Welcome Back to the NTC’s The Voice of the Driftless
By Jeffrey S. Broberg
The Late Catch and Release Trout Season will end October 15. With bands of rain leaving 2-3 inches across most of Olmsted, Winona, Fillmore and Houston Counties, and with the wet weather cycle predicted through Saturday, the streams will be muddy and high except in Southern Houston SE and NW Winona, Wabasha and Goodhue Counties. Areas that missed the rains this week will still provide good angling.
5 Fall Trout Fishing Tips
- Sleep in- fish midday: The nights temps are in the 40’s, and waters have cooled. Both the aquatic insect and the trout activity pick up after the sun hits the water. Best fishing times are 10AM-4PM.
- Wear camo, conceal yourself and keep a low profile: Once the water clears, the trout are wary of unusual movement in and around the streams. Keep quiet, stay out of sight with any type of camo, move slowly.
- Fly anglers should use terrestrials and streamers and spin angers should use fast moving aggressive lures.The trout are still feeding on grasshoppers, winged ants, and all kinds of big bugs falling into the water. The trout are getting territorial and aggressive as spawning begins.
- Make your flies and lures move. With lots of leaves and debris in the water, the trout are becoming aggressive toward rivals and egg predators. Aggressive movement of bait sized things in the water attracts the trout’s attention.
- Bring your camera. This is a catch and release season so plan to take pics. The trout are super-colorful with their breeding colors and the fall colors all make for memorable pictures in the Driftless.
After the 15th of October anglers will be limited to fishing in three State Parks (Whitewater, Forestville and Beaver) and to the City Limits of five towns (Preston, Chatfield, Lanesboro, Spring Valley and Rushford).
Register Now: NTC Fall Field Trip October 12
NTC’s annual fall field trip is just a week away and there are still spots available, so sign up for Four Great stops plus a strong finish at the new Trout City Brewery:
- Mystery Cave:We have a cave tour with the cave experts!. It is 48 degrees underground so bring a jacket.
- Historic Forestville: The Historic Site will be open for tours as the historic pioneer re-enactors bake apple pies!
- Driftless Fish Company – Spring Valley Ponds: One of the biggest springs in SE Minnesota feeds Spring Valley Creek and supplies the water for a new trout farm.
- Fillmore Fossil Hunt:Road cuts outside of Fillmore Mn have Decorah Shale and Galena Group limestones full of fossils and some rare volcanic ash beds that tell the story of continental drift 350 million years ago.
A sack lunch will be provided by The Sweet Stop and Sandwich Shoppe.
Tickets are $50.00 per person. Buy two tickets get $10.00 off!
Space is limited!
Coach will leave the National Trout Center at 10:00 am
Please call 507-765-2452 or email kelsey@nationaltroutcenter.org to learn how to reserve your spot!
To register online, click this link, or key the following URL into your browser:
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