About a quarter-mile farther downstream I found another good run and a 23-inch steelhead hit a bead-head caddis fly pattern. Milwaukee River fishing a holiday delight Photo/Paul Smith Greg Wagner sits in a boat on the ice-covered Milwaukee River in preparation for a morning of trout fishing.
“To me, it’s amazing that we have the opportunity to catch a 15-pound trout in the shadow of a downtown Milwaukee skyscraper or Miller Park , home of the Milwaukee Brewers,” Schumacher says. "Hey, it's a fish!" "People all the way up to Menomonee Falls are reporting seeing more and different species of fish," said Nenn said coho salmon were observed spawning last fall in the river near Pilgrim Road in Menomonee Falls. Just one month ago, I probably wouldn't have tried it.Like many urban American rivers, the Menomonee had been polluted, dammed and channelized over the last 200 years.But in recent times it has benefited from a series of projects that have enhanced fish passage, added fish and wildlife habitat and helped reconnect its upstream tributaries with Lake Michigan.The work has involved many partners and is called the Menomonee River Watershed Restoration Plan; the chief coordinator has been Milwaukee Riverkeeper.The piece of water I fished near Hart Park in Wauwatosa was a direct beneficiary of this investment. Line: 8- … I caught and released at least a half dozen over four hours of fishing.Every so often though a larger, darker torpedo shape – a steelhead – was also in the mix. As we talked across the current in a fishy-looking run, he changed that statistic. Five minutes later the 26-inch fish was at hand in the shallows along a gravelly shore; I plucked the hook out of its jaw and it flipped its tail and quickly disappeared back into the river.Just four years ago, the fish likely wouldn't have been able to reach it. In April, the Menomonee carries a big surge of white suckers, a native species.On this day, schools of suckers could be seen from just about every vantage point.The suckers, though not my primary target, are also fun to catch, and they readily hit most fly patterns. "It's pretty cool to find this so close to home.
Steelhead, or rainbow trout that spend most of their lives in lakes or oceans and swim into rivers to spawn, are not native to Wisconsin but were introduced in the 1960s by the DNR. Fly Line: The fly line we recommend for salmon fishing on the Milwaukee River should be either an 9 or 10 weight, floating fly line. USGS 04087000 MILWAUKEE RIVER AT MILWAUKEE, WI. Being a great place on a great lake AND the gathering of the waters means Milwaukee is A-1 angling territory.There are plenty of freshwater bodies that are great for fly and reel fishing, from Lake Michigan to inland lakes, county parks lagoons, the Milwaukee, Menomonee, Kinnickinnic Rivers and other lagoons, rivers and streams, too.Here are a few go-to places that offer some of the best fishing in town:Before you head out, check out these Lake Link.com resources for Wisconsin fishing enthusiasts: