I always look forward to a new outdoor season because it brings new opportunities and renewed excitement. A great example is the spring turkey season. The late archery season ends months prior, leaving not much to do until the warmer weather. It’s kind of like saying hello to a friend after a long separation. The other side of the coin is that it’s always a little disappointing when the season ends, like trout fishing just did.

The official last day of catch and keep trout season in Wisconsin was Oct. 15. The 2026 trout season opener is May 2, with an early, catch-and-release season from Jan. 2 to May 1.

I’ve documented over the years that I’m not a huge trout guy. I manage to get out a half dozen times or so a year. During those outings I typically keep one or two fish just to whet my trout tastebuds. For reference, I’m a baked trout guy. A foil wrapped trout with some butter and lemon pepper is a simple yet tasty recipe for me. For whatever reason, I hadn’t kept a trout all season and with time running out I needed one more outing.

I hit up a couple of different streams to celebrate the last trout outing of the year. The first spot was an old favorite which made it more disappointing when I found fresh boot prints along the shoreline. I was a little bummed but could not fault the trout anglers who had the exact same thought that I had which was get in one more quality trout outing for the year. Great minds think alike.

The second spot was all mine. Not another car or angler in sight. In fact, there wasn’t any recent sign that this spot had seen any pressure in a while. I eased up to the water and fired a cast towards the bend in the stream. In a flash a trout had taken a swipe at my lure and missed it cleanly. The second cast produced a small Brown Trout and no matter what happened the rest of the day, I was not going home skunked.

I slipped upstream as quietly as the brushy shoreline allowed. A couple of small dimples in the surface of the water ahead of me confirmed what I already suspected: trout were in the next hole. What I didn’t know was how many or how big, but that answer came quickly. A 16-inch Brown Trout hammered my lightweight setup and the best fight of the day was underway. The tree snag on the right side of the stream was a potential problem but if I could steer the fight to the left side my chances of landing this fish were pretty good. 

I think it might have been the spirit of Grandpa Wally who intervened to keep that trout in the clean water. He was a huge trout guy and probably lost more trout than I have ever caught. Regardless of the how and why I caught that fish, I took a moment to acknowledge Grandpa Wally as I held the beautiful Brown Trout.

I caught three more fish but none as the nice as the stump trout and I was okay with that. I had accomplished all that I had set out to do: I finished the season with one last quality outing and I brought home a decent trout for supper. With good memories I said goodbye to the season like it was an old friend.  

Thanks and I’ll see you again soon.

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