Minnesota Steelheader

Effective Immediately, Sucker River Access is   CLOSED. As of September 19th, 2018, access downstream of scenic highway 61 on both sides of the river is no longer open for public use.   Signs have been posted marking the closure areas and a notice containing additional details has been posted at the parking lot. As many of the North Shore angling pubic know, this same access was on the verge of closure back in April of 2017.   To learn more about the history – click here . For many years, these land owners have graciously allowed visitors to utilize paths on their property to access the shoreline of Lake Superior. Anglers have enjoyed the benefits of ready access to the various pools, runs and riffles as well as the mouth of the Sucker River.   In recent years however, problems that can unfortunately come with open access have grown progressively worse. There has been an increase in senseless littering, vandalism, criminal damage to property and the theft of a canoe and kay

Each fall, many of us make the pilgrimage back to the North Shore to wet a line after long a summer away.  Memories from past spring seasons often fill our thoughts while enjoying the beautiful drive, anticipating what the fall season will bring. Fall fishing on the North Shore typically consists of chasing pink salmon in low, clear water although there are days where steelhead and coho seem to magically appear. These lower water levels make getting around rivers much easier and are an ideal time to learn more about what makes your favorite high water holes so productive. Fall fishing also comes after the busy summer tourist season; and with the summer season come lots of folks who enjoy playing in the water. Who can blame them? The cool water is quite refreshing on a hot summer day, and a relaxing hike exploring North Shore streams is food for the soul. It's unlikely there is a dramatic impact on the fishery or habitat with a swim here or a water-hike there, but another s

It's that time of year again where our excitement for fall North Shore fishing transitions into calendar dates!  Since 2011 we have been providing a unique fall streamside fishing clinic to interested anglers.  It is held at a river location (to be determined) along the North Shore that will give provide the best opportunity for teaching and hopefully catching some trout and/or salmon.  This is the first in a series of 3 different niche clinics currently on our annual calendar. The fall streamside salmon clinic, as it is called, was developed to offer beginner and intermediate anglers a learning environment that is comfortable, non-judgmental, and hands-on.  The fall season is perfect for this!  With river levels fairly predicable and stable, moderate to low water flow, our teaching is much easier.  We are able to demonstrate safe wading tips, teach anglers how to read water more effectively, easily identify trout and salmon holding water, and fish more water than the often u

A Note about the Minnesota Steelheader Creel Project: Each year, Minnesota Steelheader collects and compiles voluntarily submitted creel reports o f steelhead, kamloops and presumed coaster brook trout through ou r Creel Project page. This catch information is combined and compared against numerous data s ets, the goa l being t o provide you with t he most accurate picture of North Shore steelhead run behavior. While the primary focus has been fish caught in the tributaries during the Spring migration and spawning run, we appreciate and accept creel reports year-round . MS analyzes reported catch dates, region caught, the numbers by specie s, measurements of daily flow, temperature and other open-source fisheries data, and the results are charted in Daily, Weekly and Historical formats. This is not a scientific creel by definition. We do however incorporate, use and present as much of the available scientific literature as we can; the difference is that this is done