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April 23, 2026

North Shore Streams, Smelt & Management Updates

Weekly Stream Conditions

Creel Clerk Reports

Lower Shore (Lester to Stewart rivers)

Fishing pressure was moderate this week as water temperatures slowly increased. Water levels were a bit high early in the week but dropped and cleared by midweek. Stream conditions in the lower shore are great and anglers are catching steelhead in all lower shore rivers. There have been multiple reports of many clipped steelhead caught and harvested in all lower shore rivers this week - anglers seem excited and optimistic about the future of the clipped steelhead stocking program! Catch is expected to improve as water temperatures continue to rise over the next week.

Middle Shore (Silver Creek to Baptism River)

Fishing pressure remained low this week. Most anglers targeted steelhead at river mouths and along the shoreline, but success was limited. Rivers were high and turbid, with snow along streambanks continuing to influence flows. Morning water temperatures ranged from 32 to 34 degrees, warming to about 37 to 41 degrees by evening. No anglers interviewed reported catching steelhead. Fishing should improve as water temperatures continue to rise into the weekend and next week.

Upper Shore (Cross to Brule rivers)

Fishing pressure was low this first week. Most ice washed out of the rivers this week as rising flows broke up winter ice and cleared ice at river mouths. Water temperatures were cold, starting around 32 degrees and reaching about 36 degrees by April 21. Larger rivers remain high and turbid, while smaller streams have dropped and cleared more quickly. More anglers were seen on smaller streams, while very few were on the larger rivers due to poor conditions. A few steelhead were caught this week. Fishing should improve as water temperatures continue to rise into the weekend and next week. 

*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.

Knife River Fish Trap Update

*Totals exclude 5 within year recaptures (same fish caught multiple times this spring)

Smelt Update

The smelt run has not yet started - but is right around the corner! River temperatures have increased over the past week but remain in the low- to mid-40s in lower shore near Duluth. We anticipate folks will be testing the waters as water temperatures increase over the next week. More information about smelt is provided on our smelt fact sheet.

Management Updates

At the March 2026 meeting, the Minnesota DNR and the Lake Superior Fisheries Input Group recently discussed what the next 10 years of steelhead management could look like in the updated Fisheries Management Plan for Minnesota waters of Lake Superior. The plan is currently being drafted and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Since the 2016 plan, several changes have been made that influenced steelhead production and management. The French River Coldwater Hatchery was closed due to high energy costs and the ability to shift fish production to other hatcheries. Stocking changed from 90,000 Kamloops strain rainbow trout to 120,000 Lake Superior strain steelhead derived from wild adult broodstock collected at the French River. This change was made because Kamloops were found to mix genetically with wild steelhead, which reduced the survival of their offspring to age one by about 45 to 70 percent. All stocked steelhead are clipped so they can be harvested (minimum size limit: 16 inches), while unclipped (wild-produced) steelhead remain catch and release only.

Stocking of clipped steelhead has been focused in the Lester and French rivers.  Returns of these stocked fish from 2017 through 2025 have been low and Input Group members expressed concern that the program was not performing as intended. DNR staff explained that steelhead are difficult to raise in hatcheries and that several changes have been made to improve the program thanks to the incredible efforts and dedication of our coldwater hatchery staff across the State. DNR also highlighted the harsh stream conditions (frequent floods and droughts) that juvenile steelhead have experienced over the past decade. These conditions affect both stocked and wild fish in similar ways and can lead to lower adult returns four to six years later. There was also some discussion about expanding stocking to one or two rivers along the middle shore to increase harvest opportunities in other areas.

Great News! Reports from very early in the steelhead run suggest that anglers are catching considerably more clipped Lake Superior strain steelhead this spring than previous years. Anglers are reporting that most clipped fish are between 20 and 22 inches (4 years old), with an occasional larger fish from earlier stocked year-classes. The DNR will continue to monitor the stocking program using data from the Knife and French River traps and from angler creel surveys. Results from these efforts will be shared in April 2027.

For more information or questions, please contact Lake Superior Fisheries Supervisor Cory Goldsworthy at cory.goldsworthy@state.mn.us or 218-302-3268.

Helpful Links

• North Shore fishing
• Fish the shore
• Fish identification
• North Shore streams
• GPS stream boundaries (PDF)
• DNR/MPCA stream gages
• National Weather Service gages
• North Shore resources

Questions?

Visit us online at mndnr.gov
Give us a call at 218-302-3277
Report suspicious activity at 800-652-9093

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