Smelt Run Ending – Steelhead Actively Spawning – River Conditions Vary

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May 8, 2025

North Shore Streams & Smelt Update

Angler with Large Steelhead Rainbow Trout

Stream Conditions Update
Knife and French River Fish Trap Update
Smelt Update

Weekly Stream Conditions

Creel Station	Water Temperatures [Avg. (range)°F]	River Conditions
Lester River	49 (41-55)	Clear, moderate flow
Talmadge River	-	-
French River	-	-
Sucker River	48 (41-56)	Clear, moderate flow
Knife River	50 (40-57)	Clear, moderate flow
Stewart River	49 (43-55)	Clear, moderate flow
Silver Creek	46 (38-55)	Clear, moderate flow
Gooseberry River	46 (40-53)	Clear, moderate flow
Split Rock River	47 (42-52)	Clear, low flow
Beaver River	48 (42-53)	Slightly turbid, moderate flow
Baptism River	45 (40-52)	Clear, moderate-high flow
Cross River	45 (41-48)	Clear, moderate-high flow
Temperance River	-	-
Poplar River	-	-
Cascade River	44 (40-49)	Slightly turbid, moderate-high flow
Devil Track River	43 (39-48)	Slightly turbid, moderate flow
Kadunce River	43 (39-46)	Clear, moderate-low flow
Brule River	42 (38-47)	Slightly turbid, high flow

*Please note that stream conditions can change quickly and may differ from what is reported here.

More information on North Shore streams and stream conditions available at Minnesota Steelheader – Discover. Learn. Fish.

Creel Clerk Reports

Lower Shore (Lester to Stewart rivers)

Last week's storm (April 28) brought much-needed rain to lower shore tributaries. Flows rose quickly and brought fresh steelhead into the rivers. Fish were active and moved upstream fast past falls. Some anglers had success while others saw fish but struggled to get bites or lost them in strong currents. By the weekend, flows dropped, and water temps climbed into the low 50s. White and Longnose suckers have entered lower shore rivers and are actively spawning. Anglers continue to find steelhead spread throughout lower shore rivers and are actively spawning in relatively low, clear water.

Middle Shore (Silver Creek to Baptism River)

Water temperatures in middle shore streams are now ranging from the mid-40s to low 50s on warmer days. As of May 6, water levels are mostly normal to low. Angler pressure remains moderate during the week and higher on weekends. No suckers have been reported. Steelhead and Brook trout catches have improved compared to the last week. Spawning steelhead have been observed in at least one middle shore stream. Warm weather this week should bring great fishing conditions.

Upper Shore (Cross to Brule rivers)

Upper shore rivers have warmed over the past week but haven’t yet reached 50°F. Ice-covered inland lakes are keeping river temps cold, with patchy snow still present in some areas. Morning river temperatures are in the low 40s, peaking around 48°F in the afternoons. After a brief rise from rains early this week, flows are now dropping quickly. Larger rivers still have moderate flows, while smaller streams are getting low and very clear. Steelhead were reported in good numbers recently in many upper shore rivers, but many fish appear to be leaving smaller streams as flows decline. Bigger rivers still look promising. No suckers have been reported.

Knife and French River Fish Trap Updates

Knife River Trap opened on April 6, 2025. French River Trap opened on April 14, 2025.	Knife River		French River
Week/Species	Unclipped Steelhead	Clipped Steelhead	Unclipped Steelhead	Clipped Steelhead
April 6-10	3	0	-	-
April 11-17	17	1	0	0
April 18-24	103	5	20	11
April 25-May 1	33	4	32	15
May 2-8	29	1	13	2
Totals	185	11	65	28

*Totals exclude within year recaptures (same fish caught multiple times this spring).

Management Update: Where are the steelhead?

Steelhead returns to the Knife River Fish Trap have dropped by about 80% since 2016. This decline appears to be part of a broader lake wide trend likely driven by changing environmental conditions, including periods of flooding and drought. Annual discharge data show extreme variability in recent years. Major spring floods occurred in 2018, 2019, and 2022, while prolonged drought conditions were observed in 2021 and again in 2023. These extremes likely disrupted natural reproduction and reduced survival in both streams and Lake Superior, contributing to few fish (from those poor year-classes) returning to Knife River this spring.

The DNR has stocked steelhead in recent years to help offset poor survival caused by unfavorable environmental conditions, but those fish won’t return as adults for another three or so years. While proactive measures like stocking can help support the fishery, environmental conditions remain beyond the DNR’s control.

Smelt Update

The smelt run near Duluth is nearly finished, but a few anglers had success in recent days. River temperatures are in the mid-50s, and the run will likely end this week—if it hasn’t already.

A strong year-class in 2022, similar to the cisco boom, helped boost smelt numbers. With predators focused more on the abundant 2022 cisco year-class, smelt had a chance to grow and survive, which has resulted in larger smelt than in years when cisco were scarce and predators targeted mostly smelt.

More information about smelt is provided on our smelt fact sheet.

Helpful Links

Questions?

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Fishing report hotline at 218-302-3293
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