Fishing Report

Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.
Creeks are clear to stained with temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Make sure to use your thermometer as anything over 65 will be slow fishing. Normally the small to medium sized creeks and headwaters are more than fine temperature wise, while the larger and more open meadow tend to warm up in the summertime.
We are seeing tricos in the mornings, then fishing terrestrials with a dropper until mid day. We prefer to take a break mid day and let the sun start to set before heading out to chase trout again.
The nicer weather continues through the weekend and into early next week. If we get a little rain to cool things down even more the fishing will get even better!

Sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind.
Great summer weather again today, and really into the weekend. We are only seeing highs hitting about 80 degrees and the night time lows in the high 50s. Just about perfect for summer trout fishing in the Driftless.
We are focusing heavily on fishing in the mornings. Water is cooler, fish are much happier, and we have been seeing tricos on many of our creeks. These tiny mayfly spinners can get fish rising at first light until about 10 a.m. on some days!
If the fish are not rising, we switch to a beetle or small hopper, usually with a bead head below.
Once mid day hits, the trout slow down their feeding and head to cover or depth to get out of the sun. Water temperatures can start to climb (use your thermometer!) and everyhthing slows down. Taking a mid day break is recommended.
Once the sun starts to angle off the water, fishing can pick up again. Terrestrial with a dropper is effective as well as smaller generic dry flies for rising fish at dusk.

Sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 6 to 13 mph.
Creeks are clear to stained with some heavier stain on the waters just north of the shop. Things are all clearing up rapidly and nothing is unfishable right now.
The big news is that the small to medium sized creeks are stable temperature wise with things running in the low 60s until later in the afternoon. This means the morning bite is pretty solid! The normal schedule for summer fishing is: Fish from sunup to about 10 or 11. That is when things start to warm up a bit. Mid day, either find some shade or a super cold feeder creek, or simply take a nap and get ready for fishing the last few hours of the day when the sun starts to set.
We are starting to see some tricos in the mornings, and terrestrials with droppers are excellent throughout the day. In the evenings, fishing a generic mayfly pattern (size 16-18 in a darker body color) or caddis (size 16 grey) will get rising fish to eat.
Subsurface fishing has been best on thinner bodied bugs fished in the riffles.
Even though we are lucky with the water temperatures so far this year, you should always be using your thermometer! Anything over 65 will be slow fishing, and much higher than that can be harmful to trout.

A 10 percent chance of showers after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. North wind 5 to 9 mph.
Overall creeks are clear to medium stained. Temperatures are holding steady in the low 60s early in the day despite the heat over the weekend and yesterday.
We are starting to see the first few trico spinners in the mornings! After a few fish sipping early in the day, we switch over to terrestrials with droppers for the rest of the day. The summer rhythm has officially started and won’t change too much for the next couple of weeks.
Remember to focus your efforts on times when the sun is off the water. Fishing mid day can be an exercise in frustration on a clear and sunny day. Fish early, fish late, and find the shade to find better fishing.

A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10am. Widespread fog, mainly before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Creeks north of Viroqua have calmed down a bit and are now slightly to medium stained, excellent shape for summer fishing, plus the flushing of those creeks knocked even more vegetation down.
Today might be another one to wait out, as temperatures dip into the high 70s and almost touching the 50s at night starting tomorrow.
Hoppers are here, as are ants, beetles and crickets. For the early morning angler, we have seen hints at a trico spinner fall already. We will not say the main hatch is on, but we have seen one or two here and there.
Subsurface fishing, especially in the riffles and stained water has been fantastic.
Even with the hot weekend, water temperatures on most creeks are still in the low 60s. Remember to use your thermometer and avoid anything over 65 degrees.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 7am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. South wind 6 to 8 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
The storms last night were quick, but dropped some heavy rains nearby. North of Viroqua got hit hard with up to 3 plus inches of rain falling in a short time. Lots of murky water up there (it will drop and clear very quickly today, but the morning is shot). East and south of town things are looking much better with water this morning ranging from clear to a medium stain. Lots of fishable water as long as you are not too far north of the shop!
The rains last night and the heat today will be brutal by later this morning with the heat index pushing 100 degrees. Tomorrow will be about the same, but we get a very good cool down Tuesday!

A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
High heat and high humidity weekend. It will feel like mid 90s to 100 this weekend! Might not be the best time to be out fishing. Thankfully the creeks have had enough rain and cool weather lately that after the weekend things should stabilize temperature wise (especially if these hot days give us some rain).
If you are here, focus on the first 4 or 5 hours of the day when water temperatures are the coldest. Remember your thermometer as anything over 65 degrees will be slow fishing.
Summertime means terrestrials here in the Driftless. Hopper, ants, beetles, crickets… They are all catching fish on the surface, especially in the riffles.

Sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
Great conditions out there today, Unfortunately the weekend is going to get hot and humid.
Creeks are clear to slightly stained with temperatures in the low 60s. Terrestrials are the hot ticket right now. Small hoppers, beetles, ants and crickets are the main item on the menu. Tying a dropper below and fishing the riffles is a great technique all summer long.
The major issue on Saturday and Sunday will be the heat. We’re looking at heat index pushing 100 degrees. It will hopefully be brief and mixed with some rains, but for human comfort it probably is a good idea to pass on the weekend.
If you are already here, make sure you focus on fishing early morning, from sunup to about 10 before it gets too hot.

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Light east wind.
Nothing has changed fishing wise. A few sporadic rising fish (greased lightning or seam sipper) and beetle or small hopper with a dropper all day long.
More importantly, we are looking at a hot weekend. Today and tomorrow are still in the low 80s, but Saturday we push 90 and the hot weather sticks around until about Tuesday.
Fishing has been great with cooler than normal stream temps, and especially when the scattered cloud cover shades the creeks, but the heat will slow things down a bit until the middle of next week.

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Light north wind.
Fish early, fish late and find the shade!
Our area is in excellent shape for summertime, temperatures are still in the low 60s on all the small to medium creeks. Larger creeks are over 65 degrees (normal for this time of season) and we do not recommend fishing them.
Hatches are sparse and you really only see rising fish late at night and early in the morning. When the sun is shining on the water, it is terrestrial time. Beetles, ants, small hoppers… They are all doing well fished up against undercut banks and underneath overhanging vegetation. For easy mode fishing, tie on a bead head dropper below your terrestrial and fish the riffles too!