The 24,000 square mile Driftless area is located at the intersection of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. While all four states can claim a piece of this unique region, Wisconsin has the largest share, including the best known trout fisheries. The Driftless is aesthetically pleasing to the angler. The rural valleys are surrounded by forested bluffs and sandstone cliffs.

When white guys first entered the area, they encountered a tall-grass prairie ecosystem. There were few trees, even on the hills that are forested today. The steep hillsides and prairie soils were highly prone to erosion. Heavy agricultural use and poor land management washed much of the topsoil into the coulees within a few generations. The spring creeks were inundated with massive sediment loads. For example, the floodplain of the renowned Kickapoo River was buried under 12-15 feet of silt. Of course, this sediment destroyed many trout fisheries and continues to negatively impact the hydrology and biology of the spring creeks today.

Fortunately, local conservationists and anglers have taken the problem head on. The Driftless is a national hotspot for trout habitat improvement initiatives. Lunker structures and other widely used improvements were invented in Wisconsin. State fisheries agencies, academics from local universities, county governments, and Trout Unlimited members have undertaken improvement projects across the entire region for over half a century.

The objective with each restoration effort is to minimize the recruitment of sediment and create habitat improvement structures that will both restore a “natural” channel and provide habitat for trout. Some commonly implemented improvement structures include rock weirs to scour out pools, lunker structures to provide overhead cover, and bankside cover to minimize scouring. Restoration crews also use heavy machinery to grade the banks and restore sinuosity. Some improvement projects have been remarkably successful. Jeff Hastings, TU’s Driftless Area Project Manager, reports that, in certain systems, lunker structures have increased fish densities by 1300-1500%.

I fished the West Fork of the Kickapoo, a highly successful habitat improvement site, with Jeff. Arguably the most famous of the Driftless spring creeks, the Kickapoo river system is included in TU’s Home Rivers Initiative, our “flagship watershed restoration program.” Watershed-scale improvement work has allowed this highly productive spring creek to shine. Today, the Kickapoo holds a ridiculous number of trout and lives up to its reputation as one of the top rivers in the nation.
The late afternoon heat was not conducive to great fishing, but we fooled a few trout in a shaded stretch of river, including a 12-14” brown that took Jeff’s spinner.

While we fished, Jeff told me about the new and exciting TU Driftless Area Restoration Effort (TUDARE), a National TU program designed to support local efforts. TUDARE provides an organized, regional structure for this conservation hotspot. TUDARE also hopes to increase watershed restoration efforts at the local level and link stream protection and restoration efforts. An important part of this initiative will be increased coordination with partners, including state and local governments and private landowners, to further restoration causes. In the process, TUDARE aims to develop a national identity for the Driftless, centered on the area’s unique coldwater resources.

Jeff is highly qualified to undertake this challenge. A longtime local resident, Jeff truly cares about the environmental resources of the Driftless. He worked as a county conservationist in the area for over two decades, focusing on trout habitat improvement. His local knowledge and extensive habitat improvement experience is a great asset to TU.

The counties in the Driftless, particularly Vernon County where the Kickapoo is located, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on stream work. Stream restoration is beneficial to the local economy. Visiting anglers bring a lot of money into the region, making each stream improvement effort a worthy investment.

Elk Creek is one stream undergoing large-scale restoration work, thanks to the Ocooch chapter and an Embrace-a-Stream grant from TU National. The Ocooch chapter, a small but dedicated group of Driftless anglers, aims to improve the native brook trout fishery in Elk Creek.

Brookies are generally out-competed by brown trout. The Ocooch chapter is attempting to tailor their restoration work to both support the native char and discourage the invasion of brown trout. In the upper reaches of Elk Creek, the chapter is implementing habitat improvements in small tributaries, which are important for brook trout spawning. In the main stream, they are applying structures that provide deep water, but little overhead cover, hoping to make the habitat better suited for brook trout than browns. Their approach has not yet been tested and everyone is curious to see if this actually works.

I fished Elk and a nearby stream with TUers Dick Peters and Al Bostwick (both from the Ocooch chapter) and Dave Fritz, president of the Nohr chapter. It was great to visit project sites with these interesting and active conservationists. I learned a lot about the region and local TU from them. We also had a good time catching a few fish.

My new Wisconsin friends put me over thousands of trout that day. I can’t overemphasize the success of the habitat improvements in the Driftless. Each structure holds dozens, if not hundreds of trout. These streams are fertile and they can support high densities of trout when the physical habitat is sufficient.

While the angler sees a lot of fish during a day, they are not usually easy to catch. A stealthy approach and accurate casting are mandatory in these narrow creeks. Overhanging grass, a welcome sight after decades of bank erosion, wreaks havoc on tippet and flies. For those who are willing to put in the time and effort, the fishing can be world-class.

Despite the hot and sunny weather, my local hosts and I caught a few fish during the day. When the sun descended behind the hills, the action picked up. A few sulfurs and caddis provided enough incentive for a few fish to rise. I also caught some nicer fish on a crayfish pattern towards dark.

Many local anglers believe the Driftless offers the best trout fishing in the entire U.S.
Certainly, some of the best fisheries in the nation are found here, but what I find to be particularly cool is the potential for new blue-ribbon streams. Each year, TU employees, volunteers, and partner organizations are undertaking new projects, providing more fishable water. The Driftless is a great fishing destination now and it is only getting better thanks to the hard work of local TUers.

Stay tuned for two more blog entries on the Driftless. The next time I find a wireless connection, I’ll write about fishing the hex hatch near Madison, WI and restoration work on the Minnesota side of the Driftless.

I have some good photos, so please check them out by CLICKING HERE.