A Fishing Guide to Lake Superior and North Shore Trout Streams e Mile Cree Nin B l C esn re e er ek r G S C R ol lin s Cre ek Elbow n hi Little Brule River er Cr ee 61 East Coville Creek Kadunce River State Wayside Park k Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. L servation ge Indian Re Grand Portage State Forest A Contact Area Fisheries Headquarters Grand Marais, MN 55604 (218) 387-3056 Judge C.R. Magney State Park Trolling with Planer Boards for more information on streams northeast of Schroeder Attach cord to vertical 4' pole e o r Heavy cord such as decoy cord Planer board About 1"x7"x16" board weighted at the base to float upright. Leading edge tapered and eyescrew attached so board pulls to the side. adipose clipped trout Downrigger Jun. Grand Porta Hovland M C yh re r ek Superior National Forest Cr ee k iver eR Casc ad ek re C C M is C ar tl re ib et ek ou oe ut 16 Clip fishing line into sliding line release device Fishing Lake Superior in small boats is fairly safe if you use common sense. Todays modern, deep-hulled boats in the 16 to 18 foot range are probably adequate, but never venture far away from launching areas when the weather is threatening. Always have a weather radio, and for extended trips a marine radio or cellular phone. Much of the shoreline is steep and rocky, and offers no refuge from a storm. For current weather and lake conditions tune to N.O.A.A. weather band (FM 162.55) or from the U.S. Coast Guard Station at Duluth. So enjoy, but dont take foolish chances. D The fisheries recovery of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River has opened new horizons for anglers. Only three decades ago, the North Shore was virtually devoid of desirable gamefish. Today, it provides a tremendous variety of fishing, with some kind of action almost any time of the year. Lake Superiors waters are extremely cold and infertile. Food production is much lower than in Lake Michigan or any of the other Great Lakes. As a result, fish grow slower and are less abundant. Lake Superior will not produce salmon and trout as large as in Lake Michigan. Still, many lake trout over 12 pounds, Chinook over 15 pounds, and steelhead over 8 pounds are taken each year. Here are a few tips on how and when to fish for the major species of the North Shore: Lakers begin to bite in early spring and good fishing continues until the season closes in the fall. Temperature is the key to lake trout fishing. Lakers prefer water between 48° and 52°F. Fishing techniques and lures are very similar to those described below for salmon; however, lake trout anglers rely heavily on dodger-fly and dodger-fly spoon combinations. During mid-summer, downrigger fishing just off the bottom is very successful. When the inshore temperature is right, shore casters have excellent success, especially in the fall. In years when the lake freezes, ice fishing for lake trout can be very good. Salmon (Chinook, Coho, Pink) Button releases on strike Lake Superior Fishing Calendar E Grand Portage State Forest C r ee k n C ile Si xm er Riv Tem p er r Contact Fisheries Field Station Finland, MN 55603 (218) 353-7591 a iv R ti sm s Ea p i e May ee 61 k W East Beaver Bay Ga R ee d River C Cascade River State Park A Word of Caution 2 for more information on streams southwest of Schroeder Apr. 17 Farquhar Creek B Dodger Rudder release 5 C 17 Mineral Center North Shore Fishing Tips Lure N 61 Silver Bay r ve Ri lson r Lake Trout Brook Trout Brown Trout (steams) Steelhead Steelhead (streams) Kamloops Rainbow Kamloops (streams) Chinook Salmon Chinook (streams) Coho Salmon Pink Salmon (streams) Jackson Creek ar Palisade Creek k te er k Mar. ek Cr Riv 61 Feb. Cre Sw am p u 7 Downrigger Fishing Jan. h Lake Trout Little Marais Tettegouche State Park Iris k er Be 4 Beaver Bay er Riv Ri3 iv N ine C tyr. r ve Illgen City 5 Devil Track River State Wayside Park F George H. Crosby Manitou State Park 4 Beaver Dam Creek 61 Schroeder Cross River State Wayside Park Caribou Falls State Wayside Park Cree Ray Berglund State Wayside Park Tofte 3 Fl u 2 e ul Br S 36 iver c r. 1 16 ce Creek ek re St o n e C i nv Cascade River State Park ek re Rosebush Creek Woods Creek 5 Croftville Grand Marais Cut Face Creek 61 en 14 C g Creek lin d un ll iff Little Devil Track River ba Cl Jo ee r Creek 7 Trac k Monker Creek 8 im ek re eC r kC il 4 CANADA Kad u K rfe Du ve Ri Cr ve S Dev 18 rd r Ya Dee reek C r ve lar Ri r. Caribou Lake ek Fox Farm Creek Devil Track Lake Indian Camp Creek 4 Lutsen op Onion C k rm re er t P e re ek e Cr 12 C Riv r Ri e o Creek Bally k 3 Portage Brook Timber Creek d ve Ri er iv Taconite Harbor 0 Pine Mountain Creek 8 Nestor ark Creek u M o Cr ee re 2 Scale in Kilometers dR Lullaby Creek 12 Mu e ad Casc iss Mi s s ar ce er R er iv e River R r. C L M ittl an e ito u D C rag re o ek n 4 R ir Th ek h a v er er Riv B 6 Stickle Creek a le Cre r ve ea R r eek n B t Lit C reek B FoMil rt e P Cry-Thost ee re k e Be ar a v er ed eek C r C an West B W Br ra es n Sp t B c c lit ra h S pl R nc oc h it k R R oc i v k Bu er 3 R dd iv Cr er . Finland Riv Schoolhouse Creek k e EggFinland State Forest e r eC R C ree iv k er er v Tower li O Creek p Tikkanen 7 Ba Creek h c ra n tB s Little M ar ai st ine N rty- Thi r st am Superior National Forest nd r Ea Big e av Be Ea Martin Creek 7 t Cr . e bl la Is k Cu n k ne 6 ee a k r k p e C ee epCre Cr ll i L pt m Lindstr om 1 i s m aw S C ree k Nicado ra nc h River Ta i E River m R h Baptis i B r anc Roc iv 1 Finland State Forest b ou Cari u anch Manito v er Ri ve Superior National Forest West Bra n c Eas t Br Heffelfinger Creek in er Temperance River State Park ou nit o th Murphy City k oc um Moose Creek k e Creek b St ou Ma S u si ni ka nc Ju ek re C Fry Creek ak eL Pik Barker Cree k nc s nit Superior National Forest H rt s ro C 7 er Little Mississippi Creek Pike Lake Creek m ey on ek H re C k ee reek Cr ar C Ced ak re H ea Tw o iv Finland State Forest 4 M n B Te lin m d pe ra Two Island Lake Pat Bayle State Forest Pa R Wilderness ip p i Creek oo 7 Isabella Creek Cresent Lake 2 Ma Canoe Area ake le L Bru pl Silver Island Lake 1 G dd Fi Boundary Waters ps m o Th Pecore Cr. Torge nson Creek Wa g ek ou htali ng Cre H ti sm 2 1 Greenwood Lake Te Koski Creek Creek . es nl s Cr hB ap r. 0 (DNR/City) Turn right at public access sign off State Highway 61 just west of Silver Bay. Located on west side of commercial harbor. Parking. Picnic area. Fuel available. Marina facilities. 218-226-3121. In the town of Tofte. No gas. Parking. Picnic area. Breakwater for small boats. Po Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness ak n C Scale in Miles G. Silver Bay Launch D. Tofte Municipal Launch Burnt Creek Sw ans Cre on ek 3 Bold indicates streams with fishing sanctuary: refer to current fishing regulations for more details. ro w Follow the road marked Recreation Area on the west side of the harbor. Two launch sites with parking. Gas available at campground marina. 218-387-1712. Pat Bayle State Forest Also in Lake County C C. Grand Marais Recreation Area Duluth Boat Access (DNR) Turn at public access sign off State Highway 61 west of Taconite Harbor. Parking. Picnic. No gas. Safe Harbor mooring only. Also in Cook County Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Finland State Forest F. Taconite Harbor Pat Bayle State Forest Private lands State, federal, and county lands Private lands with landowners having granted angling easements (DNR/City) Heading north on State Highway 61 take a right at the stop lights in Grand Marais. Three blocks to launch site adjacent to Coast Guard Station. No gas. Parking. Continuous Fishing except for brook trout o wo PGc SE - B. Grand Marais Litt C r ee k le Stony Shoreline Status P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P P,G P P,G PG P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G Turn off State Highway 61 east of Cross River on road marked Father Baragas Cross, west side of Temperance River State Park. The launch is just left of the dead end. No gas. Small boats only. Parking. Picnic area. As Brook trout Brown trout Rainbow trout Chinook salmon B,Bn,R,C B,Bn B,Bn B,Bn,R B B B B,R B B R B B B B B B B,R R B R,B B B B B B B R,B B B B B B B B B Seasonal Fishing E. Schroeder Town Launch (DNR) Located one and one-quarter miles east of Hovland. No gas. Parking. Small boats only. Bluff Creek Trout Species BBn RC- 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 1.80 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Boat Launch Sites A. Horseshoe Bay ance per m G G G P,G G G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G G P,G P G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G G P,G G P,G P,G G P,G P,G 8.0 14.0 14.5 24.1 23.0 5.0 2.6 18.3 2.0 15.8 0.0 2.1 2.7 8.0 7.8 2.8 3.7 25.4 0.0 9.0 3.9 1.4 7.0 4.0 3.2 6.5 3.3 3.8 3.5 7.0 1.5 10.0 5.4 2.5 2.0 2.8 l B B B B B B B,R R B B R B,Bn,R,C B B,R B,R B,R R R,B B,R B R,B B R B B,R B B R,B B B B R B B R B B,R B,R B B B B B B B B B R B R,B B B B B B B,R B R B,R B B B B,R B R B B B B B B,Bn,R B B B,R B,R Baptism River Baptism River, E. Branch Baptism River, W. Branch Beaver River Beaver River, E. Branch Beaver River, W. Branch Blesner Creek Caribou River Cedar Creek Crown Creek Dragon Creek Egge Creek Hefflefinger Creek Hockamin Creek Houghtaling Creek Leppanen Creek Lindstrom Creek Manitou River Manitou River, Little Manitou River, S. Branch Marais River, Little Martin Creek Mile Post Forty-Three Creek Moose Creek Nicado Creek Nine Mile Creek Oliver Creek Palisade Creek Rock Cut Creek Sawmill Creek Schoolhouse Creek Thirty-Nine Creek, Big Thirty-Nine Creek, Little Tikkanen Creek Tower Creek Wanless Creek bil Saw 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.30 3.20 0.00 0.00 1.20 0.10 0.00 4.00 2.80 0.30 0.40 0.10 1.30 0.00 0.05 0.00 2.60 0.00 0.60 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.30 1.60 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.05 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 Stream Name Shoreline Status ff 4.1 5.5 6.5 5.0 3.0 2.5 15.7 0.0 1.9 2.0 5.1 13.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 23.1 0.0 6.6 7.8 6.2 4.7 3.4 0.0 4.3 8.6 1.3 1.1 3.5 9.0 6.5 2.7 1.1 6.1 1.1 2.7 16.8 7.3 6.8 4.0 2.0 3.2 10.7 4.1 8.5 1.1 3.3 4.0 0.0 4.8 7.5 3.2 1.6 0.8 2.4 11.2 19.2 10.4 0.0 2.1 1.9 6.0 2.0 4.2 3.3 2.8 6.1 3.6 2.0 1.7 2.9 21.3 2.3 1.9 12.9 2.0 Shoreline Status Plou Assinika Creek Bally Creek Barker Creek Beaver Dam Creek Blind Temperance Creek Bluff Creek Brule River Brule River, Little Burnt Creek Caribou Creek Carlson Creek Cascade River Cedar Creek Cliff Creek Colville Creek, East Cross River Cut Face Creek Deer Yard Creek Devil Track River Devil Track River, Little Durfee Creek Elbow Creek Farquhar Creek Fiddle Creek Flute Reed River Fox Farm Creek Fry Creek Gauthier Creek Greenwood River Heartbreak Creek Honeymoon Creek Indian Camp Creek Irish Creek Jackson Creek Jonvick Creek Junco Creek Kadunce Creek Kimball Creek Koski Creek Lullaby Creek Mark Creek Mississippi Creek Mississippi Creek, Little Mistletoe Creek Monker Creek Mud Creek Murmer Creek Myhr Creek Nestor Creek Onion Creek Pancake Creek Pecore Creek Pike Lake Creek Pine Mountain Creek Plouff Creek Poplar River Portage Brook Rollins Creek Rosebush Creek Sawbill Creek Sixmile Creek Stickle Creek Stone Creek Stony Creek, Little Stumble Creek Sundling Creek Swamp River Swanson Creek Tait River Timber Creek Temperance River Thompson Creek Torgenson Creek Two Island River Woods Creek Trout Species Trout Species an ce Stream Name Miles Below Boundary Miles Below Boundary Pat Bayle State Forest Miles Above Boundary Miles Above Boundary Lake County Cook County Cook County Lake County le Stream Information LEGEND Nov. Dec. Trolling weight Anglers on Lake Superior begin catching coho and Chinook salmon in early spring. Most trollers use flashy spoons, minnow-like plugs, or dodger-fly combinations. Most salmon are taken by trolling within a few miles of shore. The key to salmon location is temperature. Coho and Chinook prefer temperatures from 53° to 57°. Because salmon are extremely spooky, trollers often use planer boards to spread the lines away from the boats wake. Outriggers perform the same function. Twelve pound test monofilament line is sufficient, anything heavier spooks the fish. Salmon are often caught on the surface using unweighted lines (flat lines) when the temperature is right. But when the preferred temperature layer is deeper, downriggers or trolling planes must be used to reach the proper depth. These techniques are also effective for steelhead and lake trout. Some salmon are taken by trollers into October, but by this time most coho have abandoned Minnesota waters, and Chinook are running in tributary streams. The Chinook run normally begins in September and peaks about mid-October, though some fish remain into November. Runs are heaviest in streams that have been stocked (see Stream Information list) but some Chinook stray into other streams which have substantial flows. Popular lures for stream fishing are yarn flies and spawn bags, but some anglers have had excellent luck on small, white twister-tail jigs. In recent years pink salmon along the North Shore have caught the interest of some anglers. These small salmon originally had a two-year life cycle, spawning in oddnumbered years. Evidently, a few individuals have survived extra years, so runs now occur in even-numbered years also. Pinks enter the streams in early September, and good fishing lasts about two weeks. Most pinks are caught on yarn flies, small spoons or tiny spinners. Steelhead (migratory Rainbow Trout) Spring fishing begins when meltwater swells Lake Superiors tributary streams, triggering the steelheads spawning urge. In the streams nearest Duluth, the run usually begins about April 1 and peaks in late April. Further up the shore, the runs begin one to two weeks later. In some years steelhead enter the streams again in the fall, generally about October 1, and remain until mid-November. Steelhead anglers on the North Shore have more than 50 streams to choose from. There are about 145 stream miles which can be reached by steelhead migrants from Lake Superior. Most stream steelhead are caught on yarn flies or spawn bags, but a few are taken on spoons or spinners. Lake trollers use mainly flashy spoons or minnow-like plugs. Anglers should check current fishing regulation for steelhead as they have recently changed. Kamloops Rainbow For the hardy types, fishing for the Kamloops strain of rainbow trout begins in early October and continues into late May. Most fish are taken from shore by casting artificial lures or still fishing with spawn bags near stream mouths. Many are taken through the ice in mid-winter, mainly in the Duluth area. Kamloops enter the streams to spawn in early April and some remain into May. They can be mistaken for steelhead and are caught using the same techniques and baits as used for steelhead. Look for an adipose fin clip on any rainbow trout caught, since different regulations apply to steelhead and Kamloops (see current fishing regulations and illustration above). Brook Trout Some migratory brook trout or coasters have been caught in recent years and appear to be making a limited comeback. Restrictive regulations were implemented to encourage this rebound (see current regulations). Most North Shore streams also support large numbers of resident brook trout in their upper reaches. Most stream brookies tend to run rather small, 6 to 15 inches. Many anglers prefer to use tiny spinners, but plenty of brookies are taken on angleworms. Brown Trout Although not a large fishery, migratory browns from Lake Superior begin to enter North Shore streams in late August or early September, and the run continues into mid-October. The brown trout population along the shore is not high, but an occasional fish is reported, mostly in the Duluth to Two Harbors area. The steelhead fishing techniques are also effective for browns. Fishing for resident browns and rainbows in the upper reaches of North Shore streams is good throughout the open season. Small spinners and worms are among the most productive baits. Walleye and Northern Pike The season for walleye and northern pike are the same for Lake Superior and the St. Louis River. Walleye fishing in the St. Louis River usually peaks in late May with good fishing continuing into July. Northern pike fishing in the St. Louis River is the best in mid-summer. Most walleye are taken in relatively shallow water (less than 15 feet) on fluorescent orange or green spinner-nightcrawler combinations. Northerns are taken by still fishing with sucker minnows or casting with spoons and plugs.
© Copyright 2024 Paperzz