unusually cold and rainy summer.
Scattered showers, mainly before 9am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 85. South wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Some much needed cloud cover this morning! Look for fish to eat as long as the sun is off the water. The sun has been the limiting factor for fishing the past couple of days. Today will be hot again, with a really nice cool down tomorrow (Sunday). Tricos in the A.M., terrestrials with a small nymph dropper all day long, then fish will rise to sparse mayfly hatches in the evenings. Creeks are clear to stained and running in the mid 50s to mid 60s area wide.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 7 to 11 mph. Hotter today, but things cool off later in the weekend. Despite the hot weather, the fishing has been solid. However, it has been good when the sun is not shining on the water (normal summertime rhythm). There have been a few tricos showing up in the mornings, then we are fishing a terrestrial with a dropper until mid day. When the sun is high overhead, take a break and wait for early evening when things cool down. There are still hatches in the evening that have fish rising to olives, midges, and they are also eating smaller terrestrials at night. Don't forget to skitter and twitch your dries, as movement is triggering some great eats! Once the sun goes down, fish are eating mouse patterns and larger leeches and streamers. Grab a headlamp, enjoy the cooler weather, and go night fishing! Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s.
Sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Warmer and sunny again today. Fishing has remained good, but the sun is starting to slow things down a bit. Make sure you are fishing shaded areas and undercut banks and try to avoid mid day fishing if you can. We're fortunate enough that the cold days the past few weeks have made water temperatures cool enough that we are not finding superheated late summer creeks and the fish are still pretty happy when the sun is off them. Terrestrials are key. Smaller varieties such as ants and beetles are more effective now, but grass hoppers and larger foam patterns are catching a few fish. Try one as an indicator fly! Subsurface fishing has been very good with the fish in shin to thigh deep water early and late, then taking cover in deeper pools and underneath the banks when the sun is shining brightly. Soft hackles have been the guide's hot fly lately. Swinging a simple soft hackle has been very effective! Mousing is picking up with the warmer weather and quite a few larger fish are showing up when most anglers are going to sleep!
Sunny, with a high near 79. Light and variable wind. A bit warmer this week which means we should see more trico spinner falls in the mornings! It also means that mid day fishing will slow down quite a bit unless you can find shade The evening fishing has been solid still with fish rising to a mix of mayflies, midges, craneflies and some egg laying caddis too. Creeks are low and clear and running in the high 50s to mid 60s area wide. The sun is your limiting factor. Fish early and late, and find shade and you will find more fish.
Sunny, with a high near 79. Light south wind. The next few days will be sunny and calm and will still pleasant, a bit warmer than the past few weeks. This means we will see the return of the trico spinner fall in the morning, and that terrestrials will be come more important throughout the day as the ground will warm up more quickly and get them moving earlier. We will also see the evening olive hatch slow down a bit. Fishing will remain good overall, just with a few tweaks to the menu for trout. Subsurface fishing will remain solid, especially in the shady areas of the creek and underneath undercut banks. Creeks are flowing clear and with good water levels for summer. Temperatures are in the mid 50s to mid 60s area wide.
Sunny, with a high near 74. South wind 3 to 7 mph. The unbelievably fishy weather continues! Your limiting factor is the sun right now, so plan to fish shady areas and when the sun is off the water for best success. The cold nights have fishing a bit slow in the morning. Rolling a bead head along the bottom of the runs is the best way to get fish while they are groggy. Once the sun comes up and warms things up a bit, then fishing terrestrials with a bead head dropper is key. In the evening fish are rising in the flats and slower water to a mix of olives and midges with a few egg laying caddis thrown in for good measure (they will also eat a small terrestrial). Creeks are clear to stained and flowing very well for summertime with temperatures in the mid to high 50s.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. East wind 7 to 11 mph. It's downright chilly this morning. 50 degrees at 7 a.m. The creeks are taking a bit to wake up lately due to the colder weather. There is no need to get out fishing at dawn. Things are in incredible shape for summertime with cold water temperatures and good flows thanks to the cold nights and a rainy summer. Look for fish to feed heavily subsurface in the riffles and runs on smaller thin bodied bead heads today. In the afternoon, terrestrials on the surface will be effective and we may see a hatch or two late afternoon. The evening brings 3 or 4 different species of bugs hatching or laying eggs. Try a trailing shuck caddis like an X caddis or an olive parachute or emerger. The full moon has made night fishing a bit easier to maneuver, but the fishing during a full moon tends to be a bit less productive numbers wise. Look for fish to be holding underneath structure at night or deep in the pools.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. West wind 3 to 8 mph. We're sounding like a broken record, but holy cow are the conditions perfect right now! Creeks are clear to stained area wide with unseasonably cool water temperatures. This is the first year we have not had to double check water temperatures to make sure things haven't warmed up. The creeks have stayed cold and flowing well throughout the middle of summer! Fish are eating pretty much anything subsurface right now. On sunnier days, thin bodied patterns are working better while on could days, scuds and pink squirrels are working better. Streamers and leeches have started to pick up thanks to recent light rains and cloud cover too. On the surface, terrestrials are the best throughout the day, while we have a mix of mayflies and midges in the evening hatching as well as some egg laying caddis.
A 20 percent chance of showers after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Perfect trout fishing weather continues all week! It is fishing much more like June than it is September!!! We've had a few showers that have not been enough to muddy thing up, but have helped keep flows very good for this time of year. We're seeing emergences in the afternoon and evening of mayflies and midges and fish are looking up for hoppers and other terrestrials from late morning into the evening. Subsurface fishing has been great on pheasant tail type nymphs as well as midge larvae. Leeches, scuds, and streamers are working well on the creeks that have a bit of color to them, and when the sun is off the water. Mousing has been good lately with a few larger fish eating just after dusk.
A slight chance of showers between 1pm and 3pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 8 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. The incredible late summer weather continues! Cool nights and short rain storms have the creeks running well and quite chilly for this time of year. Things continue to fish very well with fish eating subsurface in the mornings, then switching to hoppers and other terrestrials mid day. In the evenings fish are looking up to quite a few hatches including olives (if it is cloudy). Subsurface fishing has been best on pheasant tail type bugs on clear water, and scuds, leeches and brush hogs on the creeks with a bit of stain. Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the 50s.
Sunny, with a high near 70. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph. 50 degrees walking into the shop this morning! The mid summer has been more like mid June and the fish are responding. Early fishing has been slower on the surface due to colder morning temperatures, but they will respond to a midge larvae or brush hog fished on the bottom. During the day, a hopper/dropper will work as will sunken ants and beetles. Tiny bead heads continue to catch fish through the middle part of the day too. The sun is still a limiting factor so find some shade and you will find more fish! Most of the hatch activity is happening in the evening. We're seeing a couple species of mayflies as well as craneflies, caddis, and midges. The rising fish can be tough to crack, it seems they will eat one type of fly for a few minutes than want you to switch. Mousing has been great lately thrown on a headlamp and head out at night, you might be surprised what you find on the end of your line at night!
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 69. East wind around 9 mph. The incredible weather continues through the rest of the week and into the holiday weekend. It's late August and we have not seen 80 degrees but once or twice in a month!! Creeks are flowing well (we received a brief, heavy rain last night) and are mostly clear to mildly stained. Water temperatures are in the 50s area wide. Tricos are doing their spinner fall in the mornings, although the action is sparse due to colder morning temperatures. Mid day fishing have been best on smaller terrestrials (ants and beetles) on the surface. Hoppers are just starting to show up in numbers creekside and the fist are starting to look for them too. Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead heads fished in the riffles as well as scuds fished deep. This summer weather and stream conditions are the best we have had in over a decade. Take advantage of it if you can!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Summer rears its head today (much cooler through Saturday). Fish early and late and find shade to catch fish. The tricos should show up a bit earlier in the day today as air temperatures and water temperatures will rise a bit more quickly. Otherwise, fishing small terrestrials on the surface with a bead head dropper will catch fish. There are rising fish in the evening that are feeding on a bug soup as many different summer flies have been coming out right around dusk. Mousing is prime right now, with quite a few fish eating mice at dark. Don't forget your headlamp!
Widespread fog, mainly before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 73. North wind 3 to 5 mph. Things are still looking good in the Driftless. The foggy morning will suppress the trico spinner fall first thing, and the humid morning means terrestrials will not be as active early. In other words, subsurface early, then hopper dropper mid day, followed by fishing the hatches in the evening. While there are not a ton of rising fish, we have seen sparse hatches of craneflies, olives, midges, and we have some egg laying caddis around too. Creeks are in great shape with good flows and cool water temperatures for August.
Scattered showers, mainly between 2pm and 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 71. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Cool and cloudy again today! This weather has been fantastic for trout fishing. Fish are eating heavy tungsten flies subsurface in the ankle to knee deep water, and the afternoons have given us hatches of olives, tricos, and other dark colored mayflies (and even some caddis!). Creeks are flowing well and water temperatures are excellent for this time of year. Take advantage of it if you can!
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Southeast wind 8 to 13 mph. Some light rain fell last night. It wasn't enough to do anything to the creeks, but the cloud cover forecasted throughout the morning and through the day should make fishing solid all day long. Hatches are sparse with a few fish rising to midges and mayflies. With the weather, there is a slim chance of seeing some olives hatching this weekend. Subsurface fishing has been more reliable on midge larvae, frenchies, brush hogs, and with the cloud cover we should see scuds and squirrels more effective. Creeks are running well with temperatures in the 50s to low 60s area wide.
Isolated showers between 10am and 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Cool, cloudy and drizzly. This is spring weather, not mid summer! The weekend forecast is the same and it is looking excellent for fishing. Creeks are flowing well and are clear to slightly stained area wide. Temperatures range from the low 50s to 60. Surface fishing has been best on smaller terrestrials and midges. There are a few rising fish that are eating trico spinners in the mornings, then terrestrials and craneflies through the day and into the evening. There is a slim chance of seeing olives hatch this weekend as the air and water temperatures are chilly enough that conditions are right. Subsurface fishing has been really solid and should only get better with the cloud cover the next couple of days. Scuds, frenchies, and brush hogs have all been effective. Just think heavily weighted and thin bodied. Trout are in the riffles and runs feeding thanks to the favorable water temperatures! Night fishing has been a ton of fun with fish eating mice on the surface, and streamers and larger leeches sub surface.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. East wind 3 to 5 mph. Wow! The forecast for the next few days has gotten even better. Not only will we barely top 70 for a daytime high, clouds and drizzle are forecasted throughout the area through the weekend! This is a very fishy forecast as water temperatures are low, creeks are in good shape, and the limiting factor of the sun will be taken out of play. If ever there was an August to fish the Driftless, this is it!! We're still seeing spotty tricos in the morning, but the creeks that have them are getting the spinner fall later in the morning and the fall is lasting a bit longer (roughly 8-11). Otherwise surface fishing has been good on ants and beetles even during the mid day sun. Hoppers have been mediocre as the hopper crops in early summer were drowned out by rains. Trout will still come up and eat a larger indicator pattern, but 'match the hatch' hoppers aren't hot right now. Subsurface fishing is best with anything small, thin bodied, and heavy. Rolling a micro mayfly or midge larvae on the bottom will catch fish right now. As the clouds roll in again, break out the scuds! Night fishing has been an absolute blast. Mousing and larger streamer fishing have been very successful lately.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. The incredible cool weather continues this week! Tricos are doing their spinner fall in the morning, giving us rising fish on quite a few creeks. The cooler weather means fish are looking up a bit longer than usual! After the spinner fall, we are fishing ants and beetles on the surface, especially in shaded areas and close to undercut banks. Subsurface fishing has been great on midge larvae and other small bead head nymphs. Creeks are a bit low and clear to slightly stained. Water temperatures have been incredible this summer as the unseasonably cool conditions this month have kept them very comfortable for trout. Night fishing with mice and large streamers have been a ton of fun this summer! Your limiting factor is still the sun, so fish early and late and find shade to find more fish. Hot flies: Magic Beetle Zebra Midge Mini Hankey
Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 8 to 14 mph. Absolutely gorgeous string of weather ahead of us this week as high temperatures do no top 71! This unseasonably cool and wet summer has kept our creeks fishing very well. Despite a limited trico spinner fall and few hoppers (thanks to all the rain), fishing has been solid all August long. Fish are eating smaller terrestrials (ants, beetles, and hippie stompers) as well as generic mayfly patterns (para wulff adams, klinkhammer style flies) on the surface and feeding very well on micro mayfly nymphs, midge larvae, and brush hogs subsurface. The night time fishing has been a blast, tossing a mouse or streamer pattern is getting a lot of action and quite a few larger fish too! The renovations in the shop are almost complete. The sale hallway and bathrooms are done, and the back room is near completion. Look for an announcement and open house party soon. In the mean time, come in an see the new layout and take advantage of this fishy August!
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the morning. A slight uptick in temperature this weekend, but things cool down again early next week after summer rains. Fishing is still best early and late when the sun is off the water. Look for a few trico spinners early in the morning, then switch to a indicator/attractor foam pattern with a small bead head dropper for the rest of the day. Tiny micro nymphs and other small bead head flies fished deep are also very effective right now. Mousing has been a blast lately with some aggressive fish and even some larger fish being caught at night.
Partly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 3 to 5 mph. Gorgeous weather today, and gets stormy tomorrow. Temperatures are still excellent as high temps will not reach 80 all week long. Fishing has been good when the sun is off the water. Hatches are sparse, but fish are still looking up for terrestrials and some smaller mayflies and midges. Subsurfea fishing is best on tiny bead head nymphs and midge larvae. If the water clouds up with the rain tonight and tomorrow, fishing scuds, leeches, and san juan worms will be great! Creeks are clear and a touch low with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s.
Scattered showers before 11am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 72. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Cool. cloudy, and a chance of some rain. An excellent day to be in the Driftless. Look for some midges in the mornings as well as trico spinners if there isn't too much moisture in the air. If the clouds stay in, the scud fishing should be fantastic and trout will also chase leeches and small streamers. Creeks are in good shape, and the forecasted rain shouldn't do much to change the clarity. If anything weird happens, we will let you know.
Sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 3 to 6 mph. Happy Saturday! Temperatures continue to be low for the next few days. Creeks are in good shape; clear to stained area wide. Fishing is best early and late when the sun is off the water. We're still seeing sparse trico spinner falls, and fishing a hopper or larger foam pattern with a dropper during the day. Ants and beetles are also very effective on the surface. Subsurface fishing is best on midge larvae and micro nymphs (tiny, thin bodied bead heads)
Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 74. North wind 9 to 11 mph. A very pleasant weekend ahead! Rains last night were only half to 3/4 of an inch tops which means creeks are in great shape throughout the weekend. The limiting factor will still be the sun. Fish early and look for the trico spinner fall. While it isn't widespread, if you do find tricos the morning bite can be fantastic. If you do not find them, fishing an ant, beetle, or other smaller terrestrial will get rising fish to eat. During the day, and when there are no trout feeding on the surface, fishing a hopper or other terrestrial pattern with a small bead head dropper is the way to go. Fish will mostly focus on the subsurface pattern, but we are starting to get trout causing across the creek or from underneath the banks to crush a larger meal on the surface. In the evenings, there can be a few rising fish again. A small parachute or ant/beetle should get them to eat. If not, twitch a leech through the pod. Finally, mousing has been quite fun this summer. Slowly fishing a mouse pattern across the surface at night can get some very aggressive eats and some larger fish!
Partly sunny, with a high near 75. South wind 7 to 9 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. The cooler weather hits the area today which might produce some rain. It isn't predicted to be anything terrible and a bit of rain and cloud cover will do wonders for the fishery. Hatches are still fairly sparse, with the trico spinner fall spotty on a handful of creeks in the morning. Most of the surface activity is on terrestrials and attractor patterns and you can fish they throughout the day (although fishing is more productive early and late). Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead heads fished slowly along the bottom. Using these flies as a dropper tied below your terrestrial can be very effective this time of year.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Sunny and a bit warm today. Avoid the mid day sun when you can as things will slow down when the sun is on the water. Creeks are all still in great shape with clear to slightly stained conditions area wide. Fish are feeding well on terrestrials with small bead heads fished below them. When choosing a dropper, go for the smaller and thiner profiled patterns. In the evenings mousing has been quite fun lately1 We're predicted to get some rain tomorrow and another cool few days of weather with high temps only into the mid 70s! Flies to try: Spring Creek Hopper Hippie Stomper Tungsten Zebra
The great August weather continues! Today is supposed to be sunny and warmer with a high of 78. Tomorrow will be similar. Later in the week we have a chance at some showers and temperatures cool back down to the mid 70s!!! Hatches are sparse and fish are feeding much better on ants, beetles, and attractor dry flies on the surface. They are eating brush hogs, pink squirrels, and midge larvae sub surface. Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. The conditions are the best they have been in August for a long time! Hot Flies: Training Wheel Brush Hog Magic Beetle
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the morning. It has been an absolutely incredible early August so far with mild temperatures and good water conditions. Fishing is still best early and late when the sun is off the water, however a hopper with a bead head tied below will catch fish in shady areas and near undercut banks throughout the day. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. Hatches are sparse, but you can still find some trico spinners in the mornings on a few creeks. You are much better off using an attractor dry fly right now. Subsurface fishing is best on midge larvae and other tiny mayfly imitations. Think small and thin profile!
Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Gorgeous weekend ahead! Although we are in the dog days of summer, the creeks are in great shape. Flows are good and water temperatures are unseasonably cool. The rain yesterday was brief and did not muddy anything up significantly. We are still seeing clear to mildly stained water area wide. Fishing is still best when the sun is off the water, however with the wind today (it calms down for tomorrow) throwing terrestrials mid day will be a good idea as lots of food will be blown into the creeks. There are still a few tricos in the mornings, although the spinner fall has been spotty as of late it is still a good idea to have a couple patterns in your fly box just in case. The best fishing has been on indicator dries with bead head nymphs dropped below. The dry dropper rig has been hot with fish coming up to the bigger dry throughout the day. In the evenings, mousing has been quite fun! We're getting some aggressive fish and a few nice ones on mice from dusk until we can't keep our eyes open any more. The weekend forecast is a continuation of the cool weather with a slight chance of showers. Cool, cloudy and drizzly.
Update 3:00 Rain fell, but did little to muddy up the waters. Creeks remain clear to mildly stained. Update 11:40. Brief heavy rain hitting the area. Quick and heavy storm. We will keep you posted on what happens to the creeks.. UPDATE 11:00 a.m. Looks like the bigger storm is missing us. That is great news as we have only had drizzle so far in Viroqua! Looking good for the weekend. Photo is 11:00 radar photo, the split in the middle is Vernon county. Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. High near 71. East wind 6 to 9 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Not a terrible rain forecast, as usual we will keep you updated if anything weird happens rain wise. Overall the forecast for the next few days is crazy good for August. Highs will not top the low 70s and clouds/drizzle most of the days into the weekend. Look for fish to feed heavily subsurface under the cloud cover on scuds and leeches. Hatches are sparse and consist of a mediocre trico spinner fall as well as midges and the occasional larger mayfly. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and temperatures are great for mid summer with only a couple creeks hitting the mid 60 mark mid day.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Northeast wind 3 to 5 mph. The gorgeous summer weather this week continues. Fishing is still best early and late while avoiding the mid day sun. The trico spinner fall has been sparse, however activity all day long on smaller terrestrials has been great! Fishing dry dropper all morning and evening has been productive. Creeks are clear to mildly stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. While we are still cooler than normal, please use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will mean poor fishing and a chance to be lethal to trout. Hot fly this week has been the mini training wheel (size 14 and 16)
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 4pm and 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. While on the calendar the dog days of summer are on us, the rainy July coupled with a week of temperatures reaching only 80 degrees (only predicted to hit 70 as a high later this week!!!) and some clouds later on this week will continue the excellent trout summer we have had so far! Creeks are clear to mildly stained and flowing at good temperatures across the board. The mid day sun is still the limiting factor. Trout just are not happy when the sun is directly overhead. You are far better off fishing early (chasing the trico spinner fall) and late (midges and mice!) and avoiding the mid day sun. Tricos on the surface in the morning, terrestrials mid day, then midges and mice in the evenings. Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller, thin bodied flies sub surface and on leeches, scuds and even San Juan Worms subsurface.
Sunny, with a high near 78. Northeast wind 6 to 9 mph. We have a nice summer weekend ahead of us! Creeks are in good shape with clear to medium stained water area wide. The rains in the past week have pushed down bankside vegetation, and scoured out the creek bottoms as well as kept water temperatures lower than average for this time of year. The thing that will influence the fishery negatively this weekend is the sun. Fish early, fish late, and find shade. Trico spinners are showing up on some creeks in the mornings. Fishing hopper/dropper throughout the day has been very successful, then having some midges and mayfly dries for the evening rise is a good idea. Subsurface fishing has been the most successful lately however. In the stained water, fishing a leech, larger scud, pink squirrel or San Juan Worm under an indicator has worked very well. On the clear creeks a frenchie, brush hog, or pink belly pheasant tail will do the trick.
Sunny, with a high near 79. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph. A gorgeous string of days heading into the weekend! Creeks are clear to mildly stained with good water temperatures for July and some happy fish! Surface fishing has been mediocre lately with a few fish rising to the handful of tricos spinners available in the mornings. They are far more willing to eat a small grasshopper or indicator fly right now. In the evenings simple parachute patterns in smaller sizes (18-22) are also working. Subsurface fishing has been the way to go lately with fish eating San Juan Worms, Leeches, Pink Squirrels, Scuds..... etc. The sun will be your limiting factor right now, so fish early and late and find the shade. Hot Flies: Royal Stacker Midge: Brush Hog Magic Beetle
Cloudy, with a high near 79. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Rain showers moved throughout the area yesterday bringing some mild to heavy rains. It was not enough to do any permanent damage to the fishing and the creeks remain flowing unseasonably cool and clear to mildly stained. Fishing has been quite nice lately, especially with the stain on the water making fishing a bit easier as the fish are feeding better thanks to the safety the stain gives them. Hatches are mild right now, with a few creeks getting a trico spinner fall in the mornings, and a handful of midges and mayflies hatching. The real surface activity is on terrestrials and attractor flies. Subsurface fishing has been really fun on the off color water with leeches and san juan worms being very effective right now. It isn't pretty, but the fish are responding well. On the clearer water fishing a smaller, thin bodied bead head underneath a hippie stomper has been deadly. Bankside vegetation was pushed over and wiped out last week with the heavier rains, and fishing is pretty pleasant now compared to a normal July!
Cloudy early, then gradual clearing, with a high near 75. East wind 5 to 7 mph. Incredible weather for July! Creeks are clear to a few being still muddy enough to be virtually unfishable. Most creeks are slightly to mildly stained and running a touch high after heavy rains late last week. This stain gives anglers an edge as you can get closer to fish, and they will eat all day long! On the stained waters; leeches, San Juan worms, and larger scuds/pink squirrels are doing well. On the clear creeks, frenchies and pheasant tails are fishing well subsurface especially underneath a hippie stomper or training wheel. Hot Flies: Hippie Stomper Leeches Pink Belly PT
Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming northeast around 6 mph in the morning. The big storm missed us last night! We're in best case scenario as of this morning with a couple of creeks clear already and many more dropping and clearing. It isn't perfect area wide, and you will run into unfishable creeks, but it isn't a total waste of time to be out this weekend. Look to be fishing San Juan worms, scuds, streamers and leeches in the stained to murky water. In the clearer creeks, a hippie stomper or training wheel with a pink squirrel below will clean up.
Wow! We may have dodged the bullet. The major evening storm passed well south of us. The weekend isn't a complete write off any more. We will be up early and scout some waters and update the report as soon as we can.
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 3pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 85. Light east wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Things are still pretty muddy here in the Driftless. We did have a couple of headwater creeks that were stained last night and even saw some rising fish! But before you get too excited about the weekend, we are predicted to get some heavy rain again this afternoon and evening. Best case scenario is we have just a handful of fishable water by Sunday. If your travel plans allow it, Monday and Tuesday are looking to be fantastic with stained water and cold temperatures. It isn't worth the drive as tonight and tomorrow will be ugly if we get the rains. After Saturday, stock up on San Juan worms, leeches and scuds as the fish will put the feed bag on in the stained and cloudy water! The silver lining in all the heavy rains is that the creeks are flushed, water temperatures colder than normal for this time of season, and the bankside vegetation is knocked down or uprooted completely in some areas!
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming northwest in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Another heavy rainstorm hit last night dumping anywhere between 2-6 inches. Things are muddy to very muddy. We will keep you posted as conditions change. Looking at the silver lining, this unusually rainy July keeps filling up the springs which means as things clear up water temperatures will be lower than normal!
Sunny, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming northeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Major storms passed us by in Vernon County last night. We received half an inch to an inch of rain total with no major gully washers. Creeks remain clear to stained. Fishing has been good in the mornings on midges and tricos. The trico spinner fall has not been predictable with the humid mornings, but on the creeks that they show up fishing has been fun! Mid day fishing has been best on terrestrials with a small nymph dropper. On the creeks with a stain, San Juan worms, scuds, and pink squirrels have been deadly. These creeks are fishing a bit better thanks to the stain hiding the sun from the fish. With the recent hot days, it is a good idea to check water temperatures. 65 degrees means poor fishing, and anything much above that can be lethal to land trout in.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Heat index values as high as 95. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. We're in the summer pattern now. Tricos early in the morning on some creeks, on others fish will be rising to midges. Mid day, either take a break (or a nap!) if it is sunny, or fish hopper/dropper against the overhanging vegetation and undercut banks. The sun and water temperature are going to be your limiting factor right now. In the evening, fish are rising to a handful of lighter colored mayflies and they will continue to eat terrestrials on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller and thinner bodied patterns. Creeks are clear to slightly stained in our area with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. The recent rains have kept water temperatures cool, but make sure to use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and much higher than that can be lethal to trout.
Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 5 to 11 mph. Still very mild weather for July this morning. Creeks are clear to mildly stained after the heavy rains earlier in the week. Fishing has been solid subsurface on scuds, pink squirrels and leeches on the stained water, while a hippie stomper or foam hopper are getting the job done on the surface on the clear water (especially when you tie a small bead head as a dropper below!) Hatches are sparse and most of the surface activity is on terrestrials and attractor flies. However we are still seeing some mayflies and midges hatch especially when the sun is off the water early morning and late in the day. We are in the summer season, so it is not a bad idea to use your stream thermometer often. Water temperatures over 65 degrees mean poor fishing, and much higher than that can be lethal to a hooked trout.
Partly sunny, with a high near 73. North wind around 7 mph. With a break form the rain, creeks have finally had a full day to drop and start clearing. Expect slightly stained to medium stained water area wide with a handful of creeks running clear. Fishing is still best early and late when the sun is off the water. You may find some fish rising early and late to midges and some lighter colored mayflies, but the majority of the surface action will be on small terrestrials. Subsurface fishing is really good on san juan worms and leeches in the stained water, and on frenchies and pheasant tails in the clear water. Temperatures are supposed to get warm again this weekend, so make sure you are utilizing your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and potentially lethal to fight trout in. The good news is that all the rain will keep the springs pushing a good amount to cold water into the system for a while, and water temperatures should be cooler than normal for this time of year!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph. We did receive more rain last night, about an inch or so overall, but it fell heavily. There will be limited fishable water this morning, with more coming into play later on in the day. Fishing leeches, larger scuds, and san juan worms will be effective in the stained and murky waters. Attractor terrestrials with small, thin bodied bead heads trailed below will be effective on the clear to slightly stained creeks. We are not forecasted to receive more rain through the weekend, and in the long term these summer showers will keep the springs flowing well and keep water temperatures lower but for the next day and a half we will not have lots of options of fishable creeks.
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Heat index values as high as 96. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Muddy water today as we had a storm front drop 2-4 inches throughout Vernon county. It was 1-3 inches over in Richland county as well. As long as we do not get much more rain today, things are supposed to cool down over the next couple of days which will mean more comfortable summertime fishing!
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Summer fishing has hit. Early fishing has been good on midges and a few mayflies (tricos are starting to show up, but not in big numbers yet), mid day terrestrials, and then a few fish eating adams in the evenings. Subsurface fishing is best on small, thin bodied flies such as midge larvae and pheasant tails. If the clouds are overhead, smaller scuds and pink squirrels are effective too. Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. A few of the larger creeks are warming up mid day, so make sure to use your thermometer. Anything over 65 degrees will be pretty slow fishing!
Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65 tonight. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. We're still getting out early and hopefully seeing some PMD's, resting mid-day, then going back for the evening bite. Terrestrials, and scuds are working. Try a streamer or a mouse for evening fishing. Water is clearing and levels are pretty good, but streams are starting to warm up, so put a thermometer in the water before fishing.
A few storms the last couple of days, most went north of Viroqua. Some streams are clear and the larger streams have slight to heavy stain depending on location (last night's storms). No real hatches coming off, terrestrials are starting to fish well. Try a Hippie Stomper or Training Wheels with a Pink Bellied PT, or small Brush Hog dropper. A few Crane Flies are hanging around. Water is warming up some, so please make sure and drop a thermometer in the stream before fishing.
Partly sunny, with a high near 74. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Happy July! Creeks have had ample chance to drop and clear with only a handful still showing a heavy stain. Clear to mildly stained and flowing with good water temperatures for July, this weekend could be quite a bit of fun in the trout world! Midges and a mix of mayflies are hatching in the morning and evening, while surface action mid day is on terrestrials especially ants and beetles. Subsurface fishing is back on track with success being had on pink belly pheasant tail nymphs, ice cream cones, and brush hogs. Leeches and streamers are getting some nice fish, especially in stained water and at night, and mousing has started up again now that things have dried out.
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 9am. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. No major rain last night means creeks are clear to mildly stained today! Creeks are looking good water temperature wise thanks to the rains recharging the springs. We're still seeing mid 50s to low 60s area wide. Fishing on the stained water is best with san juan worms, scuds, and leeches. The clear water has been fishing well with an attractor dry fly, such as a hippie stomper, with a thinner bodied nymphs dropper like a pheasant tail or ice cream cone. Fish are also still gorging on pink squirrels and scuds when clouds are in the sky. Mid day fishing has been solid on sunken ants and beetles. Get them just below the surface film for the best fishing.
EDIT: From reports rolling in, anywhere outside of Vernon county got pounded with rain. Some creeks were out of the banks and into the fields as of this morning. We received approximately 1-2 inches total last night which is enough to muddy things up, but they should be fishable fairly quickly today in Vernon county. A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. West wind 6 to 9 mph. The good news is that the major thunderstorms missed us. The rain that fell in the Viroqua area was a good soaking rain, heavy at times, but not terrible. We have stained to murky waters today with the exception of the larger waters (West Fork, North Fork) that are running very muddy. There was no gully washer yesterday as the bad storm split around us. On the murky water, fish san juan worms and leeches and larger scuds. As water clears up, and on the creeks that are already clear to stained, fish scuds and pink squirrels when there is some cloud cover in the sky, and pheasant tails and midge larvae when it is not. Surface wise, hippie stomper season is on us. An attractor foam fly with a dropper is excellent all day long. Fish are rising really early in the morning and late in the day when the sun is off the water to a mix of mayflies and midges. Mid day terrestrial fishing has been solid. There is now only a less than 50% chance of scattered storms tonight and into tomorrow, while the creeks are not crystal clear, we dodged a rainy bullet yesterday for the most part. Bring your stained water tactics this weekend, this morning may be tough to find clear, fishable water but by this afternoon and evening (barring another rain storm) we will catching fish! Hot flies: Hippie Stomper Coulee Scud Dirty Bird Hale Bopp Leech Film Critic
Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2pm. High near 72. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Stormy day today. Don't fish when there is lightning. It will be a good day to tie flies and catch up on chores etc. If you do decide to head out and fish, look for fish to eat leeches and streamers before the rains and some scuds being active while the clouds are overhead. It is forecasted to storm all day today, but the rest of the week will be better.
Sunny, with a high near 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing just a bit low with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s area wide. Mayflies and midges hatching in the mornings, ants, beetles and even some small hoppers catching fish on the surface mid day. In the evening, lighter colored mayflies and caddis are around as well as some craneflies. Subsurface fishing is best on thinner bodied nymphs in the clear water, and scuds and hare's ears in the stained creeks.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Cold snap continues and it is a great thing for the creeks. The cold nights and mild days have put water temperatures below normal for this time of year. We have seen re-emergence of mayflies and midges whenever the sun is off the water, and we are still getting terrestrial action on the surface. The sun is still the limiting factor, when it is shining on the water fishing is much slower. Fish are eating random mayflies and midges on the surface in the morning. We call it the parachute adams hatch as a simple parachute fly or a film critic will do the job well. Subsurface is still best on gray coulee scuds and brush hogs along with pink belly pheasant tails.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Breezy, with a west wind 8 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Weather mix today. The forecast does not predict a lot of rain which is good after the heavy rains from a couple of days ago. Things have dropped and cleared quickly. There are still quite a few creeks that have not cleared, but many of the tributaries and smaller creeks are clear to slightly stained. The stain on the water really will give the anglers and edge over the next couple of days. Look for fish to be feeding subsurface on scuds, pink squirrels, and leeches. As things start to clear, look for midge larvae and pheasant tails to start to be effective again. On the surface, attractor patterns will be effective on the clearer waters and we should get back to our mayfly and midge hatches early and late. On the clear creeks mid day, look for ants and beetles to be effective.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Breezy, with a light northwest wind becoming west 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. It's a draining day! We received 1-4 inches of rain (more south of Viroqua). That means muddy water for most of the day. Things will hopefully drop and clear quickly which means expect stained to muddy water tomorrow. We will keep you updated. Leeches, San Juan Worms and larger scuds and pink squirrels will work in the muddy water. We will have eyes out on the creeks all morning this morning and keep you updated on whats going on. It won't be a wasted Saturday/Sunday, but fishing will probably not be pretty and if we get any more rain (slight chance 20-30% all weekend) things will blow out again pretty quickly.
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 8 to 14 mph. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. As of this morning creeks are clear to stained and fishing quite well. Temps are in the mid 50s to low 60s. We're predicted to get some summer rains today! It could be upward of an inch overall after today and tomorrow. Things will come up and get muddy, but the mud shouldn't last too long (we will keep you updated for sure). Cooler weather, cold rains, and the weekend COULD be lining up for some fun fishing. It all depends on how much rain we get today and tonight. Keep tuned for updates.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. It feels like things are back to normal for June! After the heat wave a couple of weeks ago, flows and temperatures have gotten back to normal for late spring and early summer. Fish are feeding on the surface in the mornings and evenings to midges and a mix of mayflies, craneflies, and a few caddis. Mid day they are eating ants and beetles and indicator dry flies especially those fished close to banks or underneath overhanging cover. Subsurface fishing is really good on thin bodied bead head nymphs such as pheasant tails, frenchies, and ice cream cones. On the stained water and when the clouds are overhead, scuds are a great choice. Mousing has been fun lately with some aggressive hits and some nice fish being pulled out at dusk and after dark.
Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before noon. High near 72. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. The rains have been a blessing! While some things are mildly stained, the rains have not been heavy enough to make things super muddy. We still have clear to stained water area wide, with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. There have been fish eating midges in the mornings and evenings as well as the occasional mayfly hatch (still seeing sulphurs and cahills). Craneflies and caddis are fishing well on the surface too. Subsurface fishing will be solid on scuds and larger nymphs when it is cloudy, then slimmer and smaller bead heads when the sun is out and on the clear creeks.
Scattered showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50% We're in the weather pattern where it might rain, and it might not! Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures having dropped a bit. They are in the mid 50s to mid 60s area wide. With the cooler temperatures and when the clouds come in, the fishing has been really solid. Early we are getting rising fish to eat parachute adams and midges. Mid day surface fishing has been hot on ants, beetles, and hippie stompers. Late in the evening we are getting fish on lighter colored mayflies and caddis too. Subsurface fishing is all across the board. The cloudier the water and the cloudier the sky, use a thicker bodied pattern such as a scud or hare's ear. The clearer the water and clearer the sky, use a thinner bodied pattern like an ice cream cone or pheasant tail.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning. An inch to inch of a half of rain fell quickly and heavily last night. Expect murky and muddy water this morning that will hopefully clear up to at least a fishable level by this evening. Leeches, scuds, and San Juan worms will be effective in the murky water. If you have a couple feet of visibility you can catch fish. And, there will be some surprise fishable and possibly clear water in the area. Just don't head out expecting it this morning.
A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Things are getting back on track! The recent rains have not hit our area hard so creeks are mostly clear to stained area wide. The cooler temperatures are a great break from the heat wave of a few days ago! Cloud cover will help quite a bit too. There is a chance of storms this weekend, but as of now they are predicting less than 50% chance and little to no accumulation. Keep your fingers crossed! The hatches have returned and we saw rising fish yesterday in the morning, then again in the late afternoon into the evening. There are craneflies, a few lighter colored mayflies, midges, and egg laying caddis around. The most surface action has been on small terrestrials lately. Even when hatches are coming off, fish can not resist an ant pattern! Subsurface fishing has been solid on brush hogs, frenchies, ice cream cones, and atomic mayflies.
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 86. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Hot and humid today, but the temperatures are dropping over the next few days. We had another heavy and brief rain yesterday that dumped an inch of rain area wide. This gave us a mix of muddy to crystal clear water throughout the area. Creeks with a steeper valley and those with a larger, more open meadow will clear the quickest. We do not expect the creeks to stay murky for very long. Hatches are sparse and found in the mornings and evenings. Surface fishing has been good on terrestrials and craneflies even throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been good on leeches, brush hogs, and pink squirrels.
UPDATE 1:30- A brief but heavy rain just hit the area. Dumped about another inch area wide. Look for things to temporarily blow out but should drop and clear quickly as long as there were no bank collapses. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming south 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Things are still warm here, but stabilizing to normal temperatures over the next couple of days will really help things after the heat wave. Luckily, the fishing is still pretty good! Fishing early and late is the key and avoiding the mid day sun and water temperature peaks. We're seeing fish still rising to craneflies and generic mayflies in the morning and evening (parachute adams hatch!!) and we are getting more and more fish on terrestrials such as hippie stompers and training wheels. Subsurface has been solid on brush hogs, frenchies, and ice cream cones.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph. We're still slogging through some unseasonably hot weather. Water temperatures are getting a bit high in the afternoon so make sure you use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and the couple creeks hitting 70 thanks to this heat wave, can be lethal to hook trout in. The good news is that we received an inch or two of rain last night. It has been dry enough that it will not put a major stain on the creeks as the ground is dry enough to soak most of it up. The bad news is we are still forecasted for hot weather until Friday. Fish early and fish late. Rising fish have been pushed to time of day when the sun is off the water. Otherwise most of the action is subsurface on midge larvae, pheasant tails, and brush hogs.
Sunny, with a high near 89. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 34 mph. The forecast isn't pretty today. It will be hot, sunny, and windy. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. In this type of weather, the key is fishing when the sun is off the water. It is far more comfortable for anglers, and the fish are much happier in the shade. You can also seek out cooler tributary creeks and fish small terrestrials underneath overhanging vegetation for some success. Stay cool and hydrated out there this weekend!
Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph. Gorgeous day to be out fishing. We're still seeing sulphurs hatching and fish rising to them in the morning and evening. We're also having some success on craneflies and smaller terrestrials. The subsurface action has been very good on pink squirrels, pheasant tails, small dirty birds and ice cream cones. Creeks are clear and a bit low with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. Make sure you are fishing early and late and avoiding the mid day sun and heat. We are looking at very hot temperatures this weekend (highs in the 90s Saturday and Sunday) so make sure you take extra water and don't fish mid day this weekend. We should not see too many creeks get too warm, but if you are on a larger body of water it is not a bad idea to have a thermometer to check water temps this weekend.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Some much needed cloud cover today and into tomorrow! Look for the sulphur hatch to continue mid day, and then the spinner fall in the evening. Add into the dry fly mix craneflies and smaller terrestrials! Subsurface fishing is heading towards the small to tiny bead head nymphs, but scuds and brush hogs are still really effective too. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s.
Sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 3 to 5 mph Another sunny and pleasant day in the Driftless. Fishing has been good from first light until it gets hot mid day. It picks up again in the later evening as the sun starts to go behind the ridges and things cool down a bit. Creeks are low and clear to stained with water temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s area wide. We are still seeing rising fish to sulphurs in the mid morning, then if you are at the right place at the right time, sulphur spinners at last light. Subsurface fishing (especially below an indicator dry such as a hippie stomper or training wheel) has been great with a mix of patterns from ice cream cones to dirty birds being effective. Keep changing flies and the fish will let you know what they want!
Sunny, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Absolutely gorgeous weather to be outside! The creeks are low and clear and running with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. Fishing is best early and late when the sun is off the water. Perfect conditions for a mid day nap! Sulphurs are slowing down, but fish are still rising to lighter colored mayflies in the later morning and again in the evening. Craneflies are fishing well, as are smaller terrestrials, especially when fished in shady areas and under overhanging vegetation. Subsurface fishing is best on small scuds, pheasant tails, ice cream cones and brush hogs.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Northeast wind 7 to 10 mph. The heat wave is over! We're back to normal temperatures and fishing should get back on track. We're still focusing our efforts early in the morning and late in the day and avoiding the mid day sun. Sulphurs and craneflies are the main courses, with hatches in the mornings and an occasional spinner fall of sulphurs in the evening. Terrestrials are taking on a large role on the surface, especially in the shade and around overhanging vegetation. Subsurface fishing is good on scuds and medium bodied patterns, but that too is starting to trend towards smaller and thinner bodied bead heads, especially when the sun is in the sky. Creeks are clear and a bit low with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s.
Isolated showers before 9am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 5 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%. Still sunny, but the fishing remains good! Sulphurs and craneflies are the main course on the menu and we have seen rising fish throughout the day. Your best dry fly action is from daybreak until about noon, then again in the evening when the sun comes off the water. Mid day we have been fishing dry/dropper with beetles and hippie stompers as our indicator fly. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the 50s to low 60s.
Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning. The Driftless is fishing well The sun is the limiting factor on the clear creeks (creeks are low and clear with temps in the mid 50s to low 60s) so fish early and fish late and avoid the high sunny part of the day. The good news is that the sulphurs are hatching late morning and lasting until it gets too warm, then you can see them again sometimes in the evenings. Mid day terrestrial fishing has been fun. Fish are even starting to eat hippie stompers and training wheels! In the evenings, fish are rising again to a mix of mayflies, craneflies, and caddis. Subsurface fishing has been best on pink belly PTs, brush hogs, and scuds fished deep. There is a slight change of some rain this weekend, but they are not predicting anything heavy at this time. Some cloud cover and rain would really get things going and make fishing easier!
Sunny, with a high near 76. West wind around 5 mph. Fishing has been good, but really only when the sun is off the water. Make sure you fish early and late, and seek out shade or fish deeper pools and undercut banks. Sulphurs and craneflies are the major hatches and we have been seeing yellow sallies around too. Surface bugs should be orange to yellow to match the hatches. Subsurface fishing has been best deep. Tungsten beads are your friends right now. We're fishing everything from pheasant tails, to brush hogs and even jiggy prince nymphs. As long as they are bouncing bottom you will hook fish. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained and running in the 50s temperature wise.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. West wind 8 to 13 mph. Fishing has been good in the Driftless! We're still flowing clear to slightly stained and have not received much rain the past few days. The sun is the limiting factor right now, so fish early and fish late. Fish have been rising in the evening to sulphurs and craneflies as well as simple attractors such as smaller hippie stompers. Subsurface fishing is best in the high sun, fish deep and slow in the heads of pools and the deeper water as well as near lunker structures. It is not a bad idea to fish some terrestrials especially near overhanging trees and grass.
Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Breezy, with a west wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Fishing has been solid this holiday weekend with sulphurs hatching as well as craneflies in this sunny weather. Creeks are clear and flowing well with temperatures in the high 40s to high 50s.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 74. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Go away sun! Things are much better when cloudy. We're seeing clear to stained water with temperatures in the mid 40s to high 50s area wide. Hatches are best in the evenings and include a ton of bugs; olives, hendricksons, black and tan caddis, craneflies, sulphurs, and even some yellow sallies! Fishing a dry dropper with a attractor foam pattern has been excellent mid day, and fishing leeches and scuds on the water with a stain is still getting some larger fish to eat right now. The sun is the limiting factor right now, and it looks like a cloudy weekend ahead of us!
Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 70. North wind around 6 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Finally, the creeks have had a chance to drop and clear. Expect clear to slightly stained water area wide today Things are going well with a large variety of bugs hatching and fish feeding on the surface in the later afternoon and evening on sulphurs, caddis, and craneflies. During the day, we are fishing dry dropper with a hippie stomper or training wheel up top and a scud or pink belly PT below. Leeches are still great on the stained water, and on the clear water we are getting fish to eat on scuds, heavy pheasant tails, ice cream cones, and brush hogs.
Scattered showers, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 59. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Things are finally starting to dry up and clear out! We're catching fish and have found some clear water, but the majority of our creeks are stained with a few still muddy. These conditions beg for leeches and wooly buggers, and they have been quite effective lately. We have seen many hatches with the cloud cover including olives, hendricksons, sulphurs, craneflies, and even some yellow sallies, but most creeks have limited surface activity due to the cloudy water. We're not forecasted for much more rain so things should start to get back on track quickly.
Scattered showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 59. North wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. More rain last night has things high and muddy. Anywhere from 3/4 to a full inch fell last night making things muddy again. Things will drop and clear quickly but this morning will be rough. Look for fish to continue to feed on leeches and scuds as things clear out. We did have caddis, sulphurs and craneflies yesterday in the clear water, but that is doubtful today!
Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph becoming southwest in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. The sun is nice to see this morning! Creeks are clear to medium stained and running with water temps in the mid 40s to mid 50s. Fishing is still solid on san juan worms and leeches, but as things are dropping and clearing, look for your regular spring time bugs (brush hog, pheasant tail, two bit etc). Look for the return of some caddis and possibly some lighter colored mayflies hatching this afternoon. Craneflies are still THE bug on the surface. You can't go wrong fishing a cranefly right now.
Showers likely, mainly between 10am and 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 51. East wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. The good news is that area creeks have had a day and night to drop and clear up a bit. The bad news is it look like more rain is coming in on Saturday. Creeks are stained to muddy area wide. There are only a couple that are clear. Today is the day to be out fishing as we are looking at another bout of rain over the weekend. Fishing has been best on leeches, San Juan worms, larger scuds and pink squirrels. On the handful of clear-ish creeks hippie stompers and brush hogs were catching fish. There were even rumors of an olive hatch on some headwater creeks. It's a busy weekend in the Wisconsin Driftless so please make sure you observe stream etiquette and check in with other anglers before fishing behind them, or just drive to the next access point!
EDIT: Had a few anglers reporting in this morning already having caught fish! Mostly subsurface on scuds and brush hogs but there are a few clear creeks out there too! A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 51 by 2pm. West wind 9 to 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. More rain last night has things up and muddy again this morning. There are a few clear creeks, and more will free up this afternoon but things are muddy now. Leeches, San Juan Worms, Scuds are on the menu for murky water. As things clear out, look for terrestrials and craneflies to be effective on the surface, and more gray bead heads effective subsurface.
EDIT 1:00 PM. Looks like the first big storm pushed north of us a ways (La Crosse looks to have been hit). That is great news. Unfortunately there are still storms behind the first. We will keep you updated. Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Things had cleared to a fishable level on small smaller creeks yesterday and we're sitting on the edge today. If the storms miss us we will continue to have good fishing on the dropping and clearing creeks. If the storms hit, expect murky to muddy waters throughout the area. The major rains hit north and west of us, but we still received about 3/4 of an inch of rain yesterday and into last night. The silver lining is that we needed this rain as creeks were pretty low for this time of year. Leeches, san juan worms and large scuds on the murky waters, smaller scuds on the clear creeks.
Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 20 mph becoming south in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Lots of heavy rain last night (2+ inches area wide) mean we have muddy water today. We will keep you updated as we are due for more storms all week.
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Southeast wind 9 to 14 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Some much needed cloud cover and rain coming the next few days. The sun has been brutal on the fishing the past couple of days, and the creeks are a bit low so a bit of rain will get things hopping again. Mornings have been best fishing midges. Both surface and subsurface as we are getting a morning rise. Mid day has been rough, but fishing a deep scud or an ant right next to an undercut bank has gotten fish to eat. Evenings have been best when the sun is off the water as caddis and craneflies come out to play. With the storm clouds rolling in, look for fishing to get better immediately when the sun is hidden. We should see some mayflies hatching along with the craneflies. Subsurface fishing has been best on heavy scuds, brush hogs, ice cream cones, and tungsten pheasant tail nymphs.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind around 10 mph. Downright balmy out there this weekend. Caddis and cranes are hatching, and the terrestrial fishing (ants and beetles specifically) has been ganging steam. Subsurface fishing has been incredible on scuds and tiny pheasant tails the past couple of days. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures starting in the mid 40s and hitting 60 degrees in some cases. The mid day sun has not been friendly. It is a good idea to take a break mid day as fishing has been best mornings and even better in the evenings!
Sunny, with a high near 68. North wind 5 to 9 mph. Despite the high sun, fishing has been pretty dang good the past couple of days! Caddis are re-appearing and the cranefly bite is great. Creeks are low and clear with water temps in the high 40s to high 50s area wide. The mid day sun is becoming a limiting factor making fishing difficult when it is directly overhead. Fishing early and late is highly recommended. Caddis and craneflies on the surface, scuds brush hogs and tungsten bead pheasant tails subsurface. Do not forget about streamers and leeches at dawn and dusk as well as mice in the dark!
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm. High near 65. South wind around 6 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. The clouds have been excellent for the fishing! We've seen olives and craneflies hatching as well as a few larger mayflies throughout the day. Expect the fishing to stay solid as long as the clouds stay in the area. Subsurface fishing has been best on brush hogs, cranefly larvae, and red copper johns. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid 40s to high 50s.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. A good weather change for fishing! After days of brutal sunshine that was slowing the fishing down a bit, we are getting some much needed cloud cover. While caddis and craneflies will still hatch today, it will be in much smaller numbers. However, this is mayfly weather so keep an eye out for olives and possible some larger mayflies hatching throughout the afternoon. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the mid 40s to high 50s.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Southeast wind 8 to 10 mph. It's cold again this morning! No rush to get out early today. The sun will warm things up quickly bringing out the craneflies and caddis again. Just be careful mid day as the sun will slow things down a bit. Fishing will pick up in the later afternoon and into evening. Caddis and craneflies are on the menu on the surface and are hatching throughout the day with locally heavy emergences. We are also doing well fishing ants and beetles! Subsurface fishing is a mix of thicker bodied patterns in tan and grey, as well as midge larvae/pupae. If the larger pattern is not catching fish, switch to something tiny. As long as it is near the bottom, fish will eat it.
Sunny, with a high near 62. North wind 7 to 13 mph. It's opening day and it's already a zoo out there. Please be respectful of other anglers and especially of property owner's rights today! Fishing is best when the sun is off the water.
Sunny, with a high near 67. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Fishing has been good lately! We are still seeing some caddis and craneflies hatching throughout the day. The best fishing seems concentrated in the morning and early afternoon with a tailing off later in the day on most creeks. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the high 40s to high 50s area wide. Surface fishing has been good on caddis dries and emergers as well as on cranefly dries. Swinging an orange soft hackle or coulee cranefly pattern can be deadly this time of year. We have also seen an increase of fish willing to eat terrestrials both big and small! Subsurface fishing has been best on brush hogs, tan scuds, and other thicker bodied patterns especially in tan or gray as they represent caddis and cranefly larvae.
A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Light northeast wind becoming north 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Caddis were strong yesterday! Creeks are clear to slightly stained running in the high 40s to high 50s. Fish are moving into the runs and riffles early in the day with the bright sun and starting to feed on caddis and craneflies both subsurface and surface. Scuds, pink squirrels and leeches are effective subsurface too.
A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Light northeast wind becoming north 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Caddis were strong yesterday! Creeks are clear to slightly stained running in the high 40s to high 50s. Fish are moving into the runs and riffles early in the day with the bright sun and starting to feed on caddis and craneflies both subsurface and surface. Scuds, pink squirrels and leeches are effective subsurface too especially in the mornings and after the hatches slow down a bit.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Weather is finally shaping up for fishing! Bright sun this morning will get the caddis and craneflies moving. Even yesterday the flies were popping off in the afternoon giving us some solid dry fly fishing! With the increase in water temperature and light winds, the next few days should be fun. Subsurface fishing is great on scuds and caddis pupae, pretty much any pattern with a thicker profile that mimics a caddis or cranefly will do right now. Creeks are clear to mildly stained with temperatures in the mid 40s to mid 50s.
A 20 percent chance of showers before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a northwest wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Rains have all but shut off finally and our creeks are running clear to muddy area wide. They are dropping and clearing quickly and we have a limited amount of fishable water that will increase by the end of the day and into tomorrow. It has been very cold overnight, with no need to get out their early as things are not picking up on the creeks until mid morning. Enjoy that extra cup of coffee! With the sunny weather coming, we should see the caddis hatch re appear. As for now dry fly action has been limited but you can still find rising fish eating a handful of mayflies and midges. Subsurface fishing has been best on scuds and leeches as well as San Juan worms in the murky water, while in the clear water we are still fishing scuds, brush hogs, and prince nymphs.
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 48. Southeast wind 8 to 13 mph becoming west 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. We did not get a significant amount of rain. An inch or inch and a half tops. Creeks will be clear to murky this morning and if we do not get any heavy rain, they will clear up fairly quickly. The rains are cold and have dropped the water temperature down quite a bit so don't expect high quality fishing early in the morning. We're still in hatch limbo where the water is too cool and weather too cloudy for caddis, and olives are sputtering out at this point. We're still catching fish on simple parachute patterns when we see them rise, but the wolf packs of rising fish are few and far between lately. Subsurface fishing is a different story. Leeches, scuds, San Juan worms are great on the cloudy water as long as they are fished slow and low. On the clearer creeks scuds, caddis pupae, brush hogs and psycho princes have been really solid, again fished deep and slow.
Cloudy, with a high near 44. West wind 9 to 14 mph. Very odd waking up to snow this morning! Fishing will slow down with the cold front rolling in. There is a frost advisory for this evening. What this means is you get to sleep in a bit as there is no reason to be on the water until it starts to warm up! Caddis have slowed down a bit, they need warmer and sunnier weather. However, the mayflies and craneflies have picked up the slack. While there are not a ton of rising fish, you will see pods rising to olives and craneflies as well as midges in the later morning and through the day. Subsurface fishing has been best with fish eating scuds, pink squirrels, cranefly larvae, and hare's ears patterns well. We are still getting big fish to eat leeches in the deeper pools too. Creeks are clear to murky after last nights rain and a bit low with water temperatures in the mid 40s to mid 50s.
Showers likely, mainly before noon. Patchy fog before 1pm. Otherwise, cloudy, with a temperature rising to near 58 by 11am, then falling to around 53 during the remainder of the day. South wind 7 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. That is a strange weather forecast... Fishing has been good lately and things will cool down a bit and we will get some light rain/drizzle the next few days. It should not be near enough to blow things out unless we get a freak storm rolling through, but we will keep you updated. The change in weather means a slight change in bugs. We will still see caddis mid day, but there is a high probability of seeing some leftover olives and other mayflies hatching too. Oddly enough, we have started to have success on the surface on terrestrials, specifically ants and beetles. Subsurface fishing has been good on caddis larvae, scuds, and leeches. The cloud cover should get fish feeding a bit more heavily throughout the day especially on scuds and pink squirrels. Creeks are clear and a bit low with temperatures in the mid 40s to high 50s area wide.
A chance of showers between 1pm and 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 68. South wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Spring in the Driftless has been great! Creeks are clear and a touch low with water temperatures in the mid 40s to high 50s area wide. Caddis are still the main source of food with the hatch coming off late afternoon and fish feeding on them until the evening. There are a smattering of mayflies around too. Subsurface action has been strong on thicker bodied nymphs and caddis pupae and when the sun is off the water the fish have been bonkers for leeches and buggers. Weather is changing one the next couple of days with clouds and rains coming in. This should help the fishing a bit and make fish more comfortable than they are on the bluebird days, but it will suppress the caddis emergence a bit.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Another gorgeous day in the Driftless! The sun is starting to be both a positive and a negative. It warms the creek bed and gets the insects going early, but by mid day it is starting to slow fishing down. The best times to fish are now 9-11 and 1- dark. We're still seeing caddis mid day, but with the wind the surface activity may be limited. Fish a heavy bead head with a caddis emerged tied behind it and you will do fine. Caddis are the main hatch, both black and tan, and subsurface fishing is best on thicker bodied bead head nymphs, scuds and leeches are still holding strong. Creeks are running clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the high 40s to high 50s.
Sunny, with a high near 64. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Another gorgeous day in the Driftless! Look for caddis to hatch in the afternoon and fish eating subsurface on thicker bodied bugs all day. Nice weekends can get quite crowded so please make sure to follow the rules of Driftless etiquette. If there is a car at an access point, do no hop in on that water (unless you can check in with the angler and see which way they are fishing). Drive to a different access point, there is plenty of water to explore! High holing is frowned upon here.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. North wind 9 to 14 mph. Much better conditions today and into the weekend, The rains did not hit at all yesterday leaving our creeks clear to stained with the exception of only a couple creeks still running murky. Water temperatures are in the mid 40s to mid 50s. With the sun the next few days, look for the caddis hatch to return around mid day! We are seeing both black and tan caddis hatching as well as a smattering of mayflies throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been best on thicker bodied patterns fished deep (brush hogs, beaded caddis pupae etc). Leeches and streamers are phenomenal on the waters that have color to them, and are a great way to entice fish after a hatch.
Patchy drizzle before 9am. Cloudy, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a northeast wind 7 to 16 mph becoming west in the morning. An inch to two fell area wide last night, and it came quickly and heavily in some areas. Expect stained to muddy water this morning. Things will drop and clear pretty quickly as there is no more major rain forecasted. The smaller creeks will typically clear quicker, and the creeks with a large meadow for a flood plain will also start out much clearer than most. In the murky water fish large scuds, pink squirrels, san juan worms and leeches. As things clear out, look for fish to still eat subsurface on scuds, brush hogs, and other thicker bodied nymphs. Hatches will be a bit more sparse except on the clear creeks. With the dreary weather we will see a few mayflies (olives and even possibly some Hendricksons), As the sun starts to pop out again look for caddis.
Cloudy, with a high near 57. North wind 7 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Fishing has been a ton of fun lately. The caddis hatch, while not as heavy due to the cold weather, still has fish looking up mid day. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and running at temperatures in the low 40s to low 50s. Look for black and caddis and tan caddis.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph. After some rains, things are looking good here! We had rising fish yesterday and some crystal clear water. You will find various levels of clarity today from clear to a mild stain depending on which creek you are fishing. Caddis are still the bugs of choice with fish rising to them in the mornings, then sporadically feeding on egg layers in the afternoon and evening. Fishing is best mid day during the hatch, afterwards the fishing slows down a bit and is mostly subsurface. Subsurface fishing has been best on thicker bodied nymphs (caddis larvae imitations) with a caddis emerger tied behind. On the cloudier parts of the day, scuds have been awesome.
Isolated showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 61. Southeast wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Nice looking caddis hatch you have going on there, it would be a shame if it stared to rain and suppress it... We're keeping an eye on the rain as if it falls heavily we will be switching from dries (midges and olives are still about and the caddis showed up briefly but in a BIG way yesterday on some creeks) to subsurface patterns. The predicted rainfall will not be enough to muddy thing up for the most part. Subsurface fishing has been great on scuds, ice cream cones, and bead head pheasant tails. Creeks are clear and flowing just a touch low with water temperatures in the 40s to low 50s.
Cloudy, with a high near 56. East wind around 11 mph. The cooler evenings have fishing sluggish right now. When the sun pokes out and warms the stream bottom the fishing gets good. As things stay cloudy and cool it is fair. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the 40s to low 50s. Olives are hatching along with midges. The caddis are hibernating with the cooler temps. They are not as prolific right now. The hatch will return, but we need a sunny and warm day. Fishing has been best subsurface on scuds, midge larvae, small and thin bodied bead heads, and leeches twitched slowly through the holes.
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 61. South wind 5 to 10 mph. The cooler nights and cold front have slowed down the hatches a bit. There are still midges and olives about mid day, and as temperatures stabilize these hatches will get stronger again. The black caddis we saw were due to a super heating of the water and they will show up again once it gets warmer and sunny. Subsurface action is where it's at right now. Fishing emergers and soft hackles as well as smaller, thin bodied bead heads has been productive. Fish are deep early, then will push into the runs and riffles to feed right around mid day. Creeks are clear and a bit low with water temperatures in the 40s.
Cloudy, with a temperature rising to near 59 by 11am, then falling to around 54 during the remainder of the day. West wind around 10 mph. The super warm weather over the weekend made for some bug soup! We had caddis, craneflies, midges, and olives and fish eating different bugs on different sections of the creeks! The weather is settling down a bit and we may lose the caddis for a few days as it cools off a bit, but the midges and olives will still be around getting fish to look up in the late morning to early evening. Subsurface fishing has been best on midge larvae, scuds, and prince nymphs as well as the ever popular leech pattern! Creeks are clear and a touch low with temperatures in the low 40s to low 50s.
EDIT: We have confirmed reports of hatching black caddis on the Timber Coulee system yesterday. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Excellent bug soup weather! Yesterday we saw midges, olives, spring stones, craneflies and even a couple reports of caddis! (We're not getting too excited about the caddis yet, we MIGHT see some this weekend, but the olives are still the main course for now). Creeks are clear and running a bit low with water temperatures in the high 30s to just at 50.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Breezy, with a north wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. It's still olive hatch time! This has been an excellent dry fly spring so far, and conditions over the next few days should not change that too much! (With as warm as it is going to be on Saturday we may be brushing off some caddis and stoneflies too!) We did not get the rain other places received last night. We're dry here in the Driftless! Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the high 30s to high 40s. Look for fish to eat in the deeper pools in the morning, then as water temperatures start to climb and the midges and olives hatch, they will push up into the runs and riffles to feed. Around 3 or so when the hatches slow down, the fish will drop back to deeper water and happily eat leeches if all else fails.
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 49. Light north wind becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Fishing is good all day long, but mid day is the best thanks to the Olive hatch going on around lunch time and wrapping up around 3. Fish are rising pretty much all day to midges and olives and will even eat small terrestrials and caddis dries skittered across the surface. Subsurface fishing has been really good on scuds and olive nymphs (thin bodied, dark, and heavy) as well as leeches and streamers. The creeks are clear to stained after light rains the past couple of days and have a water temperature in the high 30s to high 40s.
A 50 percent chance of rain before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 56. North wind 9 to 13 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Rained this morning, now the sun is out and shining! We received about 2 inches of rain over the past 24 hours and some creeks are showing some color. Overall we have clear to murky water. It's still midges in the mornings and olives in the afternoon on the clear water and leeches and san juan worms in the murky water. Fishing has been great lately and as things settle a bit, look for the spring time dry fly fishing to pick up again!
Periods of showers, mainly before 2pm, then rain after 2pm. Patchy fog. High near 50. East wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Midges for breakfast, Olives for Lunch, Leeches for dinner. We've had some really fun fishing the past few days rain or shine. Creeks are clear and a touch low, but that has not prevented the midges and olives from hatching starting mid morning and lasting until late afternoon. After that fish are happily eating leeches and streamers. Water temperatures are in the high 30s to high 40s area wide. The rain we are getting today is an excellent light, soaking rain that is not predicted to fall heavily so it should not stain the water up significantly.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Light and variable wind. It doesn't get much better than today for a spring fishing day in the Driftless! Look for olives to hatch around mid day along with midges. We should have a repeat of yesterday where fish were rising all day long! Subsurface fishing is still good on scuds and leeches as well as emergers and small bead head nymphs.
Cloudy, with a high near 49. North wind around 11 mph. The cold front is fading through today and into tomorrow. While fishing was still solid, the couple chillier and drizzly days suppressed the dry fly action a bit. We did not get the heavy rains, our creeks are clear and a bit low and fishing well. Water temps are in the high 30s to high 40s. Midges have been hatching daily, and with warmer days (especially Saturday!) we should see some olives popping mid day. Subsurface fishing has been solid on scuds, midge emergers, midge larvae, and other heavy bead heads fished on the bottoms of pools and runs. Trout will sulk in deep water early, then start to push up into the runs and riffles as water temperatures start to climb a bit.
Periods of showers. High near 39. Breezy, with a northeast wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. EDIT: We did not get any heavy rains. We have only received an inch or an inch and a half tops. Creeks are in great shape and flies are hatching! Drizzle this morning, but it hasn't muddied anything up or affected fishing. Things are still good area wide with clear creeks and water temperatures in the low 40s to high 40s. Dry fly fishing has been a ton of fun the past few days with fish rising to midges, olives, and a few left over winter stones mid day and into the afternoon. Subsurface scud fishing has been fantastic with the cloud cover. Otherwise fishing a midge larvae, leech, or thinner bodied bead head is catching fish below the surface.
Rain likely, mainly after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 45. East wind 5 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Cloudy but fairly warm with some light showers in the afternoon. It should still be great dry fly fishing weather as the sun yesterday really got water temperature back up to springtime levels. Creeks are clear and a touch low with water temperatures in the low to high 40s area wide. Look for midges and a few olives to hatch in the afternoons when water temperature is the highest. Subsurface scuds are becoming very important, and on cloudy days like today there will be more moving around. Other subsurface trout food includes pheasant tails, midge larvae, and leeches.
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 51. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Fishing continues to be solid! Midges and olives hatching mid day, and strong subsurface action on scuds, midge larvae and pupae, as well as leeches and buggers. Fish are sluggish first thing in the morning as the evenings cool down water temperature, but they gradually become more active and push out of their holding lies into the runs and riffles to feed on the hatching midges and olives. It's still early season where the fishing will slow down quite a bit in the evening, but each day we are able to fish later and later as things slowly warm up. Creeks are flowing clear to stained with water temperatures from the high 30s to high 40s area wide.
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 46. North wind 3 to 5 mph. Fishing was decent over the weekend with surprisingly good dry fly fishing considering it was in the middle of a cold front! This week looks more stable weather wise with temperatures in the mid 40s to low 50s. Creeks are running clear to stained due to some rain over the weekend, but everything is dropping and clearing very quickly. Temperatures are in the high 30s to high 40s. Fish are feeding on olives and midges on the surface which are hatching pretty much daily in the afternoons. Subsurface fishing has been best on scuds, pink squirrels, and other heavy bead heads fished in the deeper spots below riffles. Trout tend to go deep early in the morning and later in the day, while mid day they will push up into the riffles and runs to feed on the hatching bugs.
Showers, mainly after 1pm. High near 42. Breezy, with an east wind 16 to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. The drizzle continues! We have, so far, dodged the bullet with rain. While the creeks are stained to muddy, there is quite a bit of fishable water in our area, and some creeks are clearing out very quickly to the point that we even had some dry fly fishing yesterday! The olives and midges are still hatching, and not he clearer water you should see some noses this afternoon. Otherwise fish scuds and other thick bodied patterns like She Hulks. On the dirty water, leeches streamers and San Juan worms are the ticket.
A 20 percent chance of showers after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 53. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the morning. Some brief, heavy rains yesterday has things running with some color today. Fishing larger patterns like leeches, san juan worms, and scuds will work on the cloudy water. We are slated for some more rain tonight and into tomorrow. On the creeks that are clear, smaller bead heads nymphs and scuds along with leeches. Hatches will be a bit sparse today relative to the past few days.
A slight chance of showers between 2pm and 4pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 43. Breezy, with a south wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Blowing in a new weather system today! Look for hatches to be a bit slower with the new front today. Subsurface fishing should still remain solid. We will be keeping an eye on the rain for the weekend. As it is forecasted at this point it should not be enough to mess our creeks up thankfully! Creeks are clear and a bit low with temps in the high 30s to high 40s. We have been seeing olives and midges hatching. Subsurface has been best on scuds, smaller dark bodied nymphs and scuds.
Sunny, with a high near 40. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Things are fishing well in the Driftless! We have been fortunate enough to find rising fish the past few days. Midges, olives, and a few winter stoneflies are on the menu. Creeks are clear and flowing a touch low with water temperatures in the the mid 30s to mid 40s. Subsurface fishing is still solid on leeches, scuds, and small, heavy bead head nymphs.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. North wind 13 to 15 mph. Spring fishing is here! We saw midges and olives yesterday afternoon, and subsurface fishing has been hot too. Look for fish to feed on smaller nymphs subsurface as well as leeches and scuds. On the surface fishing an emerger in size 18-20 or an olive dry fly when the noses are coming up can be excellent! Creeks are clear and a touch low with water temperatures in the high 30s to mid 40s.
Partly sunny, with a high near 55. North wind 6 to 13 mph. Happy spring! We have an incredible week ahead of us with some sunny skies and mild temperatures. Fishing has been a ton of fun mid day lately with fish rising to midges and even a few olives starting to appear. Creeks are clear and a touch low with water temperatures in the high 30s to mid 40s. We're slowly transitioning form the larger subsurface bugs of the colder part of the early season into more match the hatch flies. We're getting more fish on micro mayfly nymphs, ice cream cones, and frenchies rather than the larger leeches and big ugly patterns. While you shouldn't stop fishing the bigger stuff, just be aware that things are just starting to turn.
Partly sunny, with a high near 48. South wind 7 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Best case scenario, the rain is not predicted to fall at all today! That means the sun will warm things up again and we will have rising fish mid day! Fishing has been quite good lately thanks to the sun in the sky. Between 9 and about 2 fishing is best as the water temperature climbs. Make sure to use your thermometer! Although there is not enough snow on the ground to blow things out, it is still enough to put cold water into the system in the later afternoon. Once this starts happening and water temperature drops, fishing shuts down. Creeks are clear and flowing with temperatures in the high 30s to mid 40s. Midges and winter stoneflies are the main hatches/emergences. Look for bulging rises mid day and tie on a smoke jumper or unweighted pheasant tail. Leeches have been lights out good most days this early season. Fish them slowly with a lot of twitches. The best subsurface flies have been pink squirrels, she hulks, copper johns, scuds, and pheasant tails. The entire weekend looks good to be out fishing with temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees and sunny. Water temperatures are at a point that on Sunday we might (temps need to stay over 45 degrees) see some spring stoneflies and olives hatching too.
A 10 percent chance of rain after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 39. South wind 6 to 11 mph These sunny day have been incredible! Mid day yesterday fish were rising all over the place to midges and winter stones. We're slated to get some cloud cover and possible light rain tonight and into tomorrow, but it should not affect the water. Expect clear to slightly stained water with temps in the high 30s to mid 40s area wide. The forecast for the weekend looks great! Fish are keying in on larger subsurface patterns in the deeper holes and runs in the mornings, then as the sun warms things up they are switching to midges mid day both surface and subsurface. As the water temperature cools from melting and the angle of the sun changing, fish start to shut down. Use your thermometer, as soon as temperature starts dropping the fishing starts to shut off.
Sunny, with a high near 31. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph. We were spoiled in February with a few days that were unseasonably warm. If we re-calibrate expectations, today is a fantastic day on paper! It has been sunny all morning and will continue to be so throughout the day. It feels warm in the sun and the creeks are already starting to warm up a bit. Even a slight bump in water temperature will get the fish feeding on a day like today! We may even see some midge hatches mid day and rising fish. Just make sure you are fishing creeks that are more open and get more sunlight throughout the day. Leeches, scuds, she-hulks, pink squirrels, brassies, copper johns, and pheasant tails are the flies of choice subsurface. On top smoke jumper emergers and single bodied midge dries (not clusters) have been great when we are seeing bulging rises.
Sunny, with a high near 26. Wind chill values as low as zero. Northeast wind 7 to 9 mph. One of those odd winter days. Although the air temperature is chilly, the sun is making it feel warm out (there is melting on the front of the fly shop already). Fishing can be unexpectedly great on days like today, it just depends on your comfort level. There is not a lot of snow on the ground, the last storm only dumped a couple of inches which will melt over the next few days and soak into the springs. We're looking at 40 degrees and warmer starting Wednesday and going throughout the weekend.
Partly sunny, with a high near 24. Wind chill values as low as -4. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Just cold today that to a north wind. The water temperature will be stable and fine, but it will be pretty uncomfortable to be out for long with the windchill. Things will warm up again in a couple of days.
Today Sunny, with a high near 22. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph. Apologies as out employee watching the shop is sick. We're closed today (Friday the 10th). Saturday and Sunday are covered. Fishing is good, despite the chilly temperatures. The water has not supercooled and is in the high 30s to low 40s area wide. Creeks are clear and a touch low. Fishing has been best on the early season staples. Leeches, She Hulks, scuds, pink squirrels, and brassiere. We have seen flies hatching mid day on sunny days like this. If you dress for chilly weather, you will catch fish!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. The winds are gone! It will be chilly the next few days, but it will have very little impact on water temperatures. We're still in the early season mode of fishing between 9-3 but without any snowmelt, the water temperature can not take a nose dive each evening. So bundle up and come and fish! Creeks are clear to stained and flowing a touch low. Water temps are in the high 30s to low 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 41. Windy, with a west wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 48 mph. Stinking wind! Creeks dropped and cleared out pretty quickly after the weird heavy rain storms. Creeks are clear to milky with water temps in the mid 30s to mid 40s. When the wind subsides, the next couple of days, it will be chilly but the fishing will remain solid as there is no more snow to impact water temperature.
Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 49. Windy, with a west wind 20 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph. Nice day, if it was not for the wind! Your best bet is to try and find some shelter near bluff faces and in deeper valleys. Creeks are stained to muddy after the brief heavy rain last night. Look for things to drop and clear pretty quickly. Water temps are in the high 30s to mid 40s.
Cloudy, with a high near 59. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph Wind the next few days, take shelter in the valleys and against bluff faces and fish leeches and streamers (flies that do not need to be casted all that accurately to be effective). Creeks are clear and flowing a bit low with water temperatures in the high 30s to mid 40s. Fishing has been good lately with midge hatches and winter stonefly emergences mid day. There will be pods of rising fish around lunchtime, sometimes they are hard to find! Subsurface fishing is best. Leeches have been incredible this early season! Fishing them along with scuds, deep brassies, she hulks, and copper johns will catch fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 17 mph. Sunny and warming up! Fishing has been good and fish will be happy this weekend. Look for midge hatches mid day.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 28. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Nothing super special about today, but with the early sun we have, the water temperatures will start to climb earlier and get the fish moving. We do not have a ton of snow on the ground. The last snow only dumped a couple of inches on the ground and between yesterdays melt and today there is little left. Saturday and Sunday look like fantastic weather! Saturday 43 and Sunday 58 for the highs! Creeks are clear to slightly stained and running in the high 30s to mid 40s water temperature wise. Fishing has been solid lately with the same stuff working well all early season. Midges are still our only hatch (it is not warm enough for olives yet) but we are seeing fish eat them mid day on the sunnier days. Subsurface fishing is best on leeches, scuds, brassies, ice cream cones, and She Hulks. Do not be afraid to fish a steamer slowly through the water as well, as we have seen some larger fish chase streamers the past week.
Snow, mainly before 3pm. High near 32. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Heavy wet snow falling this morning. Fishing has been spotty with the ever changing weather patterns. The good news is that things will start to pick up and steady starting today. Fish have been happily eating scuds and leeches as well as brassies subsurface. The midge hatches have slowed down a bit, but we should see them again starting Friday. It is now March, which means the shop is open 7 days a week! M-Sat 9-5 and Sunday 9-Noon
Cloudy, with a high near 48. East wind around 7 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60% Drizzle and rain on and off today. It might get heavy enough to accelerate the snow melt and put some color into the water. Fortunately there is not a ton of snow remaining and any muddy water should not last long at all. Mediocre weather mid week that will be fishable, but not outstanding comfort wise. Looking forward to the weekend we are looking at 50 degrees! Fishing remains good mid day before snowmelt hits the creeks. Fish are eating leeches, scuds, copper johns and prince nymphs fished right on the bottom. There have been midge hatches mid day, but if the drizzle keeps up, they will be fewer today.
Sunny, with a high near 45. South wind 7 to 9 mph. Gorgeous day in the Driftless! There is not a ton of snow on the ground after the snowy weekend, and the roads are in good shape. The creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s. The weather has started to warm up again early this week, then we get a couple days of colder normal weather before the weekend gets to a very comfortable 50 degrees! Fish are eating scuds and bead heads fished deep as well as leeches and wooly buggers. There are midges hatching mid day on many creeks which are getting fish to rise for a short period of time. Water temperature has become important again due to colder nights. Make sure you use your thermometer and take advantage of the mid day window of good fishing.
Snow, possibly mixed with rain and freezing rain. Some thunder is also possible. Patchy blowing snow before 5pm. High near 30. Blustery, with a north wind 16 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.2 of an inch possible. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible. And we're back to winter! Really bad roads out there today, if you are in the are, be extremely careful. Tomorrow's weather will be very cold as well. Things get back on track and normal Sunday with the high near 36. In other words, avoid the weather today and tomorrow and start fishing again on Sunday.
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Northeast wind 10 to 13 mph. Nothing special about today as a new storm front blows in. Look for fish to be back in the deeper pools and runs and the midge hatch to be suppressed a bit. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the high 30s to mid 40s. Scuds, streamers, leeches, and small bead heads fished deep are catching fish, and we are seeing noses most days around mid day during the midge hatch.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. South wind 6 to 13 mph. Gorgeous day to fish in the Driftless! We're past any melting right now and things are fishing really well. There will still be a handful of creeks that have a stain to them from the rains on Sunday, but overall conditions are great with creeks running in the high 30s to mid 40s temperature wise. We are seeing midges hatching mid day, but the majority of the action is still subsurface on leeches, scuds, midge larvae, and prince nymphs. The weather gets a bit colder later this week but it will not be enough to slow the fishing down!
Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 61. South wind 5 to 10 mph We didn't get a gully washer of rain last night so there is a bit of clear water out there. There is little to no snow left on the banks and things a just a little muddy walking stream side. Fishing has been fantastic for winter due to the unseasonably warm February. Fish are eating leeches and streamers very well throughout the day, while sipping hatching midges mid day. Water temperatures are in the high 30s to low 40s and are much more stable now that snowmelt isn't much of an issue anymore.
High near 59. South wind 13 to 15 mph. Looks like we will get some rain this afternoon and evening too. Snow is mostly gone from the area, and creeks are running clear. Fishing has been fantastic due to the unseasonably warm winter with fish rising to midges and eating leeches and scuds subsurface happily along with small bead head nymphs. The rain will get rid of the last bits of snow and will stain the water a bit through the evening and into tomorrow. We will keep you updated.
Sunny, with a high near 60. South wind 7 to 9 mph. Today and through the weekend look like excellent weather, and the fishing has been great for winter, however beware water temperature. There is not a lot of snow on the banks and things shouldn't get muddy (there might be some localized color in the creeks) but water temperature will be an issue during this unseasonably hot weather. Remember to use your thermometer and check temperature often. When water temperature starts to drop, the fishing slows down and will eventually shut off. Fishing has been best on leeches, pink squirrels, and tiny bead heads fished deep. There have been midge hatches mid day that fish are feeding on too.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Southeast wind 7 to 11 mph. A nice warm, sunny day! Look for fishing to be best before 2 or 3 when snowmelt begins to drop the water temperature, fishing will shut down. Creeks are clear and fishing has been quite good lately. There is not a ton of snow on the banks, and we have dodged the bullet of having muddy water in the system so far. It looks like Friday might be a bigger melting day, but thankfully all weekend the night time temperatures drop enough that it should lock some of the runoff up while we sleep. Leeches and scuds have been the ticket lately, as have pink squirrels and small bead heads rolled along the bottom. Mid day we have seen some pretty solid midge hatches and rising fish too.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph. A brief cool down today will help lock up the little runoff we have going on. There is not a ton of snow on the ground anymore, and creeks have remained very clear throughout the warmer days. Fishing has been quite solid on leeches and scuds subsurface, with mid day midge fishing becoming more consistent on the warmer days! The forecast for the weekend looks incredible. Temps in the high 40s to low 50s with overnight temperatures getting close to freezing (again slowing down any runoff).
Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Breezy, with a west wind 11 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Slow melt, re-freeze going on! This is the best case scenario for snowmelt that we can run into. While snow is entering the creeks it has not been enough to put a stain on the water. Fishing is solid between 9 and about 2 during the day while water temperature is warming and at its warmest. Once the temperature drops, fishing slows down and you would think the fish disappeared. Leeches are incredible right now, with small copper johns, pink squirrels, and frenchies being the top nymphs. For rising fish (they are showing up mid day) a simple single bodied midge or smoke jumper will catch trout. Creeks are clear with temps from mid 30s to low 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 44. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph. Fishing has been very good lately with warmer temperatures kicking the winter fishing into high gear! We have avoided muddy water from runoff, and there is not a lot of snow left on the banks so walking around is fairly easy. We're in for a good week with sunny skies predicted and warm to downright balmy winter weather headed our way. Creeks are clear and flowing a bit high with water temperatures in the high 30 to low 40s. Fishing is best mid day when water temperatures are climbing or holding steady at their peak. Once they start to drop, fishing will slow down or shut off completely. Leeches have been incredible lately and we are also having luck on small bead head nymphs fished in the riffles and pockets. Mid day, the fish are pushing up into the riffles and runs feeding on the surface on midges and some winter stoneflies too.
Cloudy, with a high near 40. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the morning. Warm and calm today! Sound like a perfect winter dry fly day! We're in a good loop of weather right now, pleasant during the day, then re-freezing at night keeping any snowmelt to a minimum. Fish are responding to leeches, scuds, pink squirrels, zebra midges, and dry midges and winter stones. Creeks are clear and fishing well!
Partly sunny, with a high near 40. South wind 9 to 15 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Excellent weekend conditions! The days will be warm, and the nights are below freezing which means that any melting will be locked up again while we sleep. Look for fishing to be best from about 9-3 when water temperatures are rising or peaked. The minute that water temperatures start to drop, the fishing slows down. Creeks are clear and flowing well right now with water temperatures in the mid 30s to low 40s area wide. Fish are happily eating leeches, pink squirrels, and scuds. Keep an eye out for mid day midge hatches and winter stonefly emergences too. This could be a good weekend for some winter dry fly fishing!
The bad news: Today, Sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -12. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph. The good news: Friday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. South wind 10 to 14 mph, Saturday: Cloudy, with a high near 45. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable. Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38 Even with the cold snap, things will not take long to get moving thanks to the sun yesterday and today. The cold snap ends tonight, and temperatures are going to be incredible for the weekend! Look for midges and winter stones mid day, and for leeches, pink squirrels, and smaller bead head nymphs to be effective.
Partly sunny, with a high near 18. Wind chill values as low as zero. Northwest wind 11 to 13 mph. Very cold today and tomorrow! But, things rebound very nicely on Friday. The water temperatures will not tank too much over the next day thanks to the sun! Friday,Saturday, and Sunday look fantastic to where we are extending our shop hours on Saturday from 9-4! We have been seeing midge hatching daily, and winter stoneflies emerging when the water temperatures are over 40 degrees. Otherwise fishing small bead heads low and slow and twitching leeches and streamers through the holes has been very effective.
Cloudy high of 35. Great winter conditions! Tomorrow and Thursday will cool down quite a bit, but Friday and Saturday will touch 40 degrees! This weekend will be fun. We saw dry flies hatching yesterday and should see them again today (and probably this weekend too!). Otherwise leeches,scuds,midge larvae, and other small head heads are catching fish.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 37. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Great winter conditions today (tomorrow will also be good despite the slight chance of rain). It cools down again Wednesday Thursday, but rebounds for the weekend with temps hitting 40. Fishing has been quite solid lately with fish eating scuds, squirrels, leeches and streamers. The key is fishing the good part of the day. Typically between 9 and 3, when the water temperature is climbing and when it is at its peak. Once water temperatures start to drop, the fishing shuts off. Creeks are clear with water temperatures in the mid to high 30s.
Cloudy, with a high near 31. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Warmer weather continuing to blow in today which will set up the net few days to be good winter fishing (sick day anyone??) Fishing has been good when the water temperature climbs a bit. Look for the sunnier days to be the most productive. Fish have been eating thin bodied bead heads rolled along the bottom, as well as pink squirrels and leeches. There have been winter stoneflies and midges hatching on the warmer days too. Water temperature is key. Make sure you use your thermometer and fish a rising temperature. The minute the water temp starts to drop, the fishing shuts down.
Sunny, with a high near 20. Wind chill values as low as -4. West wind 8 to 10 mph. Quite cold again today, but the sun is intense enough that there is melting going on outside the shop window right now. Later tonight the weather turns warmer as a south wind pushes the cold air out. That means far better fishing tomorrow and Sunday as well as next week with temperatures in the high 20s to mid 30s! Fishing has been solid on leeches, scuds, and small nymphs rolled along the bottom. On the warmer days, we have seen quite a few winter stones emerging as well as some midges hatching. There are rising fish, and there will be even more as the weather turns warmer! Streets are mostly plowed and shoulders are clear enough to park on on the larger creeks. Just remember to make sure you can pull off the road completely and safely!
Sunny, with a high near 16. Wind chill values as low as -7. West wind 11 to 14 mph. It's cold! It looks like it will stay pretty cold until Saturday. While the sun will warm the streams a bit, it will be pretty uncomfortable to be out on the creeks until Saturday based on the weather forecast. We will keep you updated. The sun will keep the creeks temperatures stable for the weekend too which means we should see the emergence of the winter stones again this weekend!
Mostly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 17 by 5pm. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph. Bad news: It is getting chilly outside for the next couple of days. Good news: Creeks are at the point that the water temperature will still be fishable mid day. The window will just 'close' a little bit making it very important that you use your thermometer and fish the rising water temperature. Yesterday we had fish rising with winter stones and midges hatching starting at about 10. The fishing shut off completely for us around 1, unless we found a spring coming in. Creeks are flowing clear and well for winter. Water temperatures are in the mid to high 30s with a few hitting 40. We are seeing rising fish mid day to winter stones and midges, but most of the action is subsurface on heavy bead head nymphs, scuds, and leeches.
A slight chance of snow before 11am, then a chance of snow after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Breezy, with a west wind 13 to 22 mph. If it weren't for the wind, today would be fantastic for fishing. These little warm spots in the week can bring about some of the best fishing in the winter time (when the sun isn't shining). Creeks are flowing clear with temperatures in the high 30s into the low 40s. Leeches have been he food of choice, and we're also having success on heavily weighted nymphs fished right on the bottom. As always, when in doubt, tie on a pink squirrel.
Snow, mainly between 11am and 2pm. High near 32. Breezy, with a south wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Despite the wind, fishing has remained good this winter. Keep in mind that these are not springtime good fishing days, but the peak time of day (11-3) has been a lot of fun lately! A pretty normal few days of winter ahead with a dip in temperature Thursday and Friday (Saturday recovers into the mid 20s). Fishing has been best on squirrels, leeches, scuds, and pheasant tails. The dry fly activity has slowed down as water temperatures have stabilized in the mid to high 30s. We need some sunny days to warm the water up a bit before we see consistent midge hatches again.
Cloudy, with a high near 29. Northwest wind 11 to 15 mph. We had quite a bit of wet, heavy snow fall over the past day. There is now about 6 inches of new snow on the ground. The snow has not negatively impacted the fishing! Fish are still happily feeding subsurface on leeches, midges, and scuds as well as starting to pick up on smaller, flashy nymphs fished deep. Although the days are getting cooler than last week (looking at mid 20s to 30s through the weekend), fishing will still be good mid day. Plus, the runoff has slowed to a crawl meaning creeks are all running clear.
It snowed a couple inches last night. Snow day today! Shop will be closed today, but we are still answering the phones. Snow. High near 33. Northeast wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. Fishing will be on hold until the snow gets through the area. Although it was nice to enjoy the warm weather and good winter fishing last week, this is some much needed moisture for the system. Things start to cool down the rest of the week and get back to normal winter fishing. Remember, the rule of thumb is 25 degrees and sunny means fishing weather mid day. Any colder than that, or cloud cover, can make things difficult to miserable out there.
Patchy fog before noon. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 36. Light southeast wind becoming east 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Another great day to be fishing early season in the Driftless! Creeks are clear and fishing well, we have been lucky enough to avoid any major runoff so far. Only a couple of creeks are murky in our area. Fish have been responding well to leeches, scuds, and midge larvae. We have even been fishing dries (yes the first few fish have already been caught on indicator dries even!) during the midge hatch mid day. We are looking at some heavy snow tonight and into tomorrow, so if you are heading down here, or in the area, you may just have to call in sick and fish an extra day or two!
Patchy drizzle before noon. Areas of fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 37. Northwest wind around 6 mph. Many of our creeks remain clear with water temperatures in the mid 30s to low 40s. It has been a surprisingly good winter so far as runoff has been slight. Only a couple of our creeks are murky. Fishing is best when water temperatures are climbing. Once they start to drop, things shut down. We are seeing a few midges and a few rising fish each afternoon. The best fishing has been on leeches, scuds, and pink squirrels.
Cloudy, with a high near 42. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. We're still dodging the run off bullet! Creeks remain mostly clear with only a couple showing a stain. We are experiencing some snow melt, but it has not been enough yet to turn the creeks into a muddy mess. Fishing has been solid mid day on midge larvae, san juan worms, wooly buggers and scuds. We're also seeing midge hatches daily and a few pods of rising fish right around lunchtime.
Areas of drizzle. Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 38. East wind 6 to 8 mph. We didn't get a ton of rain yesterday. It fell as a light drizzle, and while it did start melting some snow, the creeks did not turn into a mess at all. The slow melt will continue today, and we're not too worried about muddying up of the creeks. However, make sure you keep checking your thermometer. Once the water temperature drops the fishing will shut off. Fishing has been solid the past couple of days. Creeks are flowing clear to slightly stained and trout are picking up on scuds, midges, and leeches subsurface. We have seen midges hatching and had some rising fish yesterday and should see more mid day today!
Widespread dense fog, mainly before 8am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 39. South wind around 6 mph. Conditions are right to be out fishing! Yesterday fishing was solid mid day, but did drop off a bit in the evening as we are receiving a slow melt which drops the water temperature a bit. Look for fishing to be prime between 10 and 2:30. Fish are eating small bead heads fished deep and slow as well as leeches dead drifted near the bottom with a twitch. As things warm up some fish are moving out of the holes and into the runs to feed mid day. Creeks are running clear and do not have a ton of snow bankside. While it is still trudging through the snow, it is shin deep or less on average. Be careful in parking and make sure your vehicle is pulled off the side of the road completely.
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Southwest wind 8 to 10 mph. Downright balmy today and into the weekend! Conditions look really solid for mid day fishing. You want to make sure you have your thermometer with you as water temperature is key right now. Fish rising temperatures, and once any snowmelt hits the creeks and drops the water temp, the fishing shuts off. Fish have been eating tiny dark flies fished near the bottom as well as squirrels. They are also responding (and will do so even more as water temperatures climb) to leeches fished dead drift with a twitch. Creeks are clear and flowing well for winter with water temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s.
A chance of freezing rain before 10am, then a chance of rain between 10am and 4pm. Areas of fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 36. Northwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. A word salad of a weather forecast! We're looking at icy conditions for the last day this week, be careful driving and walking stream side. The good news is this has all fallen and frozen, which means the creeks are still running clear! Snow isn't super deep with most areas calf deep at the worst. There is a thin crust on top of the snow, so take your time walking. The next few days of weather look fantastic, especially for January. Look for fish to continue to feed deep in pools and near the springs bringing warmer water into the system. Water temps are in the high 30s to 40.
Sleet likely, possibly mixed with snow before 1pm, then rain, possibly mixed with freezing rain between 1pm and 4pm, then freezing rain, possibly mixed with sleet after 4pm. High near 33. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible. It's icy out there! If you are out fishing be extremely careful driving and on any larger bankside rocks. It is very slippery. The icy stuff goes away mid week and conditions become fantastic for January fishing! Sunny with highs in the high 30s to low 40! Fishing has been solid lately on small frenchies and midge larvae as well as leeches dead drifted with a twitch every now and then in the deeper pools. Water temps have been in the mid to high 30s and even pushing 40 on sunnier days. Creeks are crystal clear and running a bit low.
Sunny, with a high near 23. West wind 3 to 7 mph. Good enough to be out and fishing today. Possibility of dries in the afternoon, even more so tomorrow. Fish small and dark and in the deep pools and near springs.
A chance of flurries between 4pm and 5pm, then a slight chance of snow after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 10. Wind chill values as low as -16. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable. Today is cold again. With the chilly wind, it is not really worth it to be out fishing. However, Saturday and Sunday look like good winter days to be on the water! Sunny skies with temperatures in the mid 20s means we should have the window of opportunity to see active fish in the middle part of the day. On Sunday, there is even a chance to get some dry fly activity on midges if the weather doesn't change. Fishing will be best mid day on smaller, darker, subsurface patterns and leeches fished slowly through the holes.
Still cold and pretty miserable out there. The good news is that it will be nice this weekend and will continue into next week! Fishing has been slow as it has been too cold to get out there recently!
We're on our way back from the fly fishing show in Denver. Weather was terrible and we are stuck (but safe) in northern Iowa. We won't be able to open the shop until Thursday 1-12. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Rain, snow, and sleet, becoming all snow after 1pm. Patchy blowing snow after 2pm. Temperature rising to near 35 by 11am, then falling to around 24 during the remainder of the day. Breezy, with a south wind 8 to 13 mph becoming west 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph. Ugly driving conditions out there today. Be safe! The trout will be around another day. Wednesday looks decent with temperatures bearable and we should be shoveled out by then after the storm today. Temperatures take a bit of a nose dive later this week, then rebound for the weekend! Creeks are clear and flowing a bit low which is normal for winter time. The fish that have been caught have been caught mid day when the water temperatures is the highest. Small, dark bodied nymphs rolled along the bottom are the ticket right now, with leeches getting some grabs too.
A high of 25 today, however it is no longer sunny. We're getting light snow that is supposed to turn to slush later in the day. If you're coming to fish, drive carefully! Fishing has been spotty due to cold temperatures. The shop will be closed until Wednesday.
Sunny, with a high near 9. Wind chill values as low as -19. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph. Happy trout season opener! The creeks are cold, but clear and most are ice free. It's cold enough out that we don't recommend fishing, but salute the braves souls who will go hook a fish just because it is opener. If you do fish, please be careful not only for yourself, but for the fish. Prolonged exposure to this type of cold can freeze their gills! Weather gets considerably nicer Monday and Tuesday.
Nothing much more to tell. It is frigid outside and will not warm up significantly until Monday. Season opens Saturday, but the wind chill will be -19. The shop will be open on Saturday only from 8-Noon.
Very cold and blustery today and tomorrow. Crummy weather to head into season. Shop will be open on Saturday from 8-noon, closed Sunday The better weather looks like early next week. While it will still be cold, it will be within the low end of the magic winter fishing zone. 25 and sunny.
Sunny and cold, with a high near 5. Wind chill values as low as -19. Blustery, with a west wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. It's ugly out. The cold front is here and will stay here until about Monday. Season opener is on Saturday but the high temperature will be 9.
Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 18 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northwest wind 17 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. A little precipitation last night and some crazy wind the next couple of days. A cold front is blowing in. Looking ahead, Saturday will be cold, but sunny meaning there will be a brief window of opportunity in the afternoon for some active fish. However with how cold it is going to be, guides will be freezing and you might be too! Monday's weather is looking much nicer with a high near 28.
Wisconsin's season is closed. It re-opens Saturday January 7th! A chance of snow before noon, then a chance of rain, snow, and sleet between noon and 2pm, then rain after 2pm. High near 34. East wind 8 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow and sleet accumulation expected. A slight melt today will drop water temperatures down a bit (not that they are all that warm, as it is still winter!) but will not cloud up anything significantly. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures right around 40. There have been some sporadic midge hatches on the sunny days and a few fish rising. The next couple of days will see a drop in temperature that will slow things down a bit for opener. Saturday will not be warm, but the sun will help to get the creeks rolling in the afternoon.
The weather looks great, up until the 4th when temperatures dip back down to the single digits! The good news is there is not a ton of snow on the ground, only a couple feet or so. We're not supposed to get any heavy snows in the next week so opener will, at least, be snow free. However it does look chilly. The forecast is for a high of 14, but under sunny skies. Long term forecasts change frequently, we will keep you updated on what we are seeing creekside! Wisconsin Trout Season Re-Opens Jan 7th!
Partly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 24 by 4pm. Windy, with a southwest wind 24 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Not a ton of snow on the ground as of now, and nothing major forecasted to come our way between now and opener (SEASON OPENS JAN 7TH!). Of course that may change, but the long term forecast is a pretty mild. Creeks are still in great shape from last season's high water, and there is snow on the banks which means we will have some water in the system come spring time. We are still a bit low on the snowpack, but things can change in a heartbeat in the winter!
This winter, the colder it gets in Viroqua, the more you save. Each weekend until March we will be giving you a discount based on the low on Saturday. Today's low is going to be -11. That means you save 11% storewide! Shop online or give us a phone call to order!
Looks like winter weather is here! We're starting to see some colder temperatures at night and we're slated to get some snow this weekend on top of the light ground cover we have already. Wisconsin's season is closed, and the fishing in Iowa is slowing down quite a bit with the colder temps. Fishing will be best and the creeks most active in the afternoons once water temperatures have climbed a bit.
Looks like a much better week ahead of us in Iowa. Clouds and a chance of precipitation pretty much every day this week except Tuesday. The fish will be much more cooperative and we may see a bit more dry fly activity too. Wisconsin's season is closed, we are fishing and guiding in Iowa's Driftless. Olives and midges on the surface. Scuds, leeches, pink squirrels and tiny bead heads subsurface. Remember to leave spawning fish alone!
Partly sunny, with a high near 66. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Today and tomorrow are the last couple of days of warmer weather, over the weekend temperatures will drop into the low to mid 40s and we will start needing some warm gear! Fish leeches and scuds today, and look for a smattering of olives in the afternoon. Fish are beginning to spawn so please leave spawning fish alone!
November 14th Fishing Report Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the 50s. Fishing has been tough in Iowa recently simply due to the sun. We are slated for another week of mostly sunny weather, only getting a break later in the week when we may see some clouds roll in. Weather wise, it is absolutely gorgeous to be outside with highs in the mid to high 50s! Fishing has been best on leeches and scuds subsurface as well as tiny bead head patterns fished in the deeper spots and undercut banks. The olive hatch has been mediocre as we need some cloud cover or cooler weather. It is still a good idea to have a few patterns in the fly box just in case though.
Sunny, with a high near 54. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph. Wisconsin's trout season is closed, we are fishing and guiding over in Iowa. Fishing has been decent in Iowa, with the sun shining directly on the fish slowing things down a bit. The week ahead looks like sun and a drop in temperatures into the mid 40 range. As things cool down fish will being to spawn. Please leave spawning fish alone! Fishing has been best on midge larvae and leeches as we are seeing only sporadic olives hatching in the afternoon.
Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 66. West wind around 6 mph. We're having a heat wave today! Unseasonably warm and sunny today, but gets back to high 50s to low 60s the rest of the week. Tuesday there is a chance for some cloud cover and showers, the rest of the week will be sunny. Fishing in the bright sun is not the best over in Iowa (Wisconsin's season is closed and Minnesota's trout fishing is limited) but it beats raking leaves. Leeches have been exceptional lately subsurface as have pink belly pheasant tails and scuds. The dry fly activity is fair with a few olives and midges hatching in the afternoons.
cloudy, with a high near 50. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Wisconsin's trout season is closed. We are fishing and guiding in Iowa. Fun fall fishing, especially on days like today with cloud cover. We are seeing decent hatches of olives in the afternoon and subsurface fishing on midge larvae and pheasant tails as well as leeches has been solid. The creeks are clear to slightly stained and in good shape for mat October.
Wisconsin's Trout Season is closed! The shop is open by appointment, please call 608-637-8779 and we will open up for you! We are also guiding over in Iowa for the fall. Call us to book a trip. Still good fishing in the Driftless. Fall olives are hatching and fish are rising. Some fish have begun setting up to spawn. Please leave spawning fish alone and let them do their thing.
Wisconsin's trout season is officially closed! We will not be in the shop or answering the phone until October the 24th. If you need to get in touch with us or book a trip over in Iowa, please contact us via the website or e-mail us at info@driftlessangler.com We will resume normal hours on the 24th! Thank you all for an excellent season!!!
LAST DAY OF WISCONSIN TROUT SEASON! A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 68. South wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. The weather is fantastic for the last day of season. It should drizzle all day and we may see some heavier rain as the day ends. Look for olives to hatch mid day! Fishing will be great subsurface on scuds and leeches as well as pheasant tail style nymphs in smaller sizes. Enjoy the last day of fishing in Wisconsin!!
Sunny, with a high near 54. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Wisconsin's trout season runs through the 15th of this month. Get out and fish! Fishing yesterday was extremely good thanks to the cloud cover! The sun today will get it back to normal. Look for fish to be holding tight to shade and cover and waiting for a leech or scud to be twitched by. Surface activity will be limited today as the cold weather will have the terrestrial fishing starting much alter in the day (the cold night will have killed quite a few mosquitoes though!). Olives hatched very well yesterday, but the sun will make it a bit less predictable. Creeks are in great shape and the fish are pretty happy overall!
Season runs through October 15th. 4 more days of Wisconsin trout fishing! Cool, cloudy and drizzly this morning. This is the weather we have been waiting for as it takes the sun out of the equation. Look for fish to be feeding on scuds, leeches, and even San Juan worms. Possibility of an olive hatch this afternoon is high. Creeks are running well and clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the low to mid 50s.
Scattered showers, mainly before 8am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 70. South wind 10 to 13 mph. The sun is still the thing making fishing difficult. Look for shady spots and deep pools and you will find more fish. There have been some olives, but the hatch has been spotty with only a few minutes of feeding activity in the afternoon. We're still in the rhythm of fishing dry/dropper with an attractor dry or terrestrial on the surface and dropping a small, flashy bead head or scud below. Leeches and small streamers also continue to be very effective fished very slowly or stripped as fast as you can through likely spots. Creeks are flowing well and clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the 50s. There are only 5 more days of fishing (season runs through Saturday)! Get out the and enjoy!
Increasing clouds, with a high near 68. South wind 8 to 14 mph. Much needed cloud cover is finally coming! The sun has been a major factor in keeping fishing from turning on the past few days. Until we get clouds, find the shade and fish structure. We're catching fish on terrestrials on the surface as well as generic dries. Subsurface is still solid on leeches, scuds, and tiny bead head nymphs with a bit of flash on them. Only 5 more days left in season. Wisconsin season closes after Saturday the 15th. Get out there and enjoy the fall weather, colors, and fishing before it ends.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. West wind 3 to 5 mph. It is gorgeous outside. If the sun were not so bright today it would be excellent fishing. The sun is the limiting factor and anglers who find shade will find more fish. Only one week left in the Wisconsin trout season, get out there and enjoy! Creeks are clear to stained with excellent water temperatures. Trout are chasing streamers and leeches that are fished tight to cover. On the surface fish are eating smaller terrestrials. Subsurface we are fishing scuds, pheasant tails with a bit of flash, and midge larvae.
Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 56. West wind around 14 mph. Incredible cool weather! This should get the olive hatch back on track in the afternoon. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing well with temperatures in the low to high 50s. Fish have been eating terrestrials well on the surface and feeding on a mix of leeches, scuds, and midge larvae subsurface. On the stained water they will also eat San Juan worms! Fish are holding tight to cover and underneath undercut banks. They will come out a small way to chase food, but you need to get your flies right on target for the most part.
9 days left in Wisconsin's trout season! A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Fishing has been quite good lately with the creeks running cool and clear to stained. When it is sunny out, the stained water is fishing much better. Fish have been holding tight to cover and in the shady spots and deeper holes. They are eating terrestrials on the surface and subsurface are feeding well on scuds and smaller bead heads with a bit of flash. They also can not resist a leech or streamer fished either dead drift and twitched, or ripped through the hole at top speed.
Periods of showers, mainly before 9am. High near 71. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Fishing was great yesterday and the cloud cover and drizzle this morning should continue that streak! When the sun peeks out the fishing will slow down. Creeks are clear and flowing well with temperatures barely hitting 60 degrees at the peak of the day. Fish are feeding well on leeches and scuds subsurface as well as tiny bead head nymphs. On the surface terrestrials are key right now as the olives and midges have slowed down a bit. There are only 10 days left in season! Get out and fish!
Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a southeast wind 8 to 16 mph. Fishing has been good area wide with creeks running clear to stained and water temperatures in the mid to high 50s. Increasing clouds throughout the day as a system of light showers rolls into the area. This is the break from the sun we were looking for! Things have fished better when the sun is off the water. Look for fish to eat terrestrials well again today thanks to the wind. There are also a few fish rising to tiny olives through the day. Subsurface fishing has been best on scuds and midge larvae as well as leeches and streamers.
Season runs through October 15th now! Get out and fish! Sunny, with a high near 70. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Creeks are clear to stained and flowing very well. Bankside vegetation is pushed down or just gone after the high waters a week ago. Water temperatures are in the mid to high 50s. Fishing has been great when the sun is off the water. On sunny days, fishing deep and finding the shade is essential. Scuds have really started to fish well with the cooler water and weather. Otherwise, small midge larvae and pheasant tail type nymphs are working subsurface. On top, smaller terrestrials are still the meal of choice. We're seeing spotty olive activity in the afternoon/evening too.
Scattered showers, mainly before 2pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 63. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Great conditions overall Creeks are clear to slightly stained with only the larger creeks showing a medium stain. Water temps are not hitting 60. Fish are feeding well subsurface on the stained waters on leeches, scuds, pink squirrels and San Juan worms. On the clear creeks they are eating hoppers, ants and beetles as well as blue winged olives in the later afternoon and evening. Subsurface, don't neglect midge larvae, especially flashy ties.
UPDATE: There is a lot of misinformation being spread out there. We do not have bridges out, our roads are not washed away and we have clear water! (There is a bridge out in Readstown that has been under construction well before the floods and has a marked detour). WISCONSIN"S SEASON RUNS THROUGH OCTOBER 15TH. TODAY IS NOT THE LAST DAY OF SEASON! A 20 percent chance of showers after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 62. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. The high water has come and gone leaving the creeks flushed out and bankside vegetation pushed down making walking and wading simple! Creeks are clear to stained with only a couple running with a heavy stain. The stained water has been fishing very well as trout are quite spooky in the clear stuff. Water temperatures are peaking in the high 50s. Fish have been feeding very well throughout the day on a hopper/dropper combo as well as on leeches and streamers. The scud bit has really picked up steam and is especially strong on days with cloud cover. We are also seeing fish rising to blue winged olives. The weather this weekend looks fantastic, with cloud cover and a few showers intermittently. The sun has been the limiting factor for fishing lately but the weather this weekend should make fish very happy as well as bring the olive hatch a bit earlier in the day.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. North wind 7 to 10 mph. Creeks are in excellent condition from crystal clear to slightly stained area wide. The limiting factor today will be the sun. With the scoured creek bottom, the sun reflects off the bottom making fish very uncomfortable as well as exposing them to overhead predators. In other words, find shade and fish when the sun is off the water! Trout seem to be holding around any type of cover they can find. Fishing has been great on leeches and small streamers as well as scuds and midge larvae. On the surface we are seeing trout eat smaller terrestrials as well as olives in the evening. We're looking at overcast skies and a chance for drizzle the next few days. Perfect fall conditions!!
Scattered showers, mainly before 10am, then scattered sprinkles after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. North wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Cold, drizzly, and excellent conditions! Fishing has been quite good, especially with the cloud cover. Look for fish rising to olives today. Surface fishing has been best on olives in the afternoon, and smaller terrestrials throughout the day. Subsurface has been best on leeches and San Juan worms in the cloudy water, and smaller midge larvae and flashy bead heads on the clear water. Creeks are clear to stained area wide with only a couple still running murky.
Scattered showers, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 58. West wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Sun in the morning, then blue winged olive weather in the afternoon! Creeks are starting to calm down with most running clear to stained. The lower sections of some larger creeks are still draining and can be pretty murky. Fishing has been good when the sun is off the water. Trout are keying in on attractor patterns on the surface as well as leeches subsurface. Smaller, flashy nymphs and midge larvae are working well under the surface too. Since the streams were scoured a few days ago, the sun has really become the limiting factor. Bright sunny days mean poor fishing. Wait for clouds to roll in for some really fun fishing!
Sunny, with a high near 62. Breezy, with a west wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Most creeks have dropped and cleared since the big rains and flash flood. Creeks have changed quite a bit, and fish are finding their holding positions and feeding well on leeches, san juan worms, scuds, and even on the surface on beetles and blue winged olives in the evenings. Please remember that there are still quite a few landowners who have suffered some major losses and lend a hand where you can, or just stick to public water for a few more days while people put their lives back together.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Southeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Things are dropping and clearing quickly. The creeks have been flushed leaving lots of loose rock and bankside vegetation flattened. Fishing will be easy for the next few days thanks to the easy wading! There are still some muddy creeks, especially lower sections on larger bodies of water that flush out slowly. There is clear water out there with hungry post flood fish, but it might take some windshield time to find. Also, be extra sensitive towards land owners as many are still struggling with the loss of bridges, livestock, buildings etc. Pitching in a helping hand this weekend will go a long way in angler/landowner relations.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 66. East wind around 9 mph. After being POUNDED by rain over the past few days, creeks are back down and even a few were at a fishable level last evening. There are still some smaller bridges and roads out due to the flash flood yesterday, but the county and state are working quickly to get everything back in shape. We are not predicted to get much more rain this weekend and things have already begun to get back to normal. The silver lining from the high water is that everything is scoured. Banksides and stream bed are moonscapes making walking and wading far easier for the fall. The fish will be fine and will be eating even today. Expect high water and slightly stained to murky today. This weekend look for clear to murky water. In the ugly stuff, throw leeches, buggers, and San Juan worms. As things clear up, pink squirrels and scuds along with flashy, smaller subsurface bugs will catch fish. There are still hoppers, ants, crickets and beetles bankside and they will be the major surface flies until early into next week when temperatures drop and we start to see olives hatching in the afternoon again.
DO NOT GO OUT! Numerous bridges were wiped out, roads are closed and crews are out trying to manage everything. Major flash flooding area wide. DO NOT GO OUT! Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before noon. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 75. South wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. Way too much rain in the past 48 hours. Looks like we had 5-8 inches overall in just the past 24 hours. And, we are supposed to get a bit more. Creeks are unfishable, there are many small bridges that were flooded out, and they even cancelled school today because of the rains last night. We will drive around and update you on the conditions, but it might be tough to find fishable water for the next couple of days.
UPDATE 11:00 am. It's still raining on and off pretty heavily. Creeks are up and muddy and we're supposed to get even more water tonight. While there will be a small handful of fishable sections out there, it's a better idea to wait it out right now! Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 79. South wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. It has rained about 2 inches give or take area wide with the heavier rain falling closer to the Mississippi. Looking at the radar this morning the major rains will pass at about 8:30 with nothing really behind it that has shown up yet. What this means is that there will be very little fishable water, but what there is will fish well on bigger, uglier bugs like black sculpzillas, leeches, and San Juan Worms. The photo was from last week the day after the big rains. We will keep you updated throughout the day on conditions. It really all depends on what happens this afternoon as to how fishable things will be tomorrow, or in some cases, later today.
Sunny, with a high near 78. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. The good news, it didn't rain yesterday. The bad news, the sun is really hurting the fishing today. The future news, we're supposed to get some clouds and rain which will definitely help fishing, but there is potential on Wednesday to drop some heavy rain and cause localized flash flooding again. We will keep you updates as always, and things should clear out quickly in a worst case scenario situation.
Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Hot and sunny today and into tomorrow. Fish early and late and avoid the mid day sun and heat. Water temperatures are great right now, and these couple of days of heat should not warm things up significantly. Creeks are flowing well and clear to stained. Fishing has been best subsurface on scuds, frenchies, and brush hogs. On the surface it is still beetles, hippie stompers and ants with a few smaller grasshoppers fishing well.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Light southwest wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Gorgeous day to be out outside, but the sun will not do the fishing any favors. Seek some shade mid day or take a long lunch. Creeks are clear to stained with only the largest ones running murky. Water temperatures are in the 50s. Look for terrestrials to be the most important surface pattern until late afternoon when the tiny olives start hatching. Fishing a hopper with a dropper is the way to go right now. Subsurface fishing has been solid with larger, thicker patterns working best on stained waters and thin bodied, smaller patterns on clear water.
Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 9am. High near 74. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A bit of rain last night (more accumulation to the south of Vernon county) will have creeks stained this morning. Overall with the exception of the West Fork, North and South Fork of the Bad axe, things will be clear to stained. All of this rain has done wonders for the creeks, flushing out some vegetation and adding a ton of cold water into the creeks and the springs! Water temperatures are in the 50s area wide. Terrestrials have been excellent this week with beetles and ants the best and hoppers still fishing, but not as well as dryer years. Subsurface fishing has been good on leeches and San Juan worms, as well as scuds and frenchies. This weekend looks nice weather wise with the sun being the only limiting factor. Fishing has been best when the sun is off the water with the exception of larger terrestrials. They have fished best when things dry out mid day as long as they are fished right on the bank near overhanging grass or undercut banks.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 5 to 14 mph. Another gorgeous late summer day in the Driftless! Fishing has been very good with our creeks running normal to high and water temperatures in the 50s. A few creeks are still stained, but most have dropped and cleared from the heavy rains last week. Tricos are all but done it seems, with a few hangers on in the mornings. Terrestrials have been the main attraction with fish eating them all day long! Beetles, hoppers, crickets and ants. They all work right now. We are also seeing some blue winged olives in the evenings (the tiny 18-22 sized ones). Subsurface has been good on bigger, ugly stuff like leeches and San Juan worms. On the clearer creeks, scuds, frenchies, and midge larvae are working well. We do have a few guide trips open this weekend if you want to brush up on some skills for this time of year!
Sunny, with a high near 68. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Creeks are dropping and clearing very quickly. While things muddied up unexpectedly yesterday, there were still fishable creeks and really good fishing on leeches, streamers, and San Juan worms in the morning, then terrestrials in the afternoon. Look for more water to be fishable today with creeks running clear to mildly stained with water temperatures in the 50s. Things are excellent for September and we are looking at continued cool weather all week long! The sun will be your limiting factor so a couple hour mid day break can still be good for fishing success. The gnats seem to have been re-invigorated the past few days, so do not forget to pick up some Buggins from the shop before your trip!
Update: things are much muddier than we expected. Lots of blown out water that will drop and clear quickly, but quite a few creeks unfishabke this am. Cloudy, with a high near 67. Northwest wind around 9 mph. About an inch of rain area wide last night will not do anything to significantly muddy the creeks. Expect some good fishing with the cloud cover today! Subsurface fishing has been good on scuds, frenchies, and leeches. Surface fishing has been quite good on smaller terrestrials and tiny olives. The olives have been hatching sporadically throughout the day and are thickest in the afternoon/evening. Creeks are flowing well and clear to stained with water temperatures in the 50s.
Sunny, with a high near 78. Breezy, with a south wind 7 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Tropical storms messing with out weather again! Warmer today and windy as it blows in another bout of rain ( nothing heavy this time predicted thankfully). Fishing has been great after the rains scoured everything. They were powerful enough that creeks have changed significantly and have been scoured. Look for clear to stained conditions area wide with water temperatures in the 50s to low 60s. Terrestrials are still key. Tricos are sparse and we have seen some evening olives hatching as well. The best news about the rains this past week is that bankside vegetation has been pushed over making it like a sidewalk for the next few days!
Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Northwest wind 7 to 15 mph. The rains missed us last night! We had about 2-3 inches overall in the past 24 hours, most of it ended late afternoon yesterday. Things are still high and murky this morning but the creeks will clear and drop rapidly throughout the day. Expect stained to muddy conditions area wide. It's definitely bugger/leech/San Juan worm conditions. As the creeks clear, switch over to scuds and hare's ear nymphs as well as pink squirrels. When the ground starts to dry out, terrestrials will start to catch fish on the surface.
The rains stopped today around 3 p.m. while we still got a couple of inches total, the evening rain storms that were predicted fizzled out and passed us by! This is the best case scenario for fishing tomorrow. Look for clear to medium stain on most creeks with only the larger ones running murky.
UPDATE: We had about 2 inches of rain fall this morning until late lunchtime. Currently the sun is peeking out from the clouds. The prediction is for more rain tonight that could be heavy. The forecast dropped from 100% to 60% which means the large part of the storm might miss us. As it stands, if we get another inch or two things will be ugly until tomorrow afternoon. You will be able to find some clear to stained water, but most creeks will not open up and be fishable until after lunch time. After that, things should clear rapidly (unless a small bank collapse happens etc) and fishing should be solid. No rain after tonight really means Sunday looks really good. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 6 to 8 mph. There is some rain predicted, but they are saying it will fall in a very brief timeframe before noon. We will keep you posted. As of now we have some clear to stained water with only a couple rivers murky. The multiple rains have flushed out the creeks enough that it takes quite a bit of high water to find sediment to put into the system right now. The weather for the weekend will not top 72 for a high temperature! Fishing was solid yesterday on hoppers with a dropper in the clear water with the droppers tending to be smaller and thinner bodied. With the cool and cloudy weather, there is a good chance that we will see some olives this weekend on the surface too. Subsurface fishing is excellent, especially on the stained water. If clouds are in the sky fish scuds and pink squirrels. If the sun is shining go for pheasant tails and frenchie type flies.
Our guide Nick was out scouting water today and found quite a few clear creeks! While some of the well known creeks might be murky, look for smaller water and you will be surprised. We do have some openings for guide trips this weekend, if you are interested give the shop a call and we can book you! Pardon the sideways picture! This was taken mid day today.
UPDATE: There is amazingly some clear water being reported today. Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 77. Light north wind becoming northwest 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Rains last night did their best to avoid our area. We only got about an inch total in the past 24 hours. The Madison area streams and south of the Wisconsin River got pounded again. Our creeks will start dropping and clearing rapidly today. Expect stained to murky water area wide. Fishing is best on San Juan Worms, leeches, larger scuds and black streamers. As things clear, we will get back to attractor dries and terrestrials on the surface. Temperatures are dropping again with the next few days hovering in the low 70s to a high of 68 on Saturday with lows in the mid 50s! As long as that trend continues expect to start seeing the late summer olive hatch re-appear.
Lots of rain last night has everything blown out today. We're supposed to get even more throughout the day today. Things will drop fairly quickly when the rain stops. We will keep you updated!
Partly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 8 to 11 mph. Possible rain after 2. Today and tomorrow should see some rain showers which may temporarily stain waters (we will keep you updated). As long as there is no lightning, fishing th early part of the rains will be excellent as water levels rise and temperature drops. Then temperatures cool down throughout the end of the week and into the weekend (Saturday's high is forecasted to be only 69!) Fishing remains solid on the remaining tricos, but terrestrials have taken over as the more important surface flies! The hopper bite is picking up steam while ants and beetles remain solid. Subsurface has been best with tiny bead heads all day long, as well as leeches and buggers fished deep and underneath undercut banks mid day. The mid day lull will be in effect today until the clouds and rain come in.
Just a head up, the shop is closed today. Back to normal hours Tuesday. Enjoy Labor Day!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Another gorgeous day, with the sun being the only limiting factor. The fishing has been good in the mornings if you can find the tricos, then it slows down a bit mid day. In the later afternoon as things dry out from the sun, the terrestrial fishing turns on and remains steady into the evening. Subsurface fishing is best on tiny, thin bodied flies bounced along the bottom. In the evenings streamers and leeches have been good as have mice on the surface.
Sunny, with a high near 74. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning. The gorgeous summer weather continues! It is not supposed to top out over 75 the entire weekend. Cooler nights have fish energized, especially first thing in the morning, then in the afternoon when the sun is not shining directly on the water. Fish are starting to put on late summer color thanks to the dropping temperatures. Tricos are still around in the mornings on some creeks. It isn't as thick as it was lat month, however it will still get fish rising early. After tricos, subsurface fishing with tiny, thin bodied bead heads is working. Once the sun dries out the backsides, it's hopper time! Fish have finally started to eat hoppers well (they have been decent up until now and the fish are starting to aggressively eat them) along with ants and beetles. Don't overlook a slowly fished leech pattern too, as some fish are starting to eat larger flies. Mousing is great right now!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Northeast wind 3 to 8 mph. You couldn't ask for more pleasant summer weather! The sun is the only limiting factor right now as creeks are flowing well and cool with water temperatures in the low 50s to low 60s area wide. Cooler evenings mean the trico spinner fall is happening a bit later in the morning (meaning you can sleep in an extra hour or two!). Once the sun dries the dew off the grass and warms things up a bit, terrestrials start crawling around and the fish will key in on them from late morning throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been best on leeches, midge larvae, and scuds. Now that the rains have passed, mousing has picked up again at night.
Sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the morning. We're back to cooler evenings (50-60 for the next few days) and mild days for summer! Look for tricos in the mornings. Although the spinner fall is starting to slow down a bit, it will get fish rising first thing in the morning. After the tricos, smaller terrestrials especially ants and beetles on the surface. With the cooler water temperatures we are starting to fish more scuds subsurface in addition to our thin bodied nymphs. Creeks are in great shape, clear to stained with water temperatures in the 50s to low 60s.
Partly sunny, with a high near 84. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Fairly generic summer driftless day. It's a bit too humid and foggy to see many tricos this morning, so terrestrials will be on the menu all day long on the surface. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and running just a touch high. They have also cooled quite a bit due to recent rains and the nights cooling down bit lately. Subsurface fishing is still the best on thin bodied, tiny flies fished right along the bottom. We are seeing scuds and other larger profile flies starting to pick up, especially when the sun is off the water.
Cloudy, with a high near 72. East wind 6 to 8 mph. The forecasted heavy rain missed us again. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10am. Light rain this morning. The overnight rain never really showed up with an inch overall. This will keep the cold, stained water on the creeks which is fantastic news for fishing this weekend! Look for fish to be feeding heavily subsurface this morning on leeches, san juan worms, scuds, and pink squirrels. As the sun comes up and on the clearer creeks look for them to add frenchies and brush hogs into their feeding. On the surface, the tricos will not be present today in numbers because of the rain, but keep an eye out for an over eager blue winged olive or two. Throughout the day as things dry up, terrestrials will be key especially beetles. The weather is incredible for mid summer and the creeks are running a bit high and are clear to slightly stained. Temperatures range from 50-mid 60s right now.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Absolutely gorgeous day to be out fishing! The unseasonably cool weather is still here, and the trout are happy! Recent rains have some creeks stained while other are running crystal clear. The high water a few days ago knocked all bankside vegetation down, making it very easy to walk and wade. Tricos in the morning, followed by small terrestrials on the surface all day. In the evenings we are seeing a few caddis hatch as well as some midges. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on scuds and san juan worms on the stained water, while frenchies and midge larvae are doing the job in clear water. Looks like we might get a bit more rain tonight, but it should not be anything to ruin fishing for the weekend, instead it should put the stain back on the water and make things fish very well!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. West wind 5 to 10 mph. After a day of clearing and dropping, expect clear to stained water area wide. On the murky waters, fish a San Juan Worm or leech or scud and you will catch quite a few fish. It's rare to have cold and stained water in August. It is something to take advantage of over the next day or two! The clear creeks will see tricos in the morning. The spinner fall is starting to lessen a bit, but it can still give a couple of hours of rising fish early in the morning. After that, switch to your smaller terrestrials and emergers. Subsurface fishing will be across the board today with a mix of scuds, prince type nymphs, and smaller thinner bodied bead heads fished below the riffles.
Cloudy, with a high near 79. South wind around 8 mph. We received a lot of rain last night. Close to 2-3 inches area wide. Creeks are pretty blown this morning and will continue to be so until the later afternoon. As they drop and clear, fishing San Juan Worms, Leeches, and Streamers will be key. On the stained water, look for fish to eat scuds and larger nymph patterns. Surface activity will be slim on muddy water. We will keep you posted as we check out some water today.
Sunny, with a high near 77. Light south wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning. The unseasonably cool weather is gone, however it will not be much more than 84 all week long! Fishing has been incredible. but with the return of the sun and warmer weather look for fish to start feeding early and late again, and the mid day will be quite slow unless you are casting beetles tight to the banks and undercuts. The summer surface pattern of tricos then terrestrials then midges is still going strong. Subsurface fishing has been best on small to very small thin profile flies (think pheasant tail instead of bushy hare's ear). Mousing has been very solid lately at night!
Patchy fog before 11am. High near 69. Breezy, with a light and variable wind becoming northwest 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Chance of light rain all day long with spotty chances of heavier showers before noon. Looking good for a Saturday! Cool, cloudy, and drizzly all day today. Creeks are flowing well and most are clear to slightly stained with only a handful running murky. South of Viroqua you will find muddy water, south of the Wisconsin River you will find very muddy water. The rains hit heaviest south of the shop. The normal summer rhythm of tricos and terrestrials are working on the clear streams, as are small, thin bodied bead heads subsurface. With the stained water leeches have become hot again, as have San Juan Worms and larger scuds.
Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Southwest wind around 7 mph. Chance of rain 40% We're heading into an excellent weather weekend, and as long as we do not get a gully washer we should have cool, stained water for the weekend! We got a bit more than an inch of rain last night which will leave creeks stained to milky this morning. They should drop and clear quickly. On the clearer waters, we are still fishing tricos in the mornings and terrestrials through the day. Subsurface fishing is best on thinner bodied bead head nymphs. On the water with color, leeches, San Juan worms, pink squirrels and scuds are very effective.
mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning. A hot day today that will bring in some showers and MUCH cooler weather for the weekend. (Saturday is forecasted for a high of 71!) Fishing has been really fun lately when the sun is off the water. Tricos early, followed by terrestrials (a few creeks are getting flying ants in a big way and have lots of rising fish), then the evening rise to midges and ants. Mousing has been a blast lately with quite a few fish eating mouse patterns at night. Creeks got a nice push of water a couple of evenings ago and are flowing slightly higher than normal for mid summer. Water temperatures will be an issue on a couple of creeks today, so remember to use your thermometers.
Warm and sunny the rest of the week. We did get some rain last night that put a slight stain on some waters. Fish are eating tricos in the mornings, and if you are on a creek that does not have tricos, a heavy bead head fished on the bottom will work very well! Fish will start to respond to terrestrials around 11 when things dry out a bit. Throughout the day, the heavy bead head is catching fish. In the evenings we are seeing some midges hatch.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. East wind around 6 mph. Some solid summer weather in the Driftless! Creeks are flowing clear and, thanks to recent rains, are higher than normal for mid August. The extra water has also kept them cool as the springs are pushing more water out than normal. It is still summer however so make sure you are using your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be slow fishing and much higher than that can be potentially lethal to trout. The trico spinner fall has been solid lately with the lack of wind and fog in the mornings. The picture below is one of Pete's morning trip clients for a couple days ago! After the tricos fade away, we are switching to small terrestrials. The magic beetle has been deadly lately from morning into dark! Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller, thin bodied bead heads such as pheasant tails and midge larvae fished low and slow.
Cloudy, with a high near 76. Northeast wind around 6 mph. Potential rain in the early morning. There has been quite a bit of rain recently, mostly to the south of Viroqua. Creeks are running stained to murky with a couple that are still fishing clear. We are still seeing a pretty strong trico spinner fall early in the mornings, then switching over to terrestrials on the surface the rest of the day. In the evenings fish will rise again to some midge dries. On the stained water leeches, streamers, and san juan worms are working well subsurface. On clear creeks midge larvae and small scuds are very effective right now.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Warm summer day today, going to be hot and muggy as a small storm system rolls in. The heat will be gone by the weekend, and we will hopefully get some more summer rains on Thursday. The rains have stained the waters up briefly after they fall but have left the creeks a bit higher than normal for summer and are keeping water temperatures cool (as well as getting rid of the humidity for a day or two). We are still seeing Tricos in the mornings, then fishing terrestrials up against the banks during the mid day. In the evenings we are seeing midges hatch too. Subsurface is still best on our summer patterns. Smaller, thin profiled bead heads fished right along the bottom.
Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Nothing special about the fishing today. Creeks are clear and a bit on the low side which is normal for mid summer. Fishing will be best early and late when the sun is off the water. Please make sure to watch stream temperatures. Over 65 degrees will not only be poor fishing, but it can be potentially lethal to trout. Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials in the afternoon. Larger terrestrials have not really taken hold yet so our focus has been on smaller ants and beetles. Subsurface fishing is best on midge larvae and other small bead head nymphs rolled along the bottom.
Shop is closed today! Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Excellent fishing weather for a couple of days, then it gets hot and we should see some more summer showers. Look for the summer trico spinner fall in the morning, then fishing terrestrials with a dropper mid day.
Sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 8 mph in the morning. With the recent rains expect clear to milky conditions area wide. Creeks have bumped up in flows just a bit and are running in the mid 50s to mid 60s. If you are fishing clear water, remember to fish when the sun is not too bright as that is the major factor keeping fish from feeding right now. It is less of a hinderance on stained water. Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials throughout the day, and then midges in the evening round out the summertime surface activity. Subsurface, fish tiny and thin profile in clear water, and thicker patterns as well as leeches in the stained water.
Sunny, with a high near 78. Light west wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Lots of rain last night has the water up and murky this morning. Expect a dropping and clearing throughout the day, and barring any more rain we should have a cool, slightly stained water for the weekend! Temperatures are looking good overall and fish will be happy with a cold water flush. Leeches and San Juans in the murky water as well as dark bodied streamers. As things clear up again we will start to see fish eating trico spinners in the mornings and terrestrials through the day. In the stained water, scuds will fish well as will hare's ears and princes. As things drop and clear start fishing smaller sized and thinner profile bead heads.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 86. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Humid morning this morning and the fog will keep the trico spinner fall a bit slower than normal for this time of season. This is forecasted to be the last hot and humid day this week with a 10 degree drop tomorrow! Much more comfortable conditions for the weekend. We're in the summer pattern fly wise with trico spinners in the morning, then terrestrials through the day on the surface. Smaller terrestrials are still stronger than large hoppers at this point, but that is slowly changing. Subsurface bugs have been best in smaller, thinner profiles and fished right along the bottom of holes and underneath undercut banks. Fish, for the most part, are in the riffles in the mornings, then drop back to the deep pools when the sun gets high in the sky. Water temps are in the high 50s to mid 60s area wide. Please remember to use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be poor fishing and much higher than that can be lethal to trout.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. A little warm today, so make sure you fish early and late and find some shade. Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials throughout the day on the surface. We have also been seeing a decent midge hatch at last light. Having a few smaller surface patterns is not a bad idea. Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead head nymphs rolled right along the bottom. At night, mouse patterns and larger streamers are effective. As it warms today and tomorrow make sure you use your thermometer. Water temps over 65 mean poor fishing and much higher than that can be lethal to trout.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. South wind 6 to 8 mph. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Fishing remains solid this summer in the driftless! Cooler and cloudy today which will have fish in a good mood. We aren't supposed to get a ton of rain today, just watch out for possible lightning. Wednesday and Thursday warm up a bit again, but it cools right down again for the weekend. Tricos are around in the mornings, look for clouds of spinners at first light and lasting until the sun peeks over the ridges and starts to warm things up. Throughout the day, smaller terrestrials such as beetles and ants are working very well, especially sunken and fished below the surface. Hoppers are doing well too with a dropper tied below them. Subsurface fishing has been great on tiny bead head nymphs and even emergers when the sun is off the water.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph. our cooler summer continues! Mild weather all week except Wednesday is forecasted. Cresks are running well well after some recent rains, and with the cooler days and nights we are less wary of water temperature being a limiting factor. Don't neglect using your thermometer but you should be finding more water temleratures in the mid 50s instead of mid 60s . Fish early and fish late when the sun is off he water. Look for trico spinners in the mornings, then switch to foam terrestrials with a droppers for the rest of the day. A few tiny mayflies and midges are hatching in the evenings as well. Subsurface fishing has been good on heavy nymphs rolled along the bottom as well as midge larvae and emergers such as the smoke jumper. Mousing and streamer fishing has been solid in the evenings too. please note that we will be closed Monday August 1st and Monday August 8th this month.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Gorgeous summer weather for the weekend! A few cooler days and some rain before hand have fishing really going strong. Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials through the day, and rising fish again in the evenings to tiny olives and midges. Subsurface fishing has been great with scuds and leeches on the creeks that are still showing a stain, while small, thin bodied bead head nymphs are working on the clear water.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20% Heavy rains yesterday have creeks flowing clear to mildly stained. The rains really cooled things down again, and coupled with cooler days and nights the next few days of fishing should be excellent! Leeches and larger scuds in the stained water, tricos and terrestrials in the clear water, and heavy, thin bodied bead heads such as the French fished along the bottom in the clear waters. Look for fish to be out of their sulky deep holding areas and pushed up into runs feeding a bit more over the next couple of days.
Cloudy, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming northeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Clouds and rain today! Plus a nice cool temperature. It is a summer day made for trout fishing. This weather (below 80 degrees) looks like it will continue to at least Sunday. Look for tricos to continue their hatching in the late evening and, more importantly, the spinner fall first thing in the morning. After that, fishing terrestrials on the surface has been very effective. We're still skewed towards the smaller stuff, ants and beetles, but hoppers are also working. In the evenings we are seeing some midge activity as well as some tiny mayflies and even a few caddis hanging on. Creeks are flowing well and clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning. It's getting very nice for late July! Yesterday was hot and sunny and just plain uncomfortable, but thanks to recent rains the creeks are flowing well and water temperatures aren't horrible! Most creeks are running in the high 50s to mid 60s. With the cooler weather ahead, still use your thermometer, but temps should be less of a concern for a few days. Sun is still a limiting factor, so fish early and late and find some shade. Fish will be holding tight to cover and in deep holes when the sun is shining. Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials all day long, and subsurface fishing has been good on tiny bead heads and sunken ants and beetles. Mousing has been a lot of fun lately as has fishing larger streamers when the sun is off the water.
Sunny, with a high near 82. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph. After a really odd weekend consisting on a short heat wave, and some heavy cold rain, the creeks are in surprisingly good shape. From clear to stained and up with cooler water temperatures than normal for late July (55-60 in the mornings). Things will drop and clear quickly, and we have much cooler weather coming later this week. Look for tricos in the mornings, then hopper/dropper throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead heads rolled right along the bottom.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Heat index values as high as 98. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. This looks like the last day (hopefully) of the heat wave. It is incredibly humid and uncomfortable out already. There is a chance of some rain today and into tonight which will get the humidity out of the air and cool things down quite a bit. We're looking forward to that... Fishing has been difficult with higher temperatures, but things should get back on track quickly over the next day or two. Look for tricos early, followed by good fishing with a hopper/dropper combination. We have also been seeing the true trico hatch (not the morning spinner fall) before sunset the past few days as well. The most important thing is using your thermometer right now. Water temperatures over 65 will mean crummy fishing, and anything higher than that begins to be overly stressful to trout.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 100. Calm wind becoming northeast around 6 mph. Hot and sunny again today. We also got some heavy rain area wide yesterday putting some mud into the creeks. This is t a terrible thing as it cooled the waters down a bit. Expect high and cloudy water this morning, the.n stained water this afternoon. It will be hot over the weekend and fishing will be slow during most of the day. Fish early and fish late and avoid the mid day heat. Remember to use your thermometer as water temps over 65 signal slow fishing and much higher than that can be lethal to trout.
Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 102. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph. We highly recommend you take a break today and tomorrow. It's already warm and muggy outside at 7 a.m. The high heat will keep the fishing very slow as water temperatures will spike early in the morning. Plus, it can be downright dangerous to be outside in heat like this. Unfortunately the fishing has been quite good prior to this brief heat wave. Early and late fish have been happily feeding on tricos and terrestrials. Temperatures will still be warm, but will start getting better later this weekend. If you do fish, fish early and late when the sun is off the water.
Partly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 6 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50% It's the beginning of a short heat wave. Even though we are proponents of not putting away your gear in the summertime, today and through Friday we are going to see base temperatures into the 90s, with the heat index even higher. Not only is this going to warm the waters up making fishing very difficult and possibly stressing the trout, it will be very difficult to be outside (there is even an excessive heat watch for Thursday and Friday). If you plan on going out, make sure you fish very early and very late when the sun is off the water, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. The good news is that over the weekend temperatures will begin to drop. We're still seeing tricos in the mornings and fishing terrestrials through the rest of the day. A few yellow sallies are still around in the evenings and fish are eating emergers and midges at night. Subsurface fishing is best on tiny bead head n nymphs fished right along the bottom of deep pools. Mousing has been great lately!
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning. It's going to get hot out there! Remember to avoid the mid day and fish very early and very late (or mouse at night). The creeks in are in great shape with water that is high for the summer time, and running clear. Just keep an eye on water temperatures. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and potentially lethal to trout. Tricos in the mornings, then terrestrials with bead head droppers in the evenings.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the morning. We're in mid summer mode. What that means is the rhythm of tricos in the mornings, followed by hopper dropper in the late morning, followed by a break mid day. In the early evenings, getting back on the water with hopper/dropper and possibly fishing some midges. We're also rolling tiny, heavily weighted bead head nymphs along the bottom of deeper pools and beneath undercut banks. Sun and water temperature are going to be the limiting factors for fishing. Find shade, fish early and late, and use your thermometer. Anything over 65 degrees will be poor fishing, and much higher than that can put stress on trout.
High near 71. North wind 5 to 8 mph. Spotty Cloud cover all day. A light rain last night has things nice and cool for today and into tomorrow! Fishing has been solid for winter and water temperatures on the smaller waters has been very stable. We're seeing tricos in the mornings then the terrestrial bite has been great during the day. Ants and beetles are still very important, but the fish have started to turn on to hoppers! Fishing a large hopper or training wheel with a dropper is deadly right now. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on micro nymphs and midge larvae fished tight to the bottom. Fish are also eating pink squirrels and scuds when clouds are in the sky. Mousing has really hit its stride with quite a few fish (and a few big ones too!) eating mice on the surface at night. Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures ranging from 60-65. Remember anything over 65 will be poor fishing and much higher than 65 can be lethal to hook trout in. Please use your thermometers.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a west wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. A brief cold front blowing in today and tomorrow will cool things down a bit and set us up for some good fishing for the next few days. We're still seeing tricos in the mornings, and having success on terrestrials throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been best on midge larvae and other small, heavy nymphs fished right along the bottom of runs and pools. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained with water temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. Remember to use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be poor fishing and can be lethal to trout.
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 9 to 14 mph. Summer weather! Sunny this morning leading to increasing clouds and possible rain. It is not as brutally hot out today (and for the rest of the week!) and the clouds will help fishing drastically. Sun and water temperatures are still the limiting factor. Try to find shade, and fish water that is below 65 degrees. Tricos in the mornings, then terrestrials with a dropper throughout the day. We are starting to have success on hoppers and we have been seeing more and more of them in the valleys the past few days. Midges will get fish to eat in the evenings on the surface. Sub-Surface fishing has followed the rule that when the creeks are clear and sunny, fish smaller and thinner flies. When the creeks are stained or clear, fish thicker bodied flies and leeches.
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Southeast wind 9 to 11 mph becoming west in the afternoon. A bit of rain last night will have things cool-ish this morning, but other wise we have today and tomorrow as pretty hot and uncomfortable days. After that things get back to better conditions. Fish early and fish late to find the happiest fish. Make sure you use your thermometer as any water temperature over 65 will be slow fishing, and anything much higher than that can be lethal to trout. Tricos in the mornings, then terrestrials fish near undercut banks throughout the day are our top producing surface patterns. You can also catch a few fish on top with midges in the evenings. Subsurface fishing has been best on small nymphs rolled right along the bottom of pools and in the shade of undercut banks.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. A hot and humid weather pattern blows in for a couple days today. Look for fish to be sulky and deep as well as hiding underneath undercut banks in the shade. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. Its tricos in the mornings and terrestrials throughout the day. Fishing is best when the sun is off the water and in shady areas.
Sunny, with a high near 78. North wind 5 to 7 mph. A gorgeous weekend to be fishing! Cooler nighttime temperatures have extended the morning fishing and pushed the trico spinner fall back a bit later on in the morning as well. Today and tomorrow expect fish to be eating until about noon if the sun stays bright in the sky. Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures running in the high 50s to mid 60s. There are tricos spinner falls starting to show up in the mornings with fish rising until about 10 or 11. After that, switching over to a hopper/dropper rig is catching fish. In the evenings there are still some fish willing to rise to craneflies and caddis as well as a few lighter colored mayflies. Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller, thin bodied flies in the clear water, and thicker bodied bead heads in the water that as a stain to it (especially scuds!) Leeches and streamers are doing quite well when the sun is off the water. Mousing has been great lately!
Rain on and off all morning this morning. We've already had some heavy rain at 6 am. Creeks will be high and muddy with the clearest being heavily stained. If we don't get much more rain things will be fishable by the evening. Expect to throw black leeches and streamers as well as San Juan worms in the dirty water.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. Northwest wind around 7 mph. Last night's storm dumped about an inch of heavy rain area wide. Expect stained to murky water first thing this morning, but dropping and clearing rapidly. We started to see Tricos in the mornings! Look for the spinner falls early and lasting until the sun gets well above the ridges. Other surface activity is terrestrial centric with beetles and ants most important. We are starting to catch fish on hoppers and fat alberts too. Subsurface has been a mix of scuds and leeches in the water with some shade and a stain, and tiny, heavy, thin bodied nymphs in the creeks that are clear. Sun and water temperature are still limiting factors. Remember to use your thermometer as water temperatures over 65 mean poor fishing and possibly lethal to land fish in.
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 86. South wind 6 to 9 mph. Creeks are low and clear with summertime water temperatures. Terrestrials are still the ticket right now on the surface. There are some sparse caddis, cranefly and lighter colored mayflies as well. For those of you who are earlier risers, we have started to see the beginnings of the trio spinner fall! We're definitely in summer fishing mode now where the sun and water temperatures are the limiting factor. Fish early and late and avoid the bright, mid day sun. Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead heads drifted right along the bottom, as well as scuds and leeches.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. South wind 3 to 6 mph. Creeks are clear to milky area wide running at temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. On the clear creeks, ants, beetles, hoppers and other attractor type terrestrials are working on the surface. Subsurface fish pink belly PTs, midge larvae, and scuds. On the murkier water, leeches and San Juan worms are excellent as are larger scuds. We're open today and tomorrow and closed on Monday the 4th. Have an excellent weekend!
Partly sunny in the morning...then cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. Fishing has been very fun in the mornings and evenings. There are a handful of rising fish eating terrestrials and lighter colored mayflies on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been good on pink belly PTs, Brush Hogs, and leeches. Creeks are low and clear with water temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. Water temperatures over 65 mean poor fishing and much higher than that you can start killing trout when you fight them. Fish early and late as the sun is the major limiting factor.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Light and variable wind. The week of pleasant weather continues! The entire week and into the weekend will be in the mid to high 70s. Excellent weather to be fishing in. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. Make sure you use your thermometer as a few creeks are running up in the low 70s and should be avoided as to not stress the trout. Anything over 65 degrees will be poor fishing. Midges and tiny olives in the mornings, terrestrials mid day, then a few yellow sallies and larger, lighter colored mayflies at night as well as more midges. Hopper/Dropper is very effective right now! Subsurface fishing has been best on pink squirrels, midge larvae, smaller scuds, and small nymphs with a tungsten bead head. The fish are sulking on the bottom of the pools and underneath undercut banks. Find shade and you will find fish!
Looks like June is trying to make up for the hot weather earlier in the month! We're looking at low to mid 70s for the rest of the week. Sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Fishing has still been best early and late when the sun is not on the water, as well as on the creeks that are running cooler. The sun and water temperatures are the major limiting factors. Looks for small midges and even a few olives hatching in the mornings with fish rising to them as well as craneflies. As things warm up a bit terrestrials become important on the surface. Look for yellow sallies in the afternoon and evenings too. Subsurface fishing has been best on thin bodied flies such as midge larvae or pheasant tail nymphs (especially the pink belly PTs!) with scuds and squirrels fishing well when the sun is off the water a bit. Mousing has been great lately as has fishing streamers at night.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph. It's summer! Fishing has been good early and late and on shady creeks. The real limiting factor has been the sun and water temperature. Watch your water temperatures and use your thermometer. Water temperatures that are 65 or above will signal poor fishing and could be potentially lethal to trout. There are good water temperatures in the area, focus more on the tiny creeks than the larger waters. There are few hatches going on with some midges and tiny olives in the mornings and lighter colored mayflies in the evenings. We have also started to see yellow sallies. Subsurface fishing has been best on tiny bead head nymphs fished deep, as well as scuds. On the cloudier waters, fish leeches.
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Heat index values as high as 95. South wind 10 to 13 mph. Hot and muggy today! Fish early and late, and take a break mid day. It will be good for both you and the fish! Terrestrials with small bead heads dropped below them have been the ticket lately. The hippie stomper/frenchie combo has been especially effective. Creeks are clear to stained with water temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. Remember to use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and can be potentially lethal to hook fish in.
Sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Fishing has been solid so far this summer, especially when the sun is off the water. Fish early, fish late, and find shade for better fishing. Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s area wide. The sun today will slow fishing down around mid day, except on the creeks that are still running with a stain. The stain is enough to keep fish a bit happier, especially subsurface. It looks like this weekend we will get some more rain Saturday night. According to the forecast it should not be enough to blow things out completely, but it should put a nice stain on the water and drop water temperatures down a bit for Sunday morning. There are no significant hatches going on right now. We are seeing sporadic midge and lighter colored mayfly activity in the mornings and evenings. The major surface activity is still on ants, beetles, and craneflies. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on leeches on every creek, and on the clear water we are fishing zebra midges, ice cream cones, and pink belly pheasant tail nymphs.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming north in the afternoon. A nice break in the hot weather lately! Fishing has been best when the sun is off the water. Trout are eating terrestrials and generic attractor patterns on the surface (stimulators, hippie stompers etc) all day long. There are a few mayflies early and late as well as midges, but the surface feeding is mostly smaller terrestrials. Subsurface fishing has been good on ice cream cones, tungsten pheasant tails, and pink belly PTs. Creeks are low and clear to stained with temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. Remember your thermometer as anything over 65 will be poor fishing and can be stressful to trout.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly between noon and 3pm. High near 76. East wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A bit of relief this morning as we have clouds in the sky! Creeks are in summer mode with decent flows but water temperatures in the warmer range. Please use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be poor fishing and potentially harmful to trout as they near 70. There are midges hatching in the morning, terrestrials mid day, and some lighter colored mayflies in the evening. Subsurface fishing has been best on ice cream cone midges, and tungsten jig pheasant tail nymphs below a foam pattern.
Sunny, with a high near 80. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Warm and sunny again. Find shade to find fish! Creeks are low and clear to stained area wide. Water temperatures are in the high 50s to mid 60s. Remember your thermometer as anything over 65 will be poor fishing and much higher than that can be lethal to trout! Hatches are in the mornings and evenings with midges and lighter colored mayflies coming off. Mid day the fish will come up for terrestrials and craneflies, but the majority of the mid day fishing is in the deeper pools and beneath undercut banks on small, thin bodied bead heads fished along the bottom.
Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 14 mph. Hot and sunny the next few days. Water temperatures are getting warm mid day so please use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing and could hurt trout. Seek shade, and fish early and late. The oddness that is this season continues. On some creeks the lighter colored mayflies have shown up again in the evening, otherwise fish are eating midges, terrestrials and craneflies on the surface. Subsurface has been best fishing deep and slow for fish getting out of the sun. Look for overhanging grass, undercut banks and deep pools to target. Creeks are low and clear to stained with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s.
Happy Father's Day! Sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Hot and sunny today. Fish early and late and find shade. Avoid the mid day heat! Fish will be happy when the sun is off the water as the hot weather will increase water temperatures rapidly today. Look for fish to sit deep in the pools and underneath overhanging vegetation and undercut banks. Remember to use your thermometer as water temperatures over 65 degrees can be poor fishing and potentially harmful to fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning. Creeks are in good shape! The sun will be the things that slows fishing down so fish early and late and find the shade. Terrestrials are key right now with beetles and ants catching quite a few fish on the surface. We're also starting to see our goofy big (size 12) lighter colored mayflies. They are usually a cream or fluorescent yellow and show up at first and last light. Subsurface action has been consistent on pink belly pheasant tails nymphs, frenchies, brush hogs, and she hulks. Creeks have cleared out for the most part so expect clear to stained water area wide with temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. Keep using your thermometer as anything over 65 will be slow fishing and possibly harmful to fight trout in.
Sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph. Creeks have generally cleared up after the rains a couple of days ago. Expect clear to stained water area wide. Temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. The high water has scoured the stream beds and knocked down backside vegetation making fishing easier! Trout have moved back into normal feeding positions below the riffles and into the pools. The sun will be bright all weekend, so fish early and late and find some shade for better fishing. Terrestrials are the top choice for surface flies. We are getting midges and craneflies in the morning, and there are a few lighter colored mayflies hatching in the evenings too, but ants and beetles are the top producers on top. Subsurface flies are getting smaller and thinner as the sun gets brighter during the day. Start with a hare's ear or she hulk in the morning, eventually switching to a heavy midge larvae or pheasant tail during the day. Fish are deep and underneath banks when the sun is out. Mousing has been a blast lately!
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 8 to 10 mph. Creeks continue to drop and clear today. There were many fishable creeks yesterday after the heavy rains, and more have settled down and cleared. Expect clear to murky conditions area wide with the larger streams (Kickapoo, Bad Axe) showing the most color. In the creeks with color to them fish black leeches and buggers as well as San Juan worms and larger scuds. On the clear creeks try heavy bead head nymphs and midge larvae as well as smaller scuds. On the surface fish are primarily feeding on terrestrials specifically ants and beetles. There are also a few lighter colored mayflies around as well as egg laying caddis and midges. Mousing has started up again after the rains. Try a larger streamer or surface pattern at night for a chance at a big fish!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. West wind 5 to 14 mph. The Driftless Split struck again last night. While Madison had about 8 inches of rain, Vernon county only received a couple. What that means is while we have some murky water this morning (the West Fork and the Bad Axe being the muddiest) things will be fishable later this morning and by the evening. And, looking at the longer term forecast we are not supposed to have any more rain, so later in the week and into the weekend are looking excellent! Look to fish murkier water with leeches, large scuds, streamers in black and San Juan Worms. On the clearer streams fish will eat scuds, copper johns, hare's ears, and even midge larvae. Our hatches have slowed down a bit but we are still seeing some lighter colored mayflies in the evening as well as egg laying caddis. Throughout the day fish will eat terrestrials and craneflies.
Isolated showers. Cloudy, with a low around 63. East wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Recent rains have some creeks running murky (especially the West Fork and the Bad Axe system). They will clear up to fishable clarity this morning and we should not see significant rain until later on today. These rains are much needed to fill the springs and flush the creeks a bit! We're forecasted for a bit more rain this evening that will keep water levels high and clarity low. In the murky water, look for fish to eat leeches and wooly buggers as well as other black bodied streamers. As the creeks drop and clear a bit, scuds are the ticket for stained water, especially on cloudy days. On the surface, terrestrials are still the strongest patterns. Ants and beetles are most effective and we have started to catch fish on some larger foam attractor patterns as well. Hatches have thinned out but fish are still eating lighter colored mayflies and darker bodied caddis in the evenings in addition to the ever present late spring craneflies.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. West wind around 6 mph. Hot and humid today. We had a good rain last night that will have creeks running with a bit of a stain first thing this morning. Expect everything to drop and clear pretty quickly. The key to fishing right now is to fish when the sun is off the water and find shade mid day. The sulphur hatch in the evenings is tailing off and we are still seeing some cahills at dusk. The best surface action is on terrestrials right now. Subsurface fishing has been great on tiny bead head nymphs and midge larvae. Make sure you check water temperatures! With this hot weather, creeks are warming rapidly throughout the day. If it is above 65 degrees fishing will be tough and much higher than that it can be harmful to fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 95. Southeast wind 6 to 13 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Hot and sunny today and tomorrow! Take extra water, and fish early and late. Avoid the mid day sun. The sun and heat will be stressful to both you and the fish today and tomorrow! Thankfully the heat drop a bit come Sunday. Creeks are low and clear with water temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. We still have rising fish in the evenings and they are taking lighter colored mayflies, midges, and craneflies. Throughout the day fish will eat small terrestrials happily. Subsurface fishing is trending smaller and thinner bodied. Thing midge larvae instead of pink squirrel.
A nice soaking rain right now With periods of rain all day long, mostly in the morning. High near 80. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Things have been good lately, and the rain should help cool things down a bit on some of the larger creeks. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Anything over 65 degrees will fish poorly and can stress trout. We're still seeing some lighter colored mayflies hatching in the late afternoon and into the evening, and fish are still feeding heavily throughout the day on terrestrials. A few trout will key in on craneflies throughout the day as well. Subsurface fishing has been best when your fly is rolled right along the bottom of the pool or underneath the bank.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. Absolutely gorgeous weather again today! Look for fish to be happiest when the sun is off the water. Terrestrials are the ticket right now with trout happily eating ants, beetles, and hippie stompers effective pretty much all day long. We're still seeing sulphur hatching in the evening as well as a handful of other lighter colored mayflies. Subsurface fishing has been best on smaller, thinner bodied patterns fished right on the bottom. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. Make sure you use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be slow fishing and much higher than that can be harmful to hook fish in.
A couple of gorgeous days ahead of us until it turns hot again for the weekend. Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Look for fish to be in a good mood today and tomorrow as temperatures drop a bit. We're still seeing sulphurs hatching in the evening with fish happily rising. Terrestrials are effective all day long (smaller ants and beetles, no hoppers yet...). Subsurface, the fish have been loving thinner bodied patterns such as midge larvae and pheasant tail type nymphs as well as scuds rolled along the bottom. When the sun is off the water, leeches and streamers are very effective. Mousing at night is starting to pick up too! Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s. The temps are a bit high for normal, so make sure you use your thermometer as anything over 65 will make for slow fishing.
artly sunny, with a high near 69. Breezy, with a west wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. A cold front is blowing in. Today will be windy, so find some shelter against bluff faces or in the trees if possible. Fishing has been good, with fish eating terrestrials well (which they will do again today, especially with the winds!) as well as lighter colored mayflies on the surface and a handful of caddis and craneflies. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on ice cream cones and other small midge larvae as well as brush hogs and smaller tungsten bead heads rolled along the bottom. Creeks are a bit low and mostly clear with water temperatures in the high 50s to mid 60s. There are a few creeks that are already over 65 degrees at the hottest part of the day. Use your thermometer! Not only will the warmer creeks stink for fishing, but it can also put stress on the trout.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 74. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Some good, soaking rains last night will have a handful of creeks murky again this morning. Overall expect clear to stained water area wide with water temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. Remember to use your thermometers, although we have had rains recently, the water temperature has not dropped much. Anything over 65 will be difficult. Sulphurs are still hatching in the afternoon with fish rising late into the evening. We are also starting to see a few yellow sallies and other lighter colored mayflies. On top of this caddis, craneflies ants and beetles are catching fish. We've started fishing a hippie stomper with a bead head dropper with quite a bit of success too. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on leeches and smaller streamers in the stained water. In the clearer water, thin bodied flies in brown to black have been effective as have brush hogs and coulee scuds.
Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Southeast wind 8 to 11 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Sunny and warm today. The creeks are in good shape, but the sun will make fishing difficult mid day. Expect clear to stained water area wide with the creeks running in the mid to high 50s and in rare cases lower 60s. Sulphurs, ants, beetles and a few craneflies and caddis are still getting fish to eat on top. We've started fishing dry/dropper with a larger foam pattern and a smaller bead head down below. Subsurface fishing has been great on brush hogs, and ice cream cones. Leeches and buggers are working well in the stained water. Look for fish to be deep in holes and near undercuts in the sun, then out in the riffles and runs to feed when the sun is off the water.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening. Perfect conditions to get out and fish! Recent rain had muddied up the water, but things dropped and cleared quickly. Look for clear to stained water with only the larger creeks running murky. The sulphur hatch is still going strong, and we are seeing a handful of march browns hatching as well. On top of that fish are still eating craneflies and caddis as well as terrestrials throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on leeches on creeks that have a bit of a stain on them, and on the clear water, heavily weighted thin bodied flies as well as scuds are the ticket. Creeks are flowing at a normal level with temperatures in the mid 50s to lower 60s.
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 75. West wind 6 to 13 mph. Brief, heavy rain last night has things up and murky this morning. No forecasted rain means thing will begin dropping mid day. Expect stained to milky conditions area wide. This rain will cool down water temperatures are get fish eating! We needed this rain and things will pick up quickly starting this afternoon. Look for leeches and scuds to be effective as well as San Juan worms. The sulphurs are still hatching and we will see dry fly activity on the clearer water. Terrestrials will be slow until things dry out a bit an they start crawling around bankside.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Recent rains have been brief, but heavy. Expect to encounter clear to murky water area wide. If the creek you first visit is muddy, either fish a leech or bugger or dive a valley or two over as heavy rain is localized and can be nonexistent in a nearby creek. Fishing has been solid on the clearer creeks thanks to the sulphur hatch and terrestrials on the surface. Subsurface fishing has been great on brush hogs, scuds, and heavy bead head nymphs with a thin profile such as midge larvae and pheasant tail type nymphs. It's the time of year to start using your thermometer again. Some larger creeks are hitting a peak temperature in the upper 60s where fishing slows down quite a bit. The prime temperature is 55-65 degrees.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Fishing has been solid after some nice rains lately. Creeks are back to normal flows and running clear to cloudy with water temps in the mid 50s. Leeches, scuds, and streamers on the cloudy water. Sulphurs, craneflies, and midges as well as ants and beetles on the surface of the clearer water. Subsurface fishing has been best on midge larvae and heavy bead head nymphs.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Light south wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. What a difference a little rain makes! Creeks are clear to slightly stained, but the fish are in a much better mood thanks to the influx of water. We're seeing terrestrials, craneflies, a few caddis, sulphurs and midges hatching. Subsurface fishing has been great on scuds, midge larvae, and heavily weighted thin bodied nymphs.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Low chance of rain today, and the recent rains did little to muddy up area waters. Expect clear to slightly stained creeks area wide. Fishing has gotten a bit better from the past few days of bright sun and low water. The creeks are still low with water temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s and the fishing is still best early in the morning and later in the evening when the sun is off the water. If cloud cover stays in everything will be fine. We're still getting fish to eat craneflies and caddis on the surface with terrestrials also getting fish to eat up top (ants and beetles specifically). Subsurface is still best on gray patterns in size 14-18, heavily weighted. Midge larvae and other small bead heads are also effective right now. Remember to move your flies. The trout are keying in on movement lately.
Rain in the morning, then mostly sunny high near 84. Some much needed rain this morning! And as I am looking out the shop windows, the sun is already peeking out. Look for some invigorated fish early with a few streams showing some stain after the brief heavy rains early this morning.. Everything should drop and clear very quickly as most of the rain will be soaked in by the dry ground. On the cloudy creeks, fish leeches scuds and even San Juan worms subsurface. On the clear creeks it has been scuds and heavy bead head nymphs subsurface. On the surface we are seeing egg laying caddis, craneflies, midges, and even a few lighter colored mayflies, especially in the evenings. Terrestrials (ants and beetles specifically) have been fantastic lately, don't hit the stream without a few in your fly box! Creeks are low and stained to murky with temperatures in the mid to high 50s.
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3pm. High near 78. East wind 7 to 13 mph becoming south in the afternoon. We have seen no rain over the past few days making streams low and clear and fishing very difficult. We're hoping the rain comes today and some much needed cloud cover with it! Water temperatures are in the high 50s to low 60s, unseasonably warm. Fishing s best early and late when the sun is off the water. Fish will rise the first couple and last couple of hours of the day. They are eating craneflies, caddis, and smaller terrestrials. Subsurface fishing is best on tiny bead heads fished deep, and leeches and buggers twitched along undercut banks and in shady areas.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. The rain didn't materialize again yesterday leaving us with mostly sunny skies all day long. It will be warm again today, so make sure you find shade and stay cool. The same goes for the fish, they will be deep in pools and underneath undercut banks unless we get some cloud cover. Look for fish to feed on terrestrials on the surface until the sun is off the water, then a few bugs are hatching especially craneflies. Subsurface fishing is best on tiny bead heads rolled along the bottom as well as cranefly larvae. Creeks are low and crystal clear with water temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s.
The last day of hot and sunny weather for a few days! Sunny, with a high near 81. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 18 mph. Fishing has been difficult mid day, but water temperatures are still in the mid to high 50s meaning fish are happy early and late, and in spots where the sun is not beating down on them. We're looking at some rain ahead (which is much needed). The creeks are low and clear and with the warmer and windy weather lately, the terrestrial fishing has really heated up. Fishing ants and beetles underneath trees and overhanging vegetation and plopping hippie stompers along undercut banks has been a ton of fun lately. Hatches have slowed down a bit as we are waiting on sulphurs, sallies, cahills etc to show up. The craneflies are still around and getting fish looking up. Subsurface is solid on heavy bead heads rolled along the bottom in smaller sizes and thinner profiles as well as cranefly larvae.
Sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Hot and sunny. Treat the fishing like summertime. Fish early and late and chase shade throughout the day. Craneflies are still hatching, and we have started to see some lighter colored mayflies and even a few yellow sallies hatching here and there. The terrestrial bite is picking up steam too. Subsurface fishing has been best on leeches, tiny bead heads fished slowly along the bottom and on scuds.
Sunny, with a high near 70. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Despite the sunny weather, the fishing has been fantastic! Caddis and craneflies are the ticket on the surface and we have rising fish throughout the day, especially in the evenings. Watch for splashy rises to indicate fish feeding on craneflies and caddis. Subsurface fishing has been solid on coulee scuds in gray and tan, ice cream cones, and dirty birds. Don't forget your hippies! Hippie stompers have been starting to catch a lot of fish, and some larger fish too. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid to high 50s.
Sunny, with a high near 65. Light and variable wind. Warmer, sunny weather has brought the caddis back! While not as thick as it was a couple of weeks ago, fish will key in on them again along with the craneflies. Don't forget to move your flies! Twitched and skittered caddis and craneflies are deadly right now. Subsurface fishing continues to be strong on pretty much anything gray in a size 14-16 as it represents caddis and cranefly larvae. We are also having success on tan scuds and frenchies.
A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 65. West wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. After a bitterly cold (and it even snowed in some spots briefly!) Saturday, the fishing rebounded yesterday thanks to a really solid cranefly hatch area wide. With the sun in the sky, expect the same. We should see rising fish right around lunchtime. Subsurface fishing has been solid on scuds and cranefly larvae patterns as well as midge larvae and leeches. Creeks are low and clear with water temps in the mid 50s.
Periods of showers, mainly after 2pm. High near 54. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Fishing remains solid in the Driftless! The craneflies are out and fish are feeding well on the surface, especially to twitched flies. Subsurface fishing continues to be strong on scuds, copper johns in red, and midge larvae. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid 50s. We have not had any rain to speak of and every creek is fishing well.
Isolated sprinkles between 2pm and 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. West wind 7 to 13 mph. Fishing has been fantastic the past few days. The cloud cover has fish in a good mood and the cranefly hatch, midges and egg laying caddis have trout looking up. Subsurface fishing has been hot on anything grey and size 16 (cranefly larvae) Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid 50s.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 67. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. We've only received about half an inch over the past 24 hours. Nothing to muddy up or even stain creeks significantly. Everything is clear to slightly stained with water temps in the mid 50s. The cooler weather and clouds have fish feeding very well subsurface on scuds and leeches as well as cranefly larvae, and tiny bead head nymphs. The caddis hatch has stalled with the cold front, but the craneflies are still popping all day long. Look for sporadic, splashy rises and tie on a cranefly or orange soft hackle! Mousing has started and fishing larger subsurface patterns at night has yielded some nice fish too.
Periods of showers, mainly before 1pm. High near 56. East wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Cooler, cloudy and drizzly weather has made fishing fantastic. While the caddis have slowed down a bit, the cranefly hatch has really kicked into high gear. Look for splashy rises. Subsurface fishing is excellent on gray anythings. Scuds, cranefly larvae, anat-o-may, pink squirrels as long as it is grey the fish seem to be eating it! It has only drizzled and rained lightly a bit, creeks are clear and a bit low with water temperatures in the mid 50s.
A slight chance of showers before noon, then a chance of showers after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 62. Breezy, with an east wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Looking at some nice clouds and a cooler week this week! Expect the fish to respond, especially on scuds and leeches subsurface. The cloudy weather will blunt the caddis hatch a bit, but the craneflies will be strong and a few olives will be seen under the clouds. Don't forget to try your hippie stompers! Fish are looking up and can go after a big meal. Creeks are low and clear with water temps in the mid to high 50s. We are not supposed to get dumped on with rain, so things should remain clear all week.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. North wind 10 to 14 mph. Today is the regular season opener. The creeks are a zoo, it would be a good weekend to get some stuff done around the house. If you do fish this weekend remember to fish nice! Give other anglers space, do not hop in above another angler! If there is a car at an access point and you can not check in with the angler, move to another spot. Caddis and craneflies are hatching daily, especially in the afternoon and evening, and fish are feeding subsurface on scuds, leeches, and cranefly larvae. Creeks are clear and low with temps in the mid 50s.
Sunny, with a high near 82. West wind 7 to 13 mph. Another warm and sunny day. Pleasant to be outside, but the sun is making fishing a bit difficult unless you are on a creek where the craneflies and caddis are hatching. Then it can be really fun! Creeks are low and clear with temps in the mid to high 50s. Caddis and craneflies are hatching daily with fish starting to feed in the afternoon and into the evening. Subsurface fishing has been best on leeches, gray scuds, pink squirrels, and frenchies. Keep in mind that this weekend is opening weekend, and can be quite busy. Remember to fish nice! If there is another angler at an access point or bridge check in with them to see which way they are fishing. If you can not check in, move on to another spot. Don't be the angler to hop in upstream of somebody already there!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. North wind 5 to 7 mph. A chilly night last night will have things moving slowly first thing in the morning, as the creeks warm up a bit, we will see an increase in caddis and cranefly activity and more active fish. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the mid 50s on average. Twitching a caddis or cranefly has been deadly lately on the surface. Don't forget to move your flies! Subsurface fishing has been best on gray things. Scuds, squirrels, cranefly larvae, jiggy hare's ears etc. Followed closely by small, thin bodied dark flies such as pheasant tails and frenchies.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. North wind 9 to 15 mph. A brief, heavy rain storm last night dumped half to 3/4 of an inch of rain last night quickly. While this will not have a lasting effect, look for a creek or two to run with a bit of a stain first thing this morning. Expect clear to slightly stained water area wide with temperatures in the mid to high 50s. The sun is doing us no major favors right now early in the morning as it keeps fish deep and hiding under the banks. Luckily, the caddis and cranefly hatch are bringing them out in the afternoon! Subsurface flies that are working best are dirty birds, coulee scuds, and leeches. On the surface we are having luck with craneflies and caddis in darker colors. Do not forget to move your flies! Caddis and craneflies are active swimmers and messy hatchers. This time of season movement can be more important that size, silhouette or color.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 68. Breezy, with a west wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. The caddis and craneflies are back in a big way. Tan caddis are the main hatch, but there are still a few black showing up too. The fishing fish start to show up in the late morning or early afternoon. Before they start to rise, look for fish to feed on small bead head nymphs, leeches, and caddis larvae/pupae subsurface as well as chase orange soft hackles. The creeks are crystal clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid 50s. Remember the sun will drive non rising fish to deeper pools and undercut banks.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Northeast wind 3 to 5 mph. Light rain over the weekend did not do anything for water clarity, it is still crystal clear and running cold. Now that the sun is out, the olives will be less of a factor, while the caddis will return. We also saw our first major cranefly hatch yesterday. Look for fish to eat craneflies from here on out! Subsurface fishing will slow down a bit with fish holding deep and under cover to get out of the sun. A heavily weighted scud or pheasant tail type fly twitched along the bottom will do the trick. Orange soft hackles will be in play now with the cranefly hatch on, and of course leeches are still working!
Showers, mainly after 3pm. High near 53. Breezy, with an east wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Drizzle later and breezy all day. Watch for olives to hatch as they came off strong yesterday afternoon. They are the freakish looking size 16s. We also saw quite a few craneflies area wide. Subsurface fishing was best on frenchies and scuds and other tungsten weighted bugs. We have had little to no rain lately, which means creeks are clear with water temps in the low to mid 50s.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east in the afternoon. It's warming up! After a couple very chilly days we're looking much more comfortable coming into the weekend. Look for increased fish activity throughout the day. We did not receive much rain at all, the creeks are clear and flowing a bit low. We saw some nice olive hatches in the cloudy weather the past couple of days, and as long as the clouds stay in, look for gently rising fish. The sunny weather predicted for Sunday will bring the caddis back out. Subsurface fishing has been solid on scuds and leeches (especially in olive) as well as smaller, heavy bead head nymphs. Fish are in the deeper holes unless a hatch is coming off.
Rain likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 44. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Cold, windy and rainy. Perfect fishing weather! The clouds have helped quite a bit making scuds more active, and the little rain has put a tiny bit of water in the system (not nearly enough to stain the water) but the bump of water has fish on the feed. Look for olives to hatch more strongly than caddis in this weather, although fish will eat pretty much anything in a size 16 if they are rising. Hippie stompers have been particularly effective... Creeks are low and clear with temps in the in mid 50s.
Showers likely, mainly after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Breezy, with an east wind 18 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Windy today as a storm system blows in. The weather will not get too dicey it looks like the short term forecast is calling for light rain on and off all week and into the weekend. The creeks could use the rain at this point, especially as nice soaking showers! Fishing has been lots of fun lately. The creeks are low and a touch clear with water temperatures in the mid 50s. Caddis are still the main hatch, but we have started to see craneflies appear, and the olives are still hanging on in the mornings and evenings. Subsurface fishing has been great on scuds, as well as dirty birds, frenchies, and leeches. Remember to twitch your bugs! Fish have been responding positively to a little wiggle, especially on the caddis and cranefly dries.
solated showers and thunderstorms between noon and 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Breezy, with a southeast wind 9 to 16 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Windy with a small chance of rain. We have yet to get ANY rain which means creeks are low and clear with temps in the 50s. The caddis hatch is still around, especially on the Timber Coulee, but it is significantly stronger on sunny days. When the clouds roll in the hatch dies down. We're doing well on the cloudy days on scuds and she hulks, something with a larger profile subsurface. There are still a few olives hatching when the sun is off the water too.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. South wind 9 to 11 mph. The caddis weather continues! We're seeing tan and black caddis daily on most creeks, and have even started to see some craneflies show up in the mix. Olives are slowly fading, but fish will still pick up on size 18-20 parachutes in the early morning and late evening. Trout are also eating larger parachutes (12-14) in the riffles mid day. Subsurface fishing is best on small pheasant tail type flies (frenchies!) as well as dirty birds and caddis pupae. Do not forget olive leeches as the creek lamprey are spawning right now. Creeks are low and clear with water temperatures in the mid 50s.
Partly sunny, with a high near 58. North wind 6 to 10 mph. Between the caddis and the creek lamprey, fishing has been fantastic lately! The caddis hatch is still going on strong, both black and tan caddis are hatching mid day. There are still a few olives hatching as well, but they are far more active on cloudy days. The other big food event is the creek lamprey spawn. Look for little bowls of brushed gravel and fish a big olive leech in the holes nearby! Subsurface fishing has also remains steady on franchise, pheasant tails, she hulks, caddis pupae, and leeches. Creeks are clear and a touch low (we received no significant rain the past few days, just some sprinkles) with temperatures in the 50s. We've been getting more and more complaints about poor angling etiquette. Please remember that if there is somebody parked at an access point that you should check in with them to see where they are fishing and fish the other direction. If you can't see the angler you should move on to another access point. There is plenty of water to fish in the Driftless. Please do not hop in the water above another angler!
mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Wow, have the caddis been thick lately. While not on every creek, they are out and about in the afternoon getting fish to rise, even on the sunniest of days. There are some black caddis out, but tan seem to outnumber them. Creeks are clear and a bit low with temps in the 50s. Subsurface fishing is still solid on frenchies, dirty birds, and midge larvae. In addition to the caddis on the surface, fish will still take pretty much anything small and purple, as well as ants and beetles. We have had a few anglers report success on mice in the evenings already too!
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. East wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of showers after 5 p.m. Back to normal spring weather, and the fish have responded. Subsurface action is much more consistent without the sun shining down on fish, and water temperatures have gotten back to normal averaging 50 degrees area wide. When the sun peeks out from the clouds, caddis will hatch. Otherwise look for fish to eat olives and some larger mayflies and some midges. There is also a sporadic spinner fall of olives in the early morning too that can have fish rising before the sun climbs high in the sky. Subsurface fishing has been hot on scuds, dirty birds, and leeches are still going strong right now. Creeks are a bit low and running clear with temps around 50 degrees. Hatches are beginning around mid day.
Scattered showers before 9am, then scattered showers after 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 61. East wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. The unseasonably hot weather is finally gone, now back to our regularly scheduled good Aril fishing. There should be much more activity subsurface today with scuds leading the charge. Fishing blue winged olive nymphs as well as midge larvae and other small, heavy bead head nymphs will be good underneath the clouds. Hatch wise, the weather has turned much more to mayfly weather, although the caddis hatch will still go on, just not as heavily as it does on sunny days. Creeks are crystal clear and flowing normal to a bit low with water temperatures in the low to mid 50s. The ground is very dry, and any light rain will be soaked in keeping creeks flowing clearly this week.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Unseasonably hot again today. Fish early and late and avoid the sun if possible. The warm sun has brought out the caddis, but where they are not hatching heavily the fish are hiding from the sun. Caddis are the main hatch with both black and tan flies present. Splashy rises mean fish feeding on caddis or caddis emergers. There are also olives still hatching and some creeks getting a morning spinner fall. Subsurface fishing is best on midge larvae, scuds, leeches in the mid day to get fish to come out from undercut banks, and caddis larvae/pupae. Creeks are very clear with water temperatures in the 50s to high 50s.
Sunny, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 9 to 13 mph. Caddis. That's really all that needs to be said. Tans and blacks hatching area wide starting around mid day. We've been fishing dries most of the day on our guide trips with success. On the creeks that aren't getting a heavy hatch, fishing subsurface with a dirty bird or frenchie has been effective.
Sunny, with a high near 72. Southeast wind 9 to 14 mph. The warm sunny weather has brought the caddis! The Timber Coulee has been the most prolific for the caddis, but most of the creeks are seeing rising fish and caddis hatches. Trout are also still eating olives on the surface even in the bright sun! Subsurface fishing has been best with tiny pheasant tails, frenchies, leeches, and caddis pupae/emergers. Water is clear and flowing well with temperatures in the mid 40s to low 50s area wide. The sun will shine all weekend, remember your sunscreen!
Sunny, with a high near 64. South wind 7 to 15 mph. Caddis are starting to show up slowly but surely on area creeks. With this warmer, sunny weather we should see more as we head into the weekend! Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid 40s to 50. The bright sun will be difficult to fish until bugs start to show up, so find some shade and concentrate on deeper pools and undercut banks. Subsurface flies that have been best are Dirty Birds, scuds, leeches, and pheasant tails. On the surface fish are liking simple parachute adams and hippie stompers. Where the caddis are hatching we have seen both black and tan caddis.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. South wind 11 to 13 mph. We're still on caddis watch! Some caddis hatching yesterday and a handful of fish rising, even in the bright sun. The hatch is not here quite yet, but with the warm and sunny weather on its way we might see them by the end of the week. We will keep you updated. Fish are feeding happily when the sun is off the water on scuds, frenchies, and prince nymphs. In the deeper pools mid day, leeches have been the ticket to get fish to come out from under structure and from the depths to eat. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid to high 40s area wide.
Sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. The weather has turned for the better! Consistent weather is excellent for the driftless, and although the sun will be shining through the weekend, the warming of the creeks should bring the caddis out to play! We have seen light and sporadic hatches here and there of black (and even a few tan) caddis already. Olives have also been hatching in the later afternoon and evening giving us rising fish the past few evenings. Subsurface action has been excellent on leeches, pink squirrels, she hulks, dirty birds, and scuds as well as simple pheasant tail and copper john patterns. Creeks are clear and flowing well with temperatures in the mid 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 45. Breezy, with a west wind 13 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Olives showed up yesterday, as did some caddis (not a ton of caddis, but enough to get us to take notice!). The caddis watch has officially begun. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid to high 40s area wide. Typically in the cooler mornings we are fishing sub surface with scuds, leeches, dirty birds, and heavy bead heads rolled along the bottom. As things start to warm up, fish will start to look up and are feeding mainly on olives and olive emergers. Watch for caddis any day now, and do not be afraid to tie on a smaller terrestrial if the fish are not responding to olive dries!
Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Northeast wind 7 to 9 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Sun is shining all day today which should give us an olive hatch in the afternoon. Otherwise, subsurface fishing has been best on leeches, franchise, she hulks, and dirty birds fished int he deep pools. Do not be afraid to throw ants or beetles to rising fish if they aren't interested in your olive patterns! This can be deadly this time of year.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Breezy, with a northwest wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. The weather outside is..... interesting..... chilly, breezy and lightly snowing (which may or may not turn to drizzle lately). The thing is, fishing is still good in the afternoon, when things 'warm up' a bit. Fishing has been solid bouncing bottom with scuds and dark bodied bead head. Leeches have been the meal of choice, often hitting them aggressively on the first pass. We're still seeing pods of blue winged olives sporadically getting a pool of fish to rise. We've been fishing olives until the fish will not take them any more, then switching over to a hippie stomper and getting more fish to eat! Saturday's weather looks good, as does Sunday morning.
Scattered sprinkles and flurries before 11am, then scattered sprinkles between 11am and noon. Cloudy, with a high near 44. North wind 10 to 14 mph. Despite some pretty mediocre weather for humans, the fishing has been really good! Dry flies most of the afternoon yesterday had fish eating on the surface on olives, midges, and hippie stompers. Creeks are clear to slightly stained and flowing well with water temperatures in the mid 40s. Subsurface fishing has been the most consistent with fish taking scuds, dirty birds, leeches, and BWO nymphs as long as they are fished along the bottom. In the afternoons you can switch to soft hackles and emergers as well as dries when fish start rising.
Rain before 10am, then a chance of showers after 3pm. Patchy fog before 9am. High near 48. Breezy, with a south wind 6 to 11 mph becoming northwest 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Another kind of dreary day... Great for fishing! The cloud cover gives us a bit of an edge sneaking up on the fish, especially on the clear flowing creeks! Fishing has been solid lately, mostly subsurface in the mornings on scuds, leeches, and heavy bead heads. In the afternoons we are seeing a few olives hatching and get rising fish.
Showers, mainly after 11am. High near 39. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Drizzle this afternoon, but nothing that should mess up water clarity at all. We're in our spring soaking shower phase of the season! Creeks are clear to stained with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s area wide. Nights have been very cold, so getting up first thing in the morning is not necessary. Still olives hatching, although it has slowed down with cooler water temps, and fish are still eating well subsurface on scuds, she hulks, leeches, and small dark bodied bead heads.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. North wind 5 to 8 mph. Creeks are in great shape, and fish are very happy! Water is clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the mid 40s area wide. The recent rains have done an excellent job in filling the springs, but have not been enough to stop the fishing! On the clear waters, we are fishing scuds, smaller bead head nymphs, and midge larvae subsurface, while olives have been hatching pretty well on a daily basis giving us the chance at some dry fly fish on mergers and flush riding surface patterns. On the stained waters leeches, buggers, and streamers have been a ton of fun!
A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before 9am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 35. Windy, with a northwest wind 22 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Really crummy wind today. Casting will be very tough! Creeks are in good shape with clear to stained conditions area wide. The olive hatch is still going on, but due to the wind dry fly activity is going to be slim at best. Look for fish to eat subsurface on scuds, leeches, and small bead heads in darker colors. Tomorrow the wind mellows out and the temperature climbs back to something a bit more comfortable.
Showers likely, mainly before noon. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 42. Breezy, with a light west wind becoming northwest 11 to 16 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Creeks have dropped and cleared well overnight. There was no significant rain late yesterday and the murky water started to subside in the afternoon. Overall expect clear to milky water area wide with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s. The weekend looks good condition wise, but windy which means fishing the olive hatch might be difficult! Find a sheltered area to get out of the wind. It looks like a leech, scud, and streamer Saturday. Sunday will be warmer and sunny again with the wind still prevalent, but still blowing.
Scattered showers before 8am, then a chance of rain after 8am. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Northeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Creeks are in pretty good shape after recent rains, clear to murky area wide. Yesterday's rains were never too heavy averaging an inch in the past 24 hours. We are seeing stain and some murky water, which will start to clear up quickly today. Most of the rain soaked into the ground (it smells like worms outside this morning!) Reports of olives hatching all day yesterday with fish rising all day too! Today will see clouds and possible showers again. It should not be enough or heavy enough to blow anything out significantly. These have been good soaking spring rains. Creeks are running in the low to high 40s water temperature wise, and running clear to murky. In the dirty water, fishing leeches and buggers as well as larger scuds and san juan worms is effective. On the clear waters, trout are eating heavy bead heads in dark colors and small (16-20) as well as scuds. There are hatches of olives and fish will eat olive emergers and dries when rising. Do not be afraid to try a small terrestrial to rising fish too!
Showers and thunderstorms likely, then periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 11am. High near 53. South wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Fishing has been fantastic the past few days with fish feeding well subsurface, and surface feeders in the afternoon on creek with temperatures over 45 (even on hippie stompers already!). Overall the Driftless is in excellent shape with good flows and clear water. We're slated for some rain the next day or two and we will keep you updated on clarity and conditions. It isn't supposed to be a heavy rain which means much of it will soak into the ground and make its way into the springs! Hatches of midges and olives daily, we have started to see a small number of black caddis on a few creeks as well. Subsurface leeches, franchise, and dirty birds have been excellent lately.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. South wind 7 to 14 mph. Sunny today, then clouds roll in for the next few days. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in the 40s to 50. These are excellent conditions for spring! We have seen olives in the afternoons with many creeks giving us the opportunity to fish for rising fish. The best success is still subsurface on small bead heads, dirty birds (which won the one fly contest again!), scuds and leeches. Do not be afraid to throw small terrestrials as fish have already begun to pick up on ants and small beetles fished on the surface as well as sunken. We have also started to see some rodents moving around on the edges of the creeks. If the evenings stay warm, mousing is possible!
Sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. A nice warmer spring day today! Look for fish to feed subsurface early in the riffles and runs, then retreat to shade as the sun climbs in the sky. Around 2:30 or 3 start to look for olives which were hatching in decent numbers all weekend long. Creeks are flowing well and very clear with water temps in the mid 40s to 50.
A 10 percent chance of rain after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Great looking day to fish! We saw olives yesterday pretty much area wide. Fish were happily feeding subsurface and some looking up in the mid to late afternoon. Creeks are clear with temps in the low 40s to high 40s.
Sunny, with a high near 42. South wind 6 to 9 mph. Not much snow on the ground, only 2-3 inches total. We had a nice slow melt yesterday which should continue today and into the weekend. It should not be enough to make water temperatures tank (they are still 40-50 degrees) or to muddy up the water considerably with the exception of areas that see heavy runoff. Fishing has been solid the past couple of days with fish happily ignoring the weird weather outside of the water. They are eating mostly subsurface on heavily weighted scuds and nymphs rolled along the bottom. Larger fish are still chasing streamers and leeches too. Dry fly activity has been spotty, with fish eating midges and small stonefly dries as well as ants and beetles. Creeks are flowing well and crystal clear to slightly stained.
It's pretty messy out there! Be careful if you are driving. Mix of snow and ice again today with an inch accumulation expected. High near 33. Breezy, with a northeast wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. There was not as much snow as predicted. We only received 2-3 inches of snow total, sitting on top of 1/8 an inch of ice. Look for this to begin melting tomorrow. It should be a nice slow melt as the ground is not frozen and it will not be too warm tomorrow (high of 41). So we are not expecting muddy water, however creek temperatures could drop a bit tomorrow. Today things are clear and flowing at about 40 degrees area wide. Midges and leeches are still on the menu and olives probably will not appear again until things warm up a bit over the weekend.
Rain, snow, and freezing rain before 3pm, then rain or freezing rain between 3pm and 5pm, then rain and freezing rain, possibly mixed with snow and sleet after 5pm. Temperature falling to around 32 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northeast wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible. What a jumble of a weather forecast for today! The bottom line is this: The creeks are in great shape for early season, but the existing will be miserable today with a falling temperature and wind. Add to that a winter storm coming tonight, and this will be a good day to stay home. Things mellow out a bit for the weekend and as usual, we will keep you posted.
Get out and fish! This is the last nice weather day until we hit the weekend. We're looking at wind and snow (5-9 inches forecasted Wednesday night!) heading our way tomorrow. Things mellow out by the weekend. Fishing has been great on scuds, midge larvae, and dirty birds as well as leeches. There are hatches daily, with a few pods of fish rising to the midges and winter stoneflies coming off. Water temperatures are in the low to mid 40s area wide which means we are close to our early olive hatches appearing again!
Partly sunny, with a high near 47. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. The cool weather continues (and gets even chillier the next couple of days before the weekend). which means there is no need to get up early to fish! Fishing has been solid as creeks are running at 40 degrees to 45 degrees with clear to stained water area wide. Fish are eating mostly subsurface on tiny bead heads, scuds, dirty birds, and leech patterns. In the afternoons we are seeing some hatches of midges and winter stoneflies which have sporadic pods of fish rising. The dry fly bite is not predictable however.
Scattered rain and snow showers between 2pm and 4pm, then scattered rain showers after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 42. North wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Finally the wind has calmed down! Despite the winds, fishing has been good recently. Creeks are clear and flowing well with temperatures hovering right around 40 degrees. The weekend is looking good weather wise, it will not be warm and evenings are getting below freezing again which means an early start is not at all necessary. Fishing will start as water temperatures rise (remember your thermometer!) around 10 a.m. and continue until temperatures start to drop in the evening. Fish are eating scuds and leeches subsurface as well as heavy bead head nymphs. Hatches are sparse and consist of midges and winter stoneflies with a trickle of olives popping off on the warmer creeks. Rising fish will appear in the late morning and early afternoon.
Scattered showers, mainly after 2pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 45. Breezy, with a west wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Despite the wind (which was terrible yesterday!) the creeks are in good shape with the majority clear to slightly stained. Things have cooled down a little bit, so the surface activity has gone back to a few stoneflies and midges in the afternoons. If water temperatures rise above 45 again, we will see the olive hatches we had last weekend. Fishing has been great subsurface on heavy bead head nymphs, scuds, and leeches. On cloudier water San Juan worms and dirty birds have been excellent.
UPDATE: 11:15 From reports in the field, the Timber Coulee system is more than fishable, and lots of clear to stained water area wide. The larger creeks are still showing some milky/murky water. Rain. High near 45. Windy, with a west wind 24 to 34 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Drizzly and very windy. The rains yesterday fell pretty heavily, things are murky as of now, but are already clearing. Overall expect stained to murky water with all creeks rapidly clearing today. However, the wind is howling right now and it will be difficult at best to make a good cast. Under conditions like these, fishing a leech or streamer with a San Juan worm or other "meat" fly behind it can work well as you do not need an accurate cast or perfect drift.
Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10am. High near 57. Southeast wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A bit of rain will not hurt right now. It isn't going to rain too heavily if it is supposed to only accumulate half an inch or so. Watch for fish to put on the feed bag before the rains. Water temps are 40-50 and running clear. This rain should not be enough to muddy things up to an unfishable level, but we will keep you posted.
Areas of fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 57. Light and variable wind. A great weekend of fishing. The sun has warmed up the waters well with temperatures in the 40s to even 50 degrees in some cases! This has caused quite a few bugs to become active. Midges and winter stoneflies are the major bugs right now, but on the warmer creeks (45-50) we have seen even a few olives! Creeks are clear and flowing well. The snow has disappeared and bankside vegetation is nowhere to be found! Fish are eating scuds and midge larvae very well, especially on overcast days. Otherwise fishing leeches and larger nymphs such as a dirty bird or brush hog is catching fish.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Fishing solid! We have seen quite a few bugs hatching including midges, stoneflies, and even a random caddis! A few anglers were catching rising fish on beetles. Water temps are in the mid 40s to 50 and creeks are running clear. The sun is making fish spooky, so make sure to approach with a bit of stealth.
Sunny, with a high near 59. Light southeast wind becoming south 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Incredible weather today and through the weekend. Creeks are clear and flowing well, with temperatures in the high 30s to high 40s. The sun warming the stream bed has flies hatching in the afternoon/evening. Midges and stoneflies will be around today and tomorrow. Sunday will be drizzly and should have some very active subsurface fishing. Fish have responded well to heavily weighted nymphs and scuds as well as leeches all day long. Tiny dark flies are excellent right now as they represent both midges and stones! They will move out of the holes and runs and into the riffles as the water temperature increases and start to feed on midge emergers. When the sun is out, make sure to be as stealthy as possible as fish can be spooky!
Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 51. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Looks like an excellent afternoon for fishing. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures around 40 degrees area wide. The clouds yesterday held surface fishing back a bit, the sun today should get some sporadic hatches of midges and winter stones and some fish rising. Otherwise subsurface fishing has been great, as long as the fly is sinking deep. Make sure to fish tungsten bead flies or add a little weight to your rig to get your fly down! The sun actually helps things out quite a bit in the early season. It needs to warm the stream bed to get things going right now. Just make sure you approach stealthily as high sun and clear water will get things going, but it also makes fish a bit spookier!
Cloudy, with a high near 49. West wind 7 to 10 mph. A pretty normal day today. Creeks are clear and a bit low with water temperatures in the low to mid 40s. There is little to no snow on the ground anymore so fear of any snowmelt dropping water temperatures is gone. Winter stonelifes and midges have been hatching the past few days with fish feeding on them sporadically in the afternoon. Subsurface fishing has been excellent lately on midge larvae, scuds and heavy bead heads fished along the bottom, and leeches or smaller streamers. Water temperatures are at the point that fish will feed well throughout most of the day with the major activity in the early afternoon.
Rain likely, mainly before 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch. Weather change today, but it should not mess the fishing up too much. Things were great yesterday with midges hatching almost all day and fish gorging on larvae and pupae and even some rising fish in the afternoon! Creeks are still clear as the light rain was not enough to muddy up the water, nor was the snowmelt heavy. There is little to no snow left on the banks, and walking around is quite easy. Look for fish to continue to eat their early season menu of midges, scuds, leeches, and other heavy bead head nymphs fished on the bottom. With warmer water temperatures (average 40 right now) fish will move out of deeper holes and into the riffles and runs, especially mid day, to feed.
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 61. South wind 8 to 10 mph. Fantastic weather for the Driftless! Fishing has been quite fun with fish eating leeches, midge larvae, and heavy tungsten bead head nymphs. Water temperatures are 40 and above which means fish are still predominately in the deeper holes but have started to move out into the riffles and runs. There have been rising fish eating winter stoneflies and midges sporadically. Look for hatches mid day and into the afternoon.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. North wind 5 to 13 mph. Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the high 30s to mid 40s. Warm and cloudy weather today means good fishing but probably limited dry fly action. Look for the fish to eat subsurface on midge larvae, scuds, and leeches. Tomorrow will be warm and sunny early, then start to cloud up. Another excellent early season day weather wise! When the sun shines on the water, we see more hatch activity.
Rain and snow likely, mainly after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 36. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Little to no snow/rain is expected to fall. The warming trend continues! The slow warming is really getting the fish going eating mostly subsurface, but Saturday and Sunday's sunny weather should get more midges hatching. These are excellent conditions in the Driftless. A slow melt that percolates into the ground and doesn't have too much of an affect on water temperatures. Creeks are clear and flowing well with water temperatures in 39-45 area wide. Midge larvae, heavy czech style nymphs, scuds, leeches, and pink squirrels subsurface. Smokejumper midges and unweighted pheasant tail nymphs fished in the film for rising fish.
Scattered flurries before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 34. East wind around 6 mph becoming north in the afternoon. The Driftless is warming up quickly! With these temperatures, fishing will really pick up. There is little snow left on the ground, and we are getting a nice, slow melt and lots of it absorbed into the ground. Creeks are flowing well and are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s. Hatches of winter stones and midges are sparse still, but with steady warmer temperatures they should pick up in the next few days. Subsurface fishing has been very solid on midge larvae, heavy nymphs, scuds, and leeches. Try tossing a streamer right now for bigger fish!
Increasing clouds, with a high near 28. Wind chill values as low as -2. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. A chilly winter day, but the forecast for the weekend gets into the 40s thankfully! Fishing is still solid as water temperatures have not plunged to shut fishing down, however it is downright uncomfortable out there today. Fishing is best mid day when water temperatures have increased a bit. Trout are eating leeches, scuds, midges, and other heavy nymphs fished along the bottom.
Snow, mainly before 10am. High near 26. Northeast wind 9 to 13 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. Snow last night dropped about an inch or two area wide. Nothing to make life difficult for anglers, and it is much needed water in the system! Fishing has been really good after the warm weekend, but with chilly nights ahead it will start to slow down and the good fishing will be compressed into the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. time slot again. Trout have been eating midge larvae, leeches, scuds, and copper johns subsurface. The hatch activity has been limited with sporadically rising fish that are eating midge mergers. Creeks are flowing well and clear to slightly stained.
Mostly cloudy, with a temperature rising to near 37 by 11am, then falling to around 30 during the remainder of the day. Breezy, with a west wind 9 to 17 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Happy Leap Day! The early preview of spring ends today as the warm front rolls out of the area and colder temperatures settle in for the rest of the week. Fishing was fantastic with the warmer water temps with fish happily eating leeches, scuds, an midges. We even had some dry fly and soft hackle activity in the afternoons. Although things are getting cold again, the good news is that most of the snow is gone, making parking and getting around stream side easier. Creeks are low and clear with water temps in the high 30s to mid 40s.
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 34. West wind 6 to 9 mph. The wind has died down and the weather is getting absolutely gorgeous! Fishing has been good the past couple of days and should continue to get better into the weekend. Look for fish to eat leeches, scuds, and heavy czech style nymphs as well as midges. Hatch activity has been low, but with the warm day on Saturday they might show up. The snowpack is light, but there is still some snow on the ground. Make sure you use your thermometer. Water temperatures are in the mid to high 30s which is perfect for winter fishing. You just want to make sure that you are fishing a rising temperature as opposed to a falling temperature. Snowmelt puts icy cold water into the creeks and can slow fishing down quickly.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Despite breezy conditions (which end tomorrow), fishing has been pretty good. Hatch activity has been slight lately with the clouds in the sky, but fish have been happily eating leeches, scuds, and midge larvae subsurface. The weekend is looking very warm! The snow pack is low with many bare spots on the ground so runoff will not be horrible even with temperatures hitting near 50 on Saturday. The shoulders of roads are clear and parking is easy.
Cloudy, with a high near 37. Breezy, with a north wind 10 to 16 mph. Windy today and tomorrow, but temperatures are still great for February fishing. Finding a sheltered area, or fishing leeches and streamers will help when the wind is up. Creeks are low and clear with no significant snowmelt the past few days. There is not a lot of snow on the ground with bare patches visible and shoulders roadside all clear (easy parking!). Look for fish to be most active from about 9 to 3 on most days. Dry fly fishing is spotty as we need the sun to bring up water temperature just a bit more. Once we get sun, we see fish rising steadily again in the afternoon.
Cloudy, with a high near 40. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Solid winter fishing is here! There is still just a little snow on the ground, making parking and getting around very easy. Creeks are low and clear to slightly stained with temperatures right around 40 degrees. There have been rising fish in the afternoon with midges hatching sporadically on pretty much a daily basis at this point. Most of the fishing is subsurface however, with trout feeding on midge larvae, bright bead head nymphs, scuds, and leeches.
Cloudy, with a high near 35. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph. After a a warm weekend of good fishing, our streams are running clear to slightly stained with water temps 38-45 degrees. Limited dry fly activity over the weekend, most fish ate leeches, midge larvae and scuds subsurface. The entire week ahead looks good, not too warm to muddy anything up with snowmelt, and not too cold to be outside!
Increasing clouds, with a high near 44. West wind 10 to 13 mph. Fishing has been solid with the warmer weather. Just be wary of runoff. Take water temperatures and if they are falling fishing will be poor. And some creeks might turn muddy if it gets too hot today.
Increasing clouds, with a high near 48. Windy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph becoming west 21 to 26 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Good news, the rain is out of the forecast, so runoff is not a major concern anymore, even the nights are cooler which will lock up any real runoff. Bad news, wow is it windy today! Find a stream where the wind is at your back, or somewhere sheltered. Leeches do not need a nice dead drift, so those are a go to on windy days. The bonus is that they are working incredibly well too! With the warmer temperatures, look for fish to move out of the deeper holes and into the runs. Tomorrow is warm and sunny, we should see hatches in the afternoon. PLUS, the wind dies down to normal on Saturday. Shop is open today from noon to five, all day Saturday, and Sunday from nine to noon.
A slight chance of drizzle after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 40. Breezy, with a southeast wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Water is incredible! Warmer temps have kept water temps at 40 degrees. It has not gotten quite warm enough for any real snowmelt. There is some so be sure to use your thermometer. When the water temperatures start to drop fishing will slow down. Although the weather is still excellent, and we have seen hatches of midges and winter stones, the thing to be wary of today and tomorrow is the wind. It will be gusting pretty heavily today and tomorrow, but looks like it calms down for Saturday. As usual, we will keep you posted if anything major changes, but it looks great for Saturday and Sunday!
Sunny, with a high near 28. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Creeks are in great shape with the warming weather! Fishing has been good for the winter the past few days, with anglers catching a few fish in the afternoon. Water temperatures are hovering close to and above 40 area wide. Creeks are low and clear, which means spooky fish. With the water temperatures warming, we have seen winter stoneflies and a few midges. There have been a few rising fish, but expect more as we head into a warmer weekend. Leeches fished deep have been the hot fly all winter long, and as things warm up we have been catching more fish on scuds, midge larvae, and other small bead head nymphs.
cloudy, with a high near 34. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40% Wow what a good week of winter fishing we have. Things started out strong yesterday with fish happily eating scuds, midge larvae and leeches rolled along the bottom of deeper pools. Water temps were 35-40 yesterday. With warmer weather coming, look for the fish to move out of the deepest spots and start feeding in the runs. The weekend weather is supposed to hit 40 degrees! If that happens watch for some hatches to come off mid day. Also when the temperatures get above 40 make sure you are using your thermometer, as snowmelt later in the day will drop the water temperature and cause fishing to shut down.
Glad to have that weekend behind us! Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 27. Southwest wind 3 to 7 mph. A bit more welcoming weather this week as things warm up. The weekend we're looking at 40 degrees. Fish are eating leeches and scuds well, and when the sun is out they will feed heavily on midge larvae and other small bead heads. Creeks are low and clear with water temps ranging from 35-40 depending on the influence of the springs.
Sunny, with a high near 9. Wind chill values as low as -23. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. No fishing today. Shop is closed.
Mostly Sunny High 13 Wind NW 17-21 MPH Cold and windy, with windchill below zero again today. The good news is that the sun is shining and actually getting a bit of melt on the front of the shop! The solar warmth is excellent, but it is miserable to be out in the wind and cold. Sunday/Monday gets back to better temperatures. HEADS UP: We will be closed this weekend. Saturday's forecast is grim. Sunny, with a high near 9. Wind chill values as low as -23. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.
Sun, then clouds in the afternoon High 16 Windchill as low as -12 Wind 6 MPH NW changing to SW Another cold day out there. Fishing will be difficult as your line will ice up pretty quickly. The good news is that the sun has been out and has kept stream side ice formation lower than it would would be on cloudy days. We're still looking at Sunday and Monday as decent weather and more fishable days ahead.
Sunny High 12 Windchill down to -15 I'm just going to stop after the windchill. Today is not a great day to fish! If you do go out today, make sure you are covered and warm! Doesn't look like it will warm up much until Sunday/Monday.
Cloudy and Cold High 13 Wind NW 14-16 Wind Chill down to -10 Cold and windy today. Time to tie some flies! The entire week looks pretty chilly. There is some sun in the later part of the week, but air temperatures remain cold.
Cloudy, Light Snow High 21 Wind NW 14-20 Creeks low and clear water temps 35-42 Not the best day to be fishing... The early part of the week looks cold. Later on the sun starts to shine which will get fishing moving, but the air temperatures stay pretty low. This week will be a gamble as the creeks will be warm, but the anglers will not! The warmer weekend got fish moving, but no real dry fly activity.
Cloudy, Light Snow High 21 Wind NW 14-18 Windy and chillier today, the entire week looks to be chilly. We will see what the sunnier weather does for the fishing later in the week, but colder than 25 with clouds is not the best to be out fishing in! The warm weekend gave us some pretty good fishing on leeches and midges. It has not been good dry fly weather as it has not been sunny enough.
Partly Sunny High 25 Wind W 5-7 Creeks Clear Water Temp 37-42 A decent day to be out fishing (rule of thumb, 25 degrees and sunny is decent fishing) but things get better tomorrow and Sunday when temperatures hit 33-36! Fish have been responding very well to leeches twitched throughgh the deeper holes and below springs. As water temperature rises and the sun warms the stream bed, look for increase feeding activity on midges and other small bead heads. Creeks are mostly ice free and flowing well for the winter. Snowshoes are helpful as snow is now boot to calf deep.
Mostly Cloudy High 25 Wind S 6-9 MPH Wind Chill as low as -4 Another fly tying day! We ventured out fishing yesterday and while the water temperatures were warm enough (38 degrees average) it was just cold to be outside! Fish ate leeches twitched through the holes, but overall fishing is pretty slow. The weekend warms up a bit and should be much more angler friendly!
High 28 Cloudy NW Wind 14-16 Creeks clear Water temps 35-40 Nearly a foot of snow fell yesterday and into today! While it temporarily made access to the stream, we were low on our snowpack and this is a much needed injection of moisture for the warmer part of the season. The weather remains pretty chilly until the weekend. Fishing will be pretty average until things warm up a bit or we get some sun. Focus on deeper pools and creeks that have heavy spring influence. The snow will not monkey with water temperatures too badly. Fish will be active mid day eating small bead heads, leeches and streamers. Time to get the snowshoes ready and scout the creeks, or stay home and tie flies!
Winter Storm Warning High 32 Wind E 15-21 Decent temperature today, but we are forecasted to get heavy snow and blowing winds! A good to day stay home and tie flies. Temperatures dip a bit mid week, but then get back to the mid 20s to low 30s and sunny for the weekend.
Sunny High 34 Wind W 5mph becoming calm in the afternoon Creeks low and clear Water Temps 35-44 Hurry up and fish today! After today, we are under a winter storm warning for Tuesday. We're forecasted for some much needed snow Tuesday to the tune of 6-10 inches. Fishing over the warmer weekend was fantastic with fish chasing leeches and streamers, feeding on midges and scuds, and even some eating dry flies! That will continue today until water temperatures start to drop in the afternoon as the sun drops in the sky.
Sunny, increasing clouds in the PM High 39 Wind S 6-8 Creeks low and clear Water temps 35-45 A gorgeous day to fish today! It is already warm (for January!) and pleasant out. Look for fish to feed earlier in the day after a warmer night and the sun hitting the water this morning. Your most important piece of equipment right now is your thermometer! A rising water temperature means fish will feed. As water temperature starts to drop, fish activity starts to shut down. Fish are feeding on small bead head nymphs with a bit of flash, as well as midge larvae. There is a chance for rising fish with the temperatures today. Hatches include midges and winter stoneflies. Leeches have been excellent lately, and with warmer water temperateres, do not hesitate to tie on a larger streamer to find some hungry big fish!
Partly Cloud High 30 Wind S 8-13 Creeks low and clear (winter flows) Water temps 36-44 The temperatures over the next few days are ideal! Not too warm to cause rapid snowmelt, and not too cold that it stinks being outside! Look for midges and winter stoneflies to hatch if the sun is out most of the day. Water temperatures are key. Fish will eat on rising water temperatures, and will begin to shut down on falling temperatures. Creeks are ice free for the most part, and the snow on the banks is not too deep to make walking impossible. In other words, for January we are looking at pretty much ideal conditions for the weekend and into next week. Fish are eating micro nymphs and small flashy bead heads. Scuds, midge larvae, and pink squirrels are also in the mix. Leeches and streamers are always a fantastic winter fly, and you can find some surprisingly big fish this time of year. Just remember to keep your retrieve a bit slower than you normally would.
Cloudy High 34 Wind NW 13-17 with gusts Creeks Low and Clear Water Temps 38-44 Warmer weather the next few days and heading into the weekend! The slightly warmer temperatures gave us midge hatches and we even saw some winter stoneflies yesterday. Fish were feeding on the surface. Fishing is solid for winter time! Fish are eating just below the riffles and into the runs. You can also find pods of fish in the deeper pools. The water is low and clear with fish being a bit spooky, so use some caution as you stand out quite a bit with a white background! Trout are eating leeches and streamers in the deeper pools, and are feeding on small, flashy bead head nymphs and midge larvae in the runs and riffles. An unweighted pheasant tail greased and in the surface is deadly for rising fish when the standard midge dries are not getting them to eat.
Sunny with clouds in the PM High 31 Wind SW 7-15 Clear and low water Water Temps 35-42 Gorgeous, sunny morning this morning will start to wake the fishery up. Yesterday was a bit cooler than expected and fishing was difficult. We're looking at some pretty excellent temperatures the next few days (pushing 40 on Saturday) with a slight chance for some precipitation. With days in the 30s and sunny and nights only dropping down into the 20s, we are in great shape for winter fishing in the driftless. Midge larvae, smaller pink squirrels, copper johns, leeches and streamers are all still the foods of choice. With a touch warmer water temperature do not be afraid to throw some larger streamers at the fish too!
CLoudy High 26 NW Wind 10-16 Creeks low and clear Water temps 35-40 The wintry weather is starting to fade after today. We got about 2 inches of snow last night, and today will be windy as the storm leaves the area. Tomorrow looks better, and Thursday through the weekend we are going to have 30 degrees and warmer. Looks like another good winter weekend!
High 33 Partly Cloudy Changing to a Wintry Mix and Snow in the afternoon/evening Wind E 6-8 mph Looks like we are going to get a little bit of precipitation tonight. Nothing disastrous, they are calling for an inch or two to fall total. The temperatures for the week look fantastic! With mid 20s to low 30s every day, and fairly mild nights look for fishing to be solid all week long! The weekend had fish feeding on the normal stuff, midge larvae, smaller pink squirrels, leeches, scuds, and buggers. Nothing changes in the winter for fly selection really. There were some sporadic rising fish eating midges on the surface in the afternoon. Not a major hatch, but some fish were looking up and some were caught on the surface.
Sunny, Cloud in the later afternoon High 27 Wind S 7-10 Creeks low and clear Water temps mid 30s to 40. Sun is your friend! The sun is bright this morning in a cloudless sky. This sets up a good fishable day. Focus on the creeks that get the most solar energy during the day. The water temperatures on those creeks will rise more rapidly which kickstarts fish feeding activity. Fish are feeding on small scuds, midge larvae, leeches and buggers.
Partly Cloudy High 24 Wind N 5-7 Creeks low and clear Water temps 38-40 Decent daytime temperatures followed by chilly nights this weekend. The fishing will be pretty good all weekend with favorable temperatures to be outside and not too cold to freeze gear up all day long. Earlier this week the frigid temperatures put some ice on sections of the creeks, so make sure you are fishing near springs or on streams that get a good amount of solar energy all day long. Fishing in the shade probably isn't going to work all that well! There is no need to get up early to fish. Water temperatures do not start warming up until about 10 a.m. Sleep in, grab an extra cup of coffee or a late breakfast and relax this weekend! Fishing has been solid on midge larvae, leeches, and wooly buggers. Nothing special in terms of flies, the fish just want things slowly rolled along the bottom of pools and runs below riffles, especially where springs are dumping in.
Cloudy High 25 Wind Light and Variable Creeks low and clear with a bit of ice still on them from a cold past few days Water temps 38-40 25 degrees is what we consider the lower end of the temperature range to fish. Anything below 25 will be frustrating with iced guides. Anything above 25 (especially on full sun days) will be good winter fishing. Today and tomorrow will be decent, setting us up for some fun. Fish are holding in the deeper pools (especially those with springs on the bottom or flowing into them) and below runs. It might take a bit of extra drive time today to find ice free spots but this will get easier the next couple of days. Fish are eating midge larvae and pupae, pink squirrels, leeches and buggers, and very small bead head flies.
Cloudy High 20 Wind SW 5mph Creeks low and clear Water Temps 38-40 The cold front is gone, and things will warm up a bit heading into the weekend! The mid to high 20s is the trigger for decent winter fishing conditions, so it looks like this weekend (highs in the mid to high 20s) might be a good one to get out of town and spend some time on the creeks! Fish have been eating leeches and buggers slowly drifted through the holes, and midge larvae in the runs below riffles. The best fishing is between 10 and 2. Remember your thermometer as it is very important to see what water temperatures are throughout the day. The minute they start to climb, the fish will feed. The minute they start to drop, the fishing will start to shut down.
Partly CLoudy High 11 (windchill as low -17) Wind W 11 Still cold for a couple more days. Thursday is looking like the first comfortable day this week. The weekend is forecasted for light winds and temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s. Excellent conditions for winter fishing! Creeks are low and clear with water temps below 40 due to the frigid weather of the past couple of days. Tomorrow starts a warming trend that will push water temps closer to the magic 40 mark and they will continue to stabilize and warm through the weekend. Midge larvae, scuds, squirrels, leeches and buggers are all the foods of choice this winter. Saturday and Sunday may see a midge hatch in the afternoon.
Sunny High 1 Wind W 8 MPH Water low and clear Water temps 35-40 Bitterly cold again today and lots of creeks will have ice after a couple of days of wind chill at 20-30 below! Things will get back to normal on Wednesday it looks like. Until then, tie some flies and stay warm! On days that the temperature is below 20 the shop is open by appointment. Call us and we will open up for you if you are in town.
Mostly Sunny High 9 Creeks low and clear Water temps 35-40 Sunny but cool with the temperature dropping throughout the day. Not the best conditions for fishing, but you can still find a few active fish early on. Tomorrow looks brutal with wind chills to almost -30! Things normalize by Wednesday when temperatures return to normal. Anything in the 25 degree range (especially with sun) will be tolerable to fish. Colder than that it is just rough on your gear and yourself! Fish are in deeper pools as water temps are in the high 30s to 40. Don't overlook colder (35/36 degree) water that is in the sun. It has been some of the better fishing lately as the water temps rise from the sun's heat! Midges and squirrels have been excellent subsurface, as have leeches and thin mints. No real dry fly activity lately as midge hatches have been sparse with the changing weather.
Cloudy, chance of flurries High 29 Wind NW 10-15 Creeks low and clear Water Temp 35-40 Today is the last day to get in some decent fishing before the weather turns too chilly! Despite some colder weather, yesterday was excellent fishing as water temps were warm enough to have some active fish. There were not a lot of midges hatching, but fish were happy to eat leeches, pink squirrels, and midge larvae. Some streams have some ice on them, so be prepared to drive a bit to find the springs and warmer water. Also, be careful walking around on the shelf ice! REMINDER: Winter hours M-F 9-Noon Saturday 9-4 Sunday 9-Noon
Mostly Cloudy High 36 Wind SE 9 mph Today and tomorrow are the days to fish! Warmer temperatures mean active fish. Remember to use your thermometer and make sure you are fishing warming water, not cooling water. The peak of the day is between 10 and 2. Fish are eating midges and leeches, and with the warmer temperatures we may see some rising fish the next couple of days. Unfortunately the temperature plunges over the weekend with Saturday at a high of 6 and Sunday a high of -8! So call in sick today and tomorrow.
Cloudy Cold with wind chill below zero Creeks low and clear Water temps high 30s After some brutally chilly weather, things are mellowing out over the next couple of days. It looks like Thursday and Friday will be the fishy days this week. The winter routine applies. Fish 10-2 especially on sunny days as the increase in water temperature is what switches fish on to feed.
Partly Sunny High 33 Wind S 9 Water low and clear with temps near 40 The next few days through Saturday are looking good. Sunday the mercury dips and will be quite chilly. Fishing has been very strong with the temperatures staying warm for January. Fish are responding subsurface to midge larvae, smaller thin bodied bead heads, squirrels and scuds. Leeches and streamers are still catching some bigger, aggressive fish too. The shop will be open this Saturday, and starting Wednesday of next week will have regular hours (not just Saturdays!)
Not terrible winter weather at all! Partly Cloudy High 26 Water Temp in the high 30s to low 40s We'd like to see the sun again to help warm up the creeks, but cloudy nights also trap heat and make fishing better a bit earlier in the day! Fish are pooled up in the runs and deeper holes and will eat nymphs and slowly fished streamers and leeches readily. It looks like it will warm up a bit this weekend which should really kick things into gear. The shop is open on Saturday 9-5 and starting Tuesday the 12th we will be open full time again!
It's almost here! Season opens up on Saturday (Jan 2nd) to some pretty good winter weather. Saturday is forecasted to be a high of 27 and sunny. Normal winter rules apply, fish from about 9 or 10 to about 2 or 3. Using your thermometer, when the water temperature starts to drop it is a signal to wrap up the day as things will start shutting down quickly. Midges are hatching on the sunny days with a few fish eating emergers on the surface, but most of the action will be subsurface on midge larvae and pupae and other tiny bead heads (18-22). Leeches and streamers will also be effective, but fish them slowly! Finally, scuds will be active on the warmer creeks and near the springs.
It's still warm in the Driftless. Relatively warm for December that is. We're looking at temperatures in the mid 30s to low 40s all week, with lots of cloud cover and possible light precipitation all week as well. Perfect fishing conditions! Fish are eating midges and other teeny sub surface bugs and on the warmer days, will rise to midges in the mid day hours. They are also taking scuds and leeches. With leeches, make sure you fish them slowly as water temperatures are still low enough that fish do not move too much to chase flies. Creeks are clear and flowing normal to a touch low after last week's heavy rain.
After quite a bit of rain over the past weekend, creeks are starting to settle down. Look for fish to remain happy in this unseasonably warm weather! Mid day hatches are not uncommon, and drifting midge larvae, scuds and leeches deep will produce fish during the sweet spot of the day. (10-3) Cooler weather is on its way, but nothing too terrible for December! Remember there is no need to get out early. Late morning to early afternoon is the window of opportunity.
Fishing remains solid for December! Wisconsin is closed (re-opens Jan2), Iowa is open, and a handful of creeks in Minnesota are open too. Check your regulations if you are unsure! Fish are actively spawning right now, so please leave spawning fish alone. They are easily stressed while producing the next generation of trout for the creeks. Don't bug them! Temperatures are unseasonably warm, and it is very comfortable to be outside! Creeks are due for some rain the next few days. It does not look like any gully washers, but a nice steady rain for 2-3 days. This will help to fill the springs and creeks well as the ground is not frozen! Midges are the food of choice for trout right now, with fish rising in the afternoons to midges and even a few very late olives. Subsurface fishing has been best on simple midge larvae, scuds, and leeches drifted along the bottom and twitched occasionally.
Sunny with the temperatures in the low to mid 40s all weekend! This is an excellent chance to get out on the water this December! Despite the low water and sunny skies, fishing was solid yesterday on small, thin, dark bodied bead heads and there were fish rising to midges most of the day. Streamers slowly twitched along the bottom of the creek were also effective. If you are in need of supplies, there is a storewide sale this weekend! Please give us a call if you are planning on stopping in as we do not keep regular hours in the off season.
After some chilly weather and wintry mix, the weather turns far too nice for December this weekend! Highs in the high 30s to low 40s and sun means fishing will be fun this weekend. Active fish, possibility of midges and a few olives bringing fish to the surface and comfortable weather to be outside in. Go small with your bead heads, and do not be afraid to twitch leeches slowly in the deeper pools and beneath undercut banks. Also, For the month of December, receive a free 10% bonus to your order. No codes, no catches, just extra money to spend! If you buy a $100.00 certificate you get one for $110, $200 gets you $220.00 etc...Buy a full day trip and you get a certificate for $24.00 to give to whomever you like, or keep it for yourself! Buy Certificates Here
After a few cold days and nights along with some snow, temperatures next week will get back to around 40. Look for some clouds and drizzle, excellent news after bluebird skies this weekend. Fish are still eating tiny bead head nymphs, leeches, and scuds subsurface while the coming warmer air, water, and cloud cover should get a few olives hatching.
The uunseasonably warmer weather continues for a couple more days. Add to that some nice soaking rains and you have a recipe for some good fall Driftless fishing! Later on this week the temperatures start to plummet which means fishing will be limited to the mid day sun. Midges, scuds, leeches, and a few olives are still around. As water gets colder, more of the action will go subsurface. Brown and Brook trout are in full spawn now, so please leave spawning fish alone. There are plenty of trout to catch in the deeper pools.
Sunny and unseasonably warm the next few days with sunny skies and temps pushing 70 degrees. It will be incredible to be outside the next dew days, but don't expect fantastic fishing. The last few days of the week and into the weekend are forecasted for clouds. Should be MUCH better fishing, but not nearly as comfortable as the temperatures drop quite a bit. Fishing has been a ton of fun on leeches and streamers with a few olive hatches in the afternoons.
Drizzly and windy the next few days (with a break on Friday), but not enough rain to mess up trout fishing. Things have been good actually with the cloud cover and small bump in flows. The big news is that we got word yesterday that the season and regulation changes in Wisconsin are wrapped up. That means season starts the first Saturday in January and goes continually through October 15th (no more silly 5 days of closed season)!
This week should still be good fishing. The weather has been fantastic to be outside, a bit of cloudy and windy weather is coming mid week this week which should help with some of the spookier fish. We're still seeing olives and midges in the afternoons, and fish are responding to midge larvae, scuds, and leeches subsurface. This is the time of year that trout begin to spawn, so please leave spawning fish alone!
A couple of warm days to start the week with temperatures in the high 60s, then cooling down with a chance of showers later in the week with temperatures in the low 60s. Iowa fishing has been decent, but difficult with low, clear water and bluebird skies. It is really nice to be outside enjoying the fall sun, but the fishing is not easy. Trout are rising in the afternoon and into the evenings on midges and tiny olives. Otherwise subsurface fishing has been good on scuds, leeches, midge larvae, and other tiny bead head flies. Look for fish deep in pools early, and in the runs below the riffles in the afternoon.
A pretty heavy cold front is coming our way. What this means for fishing in Iowa is that the terrestrial bite will be all but toast after a couple frosty nights. It also means that you do not have to get up early to fish! Wait until about 9 to get on the water (or later) as the drop in temperatures will cause the water to cool down significantly and only when it starts warming up will fish feed. Fish midges and smaller scuds as well as leeches for your best success. We're still waiting on hearing about the extended season in Wisconsin for 2016. It sounds like it is stuck in the rules committee being polished at this point. We will keep you posted!
Cool and sunny all week this week. The lack of cloud cover will make fishing difficult as trout in Iowa will be fairly spooky. Olives are around pretty much daily, and it has not gotten cold enough to stop the terrestrial fishing from happening. You will also catch fish on leeches, scuds, and midge larvae right now. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the low to mid 50s.
Great late season weather in Iowa. There are spotty clouds which help fishing quite a bit. The limiting factor is still the sun. Fish are eating olives and midges on the surface, and the terrestrial bite will continue to be strong until we get a few frosts overnight. Subsurface fishing is good on scuds, pheasant tails and leeches. Creeks are low and clear with temps in the 50s.
Wisconsin's trout season is closed. Iowa is open all year. Sunny High 61 No need to get out too early with cooler nights the rest of the week. Look for olives and midges to hatch when the sun is off the water. Terrestrials will start being active later in the day. Subsurface fishing has been best with midge larvae and pheasant tails as well as leeches and scuds. Creeks are low and clear with temps in the mid 50s
Sunny High 60 Wind NE 6-9 A very chilly night last night will have water temperatures in excellent shape for the last day of Wisconsin's season. Fish were very happy yesterday and will be so again today. Look for a few fish rising when the sun is off the water to olives and midges. Terrestrials will be slow today with the chillier weather, but fishing them late afternoon will be good. Subsurface fishing on small, dark bodied bead heads is excellent right now, as are leeches! Remember, Wisconsin's trout season closes after today! We will keep you updated on the conditions over in Iowa this fall. Thanks for a great season!
Season ends September 30th! cloudy then clearing High 62 Wind N 9 Cool weather is here, unfortunately Wisconsin's season closes Wednesday night. Look for olives when the clouds are in, then fish leeches and scuds subsurface when they stop rising. As the sun peeks out later on in the day, switch to terrestrials on the surface. Waters are in great shape, clear and cool and a bit low.
Increasing clouds, slight chance of showers in pm high 77 wind SW 6-& Season ends Wednesday night! Get out and fish. The weekend crowds are gone and fishing should be solid the last few days of season. Look for rising fish early and late that will eat Olive emergers and other flush riding smaller dries. Terrestrials are still good mid day. Subsurface fishing is great on heavy, smaller nymphs and midge larvae. With the cloud cover, fish scuds and leeches too! Creeks are low and clear with temps in the mid 50s to mid 60s.
Sunny High 77 Wind E 6-8 Last weekend of season! Please give other anglers space it will be crowded out there. Sunny again today, which means the fish will be a bit fussy. Drift nymphs deep in pools slowly to find fish. On the surface, hoppers, beetles and crickets have been solid as have sunken ants. There are a few tricos still around in the mornings, and the last hour of day has given us a spotty blue winged olive hatch. Creeks are low and mostly clear with temps in the mid 50s to mid 60s.
Partly Sunny High 76 Wind E 5-8 Water clear to slightly stained 55-63 Another warm and spotty cloud cover day. Fish the shade to find fish. This is the last weekend of season, please be courteous to other anglers and give them space. The general rule of thumb is if there is a car at an access point and you can not check in with the angler(s) move to the next spot. There is plenty of water to fish! Tricos are still kicking around in the mornings, and olives are hatching late afternoon as long as clouds are in the sky. Terrestrials are working as are smaller dries in brown and black. Subsurface fishing has been good on smaller, thin bodied bugs and scuds. Leeches and mice have been catching quite a few fish in the evenings too!
Mostly Cloudy High 74 Wind SE 7 Clouds today! Fishing is picking up for the last week of season! Look for fish to rise early and late to a mix of small parachutes and even elk hair caddis. Mid day, they will feed on hoppers, crickets and ants. Subsurface fishing will be much better on scuds and leeches today with the cloud cover. They will also eat the small, thin bodied patterns solidly. Remember to have them heavily weighted as many fish are still glued to the bottom.
Spotty Cloud Cover High 77 Wind SE 6-8 We actually have a few clouds today! Yesterday olives came off when the sun was off the water. Look for them to pop again if the clouds stay overhead. Ants and crickets have been the ticket lately with the hoppers a close second during the terrestrial fishing mid day. Subsurface fishing has been best on midge larvae, pheasant tail type bead heads, and even leeches. Waters are clear and a bit low with really solid temperatures for late summer.
Late report today! high 73 scattered clouds the clouds today will mean much better fishing! We've been seeing tricos in the mornings and olives in the evenings. Terrestrials mid day. Subsurface action is on scuds and midge larvae. creeks are clear with temps in the high 50s to low 60s
Sunny High 73 Wind S 7-14 Water temp Mid 50s to 60 The creeks are in excellent shape, cool and clear, but the sun is shining high in the sky and making trout unhappy! Make sure you seek out shade and undercut banks to find fish. Also, do not overlook the riffles as fish are in them feeding with the cooler water temperatures. We are seeing tiny olives in the later afternoon, as well as midges hatching in the evening. Mornings will have some olives as well as tricos, although the tricos are not falling as well as they were in warmer weather. Throughout the day, terrestrials have been good on the surface with ants, beetles and crickets being munched on. The hoppers are a bit slower recently, but still getting some nice fish to eat. Subsurface fishing has been solid on pheasant tails and midge larvae, as well as leeches. Scuds have been excellent when the sun is off the water.
Sunny High 70 Wind S 5-8 Another cool night should have the fish very happy today. The limiting factor has been the sun. A bright sun and clear water have caused the fish to get a case of lockjaw. Fishing slow and deep below the riffles and tossing terrestrials (crickets have been best) near banks as well as in the riffles has gotten the fussy fish to eat. When the sun is off the water in the later afternoon/evening look for some rising fish to midges and olives.
Sunny High 66 Wind NW 8-14 A nice cool weekend is on us. Crisp this morning which means creeks have had a great cool down overnight. Watch for olives hatching when the sun is off the water. We have also seen a resurgence of flying ants. Don't forget ant patterns! With a slight breeze, terrestrials will be excellent this weekend too as they are blown around a bit. Just have to wait a bit for the ground to warm up before they really get going. Subsurface fishing is still best on tiny, thin bodied and dark nymphs and larvae, while scud action is picking up with the cooler water. Again, when it is dark, streamers leeches and mice have been getting some very nice sized fish!
partly sunny high 70 wind N 6-8 the gears have shifted from hot weather to late summer again! The rain yesterday was brief and scattered. Not enough to muddy anything up to an unfishabke level. Expect clear to stained water this weekend. The cooler temperatures plus some cloud cover should revitalize the olive hatch too! Look for them this evening as a chance of drizzle rolls in around 4, subsurface fishing is still solid on small, dark, and thin bodied patterns. It will also be good with scuds and leeches when clouds are overhead. Mousing at night has also been fun lately with some big fish eating mice!
Mostly Sunny, Chance of Storms in PM High 78 Wind S 7-13 Creeks low and clear with temperatures in the mid 50s to mid 60s. Some much needed rain will roll in this afternoon cooling things down for the weekend, and hopefully putting a stain on the crystal clear waters! We are not forecasted for a bunch of rain, so it should do a great job at dropping water (and air!) temperatures and putting a stain on the water for tomorrow. The weekend is looking really good. This is the last warmer day so the trico spinner fall will taper off after this morning to be replaced by olives when he sun is off the water. Terrestrials will be good today with a nice breeze, until the rain comes in the afternoon. Subsurface fishing will be on smaller, thinner bodied flies fished right on the bottom during the day. When it clouds up, look for scuds and leeches to catch fish.
Mostly Sunny High 83 Wind S 7-15 The warm weather goes away Friday. The fishing has not been poor at all, just a bit less comfortable with the sun high in the sky. Find some shade and fish early/late to find more fish. We have yet to see any significant rainfall from storms. Creeks are low and clear with temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. Remember to use your thermometer. Anything over 65 will be crummy fishing. Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials in the afternoon (one nice thing about sunny and breezy weather!), and midges in the evening on the surface. Midge larvae, leeches, and pheasant tail type nymphs subsurface in the evenings.
Sunny High 82 Winds gusting to 30 mph Warmer, sunny and windy. It will be rough out there today with a heavy south wind. Most hatches will be suppressed due to the sun and winds. If you can find some shelter there will be some surface activity. The only silver lining is that windy days are typically better terrestrial days! So break out your hoppers, ants, and beetles. Fish them on a shorter leader as a long leader will be impossible to control in high winds! Subsurface fishing will still be good on midge larvae, pheasant tails, and leeches. Waters are flowing clear and a little low with temps in the high 50s to mid 60s.
Sunny High 78 Wind S 9-15 Sunny and a bit warmer today. Find the shade to find fish! Waters are low and clear with temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. Things are in excellent shape right now with fish eating subsurface on blue winged olive nymphs and midge larvae as well as other small, dark, and thin bodied flies. When the sun is off the water, the will also eat leeches happily. On the surface, we are seeing trico spinner falls return a bit with warmer mornings. In the evening there are sporadic hatches of small olives. During the day, the terrestrial fishing has been quite fun. Crickets, ants, beetles and hoppers are all effective, especially when you drop a bead head nymph below!
Sunny High 63 Wind N 5-7 A gorgeous cold morning with a night time temp that was in the low 40s! This chilly weather will get things moving. Fishing has been good on smaller terrestrials on the surface and a few anglers had a good olive hatch early in the morning and late in the afternoon yesterday (when the sun was off the water). Subsurface fishing remains solid on thin bodied nymphs such as ice cream cones and pheasant tails. Creeks are clear area wide and flowing normal to a touch low. This is excellent weather to be outside and fishing for some happy trout!
party Sunny High 59 Wind N 7-10 MPH The Driftless hit the reset button! With the good flush a few days ago and cold nights and chilly days, the fishing has started to really pick up! Creeks are clear and flowing well, with water temps in the mid 50s to 60. The entire weekend will be cool and expect water temps to drop a bit more. This is excellent news for insect and fish activity. The trico spinner fall will be a bit blunted by this cold weather, but with the falling water temperatures we may see some olives hatching when the sun is off the water. Otherwise terrestrials will be good, but not until the middle part of the day when things warm up a bit. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on frenchies, midge larvae, and scuds.
Mostly Cloudy High 71 Wind SW to NW 8 mph Slight Change of Storms Creeks stained to clear with temps in the mid 50s to low 60s. What a change in weather! Cool today with cloud cover. There is a chance we see an olive hatch after a cooler night and a cold day. Tricos were still doing their spinner fall yesterday in the morning, keep an eye out for rising fish first thing. Surface fishing will be strong all day on attractor patterns and terrestrials. A small hopper with a dropper is deadly right now! In the evening fish will rise again to eat midge dries and smaller parachute patterns. Subsurface fishing will be great on scuds today with the cloud cover! Add to that leeches, midge larvae and pheasant tails.
Sunny High 75 Wind W 5-8 The creeks were flushed a bit, and colder weather is in the forecast all week. The creeks will be in great shape for the last month of season. With cooler temperatures the tricos that are still around will do their spinner fall later on in the day. No need to get up too early. Most action will be subsurface first thing on midge larvae, blue winged olive nymphs, and on cloudier days, scuds. When things warm up terrestrials will be key on the surface. On days with cloud cover watch for olive hatches to begin soon as the water temperature starts to drop. There is still a bit of stain on some creeks today, so leeches streamers and scuds will be effective on water that has some color.
Scattered showers High 77 shifting wind NE 5-0 Some periods of heavy rain early this morning will have creeks blown for a bit. Some could be fish able by this afternoon. A good cold rain along with cooling temperatures will really get the fishing going this week! We're still seeing a few tricos in the am, and the terrestrial bite is still strong mid day. With the cooler weather we may start to see olives again too. Subsurface will start to get good on scuds and leeches as temperatures drop along with the usual midge larvae and pheasant tails.
Sunny High 87 Wind S 5-9 Light drizzle and clouds this morning have it feeling quite nice this morning. The mornings have been the most productive with fishing tapering off around 10 a.m. due to the sun and heat. Creeks are low and clear with temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Please use your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be poor fishing and 68+ can be lethal to trout. After the weekend things start to cool down significantly which should turn the fishing back on throughout the day. This weekend, fish early and late and find shade.
Cooler feeling this morning with less humidity in the air! High 85 Clouds clearing around lunchtime to most sunny Wind SE 6-8 Water temps: High 50s to mid 60s. The heat and humidity have broken a bit. It will still be warm today but thing are changing as the weekend comes on us. Monday the temperature dips significantly. Fishing has still been solid early and late. The mid day has just been too brutal to fish in for anglers, and the fish tend to have lockjaw when the sun is shining directly on the low and clear water. Tricos early, ants beetles and hoppers in the shady and cooler creeks mid day. The evenings bring fish up again and the will eat midge dries and emergers. Subsurface fishing has been solid on midge larvae, and other smaller, thin bodied bugs. Mousing is still good with some aggressive fish eating when the sun is completely off the water. Remember your thermometer as fishing will be poor if you find water temperatures over 65, and can be harmful to fish over 68.
Mostly Sunny with possible clouds in the p.m. High 86 Wind S 5 mph Another hot and humid summer day. The good news is the fishery is still going strong! Fish are more apt to eat early and late. Taking a mid day break is a good idea in this weather. Tricos are still doing their spinner falls in the mornings, with fish rising around 7-9 a.m. until the wind picks up or the sun gets at a higher angle in the morning. Ants have been very good lately, both on the surface and sunken just below the surface. Make sure you are looking down every once in a while. If you see a swarm of winged ants, fish ant patterns! Subsurface fishing has been best on small to tiny bead heads fished slowly along the bottom of deeper pools and beneath undercut banks. Creeks are clear and running at normal low summer levels. Temps are in the low to mid 60s. Make sure to use your thermometer, anything over 65 will be poor fishing, and over 68 can kill trout.
Mostly Cloudy 40% chance rain High 85 Wind S 6-9 mph A rain storm to get the humidity out of the air would be nice! Despite the hot summer weather, things are still going well. Water temps are decent thanks to the rains last week, but a few more warm days and we will have to start using the thermometers again. Creeks are clear and flowing well. Tricos in the mornings, then terrestrials throughout the day. Subsurface fishing has been good on scuds, midge larvae, and pheasant tail type nymphs. Mouse fishing has also been solid in the evenings. Looks like fishing early and late will be key the rest of the week. Take a break in the mid day warmth as fishing will be pretty slow when the sun is on the water.
September has arrived. This is the last month of trout season in Wisconsin, get out there and fish! Mostly Sunny, Humid High 87 Wind S 5-8 mph. Hot and humid today, it will be steamy out there! The trico spinner fall will be brief with the fog and high humidity today, and the terrestrial bite will be off until the afternoon when things have dried out a bit. Look for fish to be sporadically rising to midges on the surface. We have seen some very solid any 'spinner falls' the past few days, but with the high humidity today they may be off. The better fishing throughout the day will be on tiny bead head nymphs and midge larvae. Creeks are clear and still flowing cool after rains a few days ago. In the evening, look for fish to eat terrestrials, midges, and a handful of smaller, generic dry flies.
Mostly Sunny High 82 Wind 5-10 from the South Outside of the normal tricks and terrestrials, focus on ants today and tomorrow. There have been quite a few flying ants around in cinnamon about a size 16-18. When these flying ants appear, the fish can go nuts for them! Creeks are clear and flowing at good temperatures.
Clouds early, then clearing High 74 Wind NE 6mph. The rain yesterday fell slow (approx 1.5 inches) and steady meaning most creeks are not murky at all! Expect clear to stained conditions area wide. Fishing will be great while the clouds are in on scuds, leeches, and pink squirrels. As the clouds go away, look for fish to eat attractor and terrestrial patterns on the surface and thinner bodied bead heads (pheasant tail and midge larva type). Water temperatures will be excellent for August after cool nights and a good rain yesterday!
UPDATE 10:15 a.m. There have been only gentle scattered showers so far, and the weather forecast was downgraded to less accumulated rain. Cool with a good chance of showers all day long today. High 65 Wind SE 6-9 MPH The rain forecast changed from heavy rain to showers today which lessens the chance of things blowing out quickly. A good soaking rain will re-fill the springs this August and set the creeks up to continue to flow cool even with a warmer weather pattern coming in next week. For today, look for olives to hatch when the rain is not too heavy as the temperatures will remain mild all day long, and the weather is perfect for an olive hatch! Terrestrials will be slower today with the drizzle and humid weather. The real action will be subsurface as scuds and leeches will be moving around quite a bit today. Keep an eye on the reports here for rain updates heading into the weekend.
Mostly Sunny High Near 76 Calm Wind Becoming S 5-8 mph Water Clear with temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. The unsettled weather patterns continue, and it has had an odd effect on the fish the past couple of days. Find the coolest and shadiest water and you will find fish. Tricos have been later in the morning as the fog and cool nights have kept the spinners off the water at dawn. Terrestrials are still the ticket on the surface, hoppers ants and crickets. Subsurface fishing has been solid on micro mayflies, and other small tungsten bead head bugs that are thin bodied. When the sun comes off the water at night fishing has been a lot of fun using mouse patterns on some of the deeper and slower pools.
Fish are having major lockjaw. It has been a weird day. Water temperatures are great for August, and the fish are there, but they are just not at all happy right now. Only a few fish here and there have been caught. Sunny with a high near 73 Light wind from the NW at 6 MPH
Party Sunny High 68 Wind NW 9-13 The crazy winds have died down and the cooler weather pattern has settled in the area. Tricos first thing in the morning, then terrestrials with a dropper throughout the day. Fish are liking crickets and ants especially well lately. There are fish rising in the evenings to a mix of bugs. It seems smaller (18-22) flush riding midge dries or caddis are the key. Subsurface fishing has been good on scuds, and midge larvae. The streamer fishing has come back with cooler temperatures, and mousing is solid in the evening.
Sunny High 82 Breezy South Wind 8-18 gusting to 25 Despite the wind today, fishing will be hot. After things normalized after the rains, we are back to our summer routine. Tricos in the morning, crickets, beetles, hoppers and ants throughout the day, then rising fish (eating midges) in the evening when sun is off the water. For rising fish, emergers have been excellent. Subsurface fishing is best with smaller, thin bodied bead heads. Midge larvae and micro nymphs. Mice, streamers and leeches are catching some nice fish at night too. Waters are a bit low and running clear with temps in the high 50s to mid 60s. It is still a good idea to use your thermometer as anything over 65 will be poor fishing and can be harmful to fish.
Mostly Sunny High 78 SW Wind 7-14 Things have been hopping in the Driftless! Another light rain last night will do nothing to the clarity of the creeks, but it did inject a bit more cold water into the system. This weather is perfect for late August (excepting the wind...) Tricos in the mornings, followed by solid terrestrial fishing, especially on smaller terrestrials such as ants and beetles. In the evening the parachute adams hatch is on! A simple adams or caddis pattern can get most fish to eat on the surface. A midge dry will take care of the fussy fish. Subsurface fishing has been excellent on leeches and scuds lately after the rains. It is slowly turning back to midge larvae and small pheasant tail type bugs, but for the weekend, squirrels and hare's ear type nymphs should work just fine. Waters are still a touch low, and clear to stained area wide with water temps in the mid 50s to 60s.
Drizzle in the AM, then clearing High near 69 Wind W 10-15 We're still seeing scattered showers and drizzle area wide. It has not been enough to muddy things up significantly, but expect a stain area wide again today. This cold rain and weather has really set up the next few days to be outstanding for August fishing! Tricos have been on hold with the cooler and wet weather. There have been some very solid olive hatches with this weather! Hoppers and attractor patterns on the surface are great right now too. The action subsurface has been great while the rain is in the area. Scuds, leeches, pink squirrels, and hare's ear nymphs are hot right now on the cloudier water, while midge larvae, scuds, and pheasant tails are solid on the clear water.
Cloudy with a chance of rain High 65 Wind from SW 13-16 gusting up to 25 We've had an inch or two of rain area wide. Creeks will be stained to cloudy today and will clear pretty quickly barring any more heavy rain today. This was a much needed summer flush and, coupled with cool weather, has dropped water temperatures down to really good levels for August! Today will be very windy. Tricos in the mornings, terrestrials mid day, and a handful of caddis and mayflies in the evening on the surface. Subsurface scuds, san juan worms, leeches, and pink squirrels on the water with color, and midge larvae and pheasant tail nymphs on the clear water.
Scattered Showers High near 74 Wind SE 6-8 MPH The recent rains have cooled things down, but have not yet been enough to muddy anything up! Waters are low and clear to slightly stained. Temps are back to the low to mid 60s. With this overcast weather, look subsurface to scuds, leeches, midge larvae, and pink squirrels for success. Tricos are still active in the mornings, and terrestrials will be decent throughout the day. Just remember, that when it is wet and humid, the terrestrial fishing is usually slower. Look for rising fish to eat midges and a handful of caddis in the evenings. Mousing has been a ton of fun with the cooler weather!
Relief from the heat is here! CLOUDY, 50% chance of thunderstorms HIGH 75 WEST WIND 3-7 Cloudy with a chance of rain today. The fishing will pick up quickly after a hot weekend. Look for fish eating terrestrials all day, and if we get the rain, look for fish to gorge on scuds and other thicker sub surface bead heads. We are seeing tricos in the mornings on many creeks, then terrestrials on the surface throughout the day. In the evenings, rising fish will eat caddis and low profile emergers. The only aquatic insects in abundance this time of year are midges and tricos. Your subsurface flies should match them meaning small and thin bodied.
SUNNY HIGH 90. Wind SW 3-9 mph. Fishing will be rough the next couple of days as the hot weather system wraps up. This might be a good weekend to give the trout a rest. Monday will be a 20 degree drop in temperatures! Please remember your thermometer if you fish this weekend. Water temperatures are up after a couple of 90 degree sunny days. Anything over 65 will be poor fishing, and over 68 can kill trout you hook. Tricos in the morning, then terrestrials and midges in the evening.
Mostly Sunny, high near 89 Wind W 5-9 mph Fishing GOOD Despite the mid day heat, fishing has been pretty good in the mornings and evenings! Tricos are showing up early with the spinner fall pushing to almost 10 most days. Fish will also rise in the evenings to midges and a handful of mayflies and caddis. The key is to find shade and cool water. Use your thermometer and if the water is over 65 move on! Fishing will be quite slow with temps over 65 and can be lethal to trout over 68. Subsurface fishing is best on smaller, thin bodied flies especially midge larvae. Mousing is peaking right now with fish willing to eat mice when the sun is off the water.
Mostly Sunny, high near 86 andBreezy Solid summer fishing! Fishing early and late while avoiding the mid day heat has been the key this week. Tricos and happily feeding fish in the morning until about 11. After the tricos slow down, a small terrestrial has been very effective on the surface. In the evenings fish will start rising (mostly to midges) and feeding again. A hopper with a small (18-22) bead head tied below has been the key in the last hours of the day. Water is low and clear with temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Please use your thermometer and avoid fishing anything over 65 degrees. Not only will it be poor fishing, anything over 68 can be lethal to trout!
SUNNY HIGH OF 81. WIND W 5-9 MPH Tricos are still going strong in the mornings on most creeks. After the spinner fall subsides, we are fishing terrestrials and small, thin bodied nymphs and midge larvae. In the evening there are fish rising to a small variety of mayflies. We typically do not change from fishing ants and beetles as the fish are happy to eat them at night! Waters are low and clear with temps in the high 50s to 60s. Please remember to use your thermometer as temps over 65 mean poor fishing and over 68 can be lethal to trout! Don't forget mousing at night. It has been a blast this season!
We're back from B.C. and will be working on making the reports look good again! Water: High of 79 and sunny, wind from the north at 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Tricos have been the ticket early in the mornings with spinner falls lasting some mornings until 9! Beetles, ants and hoppers have been excellent mid day, especially when tied with a small, thin bodied nymph dropper below. Waters are low and clear with temperatures in the 60s. Please remember to use your thermometer as water temperatures over 65 will be poor fishing, and over 68 can be lethal to trout!
Drizzle this morning, then clouds throughout the day. Decent conditions to catch some trout this weekend. Fishing is still best early and late, with tricos getting fish to rise early. Mid day can be fun on terrestrials with droppers, but the action really picks up again in the evenings when the sun is off the water. Creeks are low and clear, normal summer conditions, with water temps at 60.
SUNNY 77 HATCHES : Tricos and Terrestrials Water is low, clear and warm. We have had a few cooler nights that have helped water temps out a bit, but please use your thermometer and do not fish anything over 65 degrees. The mornings are showing us some nice trico spinner falls that have fish rising until about 9 a.m. After that, on the cooler streams, fish are eating terrestrials very well, especially beetles. Tying a thin bodied dropper below, or nymphing with a midge larvae or pheasant tail has been very effective as well. Mice have been lots of fun at night!
Please bear with us as we have switched over to a mobile friendly web format. Our fishing report will be back to normal again soon! Sunny and 78 today. Tricos in the mornings, hoppers through the day, and rising fish in the evening. Fish thin bodied nymphs low and slow when noses are not coming up.
