rock hunting

[minnowdangler71]

not really related to fishing, but wondering if anyone klnows where I can take my girls 7&11 to find some agates on the shores of superior. I have convinced the wife into letting me bring fishing gear in case I get the itch. thanks in advance!!!!

[musky hunter]

Agates are found throughout the North Shore. I've never been a very good rock hound and it takes some picking to find them, but they are there. Recent wave action helps reveal new material. I'm told that after years of picking agates are a little harder to come by, especially the bigger ones. My kids are now grown, but we took them to Lester River, Talmadge River, and Agate Bay in Two Harbors. Those are all close locations and great for entertaining kids. If you want to make a day of it and head up toward Grand Marais there are lots of beaches to comb, and they all have rocks. Depending on the amount of hiking the kids want to do, there is Baptism River and Goosberry River State parks. Hope you can find some nice weather and have a lot of fun.

[Steve Foss]

We've gone up and down the North Shore for agates for the last five years, and have had our best luck off the Knife River. Lots of wave action keeps turning over the pebble beaches there. Look for fairy tears too, which is glass of various colors that's fallen off ore boats and salties or has been released from wrecks and is smooth and polished from the wave/abrasive action. While large agates are occasionally found along the shore, most will be smaller chunks and pieces. If you find one the size of your thumb, that's a pretty big agate for the shore.

The total agate assassins don't bother with the shore, but go inland in Carlton County to gravel pits, where really large agates can be found. Also, gravel roads in the area have some agates, because that's where the gravel pit gravel goes. They tend to be a bit smaller than what you find in gravel pits because they've gone throug the crusher.

Of course, agate hunting in gravel pits is dusty dirty work, and lacks the romance of hunting along the shore. Good luck and have fun.

[Northlander]

When I was a kid growing up on Silver Cliff we would get a ton of nice agates. These days they seem to be pretty sparce. Any areas where a lot of waves hit shore are good. All the river mouths are pretty easy to get to so I would start there. As you probably know its best after a big blow.

Get there early because all the agate hounds hit it right after the big winds.

[upnorth]

Best thing to do is sit a couple feet of the shore(past any waves) and take and push top foot or so and look for agates as you do. When you reach a point where you can't comfortably do that anymore move down a couple feet. That way you can find the stuff that other just passed over.

[minnowdangler71]

thanks guys, that should give us a start.

[Catfishunter]

there is some nice ones at split rock river and on the roof of my work, was fixing ac up there and ended up with about fifty pounds all the size of a golf ball and a few gems.

[caseymcq]

Try Beaver Bay.