Where to go trout fishing in North America

Your next trout fishing destination

I am not an authority on the best places to fly-fish for trout, I just have been fortunate to experience some fabulous destinations in the recent past.  This blog post highlights some of those you may consider exploring during this upcoming year, particularly as the fishing itch settles in during the early Spring months.

Fly-fishing for steelhead on Lake Erie tributaries

My Spring fly-fishing schedule will usually begin with a visit to a Lake Erie tributary to tackle steelhead.  Several years ago, my local authority on fly fishing destinations suggested I cash in a one-week hall pass in March by visiting the Cleveland area to tackle steelhead.  So, now my Spring fly-fishing schedule will begin with a visit to Lake Erie tributaries around the Cleveland metro area and east toward the Pennsylvania border.

map of the Rocky River watershed

One option in the Cleveland metro is Rocky River, which runs through the neighborhoods to the west and has been previously recognized by Field and Stream Magazine as one of the “150 Best Places to fish in America”. According to the Ohio DNR, the main branch of the Rocky River is approximately 12 miles long, but I would be fishing within the confines of the Rocky River Reservation that is managed by the Cleveland Metroparks.

Fishing the Rocky River within the Reservation is the ultimate in urban fly fishing.  There are numerous laybys and parking areas along the river a short distance from major metro roadways.  In fact, some of the prime fishing spots are under bridges that are part of these major roadways.  One can spend a few days following the Ohio DNR fishing map for Rocky River dropping into spots that look the most fishy.

But if your preference is for a more rustic environment then I would suggest heading east of Cleveland to the Grand River and a tributary called Mill Creek within Hogback Ridge Park, near Madison, Ohio.  The park is well signed and parking at the trail head is ample – there are also bathrooms in a small pavilion at the parking lot.

the trek to Mill Creek from the car park

There are two ways to reach Mill Creek from here.  There is a fire road to a wooden stair that provides access to the upstream portion of the Creek where it meets Grand River.  There are some nice riffles and runs in this portion, but it is also a more adventurous route without a clear trail head.  The alternate is to follow the boardwalk past the outhouse to a different set of wooden stairs that provides access to a clear trailhead that leads to the waters just below the falls.  This place is by no means secret (so I am not hot spotting) as this water was introduced to me at the advice of a local tackle shop.

Fly-fishing in British Columbia

The Spring fly-fishing schedule would not be complete without a visit to British Columbia (BC) to fish for bull trout before the freshet (snow melt).  I am a huge fan of BC and particularly Vancouver, which has big sky, green mountains and awesome seascapes.  It also is proximate to some excellent fishing for trout and salmon, which I have been fortunate to partake in every few years for the last twenty.

a Lost Lake rainbow trout

Often, I use Whistler as my base as there are a number of nice fishing lakes in the vicinity.  Green Lake on the Nicholas North golf community has some nice wading spots for rainbows, kokanee and bull trout.  Some smaller hidden lakes offering trout fishing include Lost Lake and Logger’s Lake, which can be accessed using trails that extend from Whistler’s extensive system of hiking and mountain bike trails.

If you are in BC in summer, every odd year the pink salmon return to the area in great numbers, usually in August and September.  I have waded into the waters off the Furry Creek Beach just north of Vancouver and hooked up on some fair-sized pink salmon.  But it is more of an adventure to follow the ‘pinks’ up the Squamish along the outskirts of town. The stretch of water along Government Road has some good spots for wading, and is an especially productive water during the pink salmon run.

a Squamish River pink salmon

Driving several miles upstream of Squamish along Squamish Valley Road provides for some very wild and scenic fishing. There are sections of the Squamish River along the gravel portion of this road where the fishing pressure is minimal and the nymph fishing for bull trout amazingly productive.

A further post on where to go next will follow and features Northeastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina.