Root River

Stopped by the Root for awhile Tuesday afternoon.  Spent 30 minutes poking around Island Park without seeing or catching any fish.  Moved over to Lincoln Park and saw many steelhead below the weir.  From the looks of all the loose eggs on the rocks it appears some are spawning already. Fished for a couple hours and saw several big buck steelhead hanging around gravel bars, but couldn't get them to take. Should've come in the morning I guess. 

The steelhead are in and the rain Tuesday night should really get the run going.  The DNR's egg collection facility wasn't operating yet, but from the looks of all the fish in the refuge they will be next week! Get out there!

Hey, TJ, thanks for the report. I’ll have to get my act together and head up soon. 

LZrascal,

I stopped by the Root Tuesday afternoon.  The water was low and clear. There were a couple guys fishing who said they saw some fish, but they were spooky in the low, clear water. I walked along the bank and spotted a couple fish on the edges moving in and out from a remaining ice shelf. Didn't have time to fish, though I wanted to.

So there are some fish to be had. The rains today and this weekend will increase the flows and get more fish moving up.  It should be on now!

Any sign of the steelhead coming in or will that be later in the month? The WDNR for the hatchery isn’t active yet.

LZ

Well, with the stocked trout fishing done in Ilinois, my attention is now on the Root. I will be going there next Wednesday, the 29th, to access the coho and/or chinook in the river. Fly fishing with clousser minnows or black leech patterns is what we’ll use. As a plan B, i intend to bring a steelhead spin casting outfit. I’m thinking spinners, mid sized spoons (color preference?) and float fishing some mad-river pink plastic worms on jigs.

Any comments or additional thoughts about rigs? I’m staying away from live bait.  LZ

Stopped by to check out conditions and gawk at the fish in the Steelhead Facility window. Quite a few silvery fish in the tank including a dandy coho around 10#! The river was low and clear with many fish easy to spot in the first few runs below the sanctuary. I plan on fly fishing below or above the facility on Friday morning after work and wondered if anyone has been fishing the last couple days and could give a pointer or 2. I haven't been down to the Root in the Fall in over 15 years. My best day was up at the dam with 34 kings and browns caught and released on egg sucking leech imitations I tied myself. I would settle for 2-3 hook-ups, and landing one for nostalgia's sake. Please feel free to message me if you like. Cheers!!

Jimmy

Root River at Racine after recent rains, the flow rate is now at 160 FTS. and  falling .Depth  is just over 3 ft. Steelhead facility at weir processed a total of 70 Kings & Cohos on Monday. My guess is water may be a little to dingy and fast to successfully fish at these current readings ?
There may be another processing today on Thursday , depending on amount of fish in holding tank at weir ? Anyone care to chime in with an on the spot fishing report or actual conditions ? 

Dam removal will follow after the road construction up top. No set date i can provide but thats what I was told. I did hit michigan this weekend went up to the big M and caught a couple kings. They fight like no other pound for pound. Hopefully we get a good run in the root. Definitely need more rain down here by us! Gonna get interesting when that dam does go!

We need alot of rain

OK, thanks for letting me know. They do a trout stocking program in Illinois and I think it may be delayed due to too warm water temps. LZ