Root River Steelhead Report : Early March 2010

Finally, it is here. I got up to Racine and onto the Root by sunrise this past Sunday to do a little breaking in of my new St. Croix 8 weight accompanied by my Hatch 7+. This morning was fruitful in sun, scenery, and isolation on the water. I did not manage to tango with any Steelhead though. I think I may have been too ambitious as I got after some deep runs that I hoped would be holding early steelhead jockying for position on the beds just upstream. I should have stuck to slow drifting through the deepest of holes... but that just isn't my style.

Photographs are forthcoming but I'm on lunch at work at the moment and don't have the files here.

I took a ride to a spot downstream where I met some friends to do some ice fishing on the deep slow areas of the river directly preceding the harbor. The action was steady, although landed fish were few. Here is a photo of Keith and I with the first Steelhead of the season from the Root River. Thanks to Dan for the photo from his cell phone we snapped just before releasing this chrome male Steelhead.


Steelhead are staging in Lake Michigan and in Harbors directly below our tributaries now. We should expect to see substantial pushes of fish into the systems over the next week as air temps flirt with fifty all week and ice thins as meltoff exudes from the banks. Next weekend is a good bet for getting your first river Steelhead of the year.

The Thaw Begins in Wisconsin

This is what we have been waiting for. Steelheaders and Brown Trout seekers grab your rod and get those leaders tied on. Its time to chase some Steelhead. The Root River is coming around, with the Milwaukee, and Oak Creek following suit.

Note the daily rise and fall as snow-melt trickles into the river.

It may be Early Season Trout Opener in Wisconsin...

But this weekend... the lakefront and the tributaries are likely the place to be with weather like this:

You'll find me out with my nose as close to the water as I can get it. You can expect full reports and photos to make up for nearly a month of radio silence. Thanks for sticking around. Life moves faster than it should sometimes and time on the water is hard to come by when the only water I see is in a glass on my desk.

See you out there (in the sun).

-GLA

Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha Salmon Fishing Forecast : October 1st

October is upon us, and things are looking up. Rain that will start later today and extend until the weekend should push a heavy load of King Salmon, Steelhead, a few Coho Salmon, and maybe some Brown Trout up into the Milwaukee River, the Kinnickinnic River, the Menominee River, the Root River, the Pike River, and Oak Creek.

It may be tough fishing in the rain, but when the flow goes down afterward and thing settle out, fishing should be amazing.