Last year I moved to the Madison, WI area from my trout "homewaters" in Michigan. I fly fished several of the SW Wisconsin creeks and am wondering if there are any larger streams in Wisconsin that are more like the Pere Marquette and AuSable in central Michigan? I prefer to float a river or stream and fish the hot spots from a canoe. Any suggestions?

Welcome to the Forums!

I had trouble finding this on the Wisc DNR website

But luckily...I found the link in an OLD post of mine

http://www.fishingclub.com/my-nafc/forums/aff/149/aft/37796/afv/topic/afpgj/1#331744

Check this out...

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/fish/species/trout/streammaps.html

Hope this helps

I also have a large map that shows trout streams in Wisconsin....can't find it on the 'Net at the moment

I could email it to you if yo are interested....but don't be surprised if you get PM's from folks on here that say I'm not dependable

Regards

David

brule river in far north tolake superior-huge browns-any stream almost going in lake mich. in early spring rainbows

Thanks for the info on flyfishing streams flowing into Lake Superior! I am already planning a trip up there this summer, but it is a long way from Madison-- Does anyone else know of any larger trout fishing streams closer to Central Wisconsin????

Not alot.

Here's a link to a color map of the state's trout streams on my Photobucket acct....all you will see is the map...and no adverts of anykind.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/Rivermandave/Lure%20Sales/WITroutMapMed2.jpg

This version is about 1/2 the size of the original....as PB has a 1 mb size limit on pics.

You might want to consider getting an atlas...they have trout streams marked in them.

http://www.sportsmansconnection.com/atlases/regions/

Not sure how you feel about out-of-state, but SE Minnesota has a few streams/rivers that you can fish from a canoe (Root, Whitewater). These are within about three hours of Madison and have excellent numbers of fish.

Thanks Dave, for the map of WI. I do have several maps, but the trouble for me is that there is no way to understand how wide the streams are without visiting them-- and that's a lot of streams to visit.

Hi Mike, Thanks for the SE Minnesota streams, I'll be over later late Spring to check them out. Can you recommend any tent camp ground near the Root and Whitewater? Also, is there canoe rental nearby?

For the Whitewater, there are a number of campgrounds between St. Charles and Elba on Hwy. 74.  Lazy D is a good choice.  I think they have canoe rental.  There is also a gas station/bait shop in Elba that should have some more info on canoe rental.  There is also a state park a few miles outside of Elba.  As far as the Root, the town of Lanesboro is a great place to start.  A very nice little town that really caters to tourism.  There are canoe rentals along main street.  There is also a city park for camping that has two stocked trout ponds.  I gets pretty busy on holiday weekends but the rest are calm.  The Lanesboro Chamber or Tourism Board should have some info on the web.  Hope this helps.  Any other questions just let me know.

                                                                              Mark

THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT NAMES AND PLACES! WITH A GRIN ON MY FACE, HAVE YOU GOT ANY 'SECRET' FISHING SPOTS YOU WANT TO SHARE? RICHIE

Hey Richie. I'm not sure about giving away any "secrets", but I usually fish the South Branch of the Whitewater and start by the bridge on Co. Rd. 37 between Elba and Altura (Crystal Springs). Probably can't fish that stretch by canoe though. For a canoe, most of the water from Lazy D to Elba and even beyond is pretty good. On the Root, we used to camp at the Old Barn Resort outside of Lanesboro and I have fished that whole stretch. They turned a pasture into a golf course now, but it is still fishable. I haven't been there for a couple of years, since I now live only minutes from the Whitewater. I know that the canoe rentals in Lanesboro will drop off in this area and I think you can go all the way back to town. The dnr has a nice map of all the streams and access points. I am sure you can get or order it online (mndnr.gov). Mark.

Thanks Mark! Being from a new cheesehead from Wisconsin seeking good trout water, I think you gave me some real secrets! Richie

No problem.  Glad I could help.  Living so close to the border I have learned to peacefully co-exist with the cheeseheads LOL. 
                                                                                      Mark

The Driftless area in Wisconsin has great trout waters only problem is ya wade em !!!! Coon Valley has a ton of good streams in it's area!!

Posted By bigrichie2 on 06 Apr 2011 01:15 PM
THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT NAMES AND PLACES! WITH A GRIN ON MY FACE, HAVE YOU GOT ANY 'SECRET' FISHING SPOTS YOU WANT TO SHARE? RICHIE

All things considered Richie...it almost looks like you are asking folks to just "GIVE you" their best spots.

I'm sorry...but ANYONES BEST spots...as a rule...for ANY type of fish...will NOT be shown on the 'Net.

Hi Dave, I think you might have misunderstood my comment about "SECRET FISHING SPOTS..." I have been fly fishing since I was 10 years old and became a Life Member of TU at age 45. I fully understand and appreciate that all fisherman have their own secret hot spots, which no one will ever know about! That is why I wrote "WITH A GRIN ON MY FACE..." because I knew, I would never get anyone to tell me their secret spots. I hope this clears the air between us. I'm sorry. Tight Lines, Richie