Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Northeast wind 6 to 9 mph.
Last day of nice weather, then it goes back to the mid 20s. Still fishable, but not very comfortable to be outside in especially after 40 plus degrees!
Sunny, with a high near 40. Southwest wind around 9 mph.
Creeks are low and clear, normal winter flows. Fish are super spooky, so approach as stealthily as possible.
Nymph in the morning with spanish bullets, perdigons, and zebra midges fished slowly and deeply below the riffles. As water warms up look for rising fish eating midges and winter stoneflies.
After the hatch, fish a leech or smaller streamer and hold on!
Once the water temperature begins to drop, fishing will shut down rapidly. The peak hours of fishing are between 10 and 2.
Sunny, with a high near 34. Breezy, with a southwest wind 8 to 13 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph.
Tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to hit 40 degrees and be sunny!
This is one of those winter windows that everything aligns and conditions will be excellent for fishing, and a cure for cabin fever.
Creeks are winter low and clear with water temperatures in the mid to high 30s. Very normal for winter. With the sun and warmer weather, the peak water temps should hit above 40, that is THE winter trigger for feeding fish! Just make sure you are fishing while the water temperature is rising, if snowmelt hits, and when the sun goes down, things shut down quickly. Remember your thermometer!
Hatches happen mid day at the warmest part of the day. We have seen daily hatches of midges and emergences of winter stoneflies lately. Even yesterday our guides have clients catching fish on dries.
Subsurface fishing is best on small, thin bodied bugs like spanish bullets and zebra midges. Roll them along the bottom below riffles.
With the warmer weather, some fish will start to chase streamers and leeches again too!
Sunny, with a high near 14. Wind chill values as low as -6. West wind 3 to 6 mph.
Thanks to the sun, even in this super chilly weather we are seeing fish activity and even hatches. We do not recommend fishing in this weather, however as it is cold!
The weekend is looking excellent with warm weather and sunny conditions pretty much every day. That means you can sneak out a bit earlier as the sun will warm the stream bed up a bit. Early as in 9 instead of 10 or 11. Just keep a thermometer handy, once snow melt starts to drop the water temperature, things will shut down quickly.
Expect your small, dark, heavy bugs to be key all weekend with a chance at some dry fly activity mid day on midges and winter stones. The dry flies are identical! As long as it is thin bodied and size 16-20 you have both bugs covered!
Partly sunny, with a high near 13. Wind chill values as low as -8. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph
Forget about today and tomorrow. It’s just plain cold out, but the weekend looks to be perfect! Warm enough to be out and about comfortably fishing, and cold enough at night to lock up any melting that may happen. The hatches lately have been really solid too, and we expect the midges and stoneflies to continue with the optimal weather over the weekend.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 16 mph.
The banks were crawling with midges and winter stones the past couple of days, and will be again today!
Unfortunately the weather turns chilly again tomorrow and will not warm up again until the weekend.
Expect more hatches Friday-Sunday though!
Snow, mainly after 4pm. High near 34. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. 2-4 inches possible tonight.
The rest of the week is forecasted to have highs in the teens. Friday we see 31, Saturday 38 Sunday 39. Looks like a good weekend and a crummy week for fishing!
Sunny, with a high near 13. Wind chill values as low as -20. Light southwest wind becoming south 8 to 13 mph in the morning.
Super crazy cold today. But, the Driftless being the Driftless, the sun will warm the creeks up and keep the fish and bugs happy (there might even be a hatch today, poor midges) Tomorrow the high will be 34. Much better weather for existing on the side of a trout stream.
After these deep freezes, creek choice is very important. Areas that have seen shade will have quite a bit of ice and fish poorly. Choose creeks that are in more wide open areas and receive the most amount of sun during the day. Also, focus on creeks and areas that have springs flowing into them. They are easy to spot when scouting as there will be steam coming from the springs in the cold weather!
Pant waders for the Driftless are where it’s at! They keep your protected and dry while eliminating the unnecessary bulk and warmth of fabric above the waist, and you don’t have pesky suspenders bugging you all day long (especially important on warmer days when you are wearing a lightweight shirt). Our creeks are shallow enough that you just do not need a full chest wader. While selections have been pretty slim in the past, 2020 has you covered with plenty of options for any style fishing and any budget. If you’re looking to have a much more comfortable Driftless experience, grab a pair of pants and go fish! (As an added bonus, you can rock them around town here in Viroqua and no one will bat an eye!) You can check out all the pant wader options on our site here. And never hesitate to drop us a line with any questions.
GOOD: Redington Escape Wading Pants. $189.99
Nothing flashy with these waders. You get a solid, 4 layer material in a simple cut with a hook and loop adjustable belt.
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BETTER: SIMMS FREESTONE WADING PANT $249.95
This is the best selling pant wader in the shop. Durable, reliable, and a great fit. 4 layer Toray Material, a comfortable belt, and a zippered fly for easy on/off
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BEST: PATAGONIA SWIFTCURRENT WADING PANT $349
This is the most pant like pair of waders out there! Gussets on waist and crotch mean they fit less like a wader, and give you a ton of freedom of movement without feeling like you are pulling at the seams. They are also constructed with a single seam which means far less chances for seam leaks or failures.
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HONORABLE MENTION:
Simms G3 guide pant. These are a seriously bombproof pair of waders. While still extremely breathable, they tend to get toasty on warm days relative to the other waders listed. We walk a lot in the Driftless and while we are pushing through some brambles and bared wire, our meadow creeks don’t necessarily need the durability that the G3 has. If you are hard on your gear, or looking for a colder weather wading pant, this is it. $500
Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing and cold, with a high near 4. Wind chill values as low as -21. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph.
Too cold to fish.
Yesterday had rising fish and hatches of midges as well as emergences of winter stoneflies. The weekend should bring the same when temperatures warm up. Just make sure you choose your creek carefully. Pick more wide open meadows and creeks with good spring activity. Places like the West Fork have quite a bit of ice on them, while the Timber Coulee is pretty much ice free.
