I’ve been to Wisconsin several times to ski and many years ago Natl. Guard summer camp at Volk Field. This summer I want to take the wife up, expore some retirement/vacation property and hunting places and…fly fish!!! I’m interested in the Wausau, Rhinlander, Hayward and possibly Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls areas. I’m a creek rat and don’t care much for lakes. We’re country folks and have always lived on our farm or other acreage we owned. The only time I lived in a city was in the regular Air Force…didn’t like it.
Anyone have any suggestions or preferences as to which area? E-mails gratefully received.
My suggestion given your criteria would be to look into Dunn County. Dunn County is one county west of Eau Claire and is at the north end of the Driftless Region. It is loaded with small spring creeks and is very beautiful country, very hilly. It is close enough to Eau Claire for shopping/supplies etc. It is also about an hour away from Mpls/St. Paul. If you travel south for about 3 hours you will find yourself in the main SW Wis driftless and all of its glory and even more spring creeks (legendary). 3 hours north and you will find yourself at Lake Superior and all of its tributaries (Bois Brule - think steelhead, lake run Browns etc)
Being in the Real Estate industry myself I can tell you that there is much for sale there and if seclusion is what you?re after then this may be your place. You can look at the WI DNR web site for trout streams to get a better idea as to how many streams there are and to its location. Also do a Google search for: Glenwood City, Boyceville ? 2 charming little towns.
South eastern Burnett County has some sweet trout streams that are relatively on heard of. Find Spooner wisconsin on your map and they are I’m talking about is in Roosevelt and Dewey Townships of Burnett County. Beautiful area. The river system is the Clam River. Look it up…
Also, if you like the deep woods go as far NW Wisconsin as possible (east of Superior) on the Brule River…some sweet fishing for browns, rainbows, steelhead too.
If you like warmwater fly fishing your possibilities are almost endless. Of course there is the St. Croix river which forms the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Little bit of everything in there. Close towns would be Grantsburg, Webster, Danbury.
Hope this helps. I work as a timber buyer in these areas so I have seen almost all of the country in Douglas, Burnett, and Polk Counties. Send me an email if you got anymore questions.
I live in White Bear Lake, MN. I am very familiar with all the areas you mentioned (having spent many years commuting to Fort McCoy, between Tomah and Sparta WI.
My favorite guide book is, “Wisconsin & Minnesota Trout Streams (A Fly Angler’s Guide)”, authored by Jim Humphrey & Bill Shogren. Backcountry Publications, Woodstock Vermont.
My favorite part of my home state is the Viroqua/Coon valley area South East of LaCrosse. I would suggest the Wisconsin Blur Ribbon fly fishing guide by Amato publications. Besides spring creeks and lake/pond fishing I also fish the Spring and Fall Salmon runs on the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers. There is nothing more urban than parking at the Miller Park parking lot and dropping right in the shadow of the park. Float tubing in the Summerfest Lagoon for Smallmouth and Northerns. If you want to break a 10 wt. try going for Musky on the fly.
You guys are too helpful…it’s gonna take a few hours to digest all the info and put it into some kind of folder I can use. Plus the e-mails I received.
Thanks so much, I’m grateful. If any of ya’ll ever get to the central Ozarks lemme know you’re coming. We’ll fish for something!