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When to fish Little Cain Creek, Wisconsin

June, July and August — those are the months with the most insects recorded from northern Wisconsin, 23 in June, 21 in July and 15 in August. Wisconsin DNR classifies it as Class I, managed as wild — that is the season and creel row to look up. WDNR classes most of its typed water as cold, and no gauge on it reports temperature, so the calendar below is the hatch record rather than a thermometer.

Open Little Cain Creek on the live map Open in BirdTrout
See Little Cain Creek's water temperature now → Every reach coloured by water temperature, with the access points along it.

What's likely in September

22 insects peak in September in northern Wisconsin. By month, not week.

Start with these — the patterns that match most of what is out now:

Mayflies

Blue-Winged Olive #16–22, Isonychia / Slate Drake #10–14, Little Yellow May #16–18, Trico #20–24

Tie onPheasant Tail Nymph nymph · Parachute Adams dry · Rusty Spinner dry

Caddis

October Caddis #8–10, White Miller #14–18, Green Rock Worm / Green Weenie #10–14

Tie onElk Hair Caddis dry · Prince Nymph nymph · Stimulator dry

Midges

Midge #18–24

Tie onRS2 emerger · Griffith's Gnat dry · Zebra Midge nymph

Terrestrials

Cinnamon Flying Ant #16–20, Black Ant #14–20, Grasshopper #8–12, Leafhopper #18–22, Caterpillar #8–14

Tie onFoam Beetle terrestrial · Black Foam Ant terrestrial · Parachute Ant terrestrial

Crayfish, scuds and baitfish

Crayfish #4–8, Minnows + Dace #2–10, Sculpin #2–8

Tie onZonker streamer · Woolly Bugger (Black) streamer · Woolly Bugger (Brown) streamer

Worms, leeches and the rest

Water Boatman #14–18, Cranefly #6–10, Aquatic Worm #10–16, Damselfly #10–14, Dragonfly #4–10, and 1 more

Tie onWoolly Bugger (Olive) streamer · Walt's Worm nymph · Woolly Bugger (Brown) streamer

The hatch calendar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Insects peaking each month. Midges, scuds and sculpins are left out: they peak every month, so counting them would flatten the bars.

Every insect recorded here, by month (42)
InsectMonthsHookActive at
Fish Eggs October–January and April #10–16 33–60 °F
Little Brown Stonefly February–April #12–16 38–50 °F
Blue-Winged Olive March–May and September–November #16–22 38–58 °F
Blackfly April–June #18–22 40–65 °F
Cranefly April–June and September–October #6–10 40–65 °F
Grannom April–May #14–16 48–58 °F
Green Rock Worm / Green Weenie April–June and September–October #10–14 45–68 °F
Hendrickson April–May #12–14 45–58 °F
Alderfly May–June #10–14 52–66 °F
Caterpillar May–September #8–14 55–75 °F
Crayfish May–October #4–8 55–78 °F
Giant Black Stonefly (Salmonfly) May–June #4–6 50–62 °F
Green Sedge May–August #12–16 48–64 °F
Light Cahill May–July #12–16 55–68 °F
Spotted / Tan Caddis May–August #14–18 55–70 °F
Sulphur May–July #14–18 52–68 °F
Black Ant June–September #14–20 55–80 °F
Brown Drake June #10–12 55–65 °F
Golden Stonefly June–July #6–10 55–68 °F
Gray Drake June–July #10–12 55–68 °F
Hex June–July #6–8 60–72 °F
Isonychia / Slate Drake June–September #10–14 55–70 °F
June Bug / Beetle June–July #10–14 58–75 °F
Leafhopper June–September #18–22 58–75 °F
Little Sister Caddis June–August #16–20 60–74 °F
Little Yellow May June–September #16–18 58–70 °F
Little Yellow Sally June–August #14–16 55–68 °F
Pale Morning Dun June–July #14–18 50–65 °F
Annual Cicada July–August #6–10 60–78 °F
Grasshopper July–September #8–12 60–80 °F
Trico July–September #20–24 58–72 °F
White Miller July–September #14–18 60–74 °F
Cinnamon Flying Ant August–September #16–20 58–78 °F
October Caddis September–October #8–10 45–58 °F
Water Boatman September–November #14–18 45–65 °F
Aquatic Worm all year #10–16 35–70 °F
Damselfly all year #10–14 55–78 °F
Dragonfly all year #4–10 55–78 °F
Leech all year #2–10 35–75 °F
Midge all year #18–24 33–75 °F
Minnows + Dace all year #2–10 35–78 °F
Sculpin all year #2–8 33–72 °F

The season

Wisconsin publishes no season on this reach in the file this site reads. Wisconsin DNR classifies it as Class I, managed as wild, and that is the row to look up in the digest — the season and creel rules follow the classification rather than the river. What the state designates on this water → Wisconsin regulations →

Water temperature through the year

No gauge on this river reports water temperature. WDNR classes its typed water as Cold, which is a classification and not a measurement.

More about Little Cain Creek

Little Cain Creek — live water temperature, regulations and access