Root River Report
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 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.
Root River Fishing Report for November 3, 2019
The 2019 creel season has come to an end, so this will be the final fishing report update until mid-March.
Fishing activity on the Root River slowed down significantly this week. This can be attributed to increased water levels and a snowstorm late in the week.
Upstream of the Weir: Fishing activity on the river north of the Steelhead facility slowed down significantly. The water levels on the river increased quickly last week due to rain and snow. This made for tougher fishing conditions. Some anglers were still spotted. Anglers were fishing with flies or spawn on fly fishing tackle. Salmon along with Steelhead and Brown trout were the most commonly targeted fish. Some fishing success among the few anglers was reported. A small mix of Chinook and Coho salmon were caught using flies and fake spawn. The water levels and water current were both high north of the facility.
Downstream of the Weir: Activity south of the facility also slowed down significantly over the last week. Only a small handful of anglers were seen fishing using flies or spawn on fly fishing tackle. Anglers downstream of the facility were targeting salmon as well as Steelhead or Brown trout. Those fishing downstream of the facility weren’t as successful. No catches were recorded. The water levels downstream of the facility were also very high. The high water levels caused swiftly moving water as well as low visibility. The water temp at the end of the week was 43 degrees.
Root River Steelhead Facility Report
Our 15th processing day at the Root River Steelhead Facility was Thursday, November 7. The river level continues to drop, and was 245 cfs Thursday morning. The water temperature in the facility dropped to 38 degrees. This was our final processing day at the weir for the fall, and the facility has been shut down until spring.
The largest fish (by weight) handled this season:
Chinook – 32.35lbs; Coho – 15.25lbs; Steelhead – 9.9lbs; Brown Trout – 18.7lbs (Our all-time record brown is 19.6lbs from 2008)
| TOTALS as of November 7, 2019 | ||||
| Rainbow Trout | Chinook Salmon | Coho Salmon | Brown Trout | |
| Total Captured | 21 | 1,432 | 1,215 | 9 |
| Passed Upstream | 13 | 818 | 1,117 | 9 |
| Taken to Hatchery | ||||
| Spawned at Facility | 202 | 728 | ||
| Egg Take |
549,000 (for WI and IL hatcheries) |
1,017,000 | ||