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Fly fishing near Viroqua, Wisconsin
116 waters with a page on this site lie within 30 miles of Viroqua, Wisconsin — Kickapoo River, Coon Creek and North Fork Bad Axe River among them. June, July and August carry the most recorded hatches, 21 insects in June, 23 insects in July and 20 insects in August. In range: 8 blocks of public land with a page of their own and 4 fly shops. Everything below is measured or published — no ranking on this page is ours.
The water
| Water | Distance | Miles | July mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kickapoo River | 18.0 mi | 134.7 | — |
| Coon Creek | 17.9 mi | 39.6 | — |
| North Fork Bad Axe River | 15.3 mi | 31.8 | — |
| Knapp Creek | 26.3 mi | 31.3 | — |
| West Fork Kickapoo River | 12.8 mi | 27.7 | — |
| Little LaCrosse River | 21.1 mi | 23.9 | — |
| Little Baraboo River | 27.7 mi | 20.8 | — |
| Mormon Creek | 21.0 mi | 18.0 | — |
| Springville Branch Bad Axe River | 14.9 mi | 16.9 | — |
| Billings Creek | 25.8 mi | 16.7 | — |
| Bostwick Creek | 22.4 mi | 16.6 | — |
| Hornby Creek | 11.5 mi | 16.0 | — |
| South Fork Bad Axe River | 12.6 mi | 16.0 | — |
| Tainter Creek | 7.6 mi | 15.9 | — |
| Rush Creek | 14.1 mi | 15.7 | — |
| Otter Creek | 0.9 mi | 15.3 | — |
| Moore Creek | 25.9 mi | 15.0 | — |
| Farmers Valley Creek | 25.9 mi | 14.8 | — |
| Silver Creek | 29.0 mi | 14.7 | — |
| Halfway Creek | 27.8 mi | 14.6 | — |
| Burns Creek | 28.2 mi | 14.5 | — |
| Fancy Creek | 23.1 mi | 14.2 | — |
| Brush Creek | 22.3 mi | 13.0 | — |
| West Branch Pine River | 21.9 mi | 12.9 | — |
| Timber Coulee Creek | 17.7 mi | 12.4 | — |
| Seymour Creek | 28.9 mi | 11.9 | — |
| Sugar Creek | 14.5 mi | 11.8 | — |
| Dutch Creek | 22.8 mi | 11.7 | — |
| Cook Creek | 22.6 mi | 11.3 | — |
| Pine Creek | 23.9 mi | 11.2 | — |
| Cazenovia Branch | 27.4 mi | 10.9 | — |
| Richland Creek | 25.1 mi | 10.0 | — |
| Crooked Creek — MN | 27.9 mi | 9.9 | — |
| Camp Creek | 16.6 mi | 9.8 | — |
| West Fork Knapp Creek | 20.8 mi | 9.8 | — |
| Plum Creek | 29.4 mi | 9.7 | — |
| Weister Creek | 19.0 mi | 9.4 | — |
| Fish Creek | 23.2 mi | 9.4 | — |
| Citron Creek | 23.3 mi | 9.4 | — |
| South Branch Creek | 25.6 mi | 9.1 | — |
| Reads Creek | 10.6 mi | 8.9 | — |
| West Branch Mill Creek | 20.0 mi | 8.9 | — |
| West Branch Baraboo River | 26.6 mi | 8.8 | — |
| Halls Branch | 19.6 mi | 8.3 | — |
| Melancthon Creek | 23.2 mi | 8.3 | — |
| Big Creek | 27.7 mi | 8.0 | — |
| Bear Creek | 8.2 mi | 7.9 | — |
| Seas Branch | 15.8 mi | 7.7 | — |
| Knapp Creek | 19.1 mi | 7.5 | — |
| Jug Creek | 19.9 mi | 7.4 | — |
| Byrds Creek | 26.9 mi | 7.3 | — |
| Du Charme Creek | 28.5 mi | 7.2 | — |
| Hawkins Creek | 24.1 mi | 6.7 | — |
| Elk Creek | 14.4 mi | 6.6 | — |
| Bishop Branch | 13.8 mi | 6.5 | — |
| North Bear Creek | 19.2 mi | 6.5 | — |
| Neshonoc Creek | 26.7 mi | 6.5 | — |
| South Bear Creek | 17.0 mi | 6.3 | — |
| Horse Creek | 25.6 mi | 6.1 | — |
| Sand Creek | 17.9 mi | 6.0 | — |
| Warner Creek | 24.0 mi | 6.0 | — |
| Wildcat Creek — MN | 29.0 mi | 5.9 | — |
| Spring Valley Creek | 29.8 mi | 5.9 | — |
| Cox Creek | 14.3 mi | 5.8 | — |
| North Branch Copper Creek | 17.0 mi | 5.8 | — |
| Rullands Coulee Creek | 20.0 mi | 5.8 | — |
| Trout Creek | 11.9 mi | 5.7 | — |
| Soules Creek | 23.8 mi | 5.7 | — |
| Buck Creek | 16.7 mi | 5.6 | — |
| East Branch Mill Creek | 23.1 mi | 5.5 | — |
| South Branch Copper Creek | 19.0 mi | 5.3 | — |
| Warner Branch | 23.3 mi | 5.2 | — |
| Leitner Creek | 25.9 mi | 5.1 | — |
| Harrison Creek | 12.7 mi | 5.0 | — |
| Upper Brush Creek | 21.7 mi | 4.9 | — |
| Lydon Valley Creek | 29.3 mi | 4.9 | — |
| English Run | 17.9 mi | 4.8 | — |
| Clear Creek | 29.3 mi | 4.8 | — |
| Day Creek | 12.2 mi | 4.7 | — |
| Hasley Creek | 16.3 mi | 4.2 | — |
| Upper Copper Creek | 15.1 mi | 4.1 | — |
| West Branch Marshall Creek | 16.6 mi | 4.1 | — |
| Copper Creek | 18.1 mi | 4.1 | — |
| Sherry Creek | 10.9 mi | 4.0 | — |
| Sand Creek | 25.1 mi | 4.0 | — |
| Brush Creek | 27.2 mi | 4.0 | — |
| Basswood Creek | 18.4 mi | 3.9 | — |
| Marshall Creek | 22.5 mi | 3.8 | — |
| Elk Run | 15.7 mi | 3.7 | — |
| Beaver Creek | 28.1 mi | 3.7 | — |
| Baker Creek | 14.2 mi | 3.6 | — |
| Hall Creek | 18.3 mi | 3.6 | — |
| Middle Bear Creek | 18.3 mi | 3.6 | — |
| Jimtown Branch | 18.9 mi | 3.6 | — |
| Goose Creek | 16.6 mi | 3.4 | — |
| Rocky Run | 15.7 mi | 3.3 | — |
| Duffy Creek | 23.3 mi | 3.3 | — |
| Indian Creek | 19.3 mi | 3.2 | — |
| Hanzel Creek | 24.2 mi | 3.2 | — |
| South Fork Sugar Creek | 12.9 mi | 3.1 | — |
| East Upper Big Creek | 29.8 mi | 3.1 | — |
| Higgins Creek | 15.2 mi | 3.0 | — |
| Johnston Creek | 24.1 mi | 3.0 | — |
| John Hill Creek | 27.6 mi | 3.0 | — |
| Grinsell Branch | 24.6 mi | 2.9 | — |
| Kepler Branch | 14.6 mi | 2.8 | — |
| Indian Creek | 23.0 mi | 2.7 | — |
| Tenny Spring Creek | 12.9 mi | 2.5 | — |
| Pigeon Run | 16.7 mi | 2.4 | — |
| Miller Branch | 21.5 mi | 2.4 | — |
| O'Connor Branch | 23.9 mi | 2.4 | — |
| Hoke Creek | 13.1 mi | 2.1 | — |
| Plum Run | 17.7 mi | 1.9 | — |
| Pier Spring Creek | 26.5 mi | 1.6 | — |
| The West Fork — named stretch | 7.0 mi | — | — |
| Timber Coulee — named stretch | 9.4 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
Kickapoo 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.
Coon Creek
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.
North Fork Bad Axe 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 the Wisconsin driftless: June (21), July (23), August (20).
| Insect | Months | Hook |
|---|---|---|
| Fish Eggs | October–January and April | #10–16 |
| Little Black Stonefly | January–April | #16–18 |
| Little Brown Stonefly | February–April | #12–16 |
| Blue-Winged Olive | March–May and September–November | #16–22 |
| Blackfly | April–June | #18–22 |
| Blue Quill | April–May | #16–18 |
| Cranefly | April–June and September–October | #6–10 |
| Grannom | April–May | #14–16 |
| Hendrickson | April–May | #12–14 |
| Little Black Caddis | April–May | #16–20 |
| Caterpillar | May–September | #8–14 |
| Crayfish | May–October | #4–8 |
| Inchworm | May–June | #12–16 |
| Light Cahill | May–July | #12–16 |
Recorded from the Wisconsin driftless, earliest first. The year-round records sit at the bottom because they are true and they are not news.
Public land in range
- La Crosse Area Comprehensive Fishery Area — 4.6 mi
- Vernon County Forest — 6.9 mi
- West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed — 10.1 mi
- Coon Creek Fishery Area — 10.7 mi
- Rush Creek Streambank Protection Area — 15.2 mi
- Rush Creek Natural Area — 17.1 mi
- Wildcat Mountain State Park — 19.0 mi
- Coulee Experimental Forest — 21.3 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
- The Driftless Angler — 0.1 mi, Viroqua
- River n Ridge Outdoors — 21.3 mi
- Tri State Bait & Tackle — 28.1 mi, La Crescent
- American Outfitters — 33.2 mi
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
- Kickapoo River
- Coon Creek
- North Fork Bad Axe River
- Knapp Creek
- West Fork Kickapoo River
- Little LaCrosse River