Freestone · Bedrock · Minnesota, US

Knife River

Wide view of the rocky Knife River flowing through forest on the North Shore of Minnesota on a sunny day
Today · Slow going — pick your moments
Stonefly Nymph
Forecast · Today
Slow going — pick your moments
Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
45% projected
Today's fly
Stonefly Nymph
Stonefly Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
7.91 m
Lifting fast
Water temp11.6°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather8°C
WindN 32 km/h
Pressure1026 hPa
Rain · recent6.4 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Ideal
12°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Spring steelhead, Apr–May on snowmelt-driven flows
Where
A classic Minnesota North Shore steelhead stream — short, flashy, bedrock water that comes up fast on snowmelt and rain and drops just as quickly.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 21:00

12:00(now) — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 36%
Peak emergence window3 food groups active

Peak activity at 21:00 — Brown Dun (Brown Dun, 3 food groups active)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Quill GordonHatch
2
2
Blue QuillHatch
2
3
2
HendricksonHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Steelhead
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Minnesota licence with trout stamp; North Shore steelhead rules are strict (often wild-release) — verify MN DNR
  • Conservation-minded wild run.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 3
Sucker River
6.0 km
79
Steelhead
Lester River
20 km
30
Steelhead
Bois Brule River
41 km
86
Steelhead · Brown trout · Chinook salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. Wide view of the rocky Knife River flowing through forest on the North Shore of Minnesota on a sunny day
    The Knife River along the North Shore of Lake Superior, Minnesota
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Impaired
  • Fish consumption: Impaired
What this classification means

Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Mercury) — fish for sport, not the table.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Knife River' (MN04010102-504), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Mercury, Turbidity. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · MN04010102-504

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity8518% weight
  • Feeding Time7013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6412% weight
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts