BirdTroutOpen the map When to fish Pine Creek, Minnesota
May, June and July — those are the months with the most insects recorded from southeast Minnesota, 9 in May, 14 in June and 11 in July. Minnesota DNR classifies it as Designated trout stream, managed as designated — that is the season and creel row to look up.
What's likely in September
5 insects peak in September in southeast Minnesota. By month, not week.
Start with these — the patterns that match most of what is out now:
Mayflies
Trico #20–24, Blue-Winged Olive #16–22
Tie onZebra Midge nymph · Pheasant Tail Nymph nymph · Parachute Adams dry
Terrestrials
Cricket #10–14, Grasshopper #8–12
Tie onFoam Beetle terrestrial · Chubby Chernobyl dry · Black Foam Ant terrestrial
The hatch calendar
Insects peaking each month. Midges, scuds and sculpins are left out: they peak every month, so counting them would flatten the bars.
Every insect recorded here, by month (24)
| Insect | Months | Hook | Active at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Black Stonefly | January–April | #16–18 | 34–46 °F |
| Midge | January–October | #18–24 | 33–75 °F |
| Blue-Winged Olive | March–May and September–October | #16–22 | 38–58 °F |
| Hendrickson | April | #12–14 | 45–58 °F |
| Little Brown Stonefly | April–May | #12–16 | 38–50 °F |
| Little Sister Caddis | April–July | #16–20 | 60–74 °F |
| Giant Black Stonefly (Salmonfly) | May | #4–6 | 50–62 °F |
| Grannom | May–June | #14–16 | 48–58 °F |
| Little Black Caddis | May–June | #16–20 | 46–58 °F |
| Little Yellow Sally | May–July | #14–16 | 55–68 °F |
| Spotted / Tan Caddis | May–July | #14–18 | 55–70 °F |
| Blue Quill | June | #16–18 | 44–56 °F |
| Brown Drake | June | #10–12 | 55–65 °F |
| Cranefly | June–July | #6–10 | 40–65 °F |
| Golden Stonefly | June–July | #6–10 | 55–68 °F |
| Light Cahill | June | #12–16 | 55–68 °F |
| Little Sulphur | June | #16–20 | 50–62 °F |
| March Brown | June | #10–12 | 50–62 °F |
| Sulphur | June | #14–18 | 52–68 °F |
| Cricket | July–September | #10–14 | 55–75 °F |
| Golden Drake | July | #10–12 | 60–72 °F |
| Grasshopper | July–September | #8–12 | 60–80 °F |
| Trico | July–September | #20–24 | 58–72 °F |
| White Miller | July–August | #14–18 | 60–74 °F |
The season
Minnesota publishes no season on this reach in the file this site reads. Minnesota DNR classifies it as Designated trout stream, managed as designated, and that is the row to look up in the digest — the season and creel rules follow the classification rather than the river. What the state designates on this water → Minnesota regulations →
Water temperature through the year
No gauge on this river reports water temperature. MNDNR classes its typed water as unrecorded, which is a classification and not a measurement.