By Topf Wells

Yes and SWTU hopes to help.

Dan Oele and Mitch Trow of the DNR surveyed the upper Yahara in and around Deforest about two years ago and found wild brown trout in enough numbers and age classes to classify this section of stream as a Class 2 trout stream. They noted that while the stream is not full of trout, it does support them in fishable numbers.

For anyone who needs some good and unexpected news about local trout streams, this is it. I ran into John Lyons the other day, DNR and UW fish researcher extraordinaire; when he surveyed that part of the Yahara in the 90s he did not find a trace of trout. He was on the river, searching for native species of small fish in the same time span as Dan, Mitch and their crew. Brown trout kept getting in the way of his search for other fish.

And the prospects for the Yahara brown trout and anglers are dramatically improving. Read More

The Wisconsin Smallmouth Alliance (WSA) meeting on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, will feature a presentation by Seth Underwood of the Missing Link guide service from Lancaster on “Southwest Wisconsin Driftless Opportunities”. The beauty of the Driftless Region combined with the multiple stream and river options make a day on the water chasing smallmouth bass and trout special. Seth will be covering baits, techniques, water fluctuations, access, and other points beneficial for fishing this area. All the complete details on Seth’s presentation can be found on the WSA website at this link. The presentation at the Thirsty Goat restaurant, 3040 Cahill Main, Fitchburg, begins at 6:30 p.m. with dinner available starting at 5:30 p.m. Visitors and guests are always welcome