Root River Report

This page contains the latest fishing information for the Root River and the DNR Root River Steelhead Facility in Racine County. Check back for updates on the number of fish processed at the facility, eggs collected and future processing dates. Please note that fish are typically processed on Mondays and Thursdays, depending on water conditions and the number of fish in the weir. 

Updates are posted at 4 p.m. every Tuesday or Wednesday from September through December and March through May. 

Check out the Lake Michigan Outdoor Report for the latest fishing information on Lake Michigan and the Bay of Green Bay. 

Root River Steelhead Facility

Lake Michigan trout and salmon are unable to reproduce successfully in Wisconsin streams. As a result, DNR fisheries crews collect eggs and milt from spawning fish to create the next generation of steelhead to challenge anglers.

Learn more about steelhead spawning at the Root River Steelhead Facility.

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Root River Fishing Report Nov. 11, 2024

Flows on the Root River remain low at about 40 cubic feet per second. The Chinook run has tapered off, with low numbers remaining in the river. There are good numbers of coho in deeper sections upstream and downstream of the Root River Steelhead Facility. The facility has been shut down, and sections of the weir dam have been removed so fish can move freely up and downriver. Brown trout numbers in the river have been increasing over the past week.

Root River Steelhead Facility Report Nov. 11, 2024

The Root River Steelhead Facility was shut down on Monday, Nov. 11. The fall operating season began on Sept. 23 and ended after 13 fish processing days. On Monday, Nov. 11, the water temperature in the weir was 51 degrees Fahrenheit, and flows on the Root River were up 41 cubic feet per second. The Root River Steelhead Facility will reopen after ice out in the spring for the steelhead spawning run.