Big Roche A Cri Creek Fishing Guides
A central sands spring creek near Leola with stable groundwater-fed flow and wild brook and brown trout, extensively rehabilitated by Wisconsin DNR habitat work.
Guides on the Big Roche A Cri Creek
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About the Big Roche A Cri Creek
Big Roche A Cri Creek rises in the Leola Marsh country of Adams and Waushara counties and runs southwest toward the Wisconsin River. It belongs to Wisconsin’s central sands, a region whose creeks behave quite differently from the driftless limestone streams further southwest. Here the water comes out of a deep sand-and-gravel aquifer rather than off limestone, which gives the creek a remarkably stable flow and a narrow temperature range through the year.
That stability is the whole point. Because the creek is groundwater-fed, it does not spike and crash with every rainstorm the way a surface-fed stream does, and it stays cold enough through July and August to hold trout in a part of the state where the air temperature says otherwise. The upper reaches are managed as trout water and hold wild brook trout along with brown trout, and the fish are self-sustaining rather than stocked.
The creek’s other defining characteristic is that a great deal of work has gone into it. Sand is a difficult substrate for trout: it fills spawning gravel, widens and shallows channels and offers poor cover. Wisconsin DNR and local partners have done extensive habitat rehabilitation on Big Roche A Cri, narrowing the channel, stabilising banks and installing bank cover structures to create the depth and overhead protection that sand streams naturally lack. The stretches that have had this treatment fish noticeably better than those that have not.
Downstream the creek warms as it passes through impoundments and eventually becomes a warmwater stream before reaching the Wisconsin River. The gauge reports discharge and gage height, with no temperature series, so the groundwater stability has to be taken on the flow record and local knowledge rather than read directly.
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Access
County Highway G crossing - the gauge bridge near Leola and a practical access point to the middle creek.
Leola Marsh Wildlife Area - the state land in the headwaters, with walk-in access to the upper creek.
Coloma - the nearest village, with fuel and basic supplies close to the upper reaches.
Plainfield - a small town nearby, useful for lodging and access to the central sands creeks generally.
Big Roche A Cri Lake - the impoundment downstream, a warmwater fishery and an easy change of pace.
Adams-Friendship - the larger community to the south, with tackle, food and full services.
Wisconsin River - the main river the creek eventually feeds, with smallmouth and walleye for a longer day.
Seasons
Spring: strong fishing once the water clears, with trout active and the stable spring flow making wading straightforward.
Summer: the creek's real strength, holding cold and fishable through the hottest weeks when surface-fed streams fail.
Fall: excellent, with brown trout colouring up and moving to spawn and very little pressure on the water.
Winter: cold but rarely locked out entirely, with groundwater keeping sections open for anglers willing to work them.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Big Roche A Cri Creek?
As of Oct 18, 5:00 pm, the USGS gauge BIG ROCHE A CRI CREEK AT HWY G NR LEOLA, WI reads 24 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Big Roche A Cri Creek?
Anglers target Blacknose Dace, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Creek Chub, White Sucker on the Big Roche A Cri Creek in Wisconsin.
Where can you access the Big Roche A Cri Creek?
County Highway G crossing - the gauge bridge near Leola and a practical access point to the middle creek. Leola Marsh Wildlife Area - the state land in the headwaters, with walk-in access to the upper creek. Coloma - the nearest village, with fuel and basic supplies close to the upper reaches. Plainfield - a small town nearby, useful for lodging and access to the central sands creeks generally. Big Roche A Cri Lake - the impoundment downstream, a warmwater fishery and an easy change of pace. Adams-Friendship - the larger community to the south, with tackle, food and full services. Wisconsin Ri...
When is the best time to fish the Big Roche A Cri Creek?
Spring: strong fishing once the water clears, with trout active and the stable spring flow making wading straightforward. Summer: the creek's real strength, holding cold and fishable through the hottest weeks when surface-fed streams fail. Fall: excellent, with brown trout colouring up and moving to spawn and very little pressure on the water. Winter: cold but rarely locked out entirely, with groundwater keeping sections open for anglers willing to work them.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Big Roche A Cri Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Wisconsin agency site: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/fishing/regulations