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Hello all,

I will be driving back from Wisconin Monday afternoon and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for streams near Winona or specifically near I-90.

I have hit Whitewater numberous times driving down from the Cities and have really enjoyed that stream. However, my time will be pretty limited to fish that day and I always enjoy trying new streams. Checking the DNR trout map Cedar Valley Creek has 8 miles of "good" fishing. Was thinking of trying that stream or whatever someone else recommends.

Thanks in advance.

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You could give Garvin a try, it's near Lewiston along I-90. Rush creek also goes right under I-90. Be sure to check out where the easements are. Those, of course, are just a couple of many...

Good Luck!

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Cedar Valley may have 8 "good" miles of trout water at one time, but it does have very limited easements on it. If time is of the essence, you may want to stick with areas that are eased (Garvin and Rush are good choices) instead of door knocking and seeking permission.

The map that refers to streams and lists them on a good, fair, poor ranking system is very old, so take it for what it's worth.

Take care,

D.A.

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Trout run creek near troy and bucksnort dam. Off 74 south from st charles. Not exactly close, but not too far.

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Quote:

Could it be? Wx? Ha....the lost is found!


My parents have been in town for the last 7 days, and are here for a couple more. My computer space has been taken over and my morning have been spent fishing with dad (poor me, huh?) or painting the house. I'll be back on here a bit more soon enough....after I fish a little more, of course.

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Hi there!

I am heading down to Whitewater this weekend for the first time to camp, hike and fish a little for 2 days. Any tips?

Nam

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A lot of good trout fishing available. As far as hiking I would suggest two things. Chimney Rock and the Fire tower. Both have a very good view.

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There are a ton of different regulations down there. Get a set of the regs and a map beforehand and study up so you are at least kind of familiar with what's what.

Basically every little trickle of water down there will have been pounded, but the fish seem to just keep on coming. If you really don't mind walking and weeds, you'll find some fairly primative water in the valley. Just a few miles to the north on Hiway 74 you'll find Beaver and Beaver Creek. This is maybe a bit more remote as far as the streams go and you'll find some really pretty scenery back in that valley. The upper portions of the north branch to the west of Elba are likewise rugged.

Dan covered the hiking pretty well. Personally the Firetower i Elba is a must.

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Like Tom said, check the regulations, but it's not as bad as you might think, and there's still ample opportunity to keep fish if you're looking for a meal.

I've had some great days so far this season fishing the North Branch and the Middle Branch. Within the last week, too. smile.gif I fished the South Branch during the winter season with some luck, and haven't done much on the Main Branch. All branches are producing right now.

One thing to keep in mind with those finnicky trout... The water is running clear right now (with the exception of possibly the North Branch due to some unfortunate hijinx occuring upstream of the park) and the fish are spooky. You'll need to be stealthy and make sure you don't stand right over or next to where you want to fish.

Beaver (the one Tom mentioned) can be a fun, challenging stream. Lots of wild fish, but they're spooky. I've heard they haven't stocked Beaver in about 30 years, but there's plenty of fish...

Have fun this weekend!

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WxGuy,

I've heard a lot of people complain about the fishing and dirty water on the North Branch WW this year. What's happening on it?

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From what I understand, there's a construction site closer to Elgin that's making for a tremendous amount of run-off into the North Branch. It's definitely having an adverse affect on visibility, but there's been no sign it's harming the fish...yet. Sediment is the #1 pollutant in our area trout streams, and to put more into the stream even when it's not raining is unfortunate. Trout just don't handle dirty, polluted water as well as other species do.

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Just an FYI, if you do go and hike to the firetower. Be careful of bees/ wasps on the steps and framing of the firetower. I was down there a few years ago and we came across a wasp nest on the stairs. Not Fun! Definitely worth the trip, just keep that in the back of your mind.

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Is that correct that all hooks must be barbless? I just read in the Minnesota fishing regulation booklet. I'll have to pinch down the barbs this evening.

Thanks Everyone for the tips and advice! I will make a full report when I get back Sunday afternoon, perhaps post a few pics as well.

Nam

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All hooks must be barbless during the winter season. If you already pinched them down, then there you go. If not, you're fine. smile.gif There is no barbless regulation during the regular season, even on the C&R streams.

The barbless during winter season regulation is actually under review right now. It might be removed to decrease confusion on the myriad of regulations...

Good luck!

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Quote:

There are a ton of different regulations down there. Get a set of the regs and a map beforehand and study up so you are at least kind of familiar with what's what.


This is true to an extent, there are new rules in place beginning this year. However, the DNR has done an excellent job of placing signs along the streams, particularly at access points reminding anglers what regulation happens to be in place on that specific piece of water. I doubt it's any different than fishing lakes - not all have the same regulations, but I bet there's a sign at all of the public access points.

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Hey Guys,

I got back from Whitewater yesterday afternoon. Did a little fishing, hiking, and attended a couple of park activities (Fossil Finding, Electrofishing Demo). For the fossil finding activity I was really surprised to learn that Whitewater used to be an ocean ground. We found several small seashells along a road about ten miles away. The DNR showed a technique they can capture fish quickly for studying through the use of electrofishing demonstration. Just with a power generator, a couple of rod with loops, and a net the DNR demonstrated how they can move the through a small section of stream and gather almost all the trout in the area. I was impressed how many trout were caught!

I didn't get a chance to go out to North or Middle Branch, just fished the Whitewater River within the camp site all the way pass the nature store in Trout Run Creek. Landed and released 2 rainbows and 3 browns, all small. Saw a bunch of flash swirls (misses) at my jig. I tried to look for some deep pools, but didn't find many.

Had a great time! Met some nice folks there too.

Nam

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