Smallmouth bass inhabit both rivers and lakes with great frequency in the northwoods and are one of the more highly sought after sportfish in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Pound for pound they fight as hard if not harder than any fish in freshwater. Put it this way, if you tied a 20 inch smallie to a 20 inch brown trout, the bass would drag that poor trout up and down the river all day long. Their abundance, aggressive feeding habits, and incredible aerial displays on the end of a line make them a sport fish in a very true sense of the word.
Minnesota and Wisconsin fly fishing smallmouth bass rivers for Smallmouth bass is generally very consistent during the Summer season, from early- to mid-June until early- to mid-September. This far north the warm season is relatively short so these fish feed voraciously from the time the rivers warm up until they begin to cool off in the fall, giving us ample opportunity to interact with good numbers of aggressive fish. Streamer fishing is a very consistent way to put smallmouth in the net, but they are also eager to come to the surface in many situations so most days will be a mix of both subsurface and topwater presentations.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are blessed with many great smallmouth fisheries. Each river we fish is unique and they vary by location, level of difficulty as well as size and number of fish present. This variety makes it possible for us to provide anglers of all experience levels with a great fly fishing experience. Float trips for smallmouth bass are a great way to enjoy the northwoods whether you’re new to the fly rod or are just looking for a great day of fishing!
Cost:
$500/day (1 or 2 anglers)