Brule River (Wisconsin)

The Bois Brule River — universally called simply the Brule — is Wisconsin's most storied trout stream and holds the remarkable distinction of having hosted five sitting United States presidents on its banks: Ulysses Grant, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Dwight Eisenhower all fished its waters. Coolidge famously used the Brule as his "Summer White House" headquarters in 1928, and legend holds that even Rosalynn Carter waded in without her husband Jimmy. This presidential pedigree is more than novelty — it reflects the extraordinary quality of a fishery that has drawn America's most discerning anglers for over a century.

The Brule flows north from its headwaters near Solon Springs in Douglas County to Lake Superior, dropping through a series of dramatic rapids and pools across 44 miles. Brule River State Forest protects most of the watershed, and the cold, spring-fed character of the river — temperatures typically hovering in the upper 40s to low 50s even in summer — creates ideal habitat for wild trout. The river supports a four-way mix of species that makes it genuinely unique: resident brown trout and brook trout share the water with steelhead and Chinook salmon that migrate in from Lake Superior.

The upper river above County Highway B is classic spring creek water — slow, wide, and incredibly clear, with abundant aquatic vegetation and demanding fish that have seen every pattern imaginable. This stretch is arguably the finest dry fly water in Wisconsin, with exceptional Sulphur hatches in June and remarkable Hex fishing in late June and July. The middle river between County Highways B and S holds the highest concentration of resident brown and brook trout, with the special regulations stretch producing consistently large fish for anglers willing to master the technical presentations required in this clear water.

The lower river below County Highway S transitions into steelhead and salmon territory, with the gradient increasing and the water running faster over boulders and through carved granite pools. Spring steelhead — often large Lake Superior fish pushing 10 pounds — run from late March through May, while fall steelhead and Chinook salmon arrive from September through November. The canoe-in nature of much of the lower river provides a wilderness experience uncommon this close to civilization. Fly shops in nearby Superior and the Brule area provide current conditions and guided trip services.