The Season

The "little trout" season, as my steelheading friends call it, is more dictated by state regulations rather than nature's cycle. January 1st is the beginning of the Minnesota Winter Trout season. More than 30 spring creeks are open to catch and release fishing.  Iced guides and fly line can make fishing tedious. However, whenever the daytime high approaches 20 degrees F, fishing can be quite good. The fish are concentrated in the deeper slower runs and pools. Deep dredging with nymphs is usually effective. If the day is sunny and windless, midges will often hatch and provide good dry fly fishing. We usually start fishing around 10:00 am, take a lunch break in a local café and warm up, and then fish again until dusk. In early March, the Wisconsin Winter Trout season opens up and many more streams are readily accessible. As it is a bit warmer, insect activity increases, including hatches of tiny stoneflies. A wider variety of nymphs becomes effective. Winter transitions seamlessly into spring fishing and all the various hatches occur in their own order, depending upon the river. BWO's, more midges, hendricksons, various caddis, sulphers and by July, trico's. The dry fly fishing is excellent in May, June and July. Every technique will work, including traditional swung wet flys or soft hackles. August heat can mean fishing a very early morning trico hatch and night time streamer fishing. As temperatures cool into September, baetis again become reliable, as does most nymphing techniques, right up until the late September close of the season.