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Great Lakes

Poplar River

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Live Conditions

Poplar RiverPoplar River near Lutsen, MN

No Data
CFS
Discharge
ft
Gauge Height
Water Temp
No recent dataView on USGS ↗

24-Hr Pressure

29.28 inHg · → High/stable

Falling (good)RisingHigh/stable

Local Weather

66°FClear sky
Wind 14 mph29.28 inHg Low & stable

Tough conditions — fish deep

Today

🌫️

Foggy

66° / 45°

Tomorrow

🌤️

Mainly clear

68° / 51°

Tue

☁️

Overcast

66° / 52°

Wed

☁️

Overcast

64° / 53°

Cold front incoming — go deep with nymphs, surface activity likely slow.

Weather by Open-Meteo · No API key · Updated every 30 min

What should I fish today?

One call. Specific to today's exact conditions on the Poplar River.

Time of Day

What should I pack?

Rod, flies, tippet, and safety gear specific to today's Poplar River conditions.

🪰 Hatch Calendar

Poplar River · June · Early Summer

Full calendar →

Showing typical dates — water temperature data unavailable for live hatch predictions.

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JanDec

Caddis evenings. Brook trout in cold spring flows above falls.

Caddis

River Map

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USGS Gauge (click for site ID)Fishing Access / SectionScroll to zoom disabled — use map controls

About Poplar River

The Poplar River flows through Lutsen on Minnesota's North Shore — a small, steep freestone with a strong spring steelhead run and fall coho salmon. Brook trout above the first waterfall barrier. The river drops past Lutsen Mountains ski area and into Lake Superior. Less famous than the Knife or Baptism but a productive small-water steelhead fishery.

Blue-Winged OliveCaddisSteelhead runsPink salmonCoho salmon

Regulations

SPLIT REGULATIONS — above the first waterfall from Lake Superior: standard MN inland trout regulations. Below the falls to Lake Superior: steelhead/salmon regulations, may be open year-round per MN DNR North Shore tributary rules. Pink salmon return on odd years only — next run is 2027. Minnesota fishing license required ($25 resident annual) + $10.75 trout stamp. Verify all section-by-section closures and seasonal dates on the MN DNR North Shore tributary page before fishing.