North Fish Creek

Wisconsin’s Lake Superior tributary streams have long been known for excellent steelhead fishing. Unlike their Lake Michigan counterparts, these streams are essentially hatcheries — steelhead spawn in them every year to restock the fishery naturally.

North Fish Creek

North Fish Creek enters the lake at the head of Chequamegon Bay between Ashland and Washburn and is open during the early season downstream from its confluence with Pine Creek. Coming from the east, take Hnath Road west off U.S. Highway 2, then take a right on Old U.S. 2 to the river. Coming from the west, take County Highway G east off U.S. 2, then go right on Old U.S. 2.

The first half-mile downstream from Pine Creek winds through a wide, sandy flat until it enters the woods and flows through boulder runs, shallow riffles and deep holes for several miles between bridges. You’ll hike to reach fish, but it can be worth it because you’ll have the river to yourself. Another popular stretch begins just below the U.S. Highway 2 bridge. Here, the creek is slow, with a sand bottom and deep bend holes.

North Fish Creek is part of the South Shore Fish and Wildlife Area, a WDNR land acquisition and management project with a goal of purchasing 4,258 acres from willing sellers in this watershed, encompassing North Fish Creek, Pine Creek, Little Pine Creek, Lake Louise and Fish Creek Slough. This stream has one of the few self-sustaining migratory trout and salmon runs in the state, but is threatened by land use practices in the watershed, primarily extensive agriculture and potential logging activities. Fisheries managers report a declining fishery over the last 20 years; this fishery is thought to have contributed up to 15 percent of the total migratory fishery in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior through its production of rainbow and brown trout, coho salmon and northern pike (Davis). Fish Creek and its tributaries account for 20 percent of the state’s self-sustaining migratory fisheries; a recent survey estimated that 47,000 one-year-old migratory trout and young-of-year coho salmon are presently produced in the river system.

This watershed supports a diverse population of reptiles and amphibians, including rare wood turtles in the slough areas at the river mouth, as well as white-tailed deer, black bear, beaver, woodcock and snowshoe hare, and numerous migratory birds (Davis).

The 1,100-acre headwaters area for the creek is one of the few remaining examples of true boreal forest in Wisconsin. The upper reach of North Fish Creek flows through a severely eroded channel with steep gradient, narrow valley and large, highly erodible bluffs with abundant springs in a reach dominated by boulders, cobble, gravel and sand bottom. A widening floodplain and valley characterize the middle reach, where the stream bottom becomes more sand and occasional gravel. The lower eight miles is characterized by low gradient, a wide valley and predominately sand with minor gravel. The creek drains mostly red clay and sand soils; the clay component of this soil type allows little water to be absorbed. The majority of erosion in North Fish Creek is attributed to 10 steep, eroding bluffs along the main stem above the confluence with Pine Creek (Fitzpatrick 19981). These bluffs contribute about 15,000 tons of sediment per year. The bluffs contain about 50 percent sand-sized particles (Fitzpatrick 19982).

This stream has had a history of devastating floods that almost strangled the stream course and left raw banks and debris that periodically slide into the stream. Most of the streambank pastureland is unfenced (Pratt 1977). In areas, the stream bottom consists of shifting sands. In places, banks have become exposed sand and gravel washes. Farming in the watershed increases the potential for flooding, since rain falls directly on the impermeable clay soils rather than being absorbed in the undergrowth of forested areas, or diffused by the canopy (Davis). In addition, snowmelt occurs more rapidly in areas lacking forest cover. Climax woody species such as firs, pines and maple provide the best erosion control due to stronger root systems, full canopy and the relationship between these tree types and soil moisture (Davis).

The annual sediment load carried by North Fish Creek in 1990, taken from a station in the lower nine miles, was 20,690 tons; in 1991 the load was 33,100 tons, with most of the load made up of sand-sized particles (Rose). Upstream stations registered lower amounts with lower percentages of sand, with the most upstream station measuring only 479 tons as the average annual load with almost all of it transported during snowmelt and rainfall, made up primarily silt and clay particles (Rose).

Tips

There are two different open-season dates for steelhead and other trout on Lake Superior tributaries. On some streams, the season runs from the first Saturday in May through the last Sunday in September. On most streams, the season runs from the last Saturday in March to Nov. 15. The daily bag limit is one steelhead or rainbow trout over 26 inches, but most anglers release the legal-sized fish they catch to help maintain the fishery.

Techniques for catching these fish vary. Some anglers use spinning gear to throw spinners or drift spawn, but fly rods are better suited to fishing spawn, small wobbling plugs or flies on most of the smaller streams.

To fish spawn or plugs on a fly rod, choose a 9-foot 8- or 9-weight rod, a multiplier reel and 8- or 10-pound-test monofilament or fluorocarbon line. For spawn fishing, tie natural eggs in cherry-sized sacs using commercially available mesh material. Snell a No. 4 or 6 salmon egg hook to your line, slide the hook into the spawn, pinch split shot a foot or so above the hook, and you’re ready to fish. Some anglers put a tag of orange or chartreuse yarn in the snell. Some also attach sinkers with a short dropper and a three-way swivel.

Spawn fishing with a fly rod thus rigged is a short-range proposition. Wade upstream or down and lob the spawn into deep holes and runs and let it bounce along the bottom. You can also fish this rig with only a yarn “fly” and no spawn.

To fish a wobbling plug on a fly rod, simply tie it to your line, lob it downstream and let it work in the current. Swing it back in forth in front of steelhead holding in riffles or on spawning redds to entice strikes from reluctant fish.

To fish flies, use a 9-foot 8-weight rod with a floating weight-forward line and stout tapered leader. Effective fly patterns include dark, natural-looking patterns like stoneflies, Woolly Buggers and leeches, as well as colorful attractor patterns, single eggs and yarn in chartreuse or orange.

NOTE: For more information, contact the Brule River Sportsmen’s Club online at www.bruleriversportsmensclub.org.; Lake Superior Steelhead Association, www.steelheaders.org; Anglers All, www.anglersallwisconsin.com, (715) 682-5754; Outdoor Allure, www. outdoorallure.com, (715) 373-0551. (Editor’s Note: For more information on fishing Lake Superior streams, listen to Outdoors Radio with Dan Small, on broadcast stations around the state or online 24/7 at www.lake-link.com/radio.)

All content the property of www.gameandfishmag.com, Brule River Sportsmen’s Club, and WDNR.

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