This is a quick overview of fly fishing opportunities within a day's drive of Milwaukee. We've organized it by season, and at the end are a list of other resources and links.
January and February
There are not a lot of opportunities at this time of year. If the weather is not bitterly cold, try Paradise Springs near Eagle in Waukesha County. Paradise
Springs is a spring pond planted with nice size trout. The springs keep the
water open all winter, and trout feed on midges, scuds and leeches. Fishing is
catch and release only, with artificial lures and barbless hooks. Since it
is part of a state park, you will have to pay to park or purchase a state
park sticker in addition to your license and trout stamp. Paradise Springs is
closed to fishing in October, November and December.
See links to regulations below.
March and April
In March we start to have more fly fishing chances. Most of Wisconsin has
an early trout season starting the first Saturday in March and ending the last
Sunday in April. This period is catch and release only with artificial lures
and barbless hooks. Popular streams in the early season are the spring-fed
creeks of the southwest counties: Dane, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Grant,
Sauk, Richland, Crawford and Sauk counties. There are dozens of streams,
with the most well known being Black Earth, Castle Rock, Big Green, West Fork of
the Kickapoo, and Timber Coulee. Although small by some
standards, these are excellent fly fishing streams with
good access and plenty of aquatic life that can grow large trout. Some
are within a days drive roundtrip, for others you may want to
plan an overnight. Check
the specific regulations for the stream you are fishing.
Also in March and April steelhead trout begin to run up tributaries
from Lake Michigan to spawn, reaching its peak about the end of April.
You can fish for steelhead right in to Milwaukee: the Milwaukee River is
very popular with access at Hubbard Park, Estabrook Park, and Kletsch Park.
The Menomonee River near Miller Stadium is also popular. Other streams are
the Sheboygan and Pigeon Rivers in the Sheboygan area, and the Root River
in Racine (it can be crowded on weekends). You will need
a special Great Lakes stamp along with your fishing license.
May and June
The first Saturday in May marks the start of the general fishing season.
About this time the panfishing heats up on inland lakes near Milwaukee.
Some lakes are wadable and others require a small boat, canoe or float
tube for best fishing. A few small lakes you can access, wade and fish are Upper,
Middle and Lower Genessee near Dousman in Waukesha County. If you
drive a little farther, the several large lakes around Madison which have
excellent panfishing in the spring and are wadable
near the shore. Access at a public park.
In early to mid June the Hexagenia hatch starts on the central
Wisconsin "sand country" streams of Marquette and Waushara Counties.
The most popular streams are the Mecan and White Rivers. Bring two
flashlights and dress for mosquitos; arrive before dark to stake out
your spot. Other streams with a Hex hatch closer to Milwaukee are
Black Earth and Mt. Vernon creeks in Dane County.
The freestone trout streams of northern Wisconsin are also
at their best in May and June before the water becomes too warm and
the fish retreat to springs and feeder streams. Some of the most
popular are the Tomorrow River in Waupaca County, the Wolf
River in Langlade County and the Prarie River in
Lincoln County. Others are the Little Wolf, Peshtigo, Eau Claire,
and Boundary Brule.
Most of these streams are beyond the range for a day trip.
Another opportunity is smallmouth bass fishing in Door County.
In May the bass come toward shore to spawn and are accessible to a
good fly caster. Wading is possible in many area. Many of these fish are
trophy size.
July and August
In the middle of summer, the smallmouth bass fishing heats up on our
streams. Good streams in the vicinity of Milwaukee include the
Milwaukee River north of the city, in the area from Cedarburg
to West Bend, and the Fox river to the southwest near Rochester. Other
streams also hold good smallmouth populations, including the Oconoto
and Memomonee rivers north of Green Bay, and the Sugar, Platte
and Grant rivers west of Madison.
Trout fishing in the freestone and
sand country streams becomes difficult in hot
weather. Fish early in the day and into the night,
when the trout go on the hunt.
In the Southwest however, the spring fed streams remain cooler
and the trout are active whenever the sun is not too bright.
September and October
Inland trout fishing closes the end of September, which can be an
excellent month especially on the Southwest spring creeks.
Chinook and Coho Salmon begin entering the Lake Michigan tributaries in
September, depending on weather and water conditions.
Lake run brown trout come a little later. Fishing can be excellent in the Milwaukee and Sheboygan rivers, and in other tributaries along Lake Michigan.
Generally, the larger the stream the more predictable the salmon run.
November and December
During the winter months some steelhead enter the Lake Michigan tributaries
and wait for spring. If the weather is moderate, you can give them a try.
A few flyfishers try for large pike and musky which feed heavily when
the weather turns cold.
General Information
Trout Fishing Opportunities
Wisconsin trout streams have benefitted from sound management and
conservation practices, and overall are getting better year by year.
There is excellent access to most streams, and state law says that the
stream bottom is public property and as long as you
enter the water legally and stay in the water, you can travel the stream.
Of course, not every land owner cares about the law, so use common
sense when confronted with no trespassing signs and other barriers.
See the DNR web page for
further explanation:
http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/faq/access.htm .
You will need a trout stamp as well as your license. Currently (2009) they
are $10.
Trout streams are not evenly distributed in Wisconsin. They run
in a band from the Southwest to the Northeast. There are not very many
in the Southeast near Milwaukee. There are a few in the Northwest,
some of which are excellent. In the Southwest we have what we call
spring creeks, although they tend to be smaller than the world-famous
spring creeks of other regions. They often have excellent water quality,
lots of insect life and trout grow rapidly and large. Brown trout
predominate. These are excellent fly fishing waters. Many have undergone
extensive stream restoration work by the Wisconsin DNR assisted by Trout
Unlimited and others. This is hilly terrain:
it is known as the driftless area because it
was not covered by deposits from the last glaciers.
These streams are prone to flooding, and a big flood can carry away the stream
improvements and the trout as well. Other streams with spring-creek like
features are the Kinnickinnic and Rush rivers of northwest Wisconsin.
The Central counties are called "sand country" and have many
quality streams. They tend to be brushy, marshy and challenging to
fly fish. The debris in the water makes anything except dry flies
problematic. They are known for their Hexagenia hatch, which draws
large trout out from under the logs and banks, and large crowds of
fly anglers on June evenings.
The large freestone streams of Northeast Wisconsin can be excellent
trout water, depending more on summer and winter water temperatures.
The Wolf River is Wisconsin's largest trout stream, but there are
long stretches of unproductive water and fish disappear during the
warmer months. You can spend a lot of time learning these streams,
so try to find someone more experienced to serve as a guide. Expect to find
browns in the larger streams and brook trout in the smaller. Other
streams such as the Prarie and Eau Claire rivers offer season-long
fly fishing for both brown and brook trout.
Smallmouth Bass
Streams near Milwaukee often have stretches with good bass populations,
and stretches without. Look for areas of the stream with a hard bottom
of gravel, rock or sand; avoid the muddy stretches. Most of the
smallmouth water is easily wadable. If you see crayfish scurrying
away as you wade, you can be sure there will be bass nearby. Good fly patterns
include crayfish and streamers. When they are in the mood, they will
take topwater flies as well.
Laws and Licenses
Licenses can be purchased over the counter at a DNR service center, from
may sporting good stores, and
online
(for an extra fee, of course).
Current prices for licenses are (2009):
- Wisconsin Resident: $20
- Wisconsin Resident: senior or child $7
- Nonresident Annual: $50
- Nonresident 4 day: $24
- Nonresident 15 day: $28
- Inland Trout Stamp: $10
- Great Lakes Stamp (i.e. salmon & steelhead): $10
Trout stream regulations can be complex, especially if you plan to keep
some fish, so refer to the trout regulation book. The maps show (almost) all
the streams in the state. In general, the "early season" from the first
Saturday in March through the last weekend in April, is artificial lures,
barbless hooks, catch and releaase only. And the "regular season" is
from the first Saturday in May through the end of September, with
tackle regulations, size and bag limits determined for each stream.
Other gamefish seasons (bass, pike, musky) generally opens the first
Saturday in May.
Panfish seasons are open year around.
Other Resources
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Wisconsin DNR has a lot of useful
information on their page, including lake maps and trout stream maps.
- Trout Unlimited
- Wisconsin Trout Unlimited website
requires you to be a TU member to access.
- Fly Shops
- At present, Milwaukee has only one full-service fly shop:
The Fly Fishers. They can arrange
guide services. Other sources of
flys and equipment are area Cabelas and Gander Mountain stores.
- Books
-
These are some books which cover Wisconsin fly fishing opportunities,
or written by Wisconsin anglers with relevant information:
- Jim Humphrey & Bill Shogren, Wisconsin and Minnesota Trout Streams.
A Fly-Angler's Guide.
- Todd Hanson, Map Guide to Improved Trout Waters of Wisconsin.
- John Motoviloff, Flyfishers Guide to Wisconsin.
- Rich Osthoff, Active Nymphing: Aggressive Strategies for Casting, Rigging
and Moving Nymphs
- Rich Osthoff, No Hatch to Match: Aggressive Strategies for Fly-Fishing
between Hatches
- Ross A Mueller, Fly Fishing Midwestern Spring Creeks: Angler's Guide
to Trouting the Driftless Area.
- Ross A. Mueller, Upper Midwest Flies that Catch Trout And How to Fish Them.
- R. Chris Halla, Wisconsin Blue-Ribbon Trout Streams
- Steve Born, Jeff Mayers, Andy Morton and Bill Sonzogni, Exploring
Wisconsin Trout Streams: The Angler's Guide.