Good Opener Streams

My friends and I are headed to the Caledonia (not sure of spelling) area for the opener. I went there for the opener two years ago and found some fish. I think someone told me the stream we were fishing was called West or East Beaver. I was just wondering if anyone knew of some streams that don’t get much pressure on the opening weekend. Does anyone have any pointers on how to catch these fish also?

ha ha, not a lot of pressure on opener, good one, ha.

opener of any season, be it trout, walleye, ducks, deer, anything, is always crazy. eveyone wants to get out and take advatage of opening day. it’s a fact of life and you just have to deal with it and move on.

not to say there are people at every single spot in all of S.E. MN, but it’s pretty close to that. there are places you can find with less pressure though. you just have to be willing to walk ALONG ways. try walking a mile or more away from any road or accses point. this will eliminate most of the weekend anglers.

just make sure you walk way around any other anglers when you pass them. you don’t want to spoke any fish that someone else may be fishing. tensions can run high on opener, you just got to keep your space and expect there to be others around you.

these are the reasons that i don’t fish opening day anymore. i don’t care to keep any trout anyway so that helps. if you really want to get out fishing and don’t care if you keep any this week would be the time. the catch and realse season just opened for all streams so you can fish anywhere as long as you throw everything back. usually the week before opener can be pretty good because they just stocked a lot of the streams preparing for opening day.

Jake’s right – there will be anglers everywhere, and not all will extend much for courtesy and etiquette, but that’s just the way it is. Do some walking and get a head start. Avoid high congestion areas like Whitewater, Forrestville, etc. I deliberately do not fish that day, or if I do it’s way early or late in the evening. I’m going this week, skip the weekend, and get after it next week. I like the soitude of fly fishing; that is something the opener doesn’t provide very well.

I would tend to agree – there is not much solitude on the opener. Pick an area that requires a LONG walk. I’m talking like a couple of miles. That is the only way I’ve found to get away from people. Focus on smaller streams or even areas of streams that are not designated trout water (ex headwaters of larger streams). Good Luck!!

Todd Olson
The Fly Guys Guide Service
EFN Field Staff
[email protected]

Thanks guys, I remember it being very busy that Saturday, but unfortunately that is the only time I can go. I just found out we are staying on some private land with prime streams. If I remember right, it is a pretty long stretch of stream so it should be fun.
Thanks

I for 1 do not mind fishing the “opener” not to many years ago It was “the opener” You didn’t have that goddam catch and release season….”before ” the opener….Its the only ..”pre-opener” for any fish species..#2…I also agree if you want to “have ” the stream to yoursef….walk a few miles….I ..like to camp….and fish the areas around camp…..alot of people fish them…..But not as good as me?…….And I prove it year in and year out….Its….not “where you fish”…..”But How you Fishem”..

I’m not sure that the creation of the April 1 catch and release season merits a “goddam” description. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that many trout anglers love the early April 1 season and even have enjoyed the fact that the winter season stream list was expanded. The reality is that trout anglers in general were all in favor of winter stream expanions, the early catch and release opener, and the late catch and release season. They have also been overwhelmingly in approval of the latest round of proposed changes suggested by the DNR, SEMTAG, etc. The opportunities created by season expansion have been very positive whether it’s called a pre-season or not. I wouldn’t be surprised that the next time the winter season expansion issue comes up that ALL designated trout streams will open on January 1.

No one’s questioning your abilityt o catch fish while the pressure is high on a certain stream…have a good weekend.

Bigfife; Hello! it’s good to hear from you. While Beaver is a good stream, it does flow through a state park so it is very well known and therefore tends to get hit fairly hard for a stream in tha area. Low water may have driven trout towards deeper pools (melting snow may have solved this). In Beaver try around the area of Sechs Mill(guys help me out on this name)I have caught some large trout in the past from the mill pond,expect croud, take camera, use large spinners,and please release fish over 13″. Another stream in that area is Winnebego Creek. This is a larger stream and usually holds a lot of good trout. For most of its length it is bordered by a road making access fairly easy. Easy access also tends to atract anglers. There are no roads above Camp Winnebego, so walking in from there may get you away from some congestion. This stretch from Camp W. to Dunroamin can hold trout (sometimes good, sometimes not) many Brookies. Please release all Brook trout, they are declining in this stream.

Hope you have a great opener! Take a camera, Don’t forget your Super Bow Spinners, you will catch fish!!

John Eggers

I agree with D.A. the early season is a great way to get out of the house in those months, I fish the early season every year and hope to see more streams open up next year.
GOOD LUCK!!!!! to everyone this weekend .

MED

my point was “the Opener” with catch and release starting up on April 1st(and earler on some streams)..It distracts from the opener I grew up with(and been moved many times to a later date) I remember when the opener was march 15th…then april 1st…and now around the 12th…all dates moved back as the DNR gained knowlede of the procreation of trout and when they spawned…”Protection” of the species….we only have the winter catch and release because certain groups that were organized enough to lobby …and fund….get there way over the “general” public…right or wrong I think it adds to the mortality of the trout…for the pleasure of a few fisherpeople belonging to the “Selected” groups”…

My opionion.only…

SWANY

There is no way that anyone can claim that no fish are killed during the winter season or early catch and release season that starts on April 1st, but I would be willing to bet that a lot less trout die during that entire time than are killed in the first weekend of the catch and keep season. This doesn’t mean that I think people should never keep any trout to eat, but I just say that to make a point about the mortality you seem so concerned with.

From January 1st to the catch and keep opener in mid April, I’m lucky if I manage to get out trout fishing 1 time. It doesn’t bother me that other people get to go out and enjoy the fishing at that time though. We have a great resource here and it is meant for people to enjoy. As long as the resource isn’t being harmed, why should we stop them from having that opportunity.

I did make it out once during the early catch and release season in April this year. I took vacation on a Thursday hoping to have the stream pretty much to myself before the crowds hit later in the month. There were already 7 cars along this 1 stream when I arrived. I saw 1 person fishing with live bait, I saw some spin fishermen, and some fishing with flys. This seems like a fairly large and diverse collection of people for a weekday and they probably don’t all belong to the same “Select” group.

I think that more of the general population supports this than you think. The groups have been pushing for a catch and keep opener on the same weekend as the Walleye opener. That hasn’t happened because not enough of the general fishing population supports it. Personnaly I would like to see the catch and keep opener revert back to the first saturday in May like it was when I was a kid. I’m ONLY in my early 40’s so it wasn’t that long ago. My son’s wouldn’t agree though. They think I’m ancient. This would allow the opening of trout season to have it’s own weekend while protecting more trout. However, the DNR won’t make that change unless enough of the fishing population supports it. They gauge this by holding public meetings where everyone can come and voice their opinion, or you can send them a letter.

Hope everyone has a great season,
Mark

my last post on this…ok…ok….my point was the “opener” or lack there of because of the “early season” catch and release….thats it…..there is no “early season” for any other opener….specificly the inland lakes walleye/northern/bass.(in some areas)….do I belive the mortality is less in the “early season” yes I do …but the number of people fishing then..Vs, the number of people on the “opener”..diretly corolates with the mortality rate..more fisher people….more mortality….as for the selected “groups” 85% of the people fishing the early season belong to one trout group or another…Abiet…spin or fly fishing….and last but not least…I’m in my early 40’s also and cannot ever remeber a “opener” in may…..use to be march…but I’ll have to some digging to confrim that… …..anyway the season is “open” so enjoy….and please..!!! remeber…keep what you can eat…FRESH!!!! and the fish you let go today….is some kids “trophy” tommrow

Tight lines all

SWANY….

I would bet it was the early 70’s when they changed the opener from the 1st Sat in May to a March 1st opener. That is the same time they changed the fishing license to run from March 1st-Feb 28th instead of Jan 1st-Dec 31st. Then I think they moved it to March 15th and then to the Sat closest to April 15th.

Anyone else remember this?

Swany were did you come up with the number 85% did you just make that up? Because I have alot of friends that fish the early season. And I know none of them belong to some (select group). GOOD LUCK fishing everyone!!!!!!!

MED