Fly fishing report · Midwest

Black Earth Creek

A Driftless-style Wisconsin report for Black Earth Creek, with USGS flow, DNR trout classification, fishery-area access, hatches, and careful runoff guidance.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Caution

Best option: Wade.

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Updated Jul 13, 11:17 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes

Recommended approachWade

Mode scores adjust the river-wide score for the risks of wading, bank fishing, or floating.

Wade · Best fit66/100

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Bank / edge66/100

Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.

FloatCheck

This report does not describe this as a primary mode. Verify legal access, depth, launches, and retreat options before planning around it.

Confirm before you leave

Flow and weather right now.

Use the flow trend to confirm the score before you leave. Weather can change the safest and most productive fishing window.

River strategy

A spring-creek plan that still needs rain checks.

Black Earth Creek is a high-value Dane County trout stream, but it can react poorly to storm runoff. Use the Black Earth gauge, DNR trout maps, and fishery-area access before choosing a reach.

Use USGS 05406500 for live flow and trend near Black Earth.
DNR class and fishery-area sources support a wild-trout, public-access focus.
After storms, wait for falling and clearing water before fishing small flies.
Respect posted easements and stay within signed public corridors.

Why this score moved

HeatUse caution

The NWS forecast is near 91F. Fish early and verify water temperature where trout stress is possible.

Public alertUse caution

A heat alert is active near this forecast point, so the score is capped until water temperature and fish-handling risk are checked. NWS alert: Heat Advisory issued July 13 at 11:45AM CDT until July 15 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI.

Best mode nowUse caution

Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

FlowHelps score

USGS shows 39 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1954-2025, 72 readings) puts the normal middle range around 26 cfs-50 cfs. Flow is inside the same-date normal range, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.

SeasonHelps score

Summer: Early mornings, tricos, terrestrials, and temperature checks.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

The best windows are stable spring flows, summer mornings with cool water, and fall terrestrial days. Heavy rain can make the creek dirty and less useful even when flow does not look extreme.

Clear and stable

Use small dries, scuds, caddis pupa, and careful bank approaches.

Slight stain after rain

Streamers and heavier nymphs can work once flow is falling.

Muddy runoff

Skip it; fish other water or wait for the creek to clear.

Warm weather

Check temperature and avoid trout handling when water gets stressful.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Use RiverReports and USGS 05406500 at Black Earth for the live trend, then check clarity after storms. Stable clear water is best for small flies; falling stained water can support streamers.

When to skip

Skip or change the plan when storm runoff makes the creek muddy, banks are too soft to protect, summer water is warm, the intended bank is not clearly public, or pressure is heavy at the only access.

Local plan

Start with DNR fishery-area and trout-map context, then pair the RiverReports or USGS trend with one signed public access and a second reach before picking flies.

Backup water

If Black Earth Creek is muddy, warm, crowded, or access-limited, compare West Fork Kickapoo River, Kinnickinnic River, or Rush River before forcing the same plan.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

March to AprilMidges, little black stones, BWOs, scuds, and early caddisZebra midge, black stonefly, BWO emerger, scud, caddis pupa

Reviewed pattern · report says “Zebra midge”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “black stonefly”Black Stonefly PatternsBlack stonefly wording is a color and insect-group label, not one exact recipe. Size, nymph versus adult stage, wing profile, and weighting must remain explicit.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

May to JuneCaddis, sulphurs, craneflies, small mayflies, and evening spinnersElk hair caddis, sulphur emerger, cranefly larva, pheasant tail, rusty spinner

Reviewed pattern · report says “Elk hair caddis”Elk Hair CaddisLook for a tented elk- or deer-hair wing, clipped hair head, dubbed body, rib, and hackle palmered along the body. The body color should be labeled because tiers often match different natural caddis colors.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “sulphur emerger”Sulphur Mayfly PatternsSulphur is hatch wording. Nymphs, emergers, Comparaduns, parachutes, traditional dries, soft hackles, and spinners have different silhouettes and depths.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

July to SeptemberTricos, ants, beetles, hoppers, tiny olives, and low-light caddisTrico spinner, foam ant, beetle, hopper, BWO emerger, X-caddis

Reviewed pattern · report says “Trico spinner”Trico SpinnerThe reviewed dry form is extremely sparse and flat, using a black body or thread head and pale spent wing. A weighted Sunken Trico Spinner is a separate variant.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “foam ant”Ant PatternsAnt patterns can be foam, fur-bodied, winged, or sunken. The narrow waist and paired body lobes matter more than one material recipe.See family guide + 4 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

October to FebruaryMidges, scuds, BWOs, small streamers, and winter nymph windowsMidge pupa, scud, BWO emerger, micro bugger, soft hackle

Reviewed family · report says “Midge pupa”Midge Patterns by StageMidge wording can mean a threadlike larva, wing-padded pupa, film emerger, tiny adult, or visible cluster. Those profiles fish at different depths.See family guide

Reviewed family · report says “scud”Scud Fly PatternsScud patterns typically use a curved hook, tapered dubbed body, shellback, rib segmentation, antennae, and brushed legs. Olive, tan, gray, orange, weighted, bead-body, and pregnant forms remain labeled—not aliases for one recipe.See family guide + 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

Walk slowly and fish from your knees or from back off the bank when water is low.

Use scuds and small nymphs under a yarn indicator in deeper slots.

Throw small streamers only after a safe stain or in low light.

Let trout settle after another angler moves through a popular access point.

Check water temperature before handling fish in July or August.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Check Wisconsin DNR trout regulations, maps, and any posted fishery-area rules before fishing Black Earth Creek. Season dates, harvest rules, and boundaries can change by reach.

Black Earth Creek Fishery Area

Primary DNR public-access anchor for the report.

US 14 and county road crossings

Useful orientation, but check signs before entering.

Cross Plains and Black Earth corridor

Good planning area for flow, parking, and runoff checks.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-06-01

regulationWisconsin fishing regulations regulationWisconsin 2026-2027 new fishing regulations regulationWisconsin inland trout fishing accessWisconsin trout stream maps accessDNR Black Earth Creek Fishery Area backgroundDane County classified trout streams flowRiverReports Black Earth Creek at Black Earth flowUSGS 05406500 Black Earth Creek at Black Earth safetyNational Weather Service point at Black Earth

Common questions

Before you leave.

What should I check before fishing Black Earth Creek?+

Wisconsin trout rules, USGS flow, recent rain, fishery-area boundaries, easements, and water temperature

Which flow should I use for Black Earth Creek?+

Use USGS 05406500 at Black Earth for live trend, then check clarity after rain before fishing small flies.

Where should I start on Black Earth Creek?+

Start with the DNR Black Earth Creek Fishery Area and signed public easements near road crossings.

Can I wade Black Earth Creek?+

Yes in many reaches, but soft banks and undercuts make careful footing and bank protection important.