Root River Report update

The following information is the latest fishing information for the Root River in Racine. We will post new information to this site every TUESDAY or WEDNESDAY at 4:00 pm from September through December and from March through May. We will also update the number of fish processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility to give you the exact number of fish passed upstream. Depending on water conditions and the number of fish in the weir, fish are usually processed on Mondays and Thursdays.

In addition, you can check out our Lake Michigan Outdoor Report for the latest fishing information on Lake Michigan and Green Bay.

Root River Steelhead Facility

Lake Michigan trout and salmon don't successfully reproduce in Wisconsin streams, so DNR gives Mother Nature a hand. Watch fisheries crews collect eggs and milt from spawning fish to create the next generation of steelhead to challenge anglers.

• Steelhead Spawning at Root River Steelhead Facility

Root River Fishing Report for September 21, 2020

The Root River saw a major increase in fishing activity this past week.  Most of the fishing activity was seen upriver from the Steelhead Facility.  Most of the anglers that were seen were targeting salmon.  Anglers have been seen fishing around the deepest pools since water levels on the river continue to drop.  Those that were seen fishing for salmon were doing so with fly fishing tackle.  Fishing success on the river increased as more anglers were seen catching chinook salmon.  Anglers reported catching all of their salmon using flies.   A few smallmouth and bluegills were caught as well while anglers were targeting salmon.  Water clarity is low as water levels continue to drop.  The water temperature at the end of the week was about 64 degrees.

Root River Steelhead Facility Report

Our first processing day for the Fall 2020 season at the Root River weir was Thursday, September 24.  The river level is extremely low, at 19 cfs.  The water temperature in the facility was just over 60 degrees.  We could definitely use some rain to bring more fish into the facility.  Our next processing day is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 1.

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