This morning Stephen Rose and I headed southwest to fish a stream we’ve not been to before. Head down Highway G in southwest Dane County and you’ll cross Mount Vernon Creek. Keep going and you’ll come to a less talked-about creek called “The West Branch of the Sugar River”. A mouthful for sure, which may be the reason it isn’t written about more often. That’s my guess anyway because it appears to be every bit as good a stream as Mount Vernon Creek.
The West Branch of the Sugar River
The water was just right today. Okay, perhaps a little on the clear side but it was cool-running which is always a good thing when looking for trout. The sky was just a little bit overcast and we were hoping more cloud cover would roll in but it never did. Even so, the fish were biting. Using number nine Panther Martin Deluxe gold and silver spinners we caught and released something like fifteen trout in about three hours. Not bad for a stream we knew nothing about on a very pleasant and dry morning.
Creekside Woodland Sunflower
We fished the creek almost smack-dab at it’s halfway point. I guess you’d say it was the middle third of the creek. it went from four feet wide at its narrowest up to twenty feet wide at the largest pools. The depth was anywhere from under one foot to over four feet. There was evidence of LUNKER structure work and bank rebuilding, but it looked to be at least a decade old.
Okay, on to the fishing…
I said on to the fishing, not on to the catching. Right? Anyway, the video above shows Stephen Rose doing his damnedest to lure a trout out of a nice hole. But no dice.
Here’s what we caught.
West Branch Sugar River (WBSR) Brook Trout
West Branch Sugar River (WBSR) Brown Trout
West Branch Sugar River (WBSR) Brook Trout (#2)
West Branch Sugar River Brook Trout (#3)
West Branch Sugar River Brown Trout (#2)
West Branch Sugar River Brown Trout (#3) Sans Head
West Branch Sugar River Brown Trout (#4)
West Branch Sugar River Rainbow Trout
West Branch Sugar River Brown Trout (#5)
And now, for the grand finale, a bonafide 17-inch West Branch of the Sugar River Brown Trout…
West Branch Sugar River 17-inch Brown Trout
Stephen found this wonderful fish in a deep pool where the creek runs along the woods. He thought it was a snag at first but then it swam toward him and Stephen saw the beast. I was on the other side of the creek up on the bank and I leapt into the water to assist with the net. Nice fish buddy!
West Branch Sugar River 17-inch Brown Trout
West Branch Sugar River 17-inch Brown Trout
Is The West Branch of the Sugar River a long name for a little creek? Yes.
Is it worth checking out? Yes! We’ll be back to fish this one again (and again and again).
Creekside Flowers on The West Branch of the Sugar River
Until Next Time, West Branch of the Sugar River
Great pics. I was thinking about heading there early opening day.
I especially like the perspective of the last pic. Where was that taken along the river?
Mark, I think this would be a good choice anytime during the season, including the early opener.
The last pic was taken standing in the middle of the stream. Glad you like it!
Thanks for the comment.
Tom
Great post! I’ve been looking for some information on WBSR but can’t find much. I was out today and fished a stretch near Verona. It was mostly a muddy bottom and I had no luck. Is the section you talk about closer to Mt. Vernon? I can see a short section on the Delorne map that appears to be close to Mt. Vernon but I’ve been lost several times trying to find it! Any help is appreciated.
Jason,
Glad I could help you out. The WBSR is a cool waterway! I’ve had luck above and below Hwy G south of Mt Vernon. There is also some good looking water on either side of Fritz Road. One of the things I love about spring creek trout fishing in the Driftless Region is exploring. There are so many great places out there!
Tom
Thanks for the information, much appreciated. I’m hoping to get out and explore some time this week.