Is April the best month for fishing the Driftless?
The best month for fishing is in the eye of the rod holder — we all have our favorite species, hatch, or event that we wait each year for. I love April in the southern Driftless region. It’s the first month where those warm breezes actually carry spring in the air. Mother nature starts to put on a little makeup, transforming the monotones of brown to the first ever vibrant greens. The melting snow in the north and the April showers bring a necessary flush of the world around us. The days are noticeably longer. However, it will keep you on your toes with its surprise snow showers.
The limestone floors of the spring creeks are coming alive with insect life in preparation for the perfect moment to evolve and take flight. The activity does not go unnoticed by the hungry trout. Their eyes now searching for those looking to seek flight. Baetis first, then caddis; one would be foolish not to join in this chain reaction of events that the natural world has triggered.
The sun is still your friend, well at least not your enemy as it can be in the months to come. The libations can flow late into the night to bring you to the stream at a casual mid-morning arrival time. The early bird will have to wait until the waters begin to warm for its proverbial worm. These are the first significant spring hatches and the trout have likely been un-harassed by dry fly in the new season. They are cautious but will make mistakes as they fill their bellies with easy meals stuck in the film. The water temps continue to increase and the metabolisms of the trout begin to ramp up, opening the door for longer days on the water. Land yourself a cloudy day with some light rain and you’ll be playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun, tie just about anything on the end of your line and success will find you.
The deepest, darkest, jungle like reaches of streams are easy to access. The head high vegetation is just beginning to show its face through its decomposing brethren of last year. The seemingly impossible to reach vegetated jungle like stretches of water are now primed to explore and often worth the walk. There are the bugs you want and few of the pesky ones you don’t. You may cover miles in a day throwing streamers to willing fish or find yourself lucky enough to feed rising fish in a single run for hours. It is a month filled with potential.
The season is fresh and the streams are uncrowded. One can sneak out of the nearby cities of Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago in early April and find a stretch of water completely to themselves. However, like all fishing reports, once the word is out you may be too late and can arrive to the stream with cars on every access point. Early April is the time to beat the masses.
Even if the fishing is not as epic as you had hoped it was still likely better than it was in March and most certainly February. It’s often the on the water fix we are after anyways after a long, cold winter and more times than not April comes through for you. One can’t argue with consistent hatches of BWO’s and caddis in the middle of the day! Fish April in the Driftless, you won’t regret it.
April on the Driftless doesn't wait. Day trips are still available — book at blackearthangling.com.
The greenery just popping making it easy for anglers to get around.