Fishing/Water Condition Report

[Lunker]

Fished a few different streams today, SW WI. Conditions were variable, changing between cloudy and raining to sunny and calm. Stream conditions were also variable. The larger streams were running fairly high and slightly stained, the smaller feeder streams were pretty clear and only a bit high. Water levels have gone down considerably since the rain we had less than a week ago. Just about all the snow is gone, besides on some hillsides and sheltered areas, as you can see in the first pic below.

I did okay in the first large stream I fished, but stuck to the smaller feeder streams the rest of the day. Ended up catching more than 30 browns, most with 2" a swimbait on spinning gear. Had a friend stop by and fish with me for a couple hours of it, and he probably landed a dozen or so fish as well. Nothing really big, but a number of fish in the 14-15" range. For those fly guys, I did see a number of fish taking bugs off the surface, but I didn't feel like there were many hatching today. I did have a 12" brown cough up a 5" baitfish though...thinking about up-sizing my presentation...A few pics from the day.

[Nate McVey]

Nice browns!

[JP Z]

Those are some Nice Browns lunker! What type of swimbait were you throwing? Was it like a Sassy Shad style, that's what it looks like at least in your picture.

[Lunker]

It was a generic brand I bought a bunch of last year, but yes it's basically identical to a sassy shad or other similar swimbait.

Have had about 2" of rain in the area over the past 48 hours, so you can imagine how stream conditions are currently.

[-Marc V-]

I wouldn't be afraid to go 5". I throw streamers for them that size and do well. Nit as many little guys but more big ones show up. Going to push the 6-7" range this year if in an area where I think there might be a a biggun.

[Lunker]

Fished for a few hours this afternoon here in WI.

Water conditions ranged from crystal clear and a little high in the upper stretch of a wooded stream I fished, to moderately high and slightly stained in some of the mid-size pasture streams I fished, to raging and chocolate milk in the lower stretches of a couple of bigger streams I checked out. The latter were pretty much unfishable.

Probably caught about a 10-12 fish, all small, biggest being about 13". In the fast slightly stained water they were having a heck of a time taking baits. Probably missed at least 5 to each fish I caught, including some decent ones that failed to get the lure. I tried changing sizes/colors/profile of lures but they were having trouble getting any of it. The ones I did manage to catch were barely hooked. For some reason the very clear stretch I fished (which is full of fish) only produced 1 fish and not many bites.

Looking forward to the weather to stabilize, but the forecast here is for more rain...