Q: Are there any special or area-specific regulations for fishing for trout near the Lake Superior tributary rivers?
A: Yes, there are certain regulations pertaining just to these rivers and their mouths in the lake.
First, an angler must have both a valid fishing license and a trout stamp (except that a trout stamp is not required for anglers who are younger than 18 or older than 64) to angle in Lake Superior or the tributaries to the lake. Although two lines are permitted in the lake, an angler is restricted to using only one line within 100 yards of the mouth of a river. When angling in the river itself, you can use only one line with a single hook (no treble hooks), and a fish hooked anywhere in the body other than the mouth must be immediately released.
Please note that the waters of the French River are closed to angling and smelting from the mouth of the river in Lake Superior upstream to the Highway 61 Expressway. Angling hours are also restricted in Lake Superior tributaries; closed hours are from one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise. Good luck, and see you on the river!
Matthew S. Miller is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer with the Lake Superior Marine Unit. Send your questions to outdoors@duluthnews.com .
