While the trout fishing we have in the Twin Cities area doesn’t rival the opportunities we have for smallies, largemouth, muskies, and other predator fish, its still pretty good by almost anyone’s standards. There are over 50 miles of prime trout streams within an hour of our store.

Just to the east, in Wisconsin’s St. Croix and Pierce counties, are some of the finest trout streams in the Midwest, possibly in the Eastern U.S. The Kinnickinnic (or the “Kinni”, as most of us know it), flows through River Falls, WI. Its upper section is characterized by gentle flows through woods and pasture, with trout counts estimated at around 5,000 per mile. That’s 5,000 wild browns and brookies per mile, and it isn’t even that wide of a stream! Below River Falls, the stream changes character, flowing quickly through riffles and runs along steep banks and cliffs. The trout aren’t quite as plentiful in this lower section, but there are still at least a couple thousand per mile, and the average size is somewhat larger than on the Upper. Whatever section you choose, you can count on dependable hatches through most of the season, starting with black stoneflies in March and ending with blue-winged olives in late September.

Just to east of the Kinni, the Rush River also harbors a sizeable population of brown and brook trout. The Rush is the most popular stream with Twin City trout anglers, and for good reason; easy access, great scenery, and prolific mayfly hatches keep anglers from miles around coming back time and time again. Some of the more popular hatches are the Light Hendrickson hatch in late May, the Sulphur hatch of early June, and the “Tricos” that come off almost every morning from mid-July to late September.

Other streams in western Wisconsin, like the Willow, the Apple, and the Trimbelle, don’t get the press that the Rush and Kinni do, but we know several anglers whose “secret” spots lay in one of these lesser-known rivers. If you do some exploring, you may find your own “secret” spot in one of these lesser-known streams.

If you really want to avoid the crowds, though, you should try a Minnesota trout stream. Minnesota’s trout streams are concentrated in the Southeastern and Northeastern sections of the state, with a few scattered around Central and North Central Minnesota. The southeastern counties have over a hundred different trout streams, most of which receive very light fishing pressure after the big opener in mid-April. Some of the best-known streams in the Southeast are Hay Creek, Trout Run Creek, the Whitewater River, and the Root River. Expect a big Dark Hendrickson hatch in late April, and look for good caddis and terrestrial action for most of the summer.

In the Northeastern part of the state, or the “Arrowhead”, there are many streams that flow into Lake Superior. Sections of virtually all of these streams harbor wild brookies, with the best ones being found from Silver Bay north. Anglers that find good brookie haunts are generally pretty tight lipped, but we have it on good authority the foot-long or larger trout can be caught in the Temperence, Poplar, and Cascade Rivers. For best success in these streams, fish in the mid to upper sections of the streams (usually 5-10 miles from the lake) and come prepared with attractor flies like Wulffs, Hare’s Ears, Pass Lakes, and Hornbergs, since the hatches on these streams are unpredictable.

For those in the central part of the state, there are a few trout streams for those needing a break from the bass and pike lakes. Little Rock Creek, near St. Cloud is small but has good numbers of wild browns. Just west of Nisswa, Stony Brook flows into Gull Lake. It is only a few miles long, but stream improvement projects have helped to make the most of limited habitat. Stony Brook has both brookies and browns, some of which have grown to over five pounds. The Straight River, west of Park Rapids, is possibly northern Minnesota’s best-known trout stream. Wild and stocked browns thrive in its rich waters, and most anglers try to coincide their annual trip with the mighty “Hex” hatch, which occurs in late June most years. The Hex mayflies are huge, and when the hatch is on, even the largest trout will rise freely on sultry summer nights.

Our stream trout season ends September, but that doesn’t mean you have to quit fishing for stream trout. Huh? What we mean is that you can still fish for stream trout in October, but you can only do it in one of the many designated trout lakes we have. To cash in on this late season action, first get the free guide from the Minnesota DNR that lists Minnesota’s trout lakes. Then get a float tube and a sinking line for your six weight. Casting wooly buggers and nymphs along deep weedbeds can get you hooked up with the biggest trout of the year.