The Early Bird Catches the...

Trout anglers, you've been dreaming about it since September 30 and it's finally here: the Early Trout Season. Wisconsin's streams are teeming with trout and this is a perfect opportunity to pursue some of our state's most beautiful fish, hone your skills for the regular season or just enjoy a different kind of experience on your favorite stretch of trout stream. Early trout season regulations have not changed since last year.

Improving Your Early Trout Season Experience

• Mike Miller, Stream Ecologist, Bureau of Fisheries Management, offers some great Tips to Help You Find and Catch Trout During the Early Season [VIDEO Length 3:16]

Opening day of early trout season was good to Ben Christiansen who hooked this 17.5-inch brown trout while fishing West Branch Sugar River.

Early Trout Season Forecasts

Many areas of the state have early trout fishing season. The early trout season is open on all waters in 46 counties and on at least one water in 18 more counties. Fish biologists provided the following fishing forecasts and description of their habitat work on some of the more popular waters open for this catch-and-release season.

Trout Season Forecasts Across Wisconsin

• Northern Wisconsin [PDF 57KB]
• Northeastern Wisconsin [PDF 57KB]
• South Central Wisconsin [PDF 57KB]
• Southeastern Wisconsin [PDF 57KB]
• West Central Wisconsin [PDF 57KB]

Effects of Fall 2007 Flooding on Trout Streams

Moderate to extreme drought conditions in 2007 left 85 percent of the state with a precipitation deficit of 2 to 4 inches by mid-summer, only to be followed in August by record rains and flooding. Dave Vetrano, veteran fish manager for Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe and Vernon counties has a number of audio files on the topic of the effect these conditions will have on 2008 trout fishing. Dave's report on current condtions were presented in conjunction with an early trout season press release February 12, 2007, entitled Despite drought then deluge, trout populations thrive.

• Minimal Damage Done to Streams with Prior Restoration Work [AUDIO Length :23]
• Timber Coulee Improved by Flooding [AUDIO Length :14]
• Good Year Class for 2008 [AUDIO Length :16]
• Fishing in March Should be Good [AUDIO Length :22]
• Wild Trout Survival has Proven to be Better [AUDIO Length :21]

Other Resources

Check out these other trout resources to make the most of your time on the water.

• Information on Trout and Salmon, including identification of the various species.
• Inland Trout Regulations
• Wisconsin Trout Stream Maps

Arranged by county, this listing will help you find a prime stream to fish opening day.

• Public access to trout streams on public lands

This interactive guide shows where you'll find state public lands providing easy access to trout waters.

• Wisconsin Trout Stream Classification

Information about, and a listing of, the 10,000 miles of classified trout waters. Learn which streams have naturally reproducing trout populations, which are stocked to jump start naturally reproducing populations, and which are maintained entirely by stocking.

More About Trout

A listing of Natural Resources Magazine articles regarding trout.

• Special Trout Regulations, Oct. 2007 [exit DNR]
• Spring cleaning a fishery, June 2007 [exit DNR]
• Little streams feed a big fishery, Dec. 2005 [exit DNR]
• Coulee Trout, Apr. 2005 [exit DNR]
• Restoring Life to a Watershed, Feb. 2002 [exit DNR]
• A Fishery with a Future, Aug. 2001 [exit DNR]
• Don't Breathe a Word, Aug. 2000 [exit DNR]
• Root River Steelhead, Aug. 1997 [exit DNR]
• Trout on the Rocks, June 1996 [exit DNR]