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Minnesota stream trout fishing opens statewide on April 17

Apr 12, 2021 05:59PM ● By Editor
From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - April 12, 2021

Anglers have a new StreamFinder tool to find places to fish and a webinar to learn tips

Minnesota’s popular warm weather stream trout season opens Saturday, April 17, with quality fishing opportunities in every region of the state. Brook trout and splake fishing also open April 17 on Lake Superior and its tributary streams.

“Minnesota has some excellent trout fishing and anglers help pay for trout habitat and access improvements with their fishing licenses and trout stamps,” said Benji Kohn, volunteer mentor program coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “If you haven’t given trout fishing a try, it can be a relaxing, challenging and exciting way to fish. And you don’t need a boat to fish for trout.”

Whether you’re new to the sport or an experienced trout angler, the DNR has new information on Minnesota’s trout streams and lakes available on its website. Modeled after the DNR’s popular LakeFinder tool, StreamFinder provides anglers with a description, species list, regulations and access information for trout streams throughout Minnesota. Anglers also will find helpful learning guides and fishing tips tailored to each of Minnesota's six trout fishing regions.

Anyone interested in learning the basics of fly fishing, including tools to help find a fishing spot, can join the DNR’s free webinar at noon on Wednesday, April 14. The webinar is part of the new Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series from the DNR and features brief, relevant information on skills and upcoming events. Registration and more information are available online.

Minnesota has roughly 3,800 miles of designated trout streams. The southeastern part of the state has a wide variety of streams and fishing opportunities — everything from big waters with fly or bait casting, to tiny streams that require an angler to crawl through brush to access. In other areas of the state, anglers can find trout fishing excitement on Lake Superior or its tributaries, and in northwestern Minnesota on the Straight River or Kabekona Creek.

Anglers fishing on designated trout waters must have a trout stamp validation in addition to an angling license. Complete trout season details are available at mndnr.gov/fishing.

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