BirdTrout

Chequamegon National Forest, Wisconsin

863,436 acres of public ground in Bayfield, Ashland, Price, Sawyer counties, managed by US Forest Service. 102 named streams run through it, of which 71 are designated trout water — 583.6 miles of it. It is in the state's huntable-land layer.

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Map key

This unit — the ground this page is about

Other public land — state, federal and county ground around it

USGS gauge — a gauge, coloured by what it reads now

Water temperature — the colour of every stream on this ground

50°F and colder is cold, through cold-transitional and cool, to warm above 70°F — the same four bands the app paints. The colour is Wisconsin DNR's own classification of the stream, not a measurement, except at the gauge dots, which read live. Grey is water Wisconsin DNR has not typed.

The unit in numbers

Assembled from the state huntable public-land layer and PAD-US ownership records, dissolved into one block: the section lines a state forest is surveyed in are not a fact about access, so they are not drawn and not counted twice.

863,436 ac

public ground

1349.1 square miles · 72 separate blocks

US Forest Service

managing agency

National forest

102

named streams on it

1192.7 miles · 71 designated trout

Access not recorded

public access

as recorded in the ownership file

Getting on it

PAD-US carries no access class for this unit. It is in the state's huntable layer, which is why it is here; what else you may do on it is the managing agency's to say.

This unit is 72 separate blocks of ground rather than one, which is normal for public land held in surveyed sections: the blocks are not contiguous. The map above draws every one of them, and the ground between two of them belongs to somebody else. Boundaries, closures and anything posted on the ground are USDA Forest Service's to say.

Trout streams on this ground

Every named stream whose reaches touch this unit, longest first. 50 of them have a page of their own and are linked; the rest are in the app. The class column is Wisconsin DNR's designation of that stream, over the reaches it has classified. "Now" is the live USGS reading where a gauge stands in that stream.

Stream	Miles	Class	Now	Designation
Namekagon River	122.4	Cold	—	Class II
Bad River	68.5	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
South Fork Flambeau River	68.5	untyped	—	—
East Fork Chippewa River	66.5	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
Marengo River	55.1	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
Brunet River	42.0	Cold	—	Class I, Class II
Elk River	32.2	untyped	—	Class III
Brunsweiler River	30.8	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
Long Lake Branch	29.0	Cold	—	Class I
Hay Creek	27.5	Cold	—	Class II
Silver Creek	27.0	Cold	—	Class I, Class III
Ounce River	26.5	untyped	—	Class III
North Fish Creek	25.8	Cold	—	Class I, Class II
Willow River	22.0	untyped	—	Class III
Mondeaux River	21.6	Cold	—	Class II
Pine Creek	19.1	Cold	—	Class I, Class II, Class III
Eighteenmile Creek	16.8	Cold	—	Class I
Sailor Creek	16.8	untyped	—	—
Dryden Creek	16.5	Cold	—	Class II
Amber Creek	15.5	untyped	—	—
Flag River	15.1	Cold	—	Class I, Class II
Log Creek	14.2	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
Twentymile Creek	12.9	Cold	—	Class I, Class II
Hay Creek	12.1	untyped	—	—
Chase Creek	11.6	Cold	—	Class I, Class III
Iron River	11.6	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
Scott Creek	11.4	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
East Torch River	11.3	untyped	—	Class III
Dingdong Creek	10.8	untyped	—	Class III
East Fork Cranberry River	10.6	Cold	—	Class I
Venison Creek	10.2	untyped	—	Class III
Trout Brook	9.9	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
Castle Creek	9.6	untyped	—	Class III
Thunder Creek	8.7	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
Big Brook	8.1	Cold	—	Class I
Spring Brook	8.1	Cold	—	Class I
Morgan Creek	7.6	Cold	—	Class II
Pre-emption Creek	7.4	Cold	—	Class II
Fourmile Creek	7.2	Cold	—	Class I
Cap Creek	7.0	untyped	—	Class III
West Fork Chippewa River	7.0	untyped	—	—
West Torch River	6.9	untyped	—	Class III
Foulds Creek	6.8	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
Riley Creek	6.7	untyped	—	—
Spillerberg Creek	6.6	Cold	—	Class II
Torch River	6.6	untyped	—	—
East Fork Hay Creek	6.5	untyped	—	Class III
Minnie Creek	6.4	Cold	—	Class II
Minnow Creek	6.1	Cold	—	Class II
Weasel Creek	6.0	untyped	—	Class III
Jackson Creek	5.8	untyped	—	—
Pine Creek	5.7	Cold	—	Class I
Spring Creek	5.7	Cold	—	Class II
Brush Creek	5.6	Cold	—	Class II
Taylor Creek	5.6	untyped	—	—
Little Willow Creek	5.4	Cold	—	Class I
Johnson Creek	5.3	untyped	—	Class III
Rocky Run	5.2	untyped	—	Class III
Muskellunge Creek	5.1	untyped	—	—
Whisky Creek	4.9	Cold	—	Class II, Class III
McCarthy Creek	4.5	Cold	—	Class II
Drake Creek	4.4	untyped	—	—
Jader Creek	4.4	Cold	—	Class II
Hawkins Creek	4.3	Cold	—	Class I
Stony Creek	4.3	Cold	—	Class I
Camp Eleven Creek	4.2	Cold	—	Class II
Camp C Creek	4.1	Cold	—	Class II
Lenawee Creek	4.1	Cold	—	Class I
Tars Creek	4.1	untyped	—	Class III
Wazhashki-ziibiins	4.1	Cold	—	Class II
Edies Creek	4.0	untyped	—	—
Shady Brook	3.9	untyped	—	—
Clover Creek	3.8	untyped	—	—
Ramstead Creek	3.7	untyped	—	—
Cedar Creek	3.6	Cold	—	Class I
Dalrymple Creek	3.4	Cold	—	Class II
Byhre Creek	3.3	untyped	—	—
West Fork White River	3.3	untyped	—	—
Spider Creek	3.1	untyped	—	—
Rocky Run	2.9	untyped	—	—
Hell Hole Creek	2.8	untyped	—	—
Frames Creek	2.7	Cold	—	Class II
Bearsdale Creek	2.6	untyped	—	Class III
Camp Fifteen Creek	2.6	Cold	—	Class II
Blaser Creek	2.4	Cold	—	Class II
Camp Six Creek	2.4	untyped	—	—
Camp Fourteen Creek	2.2	untyped	—	—
Elevenmile Creek	2.2	untyped	—	—
Spring Brook	2.2	untyped	—	—
Kelp Creek	2.0	untyped	—	—
Tracy Creek	2.0	untyped	—	—
Sieverson Creek	1.9	Cold	—	Class I
Knab Creek	1.8	Cold	—	Class II
Porcupine Creek	1.7	untyped	—	—
Schoolhouse Creek	1.7	untyped	—	—
Reins Creek	1.3	Cold	—	Class II
Shunenberg Creek	1.3	Cold	—	Class II
Toskis Creek	1.3	untyped	—	—
Waboo Creek	1.2	Cold	—	Class II
Gravelly Brook	0.8	untyped	—	Class III
Springstead Creek	0.4	untyped	—	—
Hungry Run	0.3	untyped	—	—

The miles are the whole stream's, not the miles inside this boundary: a river does not stop at a property line and neither does its page.

Hunting

This ground is in Wisconsin's huntable public-land layer as national forest, managed by US Forest Service — 100% of the unit is covered by it. The seasons below are the 2026–2027 small-game seasons as the state's own digest publishes them; they are statewide except where a species is zoned, and the bars run 1 September to 31 August.

Wild turkey (fall) 12 Sep – 3 Jan

Wisconsin requires blaze orange or fluorescent pink only while a firearm deer season is in progress — but then it applies to small game hunters too. This app flags orange as required for the whole season because missing it during gun deer season is the dangerous error. Check the gun deer dates. Some states let a turkey hunter out of blaze orange. Wisconsin does not: the exemption here is for waterfowl hunters, so a fall turkey hunter afield while a firearm deer season is open wears it like everybody else. The limit is one turkey per harvest authorization, not a number of birds a day. A hunter holding more than one authorization may take more than one bird, so no daily figure is shown above — the authorizations in your pocket are the limit. One turkey of any age or sex per harvest authorization — either sex, unlike spring, which is bearded or male birds only. Three things, and all three: a turkey hunting licence for the season you are hunting, a wild turkey stamp, and an unfilled harvest authorization valid for the season, period and zone you are in. One fall harvest authorization comes with the fall turkey licence at no extra cost, and you choose the zone when you buy it. Where a zone has quota left, bonus authorizations go on sale in August at ten dollars for residents and fifteen for non-residents, one per hunter per day. Wisconsin runs seven turkey management zones, and they do not change the dates — every zone opens and shuts on the same day. What a zone decides is which authorization you may hold and how many WDNR issues there, so pick the zone you will actually hunt when you apply or buy. Dogs are legal for fall turkey. They are not legal in spring. Baiting turkeys is illegal. Hunting over agricultural crops and over wildlife food plots that were planted and left standing is not baiting. Fall turkey runs on WDNR's deer, bear, elk and small game shooting-hours table. Spring turkey runs on the migratory bird table, which starts earlier in the morning — they are not the same hours. Wisconsin's other turkey season is spring, and it is the bigger hunt: six one-week periods from 21 April to 1 June 2027, with a youth hunt on 17 and 18 April. Authorizations are drawn by zone and by period, and the application closes on 10 December.

American woodcock 19 Sep – 2 Nov

Northern bobwhite 17 Oct – 9 Dec

Daily bag 5, possession 15. Wisconsin requires blaze orange or fluorescent pink only while a firearm deer season is in progress — but then it applies to small game hunters too. This app flags orange as required for the whole season because missing it during gun deer season is the dangerous error. Check the gun deer dates. Possession is three times the daily bag, which is the rule WDNR states for upland birds rather than a separate figure for this species. Opening day starts at 9:00 a.m., not at first light. The season is written statewide and the bird is not: bobwhite hangs on in the far south-west of Wisconsin, at the northern edge of its range, and is thin even there.

Ring-necked pheasant 17 Oct – 3 Jan

Wild turkey (spring) 21 Apr – 27 Apr, 28 Apr – 4 May, 5 May – 11 May, 12 May – 18 May, 19 May – 25 May, 26 May – 1 Jun

Wisconsin requires blaze orange or fluorescent pink only while a firearm deer season is in progress — but then it applies to small game hunters too. This app flags orange as required for the whole season because missing it during gun deer season is the dangerous error. Check the gun deer dates. The limit is one turkey per harvest authorization, not a number of birds a day. A hunter holding more than one authorization may take more than one bird, so no daily figure is shown above — the authorizations in your pocket are the limit. Bearded or male birds only, unlike the fall season, which takes either sex. Six one-week periods, and they run back to back with no gap: 21 to 27 April, 28 April to 4 May, 5 to 11 May, 12 to 18 May, 19 to 25 May, and 26 May to 1 June. Your harvest authorization names one of them, and it is the only week it is good for. Three things, and all three: a turkey hunting licence for the season you are hunting, a wild turkey stamp, and an unfilled harvest authorization valid for the season, period and zone you are in. Authorizations are drawn on a cumulative preference system. Applications cost three dollars and close on 10 December; whatever the drawing does not award is sold afterwards as bonus authorizations, first come first served, at ten dollars for residents and fifteen for non-residents. Wisconsin runs seven turkey management zones, and they do not change the dates — every zone opens and shuts on the same day. What a zone decides is which authorization you may hold and how many WDNR issues there, so pick the zone you will actually hunt when you apply or buy. A youth hunt runs on 17 and 18 April, ahead of Period A, for hunters under 16 accompanied by an adult. It is not open to everyone, so it is not in the dates above. Dogs are not legal for spring turkey. Live and electronic decoys are not legal in either season. Baiting turkeys is illegal. Hunting over agricultural crops and over wildlife food plots that were planted and left standing is not baiting. Spring turkey runs on WDNR's migratory bird shooting-hours table, not the small game one — it starts earlier in the morning than the fall season does. These are 2027 dates and they are current, not stale: WDNR's book is the Fall 2026 to Spring 2027 regulations, and spring 2027 is the half of that season year still to come.

Ruffed grouse zoned — see below

Zoned — Wisconsin publishes this season by zone, and this page does not place this unit in one, so no season bar is drawn. Seasons by zone — Zone A: 12 Sep – 3 Jan; Zone B: 17 Oct – 8 Dec. Wisconsin requires blaze orange or fluorescent pink only while a firearm deer season is in progress — but then it applies to small game hunters too. This app flags orange as required for the whole season because missing it during gun deer season is the dangerous error. Check the gun deer dates. WDNR sets the daily bag at five birds in Zone A and two in Zone B. This app shows one bag limit per species and cannot yet give a different one per zone, so the figure is left empty rather than printed wrong in half the state — take the one for the zone you are standing in. Zone A is the northern and central forest; Zone B the south-east. The boundary is WDNR's own zone polygons, from season_zones_wi.geojson, and the map resolves which side of it you are on — so the dates shown are the ones for where you are standing.

Hunter orange: At least 50% of clothing above the waist, and any head covering, must be blaze orange or fluorescent pink any time a firearm deer season is in progress. This applies to small game and archery hunters, not only to deer hunters. Waterfowl hunters are exempt. It applies to any open firearm deer season, except when hunting waterfowl.

Access sites and amenities

No public access site we have on record stands on this unit. We hold no trail or campground data at all, so what is here is what the state publishes as launches and walk-in access, and none of it falls on this ground.

When to come

The hatch calendar for northern Wisconsin, which is the region this unit's centre falls in — the same regions the app's hatch panel uses. It is a regional record, not a survey of this ground: nobody has counted insects unit by unit. Year-round records (midges, scuds, sculpins) are left out. The seasons above are the other half of this calendar: the water is best before the ground is.

January

Fish Eggs

February

Little Brown Stonefly

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Fish Eggs

What makes this unit distinctive

The Chequamegon is the largest single block of public ground in Wisconsin on this site — 863,436 acres held in 72 separate parts across Bayfield, Ashland, Price and Sawyer counties — and it spans the drainage divide, which is why it appears on watershed pages as far apart as the Bad-Montreal, the Namekagon and the Upper Chippewa. A hundred and two named streams touch it and 71 of them are WDNR-designated trout water. The Namekagon runs 122.4 miles of Class II water through it, the Bad River 68.5 miles at Class II and III, the East Fork Chippewa 66.5 the same, the Marengo 55.1, and the Brunet River 42.0 miles at Class I and II. PAD-US records no public access class for this ground; it is national forest, and what you may do on it is the Forest Service's to say.

Regulations

Nothing on this page is a regulation. The fishing rules that apply to the water on this ground — the types, the seasons, the size limits and the gear restrictions — are on the Wisconsin fishing regulations page, built from the agency's own columns. The hunting seasons above come from the state's hunting digest, read against the 2026 licence year.

Watersheds it lies in

The subbasins this ground drains into. Each one has the whole basin's water on it.

Public land nearby

The nearest other blocks of public ground, centre to centre. Public land does not tile a state the way watersheds do, so this is nearness rather than adjacency.

Plan a weekend around it

The trip pages whose range reaches this ground — the water in the same drive, what is hatching, and a three-day plan built from it.