Big Roche-A-Cri Creek Fishery Area

The Big Roche A Cri Creek is a Class 1 trout stream, upstream of County Road W in Adams County to its headwaters in Waushara County. This same 6.4 mile section of stream is classed as an Outstanding Resource Water (ORW). ORWs receive the state’s highest protection standards. Wisconsin has approximately 42,000 stream/river miles in the state. Based on the current ORW list only 3,179 miles (7.6%) have been designated as ORW.  These special waterways typically do not have any direct sources discharging pollutants (for instance, no industrial sources or municipal sewage treatment plants), though they may receive runoff from indirect sources. New discharges may be permitted only if their effluent quality is equal to or better than the background water quality of that waterway at all times—no increases of pollutant levels are allowed.

The land cover of Big Roche A Cri Fishery Area is primarily low lying oak and other hardwoods, and jack pine with sandy soils. The area surrounding the Area is mainly in agricultural use with potatoes and corn being the predominant crops.

The Area is managed for trout habitat and upland best forest management practices. Anglers can expect to shore fish in some places or wade fish the entire stream section. Brook trout are the predominant trout species in the creek within the Area with a few brown trout. Some fly fishing opportunities are available especially in the areas where habitat improvements were made [Note: current regulations for trout upstream of Hwy W in Adams County is a 7 inch minimum size limit and a daily bag limit of 5].

Source: WDNR