Spring Creek · Limestone · Wisconsin

Blue River

A calm, tree-lined stretch of the Blue River flowing through the driftless area of Grant County, Wisconsin.
Marginal · Brown Trout
Pink Squirrel · 14-16
Marginallive now
Slow going — pick your moments
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelModerate rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp20.1°C
  • ClarityVery coloured
Today's fly
Pink Squirrel
Pink Squirrel14-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Moderate rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp20.1°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather21°C
WindE 13 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent23.2 mm
Rain · ahead1.8 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
20°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 20.1°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 2 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
SulphurHatch
2
3
2
Trico (Eastern)Hatch
2
3
3
2
Eastern Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Eastern Summer BWO (Drunella)Hatch
2
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
SU
Sulphur
16-18 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Local fly shops: Driftless Angler
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • WI DNR — verify reach regulations.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 20°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. A calm, tree-lined stretch of the Blue River flowing through the driftless area of Grant County, Wisconsin.
    Blue River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Supporting
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Blue River' (WI10006007), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. 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) · WI10006007

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 27 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature24 × 28%6.7
Flow41 × 22%9.0
Clarity15 × 18%2.7
Feeding Time80 × 13%10.4
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity31 × 12%3.7
Limiting factor: Water is very coloured — too coloured for Brown Trout= 38
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.
A drop and clear would lift the flow and clarity scores.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • TroutFirst Saturday in January (early catch-and-release, artificial only) → October 15 (regular harvest season from first Saturday in May)
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts