North Shore Drive

I want to take the North Shore drive in Minnesota this fall. When is the best time to go? Where to stay. What to do?

I would guess in the next week to 2 weeks. That should be the start of fall colors up there. Last fall we had pretty good color at mille lacs on the 26th.

Exploreminnesota.com and the DNR website both have up to date reports on the color change

Throw a rod or two in and hit the incoming steams or Superior.
Hike the state parks and see all the waterfalls, etc. From Duluth to Grand Marias you will be busy if you do that!

well hiking is ok at least is the bum on the trail ahead of you isn’t old and needs a shave and a sober up…

BUT, shorecastshorecastshorecast. GREAT in the fall a the mouths of the rivers… Kastmasters in blue.

The real color will be inland from the lake afew miles. All along the shore there will be places to stop and fish. River mouths are good, but be sure to read the regs and learn what those fish look like and be darned suere you are not in an area where a single hook is required….I think it is within 100 feet of a river mouth on the shore. A good rule of thumb if you don’t know your fish and how the clipping of fins comes into play is to put back anything that doesn’t have black around or in the mouth. Steelhead and loopers look very much alike right now except for the fin clipping and steelhead cannot be kept.

At the end of the day on Sept 30th the lake trout season ends too.

My nod goes to anything gold with orange on it over blue.