Updated Stream Conditions/Fishing Reports


February 25, 2024

It didn't take long after looking at the forecast to pencil in Sunday as an ideal day to phone a friend and get out for a day in the southeast Mn Driftless. I hadn't fly fished with longtime childhood friend,Troy, in ages. Life, family, and other commitments had prevented us from convening in the southeast for a day on the water.

We rigged up and started fishing by 9:00 with midges already all around. Water is clean, and I mean damn clean, all over. Low, too. It's a broken record from me about lack of precipitation and the effects it has had on the southeast Driftless, as well as the rest of the state.

We got on fish right away. Nothing complicated about our set ups: two nymphs with the latter being a midge trailer.

The pool structures on streams are loaded with fish, and I mean loaded. We fished several pool structures with enough current to not spook every fish in the river with great success. Flat pools with high sun were a challenge: make a good first cast because that might be your only shot at hooking up.

The weather looks good Monday and Tuesday with a snowfall predicted thereafter (good). We need precipitation, and lots of it, right now. After the Arctic blast, things look better again by the weekend.

January 28, 2024

The exceptional January weather continues in southeast MN, and today marked my first outing of 2024. I did nothing complicated: tandem nymph rigging with a midge trailer, no indicator, and some split shot. I covered a mile and a half in three hours, so hitting and running was the MO. No one else was out on the stretch I hit, and there were no boot prints, either. I suspect that will change in the foreseeable future with nice weather and minimal snow pack.