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.

• Steelhead Spawning at Root River Steelhead Facility

Root River Fishing Report for October 27, 2019

Fishing activity on the Root River remained high this week.  The salmon spawning run is still going strong as we head into November. 

Upstream of the Weir: The river north of the Steelhead facility saw a slight decrease in fishing activity this week.   There was still plenty of anglers spotted who were trying to catch fish before the salmon run ends.  Anglers were targeting salmon as well as focusing on Steelhead and Brown trout.  Most anglers were using various fly and spawn presentations on fly fishing tackle.  Fishing success was a little harder to come by this week.  Only a small mix of Chinook and Coho were caught by anglers using flies and spawn.  Water levels and current were both low at the beginning of the week.  Rain over the weekend caused water levels and water current to increase dramatically making fishing much tougher.

Downstream of the Weir: The river south of the Steelhead facility saw an increase in fishing activity this week.  Anglers below the facility were also targeting salmon as well as Steelhead and Brown trout.  Anglers below the facility were also using fly fishing tackle.  Success below the facility was very limited.  Only a few Chinook salmon were caught using flies or fake spawn presentations.  By the end of the week the water levels on the river were high and water current increased due to a rainstorm over the weekend.  The water temperature at the end of the week was about 49 degrees.

Root River Steelhead Facility Report

Our 12th processing day at the Root River Steelhead Facility was Monday, October 28th.  The river level rose after some rainfall, and Monday morning was around 800cfs and still climbing.  The water temperature in the facility was 48 degrees. Our next coho spawning day is scheduled for Monday November 4th, but we will be at the facility to sort fish on Thursday, October 31st.