A Fishing Guide to Lake Superior and North Shore Trout Streams

Stream Information
Stream Name
Assinika Creek Bally Creek Barker Creek Beaver Dam Creek Blind Temperance Creek Bluff Creek Brule River Brule River, Little Burnt Creek Caribou Creek Carlson Creek Cascade River Cedar Creek Cliff Creek Colville Creek, East Cross River Cut Face Creek Deer Yard Creek Devil Track River Devil Track River, Little Durfee Creek Elbow Creek Farquhar Creek Fiddle Creek Flute Reed River Fox Farm Creek Fry Creek Gauthier Creek Greenwood River Heartbreak Creek Honeymoon Creek Indian Camp Creek Irish Creek Jackson Creek Jonvick Creek Junco Creek Kadunce Creek Kimball Creek Koski Creek Lullaby Creek Mark Creek Mississippi Creek Mississippi Creek, Little Mistletoe Creek Monker Creek Mud Creek Murmer Creek Myhr Creek Nestor Creek Onion Creek Pancake Creek Pecore Creek Pike Lake Creek Pine Mountain Creek Plouff Creek Poplar River Portage Brook Rollins Creek Rosebush Creek Sawbill Creek Sixmile Creek Stickle Creek Stone Creek Stony Creek, Little Stumble Creek Sundling Creek Swamp River Swanson Creek Tait River Timber Creek Temperance River Thompson Creek Torgenson Creek Two Island River Woods Creek Also in Lake County Bold indicates streams with fishing sanctuary: refer to current fishing regulations for more details.
H ea
C s ro s

LEGEND Seasonal Fishing Continuous Fishing except for brook trout Boat Access
Scale in Miles 0 1 0 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Scale in Kilometers

Cook County

Lake County
Shoreline Status
G G G P,G G G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G G P,G P G P,G G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G G P,G P,G P,G G P,G G P,G P,G G P,G P,G

Miles Above Boundary

4.1 5.5 6.5 5.0 3.0 2.5 15.7 0.0 1.9 2.0 5.1 13.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 23.1 0.0 6.6 7.8 6.2 4.7 3.4 0.0 4.3 8.6 1.3 1.1 3.5 9.0 6.5 2.7 1.1 6.1 1.1 2.7 16.8 7.3 6.8 4.0 2.0 3.2 10.7 4.1 8.5 1.1 3.3 4.0 0.0 4.8 7.5 3.2 1.6 0.8 2.4 11.2 19.2 10.4 0.0 2.1 1.9 6.0 2.0 4.2 3.3 2.8 6.1 3.6 2.0 1.7 2.9 21.3 2.3 1.9 12.9 2.0

Miles Below Boundary

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.30 3.20 0.00 0.00 1.20 0.10 0.00 4.00 2.80 0.30 0.40 0.10 1.30 0.00 0.05 0.00 2.60 0.00 0.60 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.30 1.60 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.05 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00

Trout Species
B B B B B B B,R R B B R B,Bn,R,C B B,R B,R B,R R R,B B,R B R,B B R B B,R B B R,B B B B R B B R B B,R B,R B B B B B B B B B R B R,B B B B B B B,R B R B,R B B B B,R B R B B B B B B,Bn,R B B B,R B,R

Stream Name
Baptism River Baptism River, E. Branch Baptism River, W. Branch Beaver River Beaver River, E. Branch Beaver River, W. Branch Blesner Creek Caribou River Cedar Creek Crown Creek Dragon Creek Egge Creek Hefflefinger Creek Hockamin Creek Houghtaling Creek Leppanen Creek Lindstrom Creek Manitou River Manitou River, Little Manitou River, S. Branch Marais River, Little Martin Creek Mile Post Forty-Three Creek Moose Creek Nicado Creek Nine Mile Creek Oliver Creek Palisade Creek Rock Cut Creek Sawmill Creek Schoolhouse Creek Thirty-Nine Creek, Big Thirty-Nine Creek, Little Tikkanen Creek Tower Creek Wanless Creek Also in Cook County

Miles Above Boundary

8.0 14.0 14.5 24.1 23.0 5.0 2.6 18.3 2.0 15.8 0.0 2.1 2.7 8.0 7.8 2.8 3.7 25.4 0.0 9.0 3.9 1.4 7.0 4.0 3.2 6.5 3.3 3.8 3.5 7.0 1.5 10.0 5.4 2.5 2.0 2.8

Miles Below Boundary

1.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.20 1.80 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Trout Species
B,Bn,R,C B,Bn B,Bn B,Bn,R B B B B,R B B R B B B B B B B,R R B R,B B B B B B B R,B B B B B B B B B

Shoreline Status
P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P P,G P P,G PG P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G P,G

A. Horseshoe Bay B. Grand Marais

Boat Launch Sites

F. Taconite Harbor

(DNR) Located one and one-quarter miles east of Hovland. No gas. Parking. Small boats only. (DNR/City) Heading north on State Highway 61 take a right at the stop lights in Grand Marais. Three blocks to launch site adjacent to Coast Guard Station. No gas. Parking. Follow the road marked Recreation Area on the west side of the harbor. Two launch sites with parking. Gas available at campground marina. 218-387-1712. In the town of Tofte. No gas. Parking. Picnic area. Breakwater for small boats.

E. Schroeder Town Launch

Turn off State Highway 61 east of Cross River on road marked Father Baragas Cross, west side of Temperance River State Park. The launch is just left of the dead end. No gas. Small boats only. Parking. Picnic area. (DNR) Turn at public access sign off State Highway 61 west of Taconite Harbor. Parking. Picnic. No gas. Safe Harbor mooring only. (DNR/City) Turn right at public access sign off State Highway 61 just west of Silver Bay. Located on west side of commercial harbor. Parking. Picnic area. Fuel available. Marina facilities. 218-226-3121.

Duluth

C. Grand Marais Recreation Area

G. Silver Bay Launch

D. Tofte Municipal Launch

Greenwood Lake

CANADA

Trout Species
BBn RCBrook trout Brown trout Rainbow trout Chinook salmon

Portage Brook
16

C r ee k

Litt C r ee k le Stony

Grand Portage State Forest

Bluff Creek

Boundary Waters
ake le L Bru

ek

Canoe Area Wilderness

Superior National Forest

Cr ee k

PGc SE -

Private lands State, federal, and county lands Private lands with landowners having granted angling easements

Pine Mountain Creek Timber Creek

Pat Bayle State Forest

Grand Porta

Shoreline Status

Sw am p

r ve Ri
ar

ge Indian Re

Jackson Creek

servation

dd Fi

Stickle Creek

Lullaby Creek 12

Iris

Grand Portage State Forest

si ni ka

re

en

As

Cr ee

Beaver Dam Creek

17
Mineral Center

o wo
dR

le

Cre

iver

e ul Br

17

lson

Cr

Pat Bayle State Forest

ee

Farquhar Creek

61

Fl

Two Island Lake

te

Cre ek

Pat Bayle State Forest

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Elbow

Burnt Creek
r.

ps om Th
Cresent Lake

Fox Farm Creek

8
Devil Track Lake

ba

ll

14

Te
ance per m

Lake County Cook County

Koski Creek
2

Little Mississippi Creek

Pat Bayle State Forest

Little Brule River

East Coville Creek

M C yh re r ek

ek re C

Ju

nc

12

re

ek

im

Kad u

Ga

ut

hi

R ee d River

16
Hovland

e ad Casc

Mu d

er

Riv

Cr

ee

Sw ans Cre on ek

bil Saw

ce Creek ek re St o n e C

er

Fry Creek
Creek Creek

18

Dev

il

ip p i Creek

Trac k

61

Judge C.R. Magney State Park

Nestor

Contact Area Fisheries Headquarters Grand Marais, MN 55604 (218) 387-3056

for more information on streams northeast of Schroeder

iss Mi s s

rfe Du

Cl iff

ek re

ek re eC

ark Creek

Pike Lake Creek

Pik eL

Bally

Torge nson Creek

Silver Island Lake

ek

C M is C ar tl re ib et ek ou oe

m ey on ek H re C
2

oo

re

Ta i

rm

Casc ad

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

iver

ak

Creek ing dl un

Little Devil Track River

Rosebush Creek

Monker Creek 8

Woods Creek

Cree

Riv er

Kadunce River State Wayside Park

Trolling with Planer Boards

Creek

Pecore Cr.

er

eR

ile

Si xm

R ol lin s

er

Wa g ek ou htali ng Cre H
Isabella

. es nl s Cr

rt

Riv

Tw o
St
1

an ce

Finland State Forest

Ma

Tem p er

Plou ff
Pa

Grand Marais
7

Croftville

e Cr

ek

Devil Track River State Wayside Park

Attach cord to vertical 4' pole

Barker Cree k
ak
e Creek

Po pl ar Ri ve r
t

Cut Face Creek

7

B
Cascade River State Park

Indian Camp Creek

Caribou Lake

61

Clip fishing line into sliding line release device

rd r Ya Dee reek C

eek

B Te lin m d pe ra

e re

4 Lutsen 36

kC

Cascade River State Park

r.

ce

Heavy cord such as decoy cord Planer board

ve Ri

About 1"x7"x16" board weighted at the base to float upright. Leading edge tapered and eyescrew attached so board pulls to the side.

nc

Jo

i nv

River

op

k ee reek Cr ar C Ced ak re

r ve lar Ri

Onion

r.

adipose clipped trout

61

Ray Berglund State Wayside Park

2
Tofte

nit

ou
iv

iv

e Mile Cree

er

er

Moose Creek

Temperance River State Park Martin Creek

Finland State Forest

Superior National Forest

Nin

th

Murphy City

Br

u anch Manito

v er Ri
Roc

Taconite Harbor

Schroeder Cross River State Wayside Park

Fishing Lake Superior in small boats is fairly safe if you use common sense. Todays modern, deep-hulled boats in the 16 to 18 foot range are probably adequate, but never venture far away from launching areas when the weather is threatening. Always have a weather radio, and for extended trips a marine radio or cellular phone. Much of the shoreline is steep and rocky, and offers no refuge from a storm. For current weather and lake conditions tune to N.O.A.A. weather band (FM 162.55) or from the U.S. Coast Guard Station at Duluth. So enjoy, but dont take foolish chances.

A Word of Caution

The fisheries recovery of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River has opened new horizons for anglers. Only three decades ago, the North Shore was virtually devoid of desirable gamefish. Today, it provides a tremendous variety of fishing, with some kind of action almost any time of the year. Lake Superiors waters are extremely cold and infertile. Food production is much lower than in Lake Michigan or any of the other Great Lakes. As a result, fish grow slower and are less abundant. Lake Superior will not produce salmon and trout as large as in Lake Michigan. Still, many lake trout over 12 pounds, Chinook over 15 pounds, and steelhead over 8 pounds are taken each year. Here are a few tips on how and when to fish for the major species of the North Shore:

North Shore Fishing Tips

Cr
ee

F
Downrigger Fishing
61

ro w

B l C esn re e er ek r

Eas t

m R h Baptis i B r anc

k Cu

t Cr .

hB ap

George H. Crosby Manitou State Park

ti sm

Creek

iv

ti sm

Schoolhouse Creek k E Finland State Forest gge ee R Cre Cr iv ek er er v Tower li O Creek p Tikkanen 7 Ba Creek ch ra n tB

L M ittl an e ito u

Ri

ve

Caribou Falls State Wayside Park

e
Contact Fisheries Field Station Finland, MN 55603 (218) 353-7591
for more information on streams southwest of Schroeder
Lure Dodger Rudder release Button releases on strike

Downrigger

D C rag re o ek n

Lakers begin to bite in early spring and good fishing continues until the season closes in the fall. Temperature is the key to lake trout fishing. Lakers prefer water between 48 and 52F. Fishing techniques and lures are very similar to those described below for salmon; however, lake trout anglers rely heavily on dodger-fly and dodger-fly spoon combinations. During mid-summer, downrigger fishing just off the bottom is very successful. When the inshore temperature is right, shore casters have excellent success, especially in the fall. In years when the lake freezes, ice fishing for lake trout can be very good.

Lake Trout

Spring fishing begins when meltwater swells Lake Superiors tributary streams, triggering the steelheads spawning urge. In the streams nearest Duluth, the run usually begins about April 1 and peaks in late April. Further up the shore, the runs begin one to two weeks later. In some years steelhead enter the streams again in the fall, generally about October 1, and remain until mid-November. Steelhead anglers on the North Shore have more than 50 streams to choose from. There are about 145 stream miles which can be reached by steelhead migrants from Lake Superior. Most stream steelhead are caught on yarn flies or spawn bags, but a few are taken on spoons or spinners. Lake trollers use mainly flashy spoons or minnow-like plugs. Anglers should check current fishing regulation for steelhead as they have recently changed.

Steelhead (migratory Rainbow Trout)

um bl e R

la Is

R r. C

nd

er iv

Ma

S
Superior National Forest

b ou Cari

ou nit

Kamloops Rainbow

Finland State Forest

Heffelfinger Creek
in

Ea

Salmon (Chinook, Coho, Pink)

For the hardy types, fishing for the Kamloops strain of rainbow trout begins in early October and continues into late May. Most fish are taken from shore by casting artificial lures or still fishing with spawn bags near stream mouths. Many are taken through the ice in mid-winter, mainly in the Duluth area. Kamloops enter the streams to spawn in early April and some remain into May. They can be mistaken for steelhead and are caught using the same techniques and baits as used for steelhead. Look for an adipose fin clip on any rainbow trout caught, since different regulations apply to steelhead and Kamloops (see current fishing regulations and illustration above).

West Bra n c

River

ve
r

Riv
iv e

er

s Little M ar ai

k oc

am

ra nc h

en ek 6 an k re k p e ee lC ep re Cr il L C pt m Lindstr om 1 i s m aw S C ree k Nicado

Finland

r
Little Marais

FoMil rt e P Cry-Thost ee re k e Be ar a v er ed eek C r C

Illgen City

Palisade Creek
61

Tettegouche State Park

Lake Superior Fishing Calendar

Jan. Lake Trout Brook Trout Brown Trout (steams) Steelhead Steelhead (streams) Kamloops Rainbow Kamloops (streams) Chinook Salmon Chinook (streams) Coho Salmon Pink Salmon (streams) Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Trolling weight

River

Silver Bay

N W E S

West B W Br ra es nc Sp t B c lit ra h S pl R nc oc h it k R R oc iv k Bu er 3 R dd iv Cr er .
an

Ea

st

Superior National Forest

5
East Beaver Bay

a v er

er Riv

r ve ea

Ri 3

r ve

4 Beaver Bay

Anglers on Lake Superior begin catching coho and Chinook salmon in early spring. Most trollers use flashy spoons, minnow-like plugs, or dodger-fly combinations. Most salmon are taken by trolling within a few miles of shore. The key to salmon location is temperature. Coho and Chinook prefer temperatures from 53 to 57. Because salmon are extremely spooky, trollers often use planer boards to spread the lines away from the boats wake. Outriggers perform the same function. Twelve pound test monofilament line is sufficient, anything heavier spooks the fish. Salmon are often caught on the surface using unweighted lines (flat lines) when the temperature is right. But when the preferred temperature layer is deeper, downriggers or trolling planes must be used to reach the proper depth. These techniques are also effective for steelhead and lake trout. Some salmon are taken by trollers into October, but by this time most coho have abandoned Minnesota waters, and Chinook are running in tributary streams. The Chinook run normally begins in September and peaks about mid-October, though some fish remain into November. Runs are heaviest in streams that have been stocked (see Stream Information list) but some Chinook stray into other streams which have substantial flows. Popular lures for stream fishing are yarn flies and spawn bags, but some anglers have had excellent luck on small, white twister-tail jigs. In recent years pink salmon along the North Shore have caught the interest of some anglers. These small salmon originally had a two-year life cycle, spawning in oddnumbered years. Evidently, a few individuals have survived extra years, so runs now occur in even-numbered years also. Pinks enter the streams in early September, and good fishing lasts about two weeks. Most pinks are caught on yarn flies, small spoons or tiny spinners.

Brook Trout

Ea st

Some migratory brook trout or coasters have been caught in recent years and appear to be making a limited comeback. Restrictive regulations were implemented to encourage this rebound (see current regulations). Most North Shore streams also support large numbers of resident brook trout in their upper reaches. Most stream brookies tend to run rather small, 6 to 15 inches. Many anglers prefer to use tiny spinners, but plenty of brookies are taken on angleworms.

Big

Thi N rty-

C reek

Brown Trout

Although not a large fishery, migratory browns from Lake Superior begin to enter North Shore streams in late August or early September, and the run continues into mid-October. The brown trout population along the shore is not high, but an occasional fish is reported, mostly in the Duluth to Two Harbors area. The steelhead fishing techniques are also effective for browns. Fishing for resident browns and rainbows in the upper reaches of North Shore streams is good throughout the open season. Small spinners and worms are among the most productive baits.

t Lit

iv

er

ine

Be e av r

le
ir Th

Cre ek

N ine C tyr.

Riv er

Walleye and Northern Pike

The season for walleye and northern pike are the same for Lake Superior and the St. Louis River. Walleye fishing in the St. Louis River usually peaks in late May with good fishing continuing into July. Northern pike fishing in the St. Louis River is the best in mid-summer. Most walleye are taken in relatively shallow water (less than 15 feet) on fluorescent orange or green spinner-nightcrawler combinations. Northerns are taken by still fishing with sucker minnows or casting with spoons and plugs.

Be