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Trout fishing in streams is a special experience. Minnesota, particularly the southeastern part of the state, is chock-full of flowing waters where you can stalk riffles and pools for brook, brown and rainbow trout. If you have never tried trout fishing you should. Trout are regarded as the most elegant of all Minnesota fish, and few would argue otherwise.
- Where to fish
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Trout streams are abundant but these thin ribbons of water are not always easy to find. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has developed an online tool that breaks Minnesota into six trout fishing regions and lets you find the exact locations of the rivers, streams and lakes where you can catch trout. The web page for each location offers anglers a description, species list, regulations and access information.
- How to fish
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Everyone has a different idea as to which bait or method is the best for catching trout. That said, an acceptable trout fishing outfit starts with an ultra-light, fast action spinning rod between 4 and 5 feet long. Add to the rod a light duty spinning or spin-casting reel outfitted with 4- to 6-pound test line. Closed-face reels are seated on top of the rod and are operated with your thumb, which is different than open-faced reels that hang underneath the rod and are operated with your finger.
Many trout anglers use No. 10 to No. 14 regular shank bronze hooks. You may need to a few small split shot to your line to get your bait down in swift water.
It is hard to beat the nightcrawler for baitfishing trout. It has just the right heft for a long cast and they are easy to come by. Veteran brown trout anglers often use a chunk of chub or sucker meat when angling for the big ones. This also keeps other chubs and suckers from biting when fishing in poorer quality water.
Spinners, jigs and other minnow imitators also work well for trout. Any color or style is apt to work, but match these colors and species for starters: Gold color for brown trout, silver color for rainbow trout and copper color for brook trout.
When fishing with a nightcrawler, use just half of it and hook it just once at either end. Approach the pool quietly from downstream keeping well hidden from the fish. Cast upstream over the pool allowing your crawler to drift naturally back towards you. Your line will float so watch it and you can tell when you have a bite. If you are careful, you might catch more than one fish from the same pool. Be patient and fish carefully. Learn to cast with accuracy. If you have disturbed the pool, move on to another. Stay out of the water when fishing.
- Gear
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Handy things to have when trout fishing are a small knife, creel, wading boots and trout-sized landing net.
- What’s important to know
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- First, you need a fishing license if you're 16 or older. A trout stamp may be required if you are ages 18 to 64. Visit the online tout fishing regulations page to determine if you need a stamp.
- When casting lures you don't have to worry about an unnatural drift. Minnows swim in all directions.
- Basic biology
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There are three species of trout that live in southeast Minnesota trout streams.
Brook trout:
Brook trout (the only native of the three) thrive in smaller streams of good water quality, occupying pools and riffles that seem quite shallow when compared to the pools brown trout frequent. In-stream vegetation provides adequate cover for the brookie. They are very aggressive and relatively easy to catch. They normally are smaller than browns and rainbows, a 14 inch brook trout is a trophy. In large and medium sized streams you will find them near the headwaters and in major springs.
Brown trout:
Brown trout (from Europe) are the most abundant and most sought after trout in southeast Minnesota streams. They are wary and must be stalked with patience. Your shadow on the water will "put them down" for an hour or two. They require overhanging cover like undercut banks or fallen trees. They will be found in the deepest pools, moving into the shallows (riffles) to feed in early morning and late afternoon. They feed actively on emergent insects like caddis flies and mayflies. Brown trout get larger than rainbows and brookies; 14 to 18 inch fish are common and browns over 25 inches have been taken in the southeast.
Rainbow trout:
Rainbow trout (a west coast native) do not commonly reproduce in southeast Minnesota streams and must be maintained by stocking. They occupy the fast, big water of the Whitewater streams (and others), utilizing different habitat than the brown trout. Famous for their acrobatics (tail-walking), rainbows will give any angler quite a thrill.