Started the day on the Pike River where I had never fished before. Streamflow was slow and the water fairly clear. Tried the river from Pet downstream into the UW-Parkside area. From what I can tell the streambank has been 'improved' with riprap and plantings.  The channel though this area was mostly slow, long pools with few areas of anything approaching a riffle that might hold fish. No one else was fishing this area, perhaps due to lack of fish-holding structure. I did catch two mongo creek chubs though!

Moved further upstream into Pet.  Saw one guy fishing the next area, so I drove further upstream to fish. There were a couple areas that showed some promise and I did end up hooking two steelhead - one in each spot. I hooked up with a 18-20" hen near a footbridge but didn't land her. Then I moved upstream to a beaver dam on top of a rocky area.  I saw fish trying to find a way under he beaver dam, so I worked my way through the brush to drop in a line up near the dam.  There were a few steelhead and suckers moving in and out of the area and I was lucky enough to hookup with a big buck steelhead. It was quite a battle in this small space and, unfortunately, he got the better of me today.

Hopefully the Pet Park grounds crew can get that beaver dam cleared out so fish can make an easier passage upstream.  I enjoyed my first trip to the Pike before heading on to the Root River for a look.