North Shore/South Shore Wisconsi

[-Marc V-]

I have heard of the stealhead that run in the Brule and other rivers along the North Shore and was wondering what kind of a crowd forms up there on the weekends? I've been interested in heading up there for a while now, and saw some picks online of fish caught out of the Brule in 2004 that peaked my interest even more.

I just don't want to fight people for room to fish on the streams. Was just wondering how bad the crowds really are. I could probably handle some frustration for a chance to catch one, but will I even get a chance to get into the streams?

[Renneberg]

There is enofe room for everyone to fish there. Your not going to find a strech of river with no one on it (when the steelhead are running), but at the same time your not going to see it like some of the stream near Duluth where it's elbow to elbow.

One tip for fishing the Brule in the spring. Don't go running around chasing reports of where people are catching fish. Steelhead can now be caught anywhere from hwy 2 north to lake superior.

Good luck and I hope to see a report from you about how you did.

[Quickstrike]

from my experience on the Brule you will always see other anglers, but you can always find some water to yourself especially if you are willing to do a little bit of hiking, especially on weekdays. when it comes to the north shore it seems that 90% of all fishermen fish about 20% of good steelie/looper water. if you want to get away from the crowds it is doable. i can point you in the right direction if you e-mail me at paul0508@d.umn.edu.

good luck!

[d.roy]

How is the fishing in the brule and tribs when the steelies are not running? I've not fished the big lake streams much and don't know much about these systems. Is the steelhead run better in the fall or spring or are they equally good?

[Quickstrike]

Marc-V you've got mail.

[matthothand]

There's some great Brown Trout fishing in the Brule during the summer when the Steelies aren't in and you'll surely catch a bunch of native rainbows. As far as the Steelies the spring is better but there is a fall run. If you've never fished the brule and are planning on doing so it helps to do a scouting trip in the summer and dabble for browns when there isn't too many hard core anglers fishing every hole. Water levels won't be anything too consistent but you can get a good idea of current and breaks in the flow that you could piece together so that once the steelies are in and there are lots of other guys fishing you'll have a 'milk run' of spots to hit and won't look lost hiking through the woods.

[Renneberg]

Steelhead are spring spawners. The fall run of steelhead is more or less a feeding run. The steelhead follow in the salmon and lake run browns and feed on their eggs when they spawn.

90% of all steelhead that run in the Brule run in the fall and winter over. The last 10% run in the spring.

[mitch]

Are the steelhead running on the Knife River yet? I'm going up there next weekend.

[Quickstrike]

the north shore will be locked up with ice for a while yet, this weekend your best luck would be shore casting or heading to the brule.

[mitch]

By shore casting you mean shore casting on the knife?

[d.roy]

Thanks for the info matthothead and renneberg

[Quickstrike]

by shore casting i mean casting into the lake between two harbors and duluth. you can catch loopers and coho if that interests you at all. check out more info on the duluth/bwca forum under looper how too guide.