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Kickapoo River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Kickapoo River: a 130-mile Driftless Area river whose middle reach WDNR classifies as trout water and whose lower reach holds warmwater game fish.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
183 cfs
Air / High
74 / 74 F
Wind
S 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05408000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Kickapoo River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 183 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind S around 11 mph, steady pressure near 1022 hPa and a high of 74. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:38 AM-11:38 AM and 10:07 PM-12:07 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Largemouth bassGood

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Northern pikeGood

The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Tomorrow: Similar at 71 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Wisconsin requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $20.00 for residents. What a Wisconsin licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing smallmouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with WI DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Wisconsin, read off the agency, are on the Wisconsin seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Kickapoo River at La Farge.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05408000.

192216240183 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 88 years of October 23

At 183 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 05408000 (Kickapoo River at La Farge) is at the 75th percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 88 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 138 cfs; the highest was 959 cfs and the lowest 59 cfs.

p10 94median 138p90 317

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 05408000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp74 F
High / Low74 / 49 F
WindS 11-15 mph
Pressure1021.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain84% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset07:26 / 18:06
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Kickapoo River this week

The best day on Kickapoo River this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:38 AM-11:38 AM and 10:07 PM-12:07 AM
Minor period
4:01 AM-5:01 AM
Sun
07:26 to 18:06
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 11 mph
Rain chance
3%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: cool water, from ice-out through spring, in fall and under the ice

A long, duck-billed predator of weedy lakes, slow rivers and backwaters that ambushes fish from vegetation. Wisconsin DNR points out that, unlike most of the state's common game fish, pike do their best feeding in cool water. The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

When to come: the Kickapoo 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
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Catfish (blue, channel)
Largemouth bass
Northern pike
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 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 Kickapoo River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Brown trout led the card at excellent. High of 76 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

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 72 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

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 70 F, wind to 10 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. The Class II trout reach follows WDNR's Guide to Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations, 2026-2027, including trout stamp and season rules; other reaches follow WDNR's inland river rules. Check the fish consumption advisory for pike and walleye.

Access

WDNR notes that navigable streams are public: with public access or landowner permission to reach the water, anglers may walk the streambed as long as they keep their feet wet.

About this water

130-mile Driftless Area river from Monroe County to the Wisconsin River near Wauzeka, through Vernon, Richland and Crawford counties, Wisconsin.

Fishing Kickapoo River: the full guide

The longest Wisconsin River tributary

WDNR describes the Kickapoo as the longest tributary of the Wisconsin River. It rises in south-central Monroe County and flows 130 miles south through Vernon, Richland and Crawford counties to the Wisconsin River near Wauzeka, draining 768 square miles of the Driftless Area. WDNR gives the name as an Algonquin word meaning 'one who goes here, then there': the river runs about 60 miles as the crow flies but more than twice that on the water.

Trout in the middle river

WDNR's 2002 basin report says surveys in 1999 and 2000 between Ontario and Gays Mills found 46 species, including abundant brown trout, and that 60.4 miles of that reach were classified as a Class II trout stream. Upstream of Ontario, a 1993 survey found stocked brook and brown trout. WDNR adds that trout likely spawn in the tributaries.

Warmwater fish downstream

Below Gays Mills, WDNR lists walleye, sauger, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, channel catfish, bluegill and pumpkinseed.

Gradient and advisories

WDNR gives an average fall of 5.9 feet per mile, steep in Monroe County (22.7 feet per mile) and gentle downstream (about 3 feet per mile). A fish consumption advisory covers northern pike and walleye on the lower reach.

Common questions

Are there trout in the Kickapoo itself?

Yes. WDNR classified 60.4 miles between Ontario and Gays Mills as a Class II trout stream after surveys found abundant brown trout.

What does the name mean?

WDNR gives it as an Algonquin word meaning 'one who goes here, then there', fitting a river that runs 130 miles to cover about 60.

Which gauge does this page use?

USGS 05408000, Kickapoo River at La Farge, which read 206 cfs on October 8, 2026.

Is fishing good at Kickapoo River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Mississippi River Pool 936 miCastle Rock Lake39 miLake Onalaska41 miUpper Iowa River45 miPetenwell Lake48 miLake Wisconsin52 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 05408000 — Kickapoo River at La Farge
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:00 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.5800, -90.6300 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 8, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 8, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.