Trees for trout: An update on our riparian reforestation project 

If you’ve fished along a trout stream in northeast Minnesota lately, you’ve probably noticed the standing dead spruce and balsam fir, open gaps in the forest canopy, and more brush than you’d expect in what used to be shaded, coniferous woods. It’s not just about aesthetics - it’s a coldwater...

By - MNTU Habitat Director on June 10, 2025
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Wade in and make a difference:  Volunteers contribute to stream restoration 

Our assistant director, Kristen Poppleton, often says “teamwork makes the dream work.”As I reflect on my first two years with Minnesota Trout Unlimited, I have a new appreciation for the phrase. The culture of service and commitment to conservation through boots and shovels on the ground by MNTU volunteers and...

By - MNTU Habitat Director on May 12, 2025
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Macro of the Month: Crane flies

Living on a trout stream in southeastern Minnesota, it doesn’t require too much effort to keep an eye on what’s hatching and when. However, it still caught me by surprise to see two adult craneflies on my bathroom floor early one morning in the first week of May. Maybe they...

By - MNTU Habitat Director on May 12, 2025
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Macro of the month: Dark Hendrickson

April 2025 Every spring, as snowmelt charges the streams and the days grow longer, trout anglers eagerly await one of the season’s most iconic hatches: the Dark Hendrickson. This mayfly, known to entomologists as Ephemerella subvaria, helps kick off dry fly season and can offer some great surface action during the...

By - MNTU Habitat Director on April 7, 2025
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Field season kicks off with riparian forest project on the Sucker River

Minnesota Trout Unlimited is dedicated to preserving and improving the health of trout streams across the state. During these cold weeks of early spring, we’ve kicked off our first project of the year in the Sucker River watershed, a top-tier brook trout and steelhead stream east of Duluth. We're implementing...

By - MNTU Habitat Director on April 7, 2025
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No hatch to match? The silent decline of aquatic insects in Minnesota trout streams

If you’ve spent any time fishing the cold, clear streams of the Driftless Area, you know that matching the hatch is often the key to success. Hundreds of fly patterns exist to mimic the many species of mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies that emerge throughout the season. But in recent years,...

By - MNTU Habitat Director on March 10, 2025
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What is fluvial geomorphology and how does it influence what we do?

Stream restoration has come a long way from the days of simply lining banks with riprap or other artificial structures to control erosion and stabilize banks. While well intentioned, these methods sometimes led to unintended consequences, like disrupting the stream's natural flow or harming aquatic habitats. Today, the science of...

By - MNTU Habitat Director on February 9, 2025
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