Where and when is the best time and place to go smelt fishing?
landavue asked:
My family would like to know where is the best place and time to go smelt fishing . We are thinking of heading up to Duluth, MN. Can anyone give me any info on this.
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My family would like to know where is the best place and time to go smelt fishing . We are thinking of heading up to Duluth, MN. Can anyone give me any info on this.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:21 pm
How to catch smelt:
Smelt generally enter streams in mid to late April when the water in the tributaries warms into the upper 40 degree F range. Smelt are light sensitive and run in shallow water at night, so most smelting takes place at night, when the fish are moving into the streams.
Smelt can rarely jump over the first set of rapids upstream from the mouth, which is why the best netting is usually near the lake. The equipment is simple: a pair of hip boots or waders, a 1ong-handled net, and a bucket for the netted fish. Wade into the stream near the mouth and sweep your net through water behind riffles, boulders, or anything else that blocks the current and gives smelt a place to rest as they try to swim upstream. Some people also pull a seine net for smelt along the beach at Park Point in Duluth.
Where to go:
A few of the most popular smelting rivers, moving northeast from Duluth, are the Lester, Knife, Stewart, Gooseberry, Split Rock, Beaver, Baptism, Cross, Temperance, Poplar and Cascade.
Try the recreation compass to find locations along the North Shore.
The following streams are closed to smelting: French, Sucker, Little Sucker, Silver, Encampment and Crow.
Fishing regulations
There is no season or limit for smelt. However, there are some regulations regarding their capture:
You need a fishing license.
You may not use a flashlight, or other artificial light to locate or attract smelt.
You must kill your smelt at the stream. It is unlawful to transport or possess live smelt. This is to prevent the spread of disease and smelt introduction to inland waters.
Any fish netted other than smelt must immediately be returned to the water.
Dip nets or seines may not be more that 25 feet long or 4 feet deep
April 25th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I don’t know about that area. The best place in the world for smelt fishing is any tributary to Merrymeeting Bay. There are smelt camps you can rent on the Kennebec, Eastern, Cathance, Androscoggin and Abagadasett rivers. The time to fish is at night from as soon as the ice is safe until early March. The camps are heated and bait is available from the outfitter.
Smelt spend summer in the ocean close to shore. In late fall they move into tidal rivers and spend the winter in eddies. In spring they move into small brooks to spawn. Marine biologists estimate that 20-25% of the world smelt population spawn in these 5 rivers.