Flag River Steelhead Fishing

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.

Flag River

The Flag river attracts good numbers of steelhead in spring, but fewer anglers fish them because they are off the main travel routes. Both have stretches of sand, gravel and muck bottom. Walking can be tricky, so take it easy until you learn the holes. The Flag has a little more water, and both rivers have plenty of snags that hold fish.

This moderately large stream with a spring water source drains about 32 square miles of land. The stream was named for the large quantity of blue flag, a species of emergent vegetation in the sloughs at the mouth of the stream. The Flag River is considered an excellent trout stream and sports runs of migratory trout from Lake Superior. The outstanding resource waters list identifies this stream as an outstanding resource water south of the town road at T50N R8W S27. The middle nine miles are Class I trout waters. In the 1960s, numerous stream improvement devices were installed in sections 27 and 28 to provide pools and reduce erosion. In addition, a 500-foot long sheet revetment was installed at the mouth to keep the outlet open and provide freer movement for migratory trout.

The river drains areas of mixed hardwood and pine forest that experience periodic clear-cutting and are crossed by sand access roads.

WDNR’s Port Wing Natural Area near the mouth of the river protects boreal forest and sloughs, portions of a natural sand beach and rocky headlands. The Flag River State Fishery Area surrounds Bibon Lake and numerous sloughs and wetlands. Along the Lake Superior shoreline here unique land forms consisting of old beach ridges support a beach community of plants. These ridges help contain coastal wetlands that extend several miles east from the river mouth along the Lake Superior shore. On the western shore, the fishery area provides an important habitat for shorebirds. Quarry Point is a scenic area of red sandstone cliffs and a historic quarry site, as well as sand beaches.

The lower reaches of the Flag River and its associated wetlands and shoreline complex provide important habitat for numerous species of waterfowl. The area also supports a rich fishery including brook, brown and rainbow trout and shiners, as well as pumpkinseed, round whitefish, splake, burbot, stickleback and yellow bullhead. Rainbow trout and coho salmon use the river for spawning.

In a sheltered backwater near the river mouth, two marinas operate that include commercial and sport fishing operations and a campground built on a long stretch of beach ridge next to the lake. Since the last plan update, WDNR sampled sediment and found no contaminants at levels above ranges typical for the region.

The Lake Superior Binational Program identified habitat values important to the Lake Superior ecosystem in the Flag River Fishery Area and Port Wing Natural Area, including coastal wetlands, rare communities, rare habitat, vital functions for planning objectives, habitat for migratory wildlife and fish and wildlife spawning and nursery grounds. The coastal wetlands evaluation identified the wetland complexes around the mouth of the river as priority wetlands (see discussion under Port Wing, above.)

During survey work conducted as part of the coastal wetlands evaluation, three rare species of macroinvertebrates were found and overall taxa richness was moderate (5-24 species) (Epstein 1997). The survey noted that bank erosion and turbidity were significant, with silt a concern.

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 and Brule River Sportsmen’s Club

IMPORTANT NOTE: Great Lakes Drive, affiliates, and site resources are not responsible for any incidents attributed to the use of this information. All information provided on this site should be considered a simple bit of information that informs the average individual on activities or available lodging that others have participated in, and in many cases warns them of dangerous aspects of a location, and should not be considered a promotion for taking part in the activity or a recommendation to use, stay, or support. Some of these pages represent extremely dangerous activities and should not be considered by individuals and families as normal activities. Many of the links provide information contributed by professionals or adrenaline junkies and are meant only as interesting points. Other information would probably never be heard about and represents wonderful historic facts and fiction about places that have disappeared. All activities from driving a car to entering the water can be hazardous and should be taken on at your own risk. Take responsibility for your actions and be very careful when exploring this wonderful fast land that is available to us all. Ads on the site may be from awesome companies but for legal reasons they do not necessarily represent the beliefs or receive the support of GreatLakesDrive.com. By reading the information on a page, and/or clicking on any of the links, you agree to take full responsibility in the result. Drive Safely! Stay on the path if you are concerned about the results of stepping off the edge. Discover a wonderful place right in your own backyard! You will never forget it.