Great Lakes
Poplar River
Gauge data unavailable for Poplar River.
Check USGS directly ↗
24-Hr Pressure
28.96 inHg · → High/stable
Local Weather
Tough conditions — fish deep
Today
🌧️Rain
75° / 62°
0.19"
Tomorrow
☁️Overcast
82° / 59°
Wed
☁️Overcast
75° / 61°
Thu
🌦️Drizzle
65° / 58°
0.08"
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?
⚡ AIAI-powered recommendation using today's live flow, temperature, and hatch data.
Time of Day
Using: BWOs returning
What should I pack?
Rod, flies, tippet, and safety gear specific to today's Poplar River conditions.
🪰 Hatch Calendar
Poplar River · September · Early Fall
Showing typical dates — water temperature data unavailable for live hatch predictions.
Select month
BWOs returning (size 18-20). Brook trout pre-spawn — RESPECT REDDS. FALL COHO SALMON entering on lower river.
River Map
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.
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.
Learn More
Guides to help you fish Poplar River with more confidence.
Minnesota Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Minnesota fishing license + $10.75 trout stamp ($35.75 resident total), the second-Saturday-in-April trout opener (2026: April 11), SE MN Driftless…
Trout Species of Minnesota
Minnesota's two-region trout fishery — the SE Driftless limestone spring creeks (Brown Trout dominant, native Brook Trout in cold headwaters, Rainbow…
How Barometric Pressure Affects Fishing (And How to Use It)
That gorgeous bluebird day after a cold front? Worst fishing of the year. Here's the data behind why pressure changes matter more than the weather…