Root River Fishing Guides and Conditions, Minnesota
The main stem of Minnesota's Driftless Area trout country, running through Lanesboro, Rushford and Houston with spring-fed tributaries holding wild brown trout and a warm-water main stem full of smallmouth.
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About the Root River
The Root River drains the bluff country of southeastern Minnesota, the unglaciated Driftless Area where cold limestone springs feed hundreds of miles of small trout streams. It runs east through Chatfield, Lanesboro, Whalan, Rushford and Houston to the Mississippi at Hokah, and the Root River State Trail follows it for sixty paved miles, which makes this one of the easiest trout regions in the country to explore on your own.
The fishing is really two fisheries. The tributaries and the upper branches, the South Branch through Preston and Lanesboro, the North Branch, Trout Run, Rush Creek and dozens of smaller spring creeks, hold wild brown trout in high densities plus native brook trout in the coldest headwaters. These are small-stream, short-cast, careful-approach fisheries and they are the reason anglers come to Lanesboro. The main stem below the branches warms through the summer and turns into a very good smallmouth bass float, run by canoe and kayak from the many liveries in the valley.
The Houston gauge reads the main stem low in the basin. A few hundred cfs floats comfortably and wades where the gravel allows; after a Driftless thunderstorm the river spikes hard and runs the color of coffee, then clears within a day or two. The spring creeks clear much faster than the main stem, which is why local anglers move to the tributaries after rain.
Lanesboro is the hub, a small town almost entirely built around the trail, the river and the fishing. Preston, Rushford and Houston have lodging and shuttles.
Access
Preston and the South Branch: Minnesota DNR trout stream easements and parking areas.
Lanesboro: town access, the state fish hatchery, and the trail hub.
Whalan and Peterson: main stem accesses along the state trail.
Rushford: access at the North Branch confluence.
Houston: main stem access near the gauge.
Hundreds of marked DNR angling easements exist on the tributaries; signs mark the boundaries.
Seasons
January through March: winter catch-and-release trout season on many streams; check current dates.
April through June: the main trout season, hatches, high water after storms.
July and August: cold spring creeks fish well; the main stem turns to smallmouth.
September and October: fall brown trout, low clear water, the best sight fishing of the year.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Root River?
As of Sep 3, 10:45 pm, the USGS gauge ROOT RIVER NEAR HOUSTON, MN reads 700 cfs, the 70th percentile for this date. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Root River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass on the Root River in Minnesota.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Root River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Minnesota agency site: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/fishing/index.html