Roughin It: Trout fishing in winter weather

Ahh, the sounds of a babbling brook, a gentle breeze at your back, the sun intensely beaming through the trees, sounds like summer! Quite the opposite, it's actually the situation a number of Minnesota anglers found themselves in just last weekend.

One of the best-kept secrets to Minnesota anglers is the southeastern portion of the state.

Scattered throughout a corner of the great state of Minnesota, lay over 2,000 miles of river and stream fishing opportunities. Of those 2,000+ miles, there are around 680 miles of state designated and protected trout streams.

A short 30-minute drive from the Twin Cities will get you to some of these fantastic trout fishing waters.

This area has one of the highest concentrations of landlocked designated trout stream habitat in the nation.

The best part is, who knew? There aren't many people in the country or the Midwest for that matter that are aware of this phenomenal trout fishing.

From Jan 1 to Mar 31, southeastern Minnesota has catch-and-release only regulations for trout fishing. The Department of Natural Resources puts this, as well as a few other regulations in place during the winter season to ensure a quality fishing experience for every angler.

What amazes people most about winter fishing in southeastern Minnesota is that despite negative temperatures throughout the winter, the streams remain open and don't ice over like lakes. This is due to a couple of factors. First, the source of nearly all of these streams starts from spring's underground.

The water deep underground doesn't freeze, due to the insulation the earth provides.

So when the water surfaces at the headwaters of each of these streams, often steam can be seen because of the temperature difference between the water and the air. In addition, the natural flow of a stream keeps the water from freezing.

The water is continuously moving, so only small portions of the stream tend to develop a thin layer of ice, usually near the banks of the stream.

Despite the water being temperature being very close to freezing, a pair of neoprene waders will allow you to walk in the water without getting cold or wet.

Waders also let you get to places in the stream you might not be able to fish without them, due to steep banks or snowdrifts.

The best method of fishing for these hardy winter trout is with a fly rod.

If you've never tried fly-fishing before, there's no better time of the year to experience it in the Midwest. For starters, there aren't many people out fishing to bother you or get in your way.

Plus, with the leaves gone from nearly every tree, there are fewer obstacles to worry about getting hung up on while fishing a small stream.

If fly-fishing isn't something that interests you, a standard spin fishing approach can prove just as successful. Much like warm weather trout fishing, the weather plays a big role in your angling approach to winter fishing.

If it's a warm and sunny day, the trout can easily be found as they will be more active and in search of food.

On a horribly cold day, the shallow stream water they live in will cool rapidly and the fish will become more stagnant, rarely striking at a lure or fly.

Southeastern Minnesota trout vary dramatically from stream to stream.

Some of the bigger rivers like the Whitewater River or Root River frequently produce 10+ pound Rainbow and Brown Trout. While some smaller streams, no more than 10 feet across, rarely yield a trout larger than a pound.

In addition, the type of fishing required varies as well. Some streams are big enough to fish from a canoe or small boat, while others are only accessible by wading through shallow water. Whichever approach you choose, it's highly recommended that you try this amazing fishing that's so close to home (Minneapolis/St. Paul) for so many people.

There are countless maps readily available on the Internet to help you find your favorite fishing hole in southeastern Minnesota.

This time of year, many people from the upper Midwest get the itch to fish open water again, to be rid of all of this ice. Barring a vacation south, southeastern Minnesota has to be the best opportunity to wet a line in open water.

From Grand Forks, an early morning departure driving south could have you catching 3 or 4-pound trout by the afternoon. It's completely realistic to expect to catch 30-40 trout in a weekend in southeastern Minnesota, even in the cold winter months.

So why wouldn't you? Give it a shot one of these weekends, try something new, and experience what a select few anglers have been fishing for years in southeastern Minnesota's winter trout stream fishing.