Season:
We fly fish from January through November. We fish for trout (mostly brook and brown trout) from the first full weekend in January until the trout season closes on October 15. In the heat of summer, when the spring creeks become too warm to fish for trout, we'll transition to smallmouth bass fishing. Smallmouth bass, bluegills, pike, and musky are pursued successfully from May to October in both lakes and rivers.
Species:
- Native brook trout
- Brown trout
- Smallmouth bass
- Musky
- Pike
Region/Terrain:
The Driftless Area of the Midwest covers 24,000 square miles and includes elevations ranging from 603 to 1,719 feet. The region lies in southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois. This area escaped the flattening effects of glaciation (drift) during the last ice age and is consequently characterized by steep, forested ridges, deeply carved river valleys, and karst geology distinguished by spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams. This provides us with an exceptional trout fishery: 2,900 trout streams stretching more than 13,000 miles. Ecologically, the Driftless Area's flora and fauna are more closely related to those of the Great Lakes region and New England than those of the broader Midwest and central Plains. Nature abounds in the area, with trillium and fiddlehead ferns in early spring and sighting of bald eagles, sandhill cranes, great blue herons, mink, fox, and much more. In the fall, watch as the maple forests turn the landscape into beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow.
Typical Weather:
Wisconsin offers ideal climate for year-round outdoor activities. Fall is a favorite time of year to experience the beauty that Wisconsin provides. Winters vary in temperature (averaging 0-40 degrees F). We experience moderate spring and fall temps and fairly mild summers.
Heavy rains in our area can change stream conditions. It doesn’t always mean, however, that we can’t fish. From my experience it may mean traveling to get into another valley to find productive water.