Freestone · Mixed · Wisconsin

Root River

Root River venue image

The Root runs salmon and steelhead right through Racine, with the Wisconsin DNR's steelhead facility on its banks concentrating the run.

Poor · Brown Trout
Hexagenia Dun · 4-8
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.69 mLast reading 1d ago
  • Water temp22.6°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
HD
Hexagenia Dun4-8
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.69 m
Last reading 1d ago
Water temp22.6°C
ClarityClear
Weather26°C
WindW 26 km/h
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead2.9 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
23°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 22.6°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Quill GordonHatch
2
2
Blue QuillHatch
2
3
2
HendricksonHatch
2
2
Eastern March BrownHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Wisconsin licence with a Great Lakes trout/salmon stamp; verify WI DNR reach rules
  • Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 23°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Root runs salmon and steelhead right through Racine, with the Wisconsin DNR's steelhead facility on its banks concentrating the run. Urban, accessible water that delivers chrome from fall through spring for anglers who don't mind a city backdrop.

  • Mixed
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Impaired
  • Fish consumption: Impaired
What this classification means

Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs) — fish for sport, not the table.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Root River' (WI10000605), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Nutrients, Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · WI10000605

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 6 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature3 × 28%0.8
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity57 × 12%6.8
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.6°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 55
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts