North Shore Steelhead

Date: April 5^th-7^th 

Weather: 30-40 degrees, sunny

Stream: Clear, low water

Hatch: No

Water Temp: 38-40 degrees

Beer: Summit Dunkel Weizen

Pic of woods and 61 while driving

            March and April brings the Steelhead run to Minnesota’s North Shore. It’s an event I couldn’t miss out and I had to get out of my Como Park bubble. I left all my homework and computer at home and headed up north. The large rivers have steelhead but due to the length of the North Shore, steelhead enter the rivers at different times depending on location. When I arrived, the North Shore looked parched, no buds on any aspens even. Coming from the blooming, green Twin Cities I was shocked.

Streamside espresso

            I figured I would try to maximize my success by hitting up as many rivers as I could. I started at the Devil Track  and worked down to the Kadunce, Cascade, Poplar, Temperance, Cross, and Baptism rivers. Steelheading conditions were tough from the start. Water levels were running low and the amount of fish returning to spawn was inconsistent. (See Minnesota DNR spring salmon creel). The Devil Track yielded nothing so I hit up the Cascade, a beautiful, canyon lined river close to Grand Marais. It was crowded; as I walked up to the trail to the river I saw a guy fly casting and quickly caught a beautiful steelhead. Good sign but the whole river was filled with fishermen and spots were limited. This is the drawback of North Shore steelheading; the rivers are not very long so there is a lack of shoreline.

Tricky climbing steep rock
 ledge get to his spot

Cascade River

            Instead of fly fishing, I used my spinning rod. A 6 weight rod is ideal back home but a stouter rod is required on the North Shore. I drifted salmon eggs off the bottom with a slip bobber. I hit the seams between the fast moving water and the breaks. That’s usually where they congregate but I couldn’t get one, not even a bite. That was the story for the whole North Shore. I stopped at the Bluefin bar a few evenings and it seemed all anglers were having similar luck. Low water was preventing many fish from entering the rivers.

Full moon over Superior

            The last night of my quick trip I closed at the Temperance River. I had great luck there with Pink Salmon in the fall so I figured I would give it a go. I spent a good time casting and swinging eggs through the river. The North Shore this time of the year is so cold, my hands were freezing. I was shivering but couldn’t give up. As the sun lowered over the forest, I heard a splash on the water. I was surprised, it was so cold but there were steelhead eating a few bugs off the surface. I assembled my fly rod and let loose. Nothing. But that’s fishing, it comes and goes. At least I knew I was in the right spot, that’s half of it, the rest is up to the fish biting your hook.

No steelhead but not defeated

            Regardless of fish, it was great getting out of the city up to the North Shore. I didn’t look at any homework, think about school, or check my email. The runs continue till mid-May so hopefully I can manage an excursion after the semester. Next time, I think I will hit up the Knife, French and Sucker rivers as I hear the Steelhead and Kamloops abound.