Minnesota’s Straight River is one of the top areas for trophy-class brown trout in the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The river is one of only a couple of brown trout streams in northwestern Minnesota.
“This trout fishery supports very good natural reproduction and survival,” said Doug Kingsley, Park Rapids area fisheries supervisor for the DNR. “The chances of catching large brown trout are excellent.”
The groundwater-fed river, which flows generally west to east 18 miles from Straight Lake dam in Osage to the confluence with the Fish Hook River south of Park Rapids, is a naturalized brown trout fishery and highly accessible to anglers as it meanders through wooded riparian areas and wetlands with limited residential development.
Anglers can fish from shore on more than two-thirds of the Straight River without having to get permission from landowners. Close to eight of the 18 miles of the river below Straight Lake dam have angler access easements on one or both sides of the stream.
The easements allow anglers to walk along or fish from the river’s banks. Most of the stream can be waded or floated with canoes, kayaks or small boats, with some portaging over stream crossings.
A number of habitat improvement projects have been conducted on the Straight River which included Minnesota DNR, the Straight River Trust Committee (SRTC) and Trout Unlimited (TU).
The stream trout season in Minnesota runs April 13-Sept. 30. Stream trout are defined as splake, brook, brown and rainbow trout.
For a map of the Straight River easement and other information, visit www.mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing
source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources