Go with The Flow

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One of the fundamental elements in fishing for migratory species like steelhead lies in understanding the interactions between flow and fish movement. Naturalized strains of Knife River steelhead and stocked Kamloops rainbows are potadromous. That is to say they migrate from the fresh water of Lake Superior into the freshwater tributaries every spring to spawn. These fish have been biologically “programmed” from an evolutionary standpoint to make their runs on increased flows. This trait allows the fish to make it into the uppermost reaches of a watershed where the best spawning and rearing habitat is most likely to be. It also increases the chances that their offspring will survive and successfully return to the lake upon smolting.

With that in mind, understanding a bit about North Shore hydrology goes a long way towards understanding flow and when to fish. Article by: NMF - Minnesota Steelheader Field Staffer Read entire article here

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