Tenmile Creek Fishing Guides
A Central Sands spring creek near Nekoosa, cold and steady off the sand-plain aquifer, with wild brook trout and larger browns under the undercut banks.
Guides on the Tenmile Creek
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About the Tenmile Creek
Tenmile Creek runs across the Central Sands of Wisconsin near Nekoosa, a groundwater-fed trout stream on the sand plain above the Wisconsin River. This is one of the classic spring creek landscapes in the upper Midwest and it does not announce itself: flat country, jack pine and oak, sandy two-track roads, and a small clear creek winding through marsh grass and alder with almost no gradient to speak of.
The water comes out of the sand. The Central Sands aquifer feeds the creek steadily enough that it holds cold temperatures through July and keeps flowing through dry spells that would shrink a surface-fed stream to a trickle. That stability is what makes it trout water this far south in the state, and it is also what makes it fragile: groundwater withdrawal across this region has been a live issue for years, and flows in the sand-country creeks are watched closely by anglers and hydrologists alike.
Brook trout are the native fish and the reason most anglers come. Browns are well established and run larger, holding under the undercut banks and in the deeper bends where the creek turns hard against a wall of sand. The fishing is small-stream fishing in the truest sense, which means short casts, a careful approach and a willingness to crawl. Scuds, cressbugs and small mayflies make up much of the diet, and a hopper on a summer afternoon will move fish that ignore everything else.
A good share of the creek is within public land and easement water, which is unusual and welcome in this part of Wisconsin, and the state has put real habitat work into parts of it. The gauge near Nekoosa reads discharge and stage but not temperature. On a spring creek that matters less than it would elsewhere, since the whole point of the water is that its temperature does not move much, but a thermometer is still worth carrying in August.
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Access
Nekoosa - the Wood County town nearest the gauge, and the closest place for fuel and supplies.
Wisconsin Rapids - the larger city just north, with tackle shops, lodging and guides.
Wisconsin River - the big river the creek drains to, and the obvious alternative on a warm afternoon.
Central Sands public land - the state and county ground along the creek, which carries most of the legal access.
Petenwell Flowage - the large impoundment nearby, a strong warmwater fallback.
Castle Rock Flowage - a second large flowage in the same country, with developed ramps.
County road crossings - the bridges that provide the practical walk-in points along the creek.
Seasons
Spring: the opener and the weeks after it are prime, with cold stable water and fish spread through the creek.
Summer: groundwater keeps the creek cool when other water is too warm, and terrestrial patterns come into their own.
Fall: brook and brown trout colour up and feed hard before spawning, and the marsh grass thins for easier casting.
Winter: closed through much of the season, with limited catch-and-release opportunity where rules allow.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Tenmile Creek?
As of Oct 18, 6:00 pm, the USGS gauge TENMILE CREEK NEAR NEKOOSA, WI reads 48 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Tenmile Creek?
Anglers target Blacknose Dace, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Creek Chub, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Sucker on the Tenmile Creek in Wisconsin.
Where can you access the Tenmile Creek?
Nekoosa - the Wood County town nearest the gauge, and the closest place for fuel and supplies. Wisconsin Rapids - the larger city just north, with tackle shops, lodging and guides. Wisconsin River - the big river the creek drains to, and the obvious alternative on a warm afternoon. Central Sands public land - the state and county ground along the creek, which carries most of the legal access. Petenwell Flowage - the large impoundment nearby, a strong warmwater fallback. Castle Rock Flowage - a second large flowage in the same country, with developed ramps. County road crossings - the bridges t...
When is the best time to fish the Tenmile Creek?
Spring: the opener and the weeks after it are prime, with cold stable water and fish spread through the creek. Summer: groundwater keeps the creek cool when other water is too warm, and terrestrial patterns come into their own. Fall: brook and brown trout colour up and feed hard before spawning, and the marsh grass thins for easier casting. Winter: closed through much of the season, with limited catch-and-release opportunity where rules allow.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Tenmile Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Wisconsin agency site: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/fishing/regulations