Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is a unique educational experience for students. Throughout this year-long program, students learn about Minnesota watershed ecology, fish biology, trout habitat, and more, starting the very first week of school. They engage in TIC-related lessons both inside and outside the classroom from September through May....
Spotlight: Eagle Creek Habitat Improvement Project (Savage, MN) This spring, Minnesota Trout Unlimited (MNTU) will begin construction on a 2,000-foot trout stream habitat improvement project on Eagle Creek in Savage, located between Highway 13 and 126th Street. The primary goal is to enhance habitat for native brook trout while improving overall...
In this new year, I wanted to do a recap about the last 8 years of MNTU’s education program. See below to learn about all of the great things our education team has accomplished! Trout in the Classroom From fall 2018 to spring 2025, the number of TIC schools throughout Minnesota increased...
For many Minnesota anglers, January is a month spent leaning over an ice hole or a fly-tying vice, but if you are willing to embrace the cold you can be rewarded with some great fly fishing memories. While the rest of the state is locked in a deep freeze, the...
On a rainy afternoon a few months ago, I stopped at a newly constructed project on my way home to see how it was reacting to the higher flows. Walking the stream, in-particular, a section where a restored riffle curved into a nice deep pool with toewood tucked into the...
Macro of the Month – December 2025 December has always been one of my favorite times to walk a trout stream. The leaves are down, the cold air is fresh, and in many of our springfed trout streams across the state, the water is still flowing. When I bend over to...
Fish passage is not always just about fish passage. A culvert replacement might start as a solution to a barrier in a watershed, but when MNTU gets involved, it becomes an opportunity to address habitat beyond the ability for a trout to get from point A to point B. When...
We completed the first of two egg deliveries on December 3rd! Over 12,000 eggs were sorted, packaged, and distributed throughout the state in a single day thanks to our awesome crew of egg day volunteers.
Northern Caddisflies (Family Limnephilidae) Last month, we explored the importance of October foliage after it falls into a stream. Let’s take that further! As leaves fall into cold November water, there’s construction underway beneath the surface. Among the cobbles and leaf packs, case-building caddisfly larvae - members of the family Limnephilidae...
Over the past few decades, Minnesota has made tremendous progress in restoring and enhancing its coldwater streams. Across the state, partnerships between Minnesota Trout Unlimited, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR), local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and others have brought new life to miles and miles of degraded...
