Outdoor Activities in Ferryville, WI

Road Tours and Mountain Biking

Ferryville and Southwestern WI Bike Routes

Bikers of all skills are attracted to our area for the rolling hills, gentle and serious inclines, beautiful scenery, historical and present-day landmarks, and also the great workout!

Ferryville is a great central location to many of the routes in Southwestern Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has provided an abundance of biking maps or routes in our area.

Area Biking Routes (Map Courtesy of the WI DOT)
Download full resolution maps below.

Cyclist-taking-a-break-while-biking-around-Ferryville

Crawford County Bike Map
Vernon County Bike Map (North of Ferryville)

Where to Stay

Outdoor Activities

Things to Do

Events

Fishing

For the angler, refuge waters teem with crappies, walleye, northern pike, sauger, bass, perch, sunfish and catfish. Unusual fish like the sturgeon, paddlefish and American eel, also reside here.

This area of the Upper Mississippi attracts a great deal of fisherman, including fishing contests. We know everyone wants to be ‘in the know’ when it comes to the best fishing locations. Our fishing report below will help you with just that; we do our best to keep you updated and help you have a successful fishing experience on Pool 9!

Check the report frequently!

Helpful Fishing Information and Links

Wisconsin DNR Fishing Regulations

Trout Fishing – Sugar Creek, Rush Creek and Driftless Region streams

Jay Thurston: www.trouttip.com

Looking For Fishing Bait or Tackle?

Cheapo Depot – Ferryville, WI
Captain Hooks – Genoa, WI

Father-and-daughter-fishing-on-the-riverbank

Birding on Mississippi River Pool 9

Located in the midst of some of the best birdwatching and wildlife viewing habitats of America. The abundance of top-quality wetland habitats makes Ferryville the perfect destination for those seeking to observe the spring and fall migration of waterfowl. The national treasure of Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge hosts:

306 species of birds
165 bald eagle nests
5,000 heron and egret nests in 15 colonies
50% of the world’s canvasback ducks
20% of eastern U.S. tundra swans
51 species of mammals
42 species of freshwater mussels
119 species of fish
3.7 million annual visits for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and other recreation

Helpful Birding Information and Links

Preventing window strikes
Keeping house cats from eating songbirds
USFWS link describing threats to birds

Bald-Eagle-sitting-on-branch-in-the-water

Pool 9 Full of Ducks

On one cold early November day in 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was conducting a waterfowl census flying low over the Pool 9 . They counted 277,015 canvasback and 91,350 scaup. The canvasback number is significant because The Fish and Wildlife Service estimated on 489,000 of the big ducks in all of North America during its breeding duck survey. Other species in this daily pool 9 count included 7,335 mallards, 4,195 gadwall, 1,740 Canada geese and 1,580 swans, as well as 15,290 coot and one white pelican.

Helpful Links For Birding Resources & Information

www.audubon.org for ideas on birding, plantings, and information for your own yard to attract birds of interesting varieties
www.dnr.wi.gov for more information about the Great River Birding Trail
www.birdsource.org/gbbc to participate in citizen science programs for counting birds in your area (the Christmas Bird Count and the Great Backyard Bird Count)
https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify To find ideas for adding to your yard for wildlife and certifying your area
www.braw.org for information on bluebird restoration in Wisconsin
www.allaboutbirds.org a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Wildlife Birds Calendar

SPRING
Hundreds of bald eagles can be seen during migration.

During the peak of migration thousands of canvasbacks, common mergansers, goldeneyes, mallads, shovelers, blue-wing teal and coot gather on the refuge. The peak of songbird migration is in mid-May when more than 150 species can be seen.

SUMMER
Great blue herons nest in the rookeries in the flooded timbered areas of the refuge. Some of these contain over 1,000 nests and include great egrets and double-crested cormorants. It is also a spectacular sight to see the American white pelicans feeding in formation or soaring over the pool 9.

FALL
The fall colors are the backdrop for thousands of waterfowl migrating back to their wintering grounds. Migrating tundra swans grace the pool through free-up.

WINTER
Wintering bald eagles congregate in the open water around the area.

Hunting

Southwestern Wisconsin and the areas surrounding Ferryville are ‘go to’ places for the avid hunter and sportsman! We offer a wealth of natural wildlife for a bountiful hunting season. The Wisconsin DNR’s site has much information about the hunting offered in our State, but we want to feature information about the more popular sports of our area.

Deer Hunting

For in-depth information on deer hunting, visit the WI DNR resource:
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/deer

Turkey Hunting

For in-depth information on turkey hunting, visit the WI DNR resource:
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/turkey

More Helpful Hunting Resources

Wisconsin DNR Hunting Regulations
Wisconsin DNR Public Lands Information

Hiking Trails Near Ferryville, WI

Outdoor enthusiasts that love to hike, are close to some very scenic hiking trails at Southwestern Wisconsin state parks. You will enjoy bluff-views over the Upper Mississippi, and more.