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Bois Brule River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The river of presidents: the Bois Brule runs steelhead, salmon and wild brook trout to Lake Superior.

5/5
Excellent. Go now.Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.
Flow
108 cfs
Air / High
67 / 67 F
Wind
N 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 04025500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

5/5Excellent. Go now.Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.

Bois Brule River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 108 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind N around 7 mph, falling pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 67. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutExcellent

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadFair

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 76 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Bois Brule River at Brule.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04025500.

105106107108 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp67 F
High / Low67 / 62 F
WindN 7-11 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 50%
Sunrise / Sunset06:30 / 19:39
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 67/62 F, wind 8 mph, rain 50%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Bois Brule River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Bois Brule River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Bois Brule River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 84 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 85 F, wind to 11 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Wisconsin requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Wisconsin license plus inland trout or Great Lakes stamps as applicable. Special regulations apply by reach: check current WDNR rules.

Access

Brule River State Forest landings, campgrounds and trails along the river corridor.

About this water

A 44-mile spring-fed river to Lake Superior through the Brule River State Forest, Douglas County, Wisconsin.

Fishing Bois Brule River: the full guide

A historic river

The Bois Brule River flows about 44 miles through northwestern Wisconsin to Lake Superior, and its history is unusual: five American presidents fished it, and the Brule River State Forest has protected the corridor for a century. The upper river runs cold, spring-fed and full of wild brook and brown trout; the lower river hosts steelhead, coho and chinook salmon running up from Superior.

Steelhead and salmon

Steelhead run the lower river in spring and fall, with the spring run the stronger draw: fish the pools and runs below the ledges with spawn, flies and small jigs. Coho and chinook arrive in fall. The lower river is technical, with ledge rock, fast water and fish that have seen pressure since the 1800s.

Wild trout upstream

Above the highway crossings the river becomes a spring-fed trout stream: wild brook trout, browns and rainbows in cold, clear water with a canoeing tradition alongside the fishing. Special regulations protect sections. Summer holds cool thanks to the springs, and hatch fishing on the upper river is a genuinely fine experience.

Douglas County logistics

The Brule River State Forest provides extensive access with landings, campgrounds and trails along the corridor. The village of Brule sits on Highway 2. Fishing the lower river for steelhead and the upper river for wild trout in the same trip is standard practice for visiting anglers, and the two are minutes apart.

Common questions

Why is it historic?

Five American presidents fished it, and the state forest has protected the corridor for over a century.

When do steelhead run?

Spring is the stronger run, with a fall push as well: fish the lower river pools and ledge water.

Are there wild trout?

Yes: the spring-fed upper river holds wild brook trout, browns and rainbows in cold, clear water.

Is fishing good at Bois Brule River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.

Nearby waters

Namekagon River35 miChippewa Flowage47 miLac Courte Oreilles48 miGrindstone Lake69 miTurtle-Flambeau Flowage75 miLeech Lake93 mi
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