July 18, 2026
COON VALLEY, Wis. – Results are in from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’s 2025 Coon Creek fisheries survey, and all the data suggests that introduced Brown Trout populations are about as strong as they’ve ever been, with some surveys showing over a thousand fish per mile. This is thanks in part to decades of habitat work and stocking support led by Coon Creek residents and agency partners, as well as watershed wide efforts to reduce soil erosion dating back to the 1930s.Native Brook Trout are less common, and are primarily sticking to Coon Creek’s colder headwaters. Conditions get warmer and less optimal for either trout species toward Coon Creek’s confluence with the Mississippi River, while habitat improves for panfish, suckers, and even walleye in these deeper regions of the watershed.
DNR Senior Fisheries Biologist Kirk Olson shared the results Coon Creek Community Watershed Council meeting earlier this month. You can see a copy of his presentation, and other information from the meeting here.
As the summer continues, we’ll be following more studies the DNR and Coulee Region Trout Unlimited are leading on trout migration and stream temperature. Twenty-five temperature loggers are monitoring stream conditions throughout the summer, and fisheries scientists are tracking 19 tagged Brown Trout as they travel upstream from the Mississippi River. We were amazed to learn that the trout tagged this spring have already swum up to 30 miles over the last few months!
While the health of Coon Creek’s fishery points to conservation successes decades in the making, stream warming due to climate change and habitat loss driven by land use intensification are growing concerns–especially when it comes to protecting sensitive brook trout populations. At the same time, programs that support fishery conservation are losing funding (including the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, which provided critical funding for trout easement establishment. Even though the Wisconsin Legislature opted not to renew Knowles-Nelson this year, it could restore funding in future years. In the meantime, Olson said you can help care for Coon Creek’s fishery by fishing less when the streams warm up, and protecting water quality by practicing soil conservation. The Coon Creek Community Watershed Council has cost share available to help support your conservation projects.
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