Fly Fishing in Wisconsin

A regional note specific to this state: the trout fishing here is a mix of tailwaters below hydroelectric dams and a few high-country freestone streams, and the most productive water is the tailwater that produces the largest fish and the most consistent fishing throughout the year and across all seasons. Wisconsin trout fishing is the most diverse in the upper Midwest, ranging from the Hexagenia limbata hatches of the Driftless Area to the wild brook trout streams of the North Woods. The state has about 5,000 miles of fishable trout water, including the famous Bois Brule, the Chippewa, the Big Green, the West Fork of the Kickapoo, the Timber Coulee, the Elk Creek, and dozens more. The most famous trout river is the Bois Brule, a freestone that runs through the Bayfield Peninsula and produces wild steelhead and browns averaging 14 to 18 inches. The state's trout program is administered through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the agency stocks the put-and-take lakes and rivers while managing the wild trout water through a combination of slot limits and Class I and II trout designations. A regular Wisconsin fishing license is required, and the cost is $20 for residents and $50 for non-residents, and the daily limit is 5 trout combined in most waters with a 2-trout limit on the Class I trout water.