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Fly fishing near Madison, Wisconsin
112 waters with a page on this site lie within 30 miles of Madison, Wisconsin — Pecatonica River, East Branch Pecatonica River and Sugar River among them. June, July and August carry the most recorded hatches, 23 insects in June, 21 insects in July and 15 insects in August. In range: 8 blocks of public land with a page of their own and 1 fly shops. Everything below is measured or published — no ranking on this page is ours.
The water
| Water | Distance | Miles | July mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pecatonica River | 29.5 mi | 60.7 | — |
| East Branch Pecatonica River | 19.4 mi | 57.9 | — |
| Sugar River | 13.7 mi | 55.0 | — |
| Otter Creek | 21.8 mi | 49.2 | — |
| Little Sugar River | 20.0 mi | 32.5 | — |
| Black Earth Creek | 19.4 mi | 30.9 | — |
| Allen Creek | 15.8 mi | 29.5 | — |
| Honey Creek | 25.0 mi | 25.5 | — |
| Gordon Creek | 18.6 mi | 24.0 | — |
| West Branch Sugar River | 15.4 mi | 23.8 | — |
| Dodge Branch | 24.8 mi | 23.8 | — |
| Seeley Creek | 26.6 mi | 18.5 | — |
| Rowan Creek | 12.8 mi | 16.9 | — |
| Yahara River | 8.0 mi | 16.8 | — |
| Dougherty Creek | 23.9 mi | 16.7 | — |
| North Branch Honey Creek | 26.5 mi | 15.8 | — |
| Spring Creek | 15.1 mi | 15.6 | — |
| Middle Branch Duck Creek | 16.4 mi | 15.3 | — |
| Sylvester Creek | 21.8 mi | 14.7 | — |
| Story Creek | 14.3 mi | 14.0 | — |
| Badfish Creek | 12.5 mi | 13.8 | — |
| West Branch Blue Mounds Creek | 20.0 mi | 13.2 | — |
| Burgy Creek | 20.7 mi | 13.1 | — |
| Rocky Run | 14.5 mi | 12.7 | — |
| Kittleson Valley Creek | 19.8 mi | 12.5 | — |
| Token Creek | 6.3 mi | 11.5 | — |
| Rowley Creek | 18.9 mi | 10.9 | — |
| Hinkson Creek | 13.5 mi | 10.7 | — |
| Whiteside Creek | 26.6 mi | 10.6 | — |
| Hefty Creek | 20.2 mi | 10.5 | — |
| Flint Creek | 29.1 mi | 10.5 | — |
| Laxey Creek | 29.6 mi | 10.3 | — |
| Elvers Creek | 18.1 mi | 10.2 | — |
| Mud Branch | 26.2 mi | 10.1 | — |
| Dunlap Creek | 19.5 mi | 10.0 | — |
| East Fork Raccoon Creek | 24.1 mi | 9.8 | — |
| Erickson Creek | 22.2 mi | 9.7 | — |
| Vermont Creek | 16.6 mi | 9.6 | — |
| Badger Mill Creek | 9.0 mi | 9.5 | — |
| Rush Creek | 26.2 mi | 9.3 | — |
| Trout Creek | 22.0 mi | 9.2 | — |
| Jennings Creek | 15.9 mi | 9.1 | — |
| Sawmill Creek | 21.4 mi | 8.9 | — |
| Smith Conley Creek | 23.1 mi | 8.9 | — |
| Spring Creek | 22.8 mi | 8.8 | — |
| Lowery Creek | 24.5 mi | 8.6 | — |
| Wilson Creek | 24.6 mi | 8.2 | — |
| Leech Creek | 21.6 mi | 7.8 | — |
| Canon Creek | 25.5 mi | 7.7 | — |
| German Valley Branch | 18.6 mi | 7.6 | — |
| Hulburt Creek | 29.4 mi | 7.6 | — |
| Conley Lewis Creek | 24.0 mi | 7.3 | — |
| Apple Branch | 26.5 mi | 7.2 | — |
| Bushnell Creek | 22.5 mi | 6.8 | — |
| Mount Vernon Creek | 14.6 mi | 6.6 | — |
| Prentice Creek | 18.6 mi | 6.6 | — |
| Dickinson Creek | 29.0 mi | 6.6 | — |
| Ryan Creek | 18.4 mi | 6.5 | — |
| Lovett Creek | 28.0 mi | 6.5 | — |
| Primrose Branch | 16.2 mi | 6.3 | — |
| Silver School Branch | 18.2 mi | 6.2 | — |
| Brewery Creek | 28.1 mi | 6.2 | — |
| Harker Creek | 28.9 mi | 6.2 | — |
| Pleasant Valley Branch | 18.0 mi | 5.9 | — |
| Olson Creek | 22.8 mi | 5.9 | — |
| Silver Spring Creek | 28.6 mi | 5.9 | — |
| Deer Creek | 14.3 mi | 5.8 | — |
| Gill Creek | 14.8 mi | 5.7 | — |
| East Branch Blue Mounds Creek | 18.8 mi | 5.5 | — |
| Gulch Creek | 28.6 mi | 5.5 | — |
| Ward Creek | 16.8 mi | 5.4 | — |
| Legler School Branch | 18.3 mi | 5.4 | — |
| Fryes Feeder | 13.8 mi | 5.3 | — |
| Ross Crossing Creek | 15.8 mi | 5.2 | — |
| Syftestad Creek | 18.7 mi | 5.2 | — |
| Center Branch Hefty Creek | 20.0 mi | 5.2 | — |
| Rock Branch | 28.0 mi | 5.0 | — |
| McCarville Creek | 29.5 mi | 4.8 | — |
| Brennan Creek | 23.0 mi | 4.7 | — |
| Steiner Branch | 25.6 mi | 4.7 | — |
| Flynn Creek | 13.8 mi | 4.6 | — |
| Spring Valley Creek | 16.8 mi | 4.6 | — |
| Harrison Creek | 26.0 mi | 4.5 | — |
| Garfoot Creek | 15.1 mi | 4.4 | — |
| Lee Creek | 28.9 mi | 4.4 | — |
| Manley Creek | 19.9 mi | 4.3 | — |
| Gilmore Creek | 29.8 mi | 4.3 | — |
| Canyon Park Creek | 23.9 mi | 4.1 | — |
| Lynch Branch | 25.7 mi | 4.1 | — |
| Parfreys Glen Creek | 19.1 mi | 4.0 | — |
| Love Creek | 22.7 mi | 4.0 | — |
| Norwegian Hollow Creek | 27.7 mi | 4.0 | — |
| Camels Creek | 29.0 mi | 3.9 | — |
| Ley Creek | 23.1 mi | 3.7 | — |
| Big Spring Creek | 26.0 mi | 3.7 | — |
| Bohn Creek | 17.4 mi | 3.5 | — |
| Marble Creek | 29.0 mi | 3.5 | — |
| Williams-Barneveld Creek | 20.2 mi | 3.3 | — |
| Whitford Creek | 23.8 mi | 3.3 | — |
| Boulder Creek | 20.2 mi | 3.2 | — |
| Gribble Branch | 25.2 mi | 3.2 | — |
| Cutler Creek | 24.7 mi | 2.9 | — |
| Rutland Branch | 9.4 mi | 2.6 | — |
| Regan Creek | 22.5 mi | 2.6 | — |
| Moen Creek | 16.5 mi | 2.4 | — |
| Beaver Creek | 27.7 mi | 2.4 | — |
| Strutt Creek | 22.5 mi | 2.3 | — |
| Baker Creek | 29.8 mi | 2.2 | — |
| Schmidt Creek | 22.3 mi | 1.7 | — |
| Martin Creek | 28.8 mi | 1.6 | — |
| Gallus Slough | 18.8 mi | 1.0 | — |
| Black Earth Creek — named stretch | 16.9 mi | — | — |
Straight-line distance from the middle of town to the middle of the water. The roads are not mapped here, so this page does not give you a drive time it did not measure.
A 3-day plan
Pecatonica River
No site in the state's access file falls within twelve miles of this water's centre, so the way in is public ground and road crossings.
East Branch Pecatonica River
No site in the state's access file falls within twelve miles of this water's centre, so the way in is public ground and road crossings.
Sugar River
No site in the state's access file falls within twelve miles of this water's centre, so the way in is public ground and road crossings.
Assembled, not written: the days are the largest waters in range, longest first, and each one carries the nearest site in Wisconsin's own access file — measured from the middle of the water, so it is a place to start looking rather than a landing on that river. Fish them in whatever order the weather gives you.
Hatches to hit
The months with the most recorded hatches in northern Wisconsin: June (23), July (21), August (15).
| Insect | Months | Hook |
|---|---|---|
| Fish Eggs | October–January and April | #10–16 |
| Little Brown Stonefly | February–April | #12–16 |
| Blue-Winged Olive | March–May and September–November | #16–22 |
| Blackfly | April–June | #18–22 |
| Cranefly | April–June and September–October | #6–10 |
| Grannom | April–May | #14–16 |
| Green Rock Worm / Green Weenie | April–June and September–October | #10–14 |
| Hendrickson | April–May | #12–14 |
| Alderfly | May–June | #10–14 |
| Caterpillar | May–September | #8–14 |
| Crayfish | May–October | #4–8 |
| Giant Black Stonefly (Salmonfly) | May–June | #4–6 |
| Green Sedge | May–August | #12–16 |
| Light Cahill | May–July | #12–16 |
Recorded from northern Wisconsin, earliest first. The year-round records sit at the bottom because they are true and they are not news.
Public land in range
- Cherokee Marsh Fishery Area — 7.5 mi
- Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area — 9.1 mi
- Waunakee Wildlife Area — 10.5 mi
- Sugar River Wetlands State Natural Area — 11.1 mi
- Ice Age Trail - Sd — 12.7 mi
- Anthony Branch Streambank Protection Area — 13.0 mi
- Story Creek Streambank Protection Area — 13.8 mi
- Bad Fish Creek Wildlife Area — 15.4 mi
Blocks of ground with a page of their own, nearest first. Ownership from PAD-US as Wisconsin publishes it.
Camping and lodging
We have campground records for Michigan and for no other state, so there is nothing to list here rather than a list somebody guessed. The public land above is where the dispersed camping is, where the state allows it.
Fly shops
- Fontana Sports — 0.9 mi, Madison
From OpenStreetMap and a curated list, across all five states on this site. Call before you drive — a shop in a file is not a shop that is open.
Before you go
- Wisconsin regulations
- Wisconsin fishing report
- Pecatonica River
- East Branch Pecatonica River
- Sugar River
- Otter Creek
- Little Sugar River
- Black Earth Creek