There has been some trouble with poor water quality and manure spills over the years, but with improved management, this river is coming back.

There are six miles of Class II water and five miles of Class III, with the only wild trout being browns, while the brookies and rainbows are stocked.

For a better trouting experience, go to the Class I waters of Big Spring, which has native brookies and wild browns. Doc Smith has wild browns and rainbows, while Sixmile Branch has native brookies and stocked browns.

Like the other rivers, this watershed has miles of fishable water, good public access and many tributaries. When you’re done with one stretch of stream, just hop over the ridge to the next creek.

CROOKED CREEK
The best fishing in Grant County is found outside the town of Boscobel on Crooked Creek. Located off Highway 61, this stream is full of wild trout. In fact, the Department of Natural Resources has used these fish to supply the genetic material for their stocking program.

If you are a purist looking for only wild native trout, this stream is a must for you to fish. A classic Wisconsin creek, it meanders through pastures with high banks and shady woods. The water is generally very clear and cold. In the five miles of stream, you are likely to catch mainly browns, but rainbows are also present.

While it is only a six-mile walk over the ridge to the Big Green, Crooked is less crowded than other creeks. Park your vehicle at any of the bridges crossing the river and you’ll find access.

This is a tremendous stream that is bound to attract a lot of attention once the word gets out.

The DNR and local chapters of Trout Unlimited have spent countless dollars and man-hours putting lunker structures into hundreds of miles of Crooked Creek. The Blackhawk Chapter and the Harry and Laura Nohr Chapter have brought many streams back from the brink of destruction by combating poor land practices, erosion, animal-waste problems and fertilizer runoff.

“When I first started, it took us all morning to make three lunker structures,” said Dave Patrick, president of the TU Blackhawk Chapter. “Now we make 50 cribs between 9 and 11:30 a.m. I have a saying that we like to use: ‘Keep the main thing, the main thing,’ and for us that means keeping good trout habitat our priority.”

Thanks to volunteers like this, these waters are reaching their prime.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Here are some things you should know for planning your trip.

Choose a 3-weight fly rod for the most action and for small flies. Use a 4- or 5-weight rod for heavier nymphs and large terrestrials like grasshoppers. Rod length should be around 7 1/2 feet. These narrow streams require short casts, so plan to bring a rod that can keep your line out of the tall vegetation on the bank.

Although some streams allow for all kinds of artificial lures, flies are most common. Pick up a stone from the river bottom, see it covered with the tiny stone houses of the caddis nymphs, and you’ll know why.