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Fly Fishing in Minnesota

45 featured rivers, lakes and streams in Minnesota, each with target species, a hatch chart and a map of nearby access.

Bad Medicine Lake (Rainbow Trout)
One of the few glacial lakes in Minnesota managed for rainbow trout, offering gin-clear water and technical stillwater fly fishing.
Baptism River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Pink Salmon)
A rugged North Shore river known for spectacular scenery and seasonal runs of wild steelhead and coaster brook trout.
Beaver Creek (Brown Trout)
Located within Beaver Creek Valley State Park, this crystal clear stream offers technical sight-fishing for spooky brown trout.
Bee Creek (Brook Trout, Brown Trout)
A remote, crystal-clear spring creek in the southeast corner known for its prolific wild Brook Trout population and technical micro-fly fishing.
Canisteo Mine Pit (Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout)
A unique deep-water mine pit lake that has been stocked with trout, providing a mountain-lake feel in the Iron Range.
Cannon River (Smallmouth Bass, Walleye)
A scenic federally designated wild and scenic river known for its Smallmouth Bass population and beautiful valley views.
Clearwater River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
A spring-fed river in the northwest that offers a unique opportunity for trout in a region dominated by warm-water species.
Cloquet River (Smallmouth Bass)
A boulder-strewn river that provides a wilderness feel and excellent topwater action for aggressive smallmouth bass.
Crow Wing River (Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike)
A sandy-bottomed river ideal for floating, offering consistent fly fishing for Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike.
Dark River (Brook Trout)
A remote Iron Range gem that offers solitude and a healthy population of native brook trout in a wilderness setting.
Garvin Brook (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
A highly accessible spring creek near Winona with excellent habitat restoration and a strong population of Brown Trout.
Gauthier Creek (Brook Trout)
A remote North Shore gem known for its rugged terrain and wild brook trout populations tucked away in the Superior National Forest.
Gribben Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
A charming, well-managed trout stream within a state forest, offering classic spring creek conditions and great dry fly hatches.
Hay Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
A classic Driftless Area spring creek with excellent restoration work, providing consistent hatches and easy wading access.
Island River (Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye)
A classic Boundary Waters river offering exceptional fly fishing for aggressive Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike in a wilderness setting.
Kadunce River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)
Known for its stunning gorge and lake-run trout, this small river is a favorite for those willing to hike and climb.
Kawishiwi River (Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike)
A major BWCA waterway that provides world-class fly fishing for Smallmouth Bass and Walleye in rocky rapids.
Kettle River (Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike)
A wild and scenic river within Banning State Park offering technical pocket water for smallmouth and occasional northern pike.
Knife River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)
One of the most important Steelhead spawning streams on the North Shore, requiring technical wading and long casts.
Lester River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)
Located on the edge of Duluth, this river offers convenient access for Steelhead during the spring run and Brookies upstream.
Manitou River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Pink Salmon)
A rugged North Shore tributary featuring spectacular cascades and seasonal runs of Rainbow and Brook Trout.
Middle Fork Zumbro River (Smallmouth Bass)
Characterized by rocky runs and deep holes, this river is a premier destination for fly anglers targeting bronze-backs.
Money Creek (Brown Trout)
A lesser-known Driftless gem with tight cover that rewards accurate casters with beautiful wild Brown Trout.
Otter Tail River (Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bass)
A diverse fishery in west-central Minnesota that offers excellent opportunities for sight-casting to large smallmouth bass in rocky runs.
Pine River (Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike)
A winding river through the north woods that offers great action for Smallmouth Bass and large, aggressive Northern Pike.
Rice Creek (Northern Pike, Carp, Largemouth Bass)
An urban stream in the metro area that offers surprisingly good fly fishing for Northern Pike and Carp for the adventurous angler.
Rum River (Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike)
A designated Wild and Scenic River that offers exceptional wading and floating for aggressive smallmouth bass and northern pike.
Rush Creek (Brown Trout)
A classic Driftless Area spring creek with excellent hatches and winding bends that hold surprisingly large brown trout.
Seven Mile Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
A well-managed spring creek in Seven Mile Creek County Park offering accessible bank fishing for stocked and wild trout in a lush valley setting.
Snake River (Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge)
A diverse river near Pine City that offers excellent topwater action for Smallmouth Bass and occasional Muskellunge on large streamers.
South Branch Root River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Features dramatic limestone bluffs and deep pools that hold trophy-sized brown trout, especially productive during the caddis hatches.
St. Croix River (Taylors Falls) (Smallmouth Bass, Muskellunge)
A premier smallmouth bass fishery featuring dramatic basalt cliffs and deep pools perfect for swinging large streamers.
Stewart River (Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout)
A cold-water North Shore stream known for its wild Brook Trout in the upper reaches and Steelhead near the mouth.
Stoney Brook (Brown Trout, Brook Trout)
A cold, clear stream in the Brainerd Lakes area that provides a rare trout fishing opportunity in central Minnesota.
Straight River (Brown Trout)
A rare northern Minnesota brown trout stream with heavy silt bottoms and excellent hexagenia limbata hatches in early summer.
Sucker River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Steelhead)
A high-gradient North Shore stream that is particularly productive during the spring coaster brook trout and steelhead runs.
Temperance River (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Pink Salmon)
Known for its dramatic waterfalls, the upper reaches hold wild brookies while the mouth hosts seasonal runs of Lake Superior salmonids.
Tischer Creek (Brook Trout)
A small urban stream in Duluth that holds surprising numbers of wild Brook Trout in a canyon-like setting.
Trout Run Creek (Brown Trout)
One of the most productive and famous spring creeks in the Driftless Area, featuring easy access and high trout densities.
Upper Mississippi River (Monticello Stretch) (Smallmouth Bass, Muskellunge)
World-class smallmouth bass fishing in a tailwater-like environment influenced by the power plant, allowing for a longer active season.
Vermillion River (Brown Trout)
A unique trophy trout fishery located in the southern Twin Cities suburbs, featuring large brown trout in a prairie stream setting.
Whitewater River (North Branch) (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Located within a state park, this stream offers accessible riffle-and-pool water perfect for dry fly enthusiasts.
Winnebago Creek (Brown Trout, Brook Trout)
A secluded Driftless stream with deep pools and limestone bluffs, perfect for hopper-dropper rigs in late summer.
Wisely Creek (Brook Trout)
A very small, cold-water tributary in the north with high-quality habitat and native Brook Trout.
Zumbro River (South Fork) (Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike)
A scenic limestone-influenced river that provides some of the best Smallmouth Bass fly fishing in southern Minnesota.

Fly Fishing in Minnesota

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