Minnesota Steelheader

DATE: 05/23/2018 Lower Shore Species Brook Trout Steelhead Kamloops #Reported Since 5/12 20 58 26 Total Reported 42 196 123 DATE: 05/23/2018 Mid Shore Species Brook Trout Steelhead Kamloops #Reported Since 5/12 32 43 6 Total Reported 96 183 21 DATE: 05/23/2018 Upper Shore Species Brook Trout Steelhead Kamloops #Reported Since 5/12 33 53 2 Total Reported 68 90 5 DATE: 05/23/2018 Shore-Wide Totals Species Brook Trout Steelhead Kamloops #Reported Since 5/12 85 154 34 Total Reported 206 469 149

DATE: 05/10/2018 Knife River Flow: 106 CFS French River Steelhead Kamloops Total Number Captured 3 62 65 Total Captured 130 552 682 DATE: 05/10/2018 Index River Avg Temp: 49.18°F Knife River Steelhead Kamloops Total Number Captured 17 2 19 Total Captured 287 40 327 DATE: 05/07/2018 Knife River Flow: 117 CFS French River Steelhead Kamloops Total Number Captured 88 109 197 Total Captured 127 490 617 DATE: 05/06/2018 Index River Avg Temp: 52.24°F Knife River Steelhead Kamloops Total Number Captured 89 16 105 Total Captured 270 38 308 DATE: 05/04/2018 Knife River Flow: 168 CFS French River Steelhead Kamloops Total Number Captured 31 226 257 Total Captured 39 381 420 DATE: 05/03/2018 Index River Avg Temp: 46.60°F Knife River Steelhead Kamloops Total Number Captured 77 9 86 Total Captured 181 22 203 DATE: 05/01/2018 Knife River Flow: 464 CFS French River Steelhead Kamloops Total Number Captured 8 155 163 Total Captured 8 155 163 DATE...

Did you know that there are several other game fish species in the Minnesota waters of Lake Superior? The most popular of these are  Walleye, Lake Sturgeon, and Muskellunge. Anglers catch other species incidentally while pursuing steelhead salmon and trout; however, these fish are unlikely to produce viable targeted fisheries in Lake Superior. We see northern pike, smallmouth bass, and walleye caught incidentally nearly each year during spring and fall trout and salmon migration runs. If you are interested in pursuing Walleye, Lake Sturgeon, or Musky, your efforts may be best suited in the St. Louis River Estuary.  These 3 species spend more time inhabiting and reproducing in these waters than in the big water. Have you caught any interesting non trout or salmon in our North Shore rivers of  Lake Superior recently?  We would enjoy seeing your catches, please feel free to share! Tight lines to all this spring, fishing time is here!

What a difference a couple days can make... We finally had a chance to start crunching some numbers thanks to some intrepid anglers and their submissions to the MNST Creel Project . We want to thank those anglers who have submitted so far, as well as to remind everyone else of what you can get out of participating. First off, we DO NOT post live fishing reports. Your MNST Creel Project submissions are not used in that fashion. All of the preliminary creel data used and posted such as you'll see below, are presented on a regional scale: Lower, Mid and Upper Shore. The early creel numbers are coming in from across each respective region and are presented as a trend, not as actual daily catch numbers. For all of you statistics nerds out there such as myself, the creel numbers are plotted as a 6-point moving average, only the daily flow and temperature numbers are actual. This is done to protect the underlying data, as well as to provide you with insight into relationships betwe...

You know, it’s awfully hard to be optimistic some days. As I write this piece I can hear the wind outside; not your run of the mill gentle breeze, but the kind of wind which makes your house rattle loudly and shudder with each and every successive gust. I have a large spruce growing just outside my door. I love it. The chickadees do too and use it as they dart back and forth between the feeders grabbing sunflower seeds, then quickly escaping back into the dense cover of the branches. Not because they are scared when people or the cats are sitting out on the deck (they’re not). They know the people dole out the free seed. And the cats well... they’re just fat and slow and the chickadees know it judging by their antics. The cooper's hawk is a different story. She’s taken to hiding high up in a nearby maple, launching periodic aerial assaults on any unsuspecting bird foolish enough to sit for more than a few seconds on one of the feeders. The chickadees are the tacticians,...

The North Shore (including Duluth area) has 73 tributaries listed with upstream boundaries.  These boundaries are typically located at areas with a natural barrier, such as a high waterfall, preventing fishing migration upstream.   Designated trout streams typically have different angling regulations for above and below barrier.  See the 2018 fishing regulations HERE . Below barrier is where Steelhead anglers focus their efforts, yet many anglers are unclear where these barriers are.  Lets add some clarity. Though listed, many of the North Shore tributary may not get much, if any steelhead migration in a given year. This is due mainly to stream size, flow, and distance.  Many listed tribs. are a mere trickle of water, but a spring thaw with above normal flow can trigger a surprise for those adventurous anglers. The link below is a listing of upstream Posted Boundaries and Fish Sanctuaries on North Shore tributaries to Lake Superior.  It was r...

Flies from Afghanistan - Part 1 Being deployed offers many challenges; How will I perform my mission?  How will I like  my fellow airmen, sailors, marines and soldiers?  Will there be personal conflict?  What is my  level of risk?  How will my family handle my deployment? These questions and many others go through your head at a furious pace. Once you  have settled into a daily routine your focus can shift to your down time.  How will I pass the time without going nuts?  Depending on your location, downtime can be tackled in numerous ways. I  have never been much of a video game player so that is out. I love to read but that can only  last so long. Through my many deployments the thing that keeps me going is pulling out the  bags of feathers, yarn, and hooks and creating something that can transport you to a spot  halfway around the globe. A spot in your mind where you can smell the moss and cedar, hear  t...