Photo: Jeff Erickson

Minnesota’s Root River and its numerous branches snake through the heart of the Driftless Region, a landscape of limestone bluffs, caves, sinkholes, subterranean rivers, and wild trout. Southeast Minnesota and adjoining portions of the Driftless Region in southwest Wisconsin, northeast Iowa, and extreme northwest Illinois encompass one of the largest collections of freshwater springs in the world. The nooks and crannies of this region shelter more than 2,000 miles of trout streams, including some of the most productive and accessible spring creeks in the country. Among these riches, the Root River watershed is arguably the best, offering more than 100 miles of trout streams, with thousands of wild browns per mile along the best reaches. Despite national attention, the Root watershed still offers plenty of solitude and includes more than a dozen prime tributaries to explore.

Unlike much of the Upper Midwest, the Root drainage and the surrounding Driftless Region was missed during the last period of glaciation in North America, 12,000 years ago. The area was deprived of glacially deposited drift (hence the term “driftless”), but its sedimentary bedrock was deeply dissected by streams carrying enormous volumes of runoff from retreating glaciers along its perimeter.

The calcium- and carbonate-rich limestone that stimulates the Root’s high aquatic productivity acts as an enormous sponge, absorbing moisture and then releasing it in steady, trout-friendly increments. Innumerable springs percolating through the limestone moderate stream temperatures and pH levels, producing excellent conditions for aquatic insects and the trout that hunt them. The glacial runoff left relatively steep stream gradients, creating numerous riffles and short rapids that supercharge the water with dissolved oxygen. As a result of these natural factors, the Root watershed offers superb wild trout habitat, which decades of conservation work has steadily improved.

The South Branch

The South Branch of the Root is the largest and most diverse trout stream in southeastern Minnesota. In a region rife with small spring creeks, the South Branch is one stream that actually fishes like a small river and—in its middle and lower reaches—is large enough to float a canoe. The river can generally be divided into two distinct segments, with the town of Preston forming a logical transition point between the upper and lower sections.

Upper South Branch. The South Branch rises in agricultural areas south of the small towns of Grand Meadow and Spring Valley, before gathering additional spring water infusions and cutting a winding path through sedimentary bedrock west of Forestville State Park.

During low flows, the upper reach of the South Branch sinks into its porous limestone bed, bypassing a five-mile meander and taking a shortcut through the labyrinthine passages of Mystery Cave, Minnesota’s longest cavern. The river reappears downstream at Seven Springs, sufficiently chilled from its subterranean excursion to become prime trout water.

The headwaters above the park provide good habitat for wild browns, and much of the water is under Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) public-access easements. Under normal flows the upper South Branch is a small creek until enlarged by Canfield Creek just inside the park boundary, beginning the most productive and popular stretch of the river. Two miles downstream it is augmented by another spring-fed run, Forestville Creek.

Both of these creeks—excellent wild brown trout waters in their own right—flow from cliff-side caves at a temperature of 47 degrees F. These cold, stable flows keep the upper South Branch cool even on muggy August days and provide excellent spawning habitat.

The upper South Branch around Forestville has better water quality and hatches than the lower river, and more wild trout. Under normal flows the stream is easy to wade, although there are scattered deep pools, logjams, root wads, and undercut banks. These lairs occasionally surrender browns over 4 pounds during low-light conditions. Because the park has a popular campground and picnic area, the river here can get congested on prime weekends, but mid-week you can have excellent water all to yourself. Forestville Park also contains an historic ghost town, a pristine hardwood forest, miles of hiking and equestrian trails, and abundant wildlife.

Rolling down Fillmore County Road 12 below Forestville, the fertile valley widens and the river twists through a mix of forest, dairy pastures, and cornfields. There are public easements downstream from the park, but you’ll need to ask permission from local farmers to access much of this stretch until the river hits the outskirts of Preston. Fortunately, the DNR is planning an extension of the popular Root River bike trail from Preston to Forestville, providing new opportunities to fish this first-rate water.

Lower South Branch. Above Preston, wild browns are the norm, but as the river gradually broadens, warms, and becomes more silty, the DNR compensates for the less-than-ideal habitat by stocking browns as well as some rainbows. The reach running through Preston holds some fine fly water, with strong trout populations and good public access. Below town long, deep pools become more common and good holding water is more widely spaced. Bolstered by Willow and Camp creeks—also trout streams—the South Branch below Preston becomes floatable under normal conditions. On warm summer weekends wading anglers begin to encounter a few canoes and local teens cooling off in inner tubes.

The lower South Branch remains excellent trout water, with better opportunities for larger fish. From Preston to Houston the Root River Trail parallels the river, providing many opportunities for explorers who like to cycle and fly fish. In addition to the main trail a spur route runs from Preston to Harmony, affording access to Camp Creek. (For a detailed map of the Root River Trail, visit flyfisherman.com/midwest/root.)

Another draw along the lower river is the historic village of Lanesboro, tucked below limestone bluffs. Much of the downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a tempting selection of restaurants, hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, and shops. The town was once a sleepy farm hamlet with few tourists, but completion of the bike trail in the 1980s revitalized its economy. Lanesboro has also become well known for its theater and has twice been acclaimed one of the country’s hundred best small art towns.

But don’t get too sidetracked: A fine stretch of the South Branch with easy access loops through town. In particular, a city park beneath an old mill dam provides popular access to a large plunge pool, with some nice riffles and runs downstream.

Below Lanesboro, the South Branch winds along the bike trail, finally merging with the North Branch to form the main stem of the Root and ending the designated trout water. According to Steven Klotz, a DNR fisheries biologist based in Lanesboro, the stretch from town to the main branch can be a sleeper. While it doesn’t hold as many fish as the upper river above Preston, it still has excellent trout populations. Warmer water in the lower river contributes to a larger forage base of minnows and crayfish, helping the trout grow large.

Fly angling opportunities don’t end at the mouth of the South Branch. The main stem of the Root, along with the Middle and North Branches, provide good action for smallmouth bass and other warmwater species, along with the occasional large brown.

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