For the most part, as of this writing, we have too many roads closed and streams completely submerged to give a very extensive report on how the recent flooding affected trout streams, their banks and structures. We’ll hope to share more in the future.

This drone video of the area around the Shoebox is perhaps the best way to realize the extent of the flooding.

Members were able to check on the Sugar River, in particular at the Neperud parcel. It appears that the DNR in-stream work is intact and some of the prairie plants have survived extensive and deep flooding.

Many of our neighbors along these streams in Cross Plains, Black Earth, Mazomanie, Paoli, Belleville and other cities have suffered terrible losses. Many of you have probably helped with recovery efforts. Please be generous if you have the opportunity to help more. This includes the West Fork Sportsmen Club used for the Project Green Teen and Women’s Flyfishing Clinics.

Dan Oele of the Wisconsin DNR offers some hope:

It’s important to remember trout and other riverine fishes have evolved and adapted to deal w/ these conditions and can use the flooded margins to escape the heavy flows or hunker down in micro-eddies within cover like trees, rocks, boulders etc.

The larger fish can withstand the harshest conditions and I would be more worried about this type of event on the fishery, especially on small yearling trout if it were march or April as they emerged from reeds, but at this stage with months of growth, the youngest trout should be able to have sufficient survival and the adult breeding trout now have plenty of new scoured river rock for spawning later in the fall.