North Shore fishing

Adult – lake phase

Characteristics

• Usually no spots on adipose fin, which is located on top of the fish between its tail and dorsal fin.
• Spots on the skin surface covering each gill.
• Fully-formed, triangular tail.
• Jaw extends to middle or rear edge of eye.

Adult – stream phase

Characteristics

• No red spots.
• Usually no spots on adipose fin, which is located on top of the fish between its tail and dorsal fin.
• Spots on skin surface covering each gill.
• Fully-formed tail with concave rear edge.
• Jaw extends to middle or rear edge of eye.
• Small upper teeth in a single row. [see inset]

Juvenile

Characteristics

• Clear or dusky adipose fin, which is located on top of the fish between its tail and dorsal fin.
• Deeply forked tail.
• Large pectoral fins, which are located in front on each side of the fish.

Adult – lake phase

Characteristics

• Spots on adipose fin, which is located on top of the fish between its tail and dorsal fin.
• Spots on the skin surface covering each gill.
• Fully-formed tail with straight rear edge.
• Jaw extends beyond rear edge of eye.

Adult – stream phase

Characteristics

• Red spots with white halos.
• Spots on adipose fin, which is located on top of the fish between its tail and dorsal fin.
• Spots on skin surface covering each gill.
• Fully-formed tail with straight rear edge.
• Jaw extends beyond rear edge of eye.
• Well-developed upper teeth in a zig-zag pattern. [see inset]

Juvenile

Characteristics

• Orange adipose fin, which is located on top of the fish between its tail and dorsal fin.
• Slighltly forked or square tail.
• Small pectoral fins, which are located in front on each side of the fish.

Adult – lake phase

Characteristics

• Height of longest anal fin (located on the bottom of the fish in front of the tail) is two-thirds the length of the base of the anal fin.
• No spots on the skin surface covering each gill.
• Fully-formed tail with concave rear edge.
• Inside of mouth and gums are black.

Adult – stream phase

Characteristics

• Olive, brown or black sides.
• Inside of mouth and gums are black.
• No spots on skin surface covering each gill.
• Fully-formed tail with concave rear edge.
• Height of longest anal fin (located on the bottom of the fish in front of the tail) is two-thirds the length of the base of the anal fin.
• Large Jaw hooks (kypes) on spawning males. [see inset]

Juvenile

Characteristics

• Anal fin (located on the bottom of the fish in front of the tail) same shape as adult.
• Wide vertical side marks (parr marks) with narrow spaces in between.

Adult – lake phase

Characteristics

• Longest fin ray on anal fin is shorter than the base of that fin but longer than ⅔ of the base.
• No spots on the skin surface covering each gill.
• Inside of mouth is black or gray with lighter gums.
• Fully-formed, square tail.

Adult – early stream phase

Characteristics

• Inside of mouth is black or gray with lighter gums.
• Longest fin ray on anal fin is shorter than the base of that fin but longer than ⅔ of the base.
• Fully-formed, square tail.

Adult – late stream phase

Characteristics

• Inside of mouth is black or gray with lighter gums.
• Displays a kype, which is the upper jaw hooking downward at the end.
• Fully-formed, square tail.

Juvenile

Characteristics

• Sickle-shaped anal fin with white & black edge.
• Narrow vertical side marks (parr marks) with wide spaces in between.

Adult – lake phase

Characteristics

• Fully spotted, square tail with spots in radiating rows.
• Inside of mouth and guns are white.
• No spots on the skin surface covering each gill.
• Longest anal fin ray is longer than the base of that fin.

Adult – stream phase

Characteristics

• Fully spotted square tail with spots in radiating rows.
• Inside of mouth and guns are white.
• Spawning fish display a reddish to pink stripe along the lateral line below eye to tail.
• Longest anal fin ray is longer than the base of that fin.
• Large kypes (top jaw hooking down) on spawning males. [see inset]

Juvenile

Characteristics

• Black-rimmed adipose fin.
• Pink stripe on side.
• Wide vertical side marks (parr marks) with narrow spaces in between.

Adult – lake phase

Characteristics

• Forked tail.
• Large oval spots on both lobes of the tail.
• Small body size.

Adult – stream phase

Characteristics

• Large back hump on males; females have a smaller hump.
• Pink and yellow coloring on sides.

Lake trout

Characteristics

• Forked tail.
• Light spots on dark background.
• No orange, pink or red spots.
• Inside of mouth and gums are white.
• No black or white stripes on belly.

Brook trout

Characteristics

• Square tail.
• May have pink/red spots with halos on a dark background.
• Inside of mouth and gums may be gray or black.
• May have black and white belly stripes.

North Shore steams are beautiful but challenging habitats for trout. Unlike trout streams in other parts of the state, North Shore streams receive only limited amounts of flow from groundwater.

As a result flows are unstable, surging after a rain and dwindling to a trickle during drought and the winter season. Because they lack spring water, the streams get very cold in winter. In fact, what's called anchor ice sometimes forms on the bedrock of the streambed, harming aquatic life and habitat. In the summer, some stretches get warmer than is best for trout.

In their lower reaches, these streams cascade over falls and steep rapids. As pretty as these features may be, they are difficult for trout. Fish must find places of quiet water amid the turbulence to feed and rest.

The volcanic bedrock over which these streams flow also lacks some minerals that drive production of bugs in the stream. Insects are a trout's main food source, making food scarcer than in trout streams in other parts of Minnesota.

Despite their challenges, North Shore streams have two things in their favor. First is their cool, northern, lake-moderated climate. Second is the deep-forest bank cover, which shades the streams and keeps them cool. These influences keep these streams just cool enough to support trout.

Interestingly, trout are not native to the upper reaches of many North Shore streams. Historically, brook trout occupied Lake Superior and ascended the rivers only as far as the first barrier falls – usually less than a mile from the lake.

During the last century, brook trout been stocked above these natural barriers. The DNR stocks brook trout in heavily fished creeks in and near Duluth, though brook trout are self-sustaining in most North Shore streams.

The small size of the streams and their low productivity limit the number of trout exceeding 12 inches. In the deeper water of secluded beaver ponds, brook trout occasionally may reach up to two pounds. But numerous beaver dams do more harm than good, warming the water and contributing to siltation. North Shore trout management sometimes includes breaching beaver dams.

In North Shore streams that provide marginal trout habitat, the DNR stocks brown trout, which can tolerate warmer water than brook trout.

Some larger streams are stocked with young steelhead, which migrate to the lake in two to three years before briefly returning to streams as adults in spring to spawn. Many North Shore streams have steelhead populations that are partially or fully supported by natural reproduction.