Whitewater River System

There are four major parts of the Whitewater River system known as the North Branch, Middle Branch, South Branch and Main Branch. Brown trout can be found throughout the entire system. Rainbow trout are mostly concentrated in the Main Branch, though they can be caught everywhere but the Middle Branch. Brook trout are found mainly in the headwaters of the Middle Branch in Olmsted County.

The river offers excellent access almost down the entire length because it is straddled by easements, two state parks and a large wildlife management area. Moeckel said the WMA and state parks are heavily fished, and he encouraged anglers to find the easements using the trout guide or DNR’s Web site.

Highway 74 runs from State Highway 61 at Weaver all the way to Whitewater State Park just south of Elba and parallels the river the entire way. The town of Elba is where the North, South and Middle branches come together to form the Main Branch. Stop by town to find out how the fishing is, but don’t count on finding somebody willing to talk if the fishing is really good.

The North Branch flows through Carley State Park located south of Plainview on County Road 4. Other points of the North Branch can be accessed along several roads that break off the county roads linking Plainview and Elba.

Root River System

All three major trout species are found throughout the Root River system but the key is to concentrate on the tributaries, most of which are lined with easements or state forest.

The town of Preston is a good central location because it is easily accessed from State Highway 52. From Preston, you can drive west on Highway 16 toward Spring Valley and stop at Forestville State Park, home to some of the best, and most accessible, fishing along the Root River system. You can also drive northeast from Preston along Highway 16 to Lanesboro and Rushford, stopping along the way where numerous tributaries flow into the Root River.

THE ARROWHEAD

Numerous rivers and streams flow into Lake Superior from Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region, and thousands of vehicles cross over them daily oblivious to the trout beneath them. Most of these rivers and streams are not as productive as those in the rest of the state, but any trout angler worth their weight in gold would be foolish to pass up the opportunities found on these scenic waterways.

Shawn Perich is no stranger to these North Shore streams, having fished the area extensively throughout his life. Only a handful of anglers have fished more miles than Perich along the streams of Superior.

Perich said the best fishing on most North Shore streams is found either close to the lake or near the headwaters. The middle portions of many rivers are too warm to consistently hold high numbers of trout. The near-lake areas tend to hold rainbow trout, brown trout as well as the occasional lake trout. Upstream areas almost exclusively hold brook trout.

For those stream sections near the big lake, Perich said the spring steelhead run begins when water temperatures reach 40 degrees, which is usually in mid-April to the end of May. The sections upstream are good for brook trout once the water has warmed in late May and continues through the summer.

Perich likes the big lake and adjacent river sections, but still has a soft spot for brook trout fishing.

“That’s the kind of fishing people did up here in my Dad’s generation, and some still do, but most are pretty long in the tooth,” Perich said.

Fishing pressure for brook trout has declined over time, mostly because there are numerous other opportunities for trout anglers, Perich added.

The best brook trout areas are those you have to hike to and usually feature deeper water levels, approximately knee high. Brook trout can be tough to find and always seem to prefer the most unreachable sections of river.

French River

The French River Hatchery is home to many of Lake Superior’s fish, and the river is very popular with anglers as well.