Eau Galle River Fishing Guides
A Driftless Area spring creek in the western Wisconsin coulees at Spring Valley, with a gauge reading temperature, flow, stage and turbidity on cold limestone water that holds wild brown trout.
Guides on the Eau Galle River
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About the Eau Galle River
The Eau Galle River is a Driftless Area stream, which in western Wisconsin means limestone, spring water and cold steady flow rather than the tannin and sand of the rest of the state. It rises in the coulee country of St. Croix and Pierce counties and runs south past Spring Valley toward the Chippewa, and along the way it picks up enough groundwater to stay cold through a Wisconsin August. That is the whole reason it holds trout, and it is why anglers drive past bigger water to fish it.
The gauge at Spring Valley is unusually well equipped for a stream this size. It reads water temperature, discharge, stage and turbidity, which between them tell you almost everything worth knowing before a trip. The temperature series is the one to watch in summer, because it proves how much spring water is in the system. Turbidity is the one to watch after rain, because Driftless streams clear from the top down and a falling turbidity reading is the signal that the fishing is coming back.
Above Spring Valley the river fishes as a classic coulee trout stream, narrow, brushy and best covered on foot with short casts to undercut banks and the heads of pools. Wild brown trout dominate, with brook trout in the colder feeder water and stocked rainbows in places. Below the flood control dam at Spring Valley the character changes and warms, and smallmouth, pike, walleye and panfish take over from the trout entirely.
This is wading water, not float water, and access is better than it looks because Wisconsin’s public fishing easements cover a good deal of the corridor. Spring Valley itself is the obvious base, and the village sits directly on the river with the gauge, the dam and several easement reaches within a short walk or drive.
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Access
Spring Valley - the village at the gauge, sitting directly on the river with the dam and easement water close by.
Eau Galle Lake - the Corps of Engineers flood control reservoir at the village, with camping, a beach and warmwater fishing.
Baldwin - the larger community north on the interstate, with lodging, fuel and supplies.
Elmwood - the small town upstream in the coulees, handy for the upper trout water.
Menomonie - the regional centre east, with tackle shops, guides and full services.
Chippewa River - the big river the Eau Galle drains toward, with smallmouth and developed access.
Kinnickinnic State Park - a well-known Driftless trout destination nearby, worth pairing on a multi-day trip.
Seasons
Spring: excellent, with cold clear water, hatching insects and wild browns feeding hard before the trees leaf out.
Summer: the spring water pays off, staying cold and fishable early and late when other Wisconsin streams go warm.
Fall: brown trout colour up and move onto gravel, making this the most rewarding and most sensitive time of year.
Winter: cold and largely closed to trout fishing, though the reservoir and the lower river offer ice options.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Eau Galle River?
As of Oct 18, 6:00 pm, the USGS gauge EAU GALLE RIVER AT SPRING VALLEY, WI reads 16 cfs, with water temperature 55.4 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Eau Galle River?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Creek Chub, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Sucker, Yellow Perch on the Eau Galle River in Wisconsin.
Where can you access the Eau Galle River?
Spring Valley - the village at the gauge, sitting directly on the river with the dam and easement water close by. Eau Galle Lake - the Corps of Engineers flood control reservoir at the village, with camping, a beach and warmwater fishing. Baldwin - the larger community north on the interstate, with lodging, fuel and supplies. Elmwood - the small town upstream in the coulees, handy for the upper trout water. Menomonie - the regional centre east, with tackle shops, guides and full services. Chippewa River - the big river the Eau Galle drains toward, with smallmouth and developed access. Kinnicki...
When is the best time to fish the Eau Galle River?
Spring: excellent, with cold clear water, hatching insects and wild browns feeding hard before the trees leaf out. Summer: the spring water pays off, staying cold and fishable early and late when other Wisconsin streams go warm. Fall: brown trout colour up and move onto gravel, making this the most rewarding and most sensitive time of year. Winter: cold and largely closed to trout fishing, though the reservoir and the lower river offer ice options.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Eau Galle River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Wisconsin agency site: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/fishing/regulations