New places to try in SE MN

[rra1968]

Hello all,

Some friends and I have taken an annual fly fishing trip the last several years and gone fishing in and around WhiteWater State Park. We are thinking of trying a different park/area and wondered if the forum users had any suggestions/favorite spots?

Thanks

[ted4887]

Hello all,

Some friends and I have taken an annual fly fishing trip the last several years and gone fishing in and around WhiteWater State Park. We are thinking of trying a different park/area and wondered if the forum users had any suggestions/favorite spots?

Thanks

Are you talking about trout in SW Minnesota? The only place I'm aware of that you could fish out there would be Camden state park near Marshall.

However, if the SW was just a typo and you meant SE Minnesota, well than I'm sure more people will chime in.

Mystery Cave state park offers some good fishing, and a beautiful area to poke around as well. You could also check out Lanesboro which offers a bunch of nice streams within 10 miles that almost all have public easements along them, so no need to worry about private property.

[rra1968]

Ted4887 - Thanks. You're correct. I made the correction to my post.

[itchmesir]

check out these books:

Fly Fishing in Minnesota

Trout Streams of Wisconsin and Minnesota

both books have maps and details about where access is and where to fish

covers most of the major streams in SE MN.. I own both and they are good reads

[ted4887]

I agree with Itch. Fly Fishing in Minnesota is a great book. I picked it up a few months ago, and it has some fantastic information as far as where to go. It's cheap on Amazon too. I think mine cost me $5 total(shipping included).

[itchmesir]

I agree with Itch. Fly Fishing in Minnesota is a great book. I picked it up a few months ago, and it has some fantastic information as far as where to go. It's cheap on Amazon too. I think mine cost me $5 total(shipping included).

excuse me.. i meant Flyfisher's Guide to Minnesota.. cheapest on Amazon is almost $30 i got mine off of the bay for under $15... got it about a week ago and read through everything that covers SE MN and the intro pages.. same with the other book i mentioned... I'm always on the lookout for something new.. sad thing is it covered most of what i already knew.. but still learned a few things.. so a wise investment in the end.. even for those that know the area but have not hit every stream

also back to the OP.. just go to the DNR site and look at the maps.. then compare them to G00gle Maps to see where there are possible points of entry.. this is what i do most often.. just drive along a stream i know is designated and look for a bridge or easement bridge over a fence... GPS is +1 for this method.. but like i said a good print of a g00gle map of the area is near perfect to a GPS

[Scudly]

Forestville and Beaver Creek are two other obvious parks worthy of checking out. I second the Humphrey and Shogren book. Been through three books over the years because I wear then out! Any library will have this book and it gives all kinds of basic info. Those two parks and the streams around them will keep you plenty entertained.

[itchmesir]

you could always go to the "golf course" that is Trout Run by Chatfield.. great stream... if you leave not catching at least a dozen.. you did something wrong

[rra1968]

Can you give me a cross road for "Trout Run". I don't see one by Chatfield, but there is one North of St. Charles near WWSP.

Thanks

[Scudly]

Park at Bucksnort, walk downstream a while then fish your way back to your car. CO 30 and CO 11 southeast of Chatfield. Public easement.

Trout Run at Dam

Hakim's Bridge

Fall electroshock results were the best ever seen.

Adults/mile = 3,847

>12 inches/mile = 332

>14 inches/mile = 30

>16 inches/mile = 11

Recruits/mile = 7,950 ...that's 11,797 trout/mile!

ARTIFICIAL ONLY FOLKS. HOWEVER YOU CAN BAG FIVE HOWEVER SLOT LIMIT OF 12-16" TROUT (QUALITY FISH) MUST BE RELEASED.

[rra1968]

Thanks for the tips Scudly. Any tips for camping close to that area?

[ted4887]

I've still not fished this stream. There is a good chance this is where I'll spend my opener.

[Scudly]

I want to fish the area down by the mouth, especially in the fall towards end of the season. Big browns that live in the Root River make their way up Trout Run to spawn.

Camping in and around Lanesboro best bet.

[itchmesir]

I've still not fished this stream. There is a good chance this is where I'll spend my opener.

you along with half the people in minnesota with trout stamps

[ted4887]

Oh really? I figured that would be the root. If that's the case, I'll be staying the h3ll away from it. Last thing I want to do after driving 2 hours is to run into a bunch of other fisherman on the same few miles of creek.

[s t fanatic]

Oh really? Last thing I want to do after driving 2 hours is to run into a bunch of other fisherman on the same few miles of creek.

if thats the case than dont ever plan on making trout run your go to place. rather just swing through on your way back from fishing "quieter" waters.

[goblueM]

Rather than Trout Run or the Root, i'd check out some of the smaller creeks like Rush, Pine, Duschee, Money, Crooked, Winnebago, etc

if you don't want to see people be prepared to head upstream, walk for a while, or fish lesser known streams. lot of fantastic water in SE MN, I miss it now that I'm far far away.

[itchmesir]

if thats the case than dont ever plan on making trout run your go to place. rather just swing through on your way back from fishing "quieter" waters.

There has been a couple times I have fished Trout Run(not the WW stream).. and have been the only person on the stretch.. it gets more crowded in the Saratoga-->Bucksnort stretch.. still though not an ideal place for opener...

Ted.. if you're looking to get out for Opener.. I have a stream eyed up that gets probably nil pressure especially during opener... if ya wanna team up and check it out.. shoot me an email... there are trout on the 20"+ range.. been there once.. so i kinda remember the gist of it

[email protected]

[ted4887]

I was actually going to send you a message over on DTA today itch. But you now have an email waiting for you.

[itchmesir]

no.. you have an email waiting for you