Fly Fishing in Minnesota

A regional note specific to this state: the trout fishing here is a mix of tailwaters below hydroelectric dams and a few high-country freestone streams, and the most productive water is the tailwater that produces the largest fish and the most consistent fishing throughout the year. Minnesota trout fishing is a small but diverse fishery built on the cold-water streams of the North Shore and the Driftless Area of the southeastern part of the state. The state has about 3,000 miles of fishable trout water, including the famous North Shore streams, the South Fork of the Nemadji, and the streams of the Driftless Area. The most famous trout stream is the South Fork of the Nemadji, a designated trout stream in the Lake Superior basin that produces wild brook trout averaging 10 inches. The state's trout program is administered through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the agency stocks the put-and-take lakes and rivers while managing the wild trout water through a combination of slot limits and special regulations. A regular Minnesota fishing license is required, and the cost is $25 for residents and $51 for non-residents, and the daily limit is 5 trout combined in most waters with special regulations on the wild trout water. The unique regional quirk is that Minnesota requires a special trout stamp for trout fishing, and the daily limit is 3 trout in the inland trout-stocked waters.