Snow

[-Marc V-]

Does the snow have an effect fishing in streams and creeks for trout? Since it's still in the powder form I'm assuming it's not going to muck up the streams much, but really don't know.

I'm thinking about heading down the Whitewater this weekend and wondering if this snow and front rolling through is going to have an effect on the fishing.

[Renneberg]

As long as it stays below freezing the rivers should be ok. Remember that it only take like a inch of rain to make a foot of snow or something like that.

When it melts next week the rivers are going to be high.

Good luck and report how you did!

[WxGuy]

It'll depend on how the snow melts, too. If it warms into the 50s or 60s, rapid melt will make for high and muddy water. If it's a slow warming into the afternoon, the melting snow will chill the stream and slow the bite down. If it stays chilly (it will for a couple days for sure), like Renneberg said, the streams should be okay. Stream temps will take a little while to warm up after this snow...

Fillmore county snow totals will top 20-24" by Saturday morning. Let's hope for a slow melt!

[WxGuy]

19.8" in Rochester as of Friday night. Not much more is expected going into Saturday morning, but we could tack on another inch.

Lanesboro has received a little over 20".

More snowfall totals can be found here

This has been an absolutely remarkable snowstorm (love it or hate it), and has set the All-time one day snowfall record for Rochester. In other words, we have never seen this much snow in 24 hours, in Rochester, since records have been kept (mid 1800's).

[-Marc V-]

Well, the fishing was pretty good even with the snow, and with it starting to melt already. D. Roy and myself headed down to Whitewater Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny day. We were there for about 4 hours and both of us caught about 7 or 8 fish each.

The fish were concentrated into pretty good sized groups when we could find them. Each of us caught a 14". I got a rainbow, and D. Roy got a nice brown. The rainbow I almost mistook for a brown. The rainbow had a gold or bronze coloring that I haven't seen before. (Anybody know what would cause this coloring?) That was on a bead headed prince nymph. I was also catching on size 16 to 18 brassies and pheasant tails. D. Roy got his 14" brown and other trout on a bead headed pheasant tail. The rest of the fish are a mixed bag from 8" to 12". I was a fun day.

There were midges buzing around. Only saw a couple fish rise though.

That's quite a different game on barbless hooks. I couldn't even count the number of fish I missed.

Anybody else been out lately?

[Renneberg]

Thanks for the report Marc V! Good to hear that you guys caught some trout.

I'll be heading out in somewhere in the next day or two. I'm still not sure where I'm going but I'll report how I did.

[WxGuy]

I fished Whitewater both Sunday and Monday. The weather was great, and the snow is melting slowly. That trend should continue this week.

I did catch fish, but the fishing was slow. It pretty much seemed to shut down by the late afternoon. Water temps cool down just after peak-heating from the fresh snow-melt, and I'm guessing that's why the trout start to clam up.

There was a good BWO hatch on Sunday on the stretch of stream I was on and there were some fish rising. I'm hoping and guessing that this hatch should be going well by the C&R opener. Just 10 days 'til opener!!!

[Jim W]

Wxguy,

glad you got out! 10 days in deed!!!!!!!!

[-Marc V-]

WxGuy . . . you also known as WxDaddy?

Must be nice to live in the Driftless area. Short drive to the streams. I'm jealous.

[d.roy]

Wx guy - what parts of WW were you fishing sunday? I saw one other fly fisherman, wonder if it was you. As Marc posted, we did pretty well but found that the fish were very concetrated - we were either in a number of them or getting blanked, fortunantely we found a pod to work for a while and we were each able to catch a few there.

I thought I saw a couple BWO's too but mostly saw midges hatching and quite a few of them at that. I was surprised at the lack of fish I saw rising considering the hatch taking place - I only saw a couple of fish rise. I'm curious as to what others think of this.

I tried a dry for a while but with no takers so it was back to nymphing. When we were able to get up high and see fish in the stream we could see that they were actively feeding below the surface - on midge larvae I assume. I suppose they didn't have much reason to feed on the surface if there was abundant food for the taking down below. It was my first time “winter trouting” – it was an interesting outing. Good to hear that you were also able to get out and enjoy the nice day!

[A Fly Angler]

I was out on Sunday as well. Nothing happening on top, but I also was not in the Whitewater area, I was further south. A few midges flying around but the best luck on scuds. I chucked a bugger pattern later in the day and had a few interested fish come up and take a look.

Lots of snow and tough walking!

[WxGuy]

Quote:

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WxGuy . . . you also known as WxDaddy?

Must be nice to live in the Driftless area. Short drive to the streams. I'm jealous.

---

yes and yes...it's great living down here. There are some great spots just a very short drive from my front door.

[WxGuy]

d.roy, it might have been me. I was fishing upstream of the quincy bridges on the middle branch, during the early afternoon. white SUV.

I think the hatch on Sunday was just the very beginning, and I did find a stretch where the trout were more eager to rise. Expect this particular hatch to get better within the next couple weeks. Overcast days are typically best for BWO's.

[-Marc V-]

Ren . . . Did you ever make it out this week?

[Renneberg]

Ya, I sure did! Only fished for a few hours, but still managed a few nice trout. Most of the active trout I found were in the back end of holes or on large rocky flats.

I seen a few BWO but didn't see any trout raising for them.

I'm headed out tuesday. Hopefully before the rain hits. Depending where it rains the most rivers could be hard to fish in some parts of the S.E. Minnesota and Eastern Wisconsin. All that snow will melt fast if rain falls on it.

[-Marc V-]

Hey Ren . . . Good to hear you got out and got some fish.

I made it out last weekend also. Down to Hay Creek. The stream was really high and pretty mucked up. Brought one smaller trout to hand and had two others on. I was happy I even managed those fish with the stream in the condition it was.

It feels good to have trout pulling at the end of my line again.

Looks like the temps this week is going to get rid of the rest of the snow mid to southern mn anyway. Even though I know I'll only catch a fish here and there over the course of hours, but I still want to get back out to the streams.

The itch is back!

[Renneberg]

I was out again today and the river was just a little to high. Headed upstream but that didn't help. Hopefully we don't get to much rain tonight or else the rivers are going to be unfishable for a while.