Habitat Restoration

Restoration projects have long been the cornerstone of Trout Unlimited’s work, and the organization’s most visible accomplishment. Much of the great trout fishing we enjoy today is a direct result of all the hard work and many hours put in by TU volunteers.

Twin Cities TU volunteers, along with those from the four other state chapters that form Minnesota Trout Unlimited, have restored more than 75 miles of trout streams across the state since 2009. The construction work on most projects is funded by grants from the Legacy Amendment Outdoor Heritage Fund. 

Stream Monitoring and Maintenance 

Once a stream has been restored, we monitor its health on an ongoing basis. Our Streamkeepers measure water temperature and chemistry, and identify features such as eroded banks, invasive infestations, or obstructions that may need maintenance work. They also maintain relationships with landowners and help to organize maintenance projects and cleanup days. 

Learn About the Streamkeepers Program

Future Projects

A successful restoration project can inspire future generations to care for our local watersheds. A volunteer outing might bring them to a creek they’ve never seen before, delight them with its beauty, and reinforce their desire to save these special places. We’re coordinating with local resource agencies, community-based groups, and watershed experts to continue restoration on Hay Creek, the Vermillion River, Eagle Creek, Trout Brook and Hust Creek.

​We’re also working with the DNR to evaluate historical trout streams in Burnsville, Eagan, and Chaska to see if they can be restored.

New areas of focus include Rice Creek near Dundas and Northfield, and the Little Cannon River.

How can you help? Volunteer with us on a stream restoration work day. Sign up for our email list to find out about upcoming volunteer opportunities and other events.

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About Our Streams

Our license plates may proclaim Minnesota to be the “Land of Lakes,” but our running water is amazing, too! Two nationally recognized cold-water fisheries are found within a two-to-three-hour drive of the Twin Cities:​

The tributaries of Lake Superior
​These rivers and streams feature enormous lake-run trout and salmon in the spring and fall, along with resident populations of beautiful native brook trout.

The Driftless Area
This unique, unglaciated region contains the world’s largest concentration of limestone spring creeks. They stretch from northwestern Illinois and northeastern Iowa all the way up through southwestern Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota to the tip of the Twin Cities metro area.

You don’t have to drive two hours to experience great trout fishing. Most of our chapter’s home waters (and some great streams in Western Wisconsin) are only an hour or less from downtown Minneapolis and even closer to St. Paul. Denver or Seattle might not agree, but we believe we are the best big city in the country to be from if you love to fish for trout.

It’s not easy being a trout stream if you are close to a metro area of nearly three million people. Our home waters experience many challenges, from urban sprawl and development to industrial agriculture and climate change. TCTU members and their partners are addressing these challenges through habitat projects, advocacy and education. Here are some of the local waters that we restore, protect, and fish!

Vermillion River
​Located just minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Vermillion River is home to trophy wild brown trout regularly topping 20 inches, along with a fishable population of stocked rainbows. Over the past several years, Twin Cities Trout Unlimited (TCTU) has rallied groups of volunteers to remove large swaths of invasive buckthorn from the Vermillion’s South Branch, a prime spawning tributary for brown trout and the site of a large in-stream restoration project. TCTU volunteers have also accompanied the DNR in annual electroshocking surveys on the Vermillion, turning up some truly giant trout in the 27-inch range! (Add YouTube video link?)

Hay Creek
​Located at the Northwest tip of the Driftless Area, Hay Creek is a spring creek jewel. The site of the first stream restoration project in Minnesota, over five miles of the creek have been restored. Populations of wild brown trout exceed 5,000 fish per mile, including many fish over 12 inches and a few monsters that lurk in the deepest holes during the day and terrorize small trout, frogs, and errant mice under cover of darkness. Due to habitat improvement projects and enlightened land use, the spring flow is tremendous and water temperatures rarely exceed 60 degrees. All of the improved sections of Hay Creek are publicly accessible through easements. TCTU Streamkeepers monitor the stream, and we hold regular workdays to maintain it. For example, TCTU and our helpful volunteers recently contracted with a local farmer to use his tractor to remove several large trees that had fallen and were blocking the stream's flow.

Eagle Creek
​Our chapter was instrumental in protecting this small spring-fed tributary of the Minnesota River, which is located within a developed neighborhood in the Twin Cities’ southwestern suburbs. For many years, TCTU volunteers have helped clear invasive vegetation and make way for native grasses that are vital to the health of Eagle Creek. Although this stream is quite narrow, don’t let its size fool you – the DNR has sampled some exceptionally large brown trout hiding beneath the creek’s shaded cut banks.

Trout Brook
​Nearly all of this stream lies within the confines of Miesville Ravine Park in Dakota County. A habitat improvement project completed in 2017 covers one mile of the upper stream and includes in-stream work, plus the restoration of native prairie, which makes this section relatively easy to fish.  The lower section is surrounded by trees and bushes, and in-stream obstacles abound.  It is tough to fish, but there are some big trout who migrate in and out of the Cannon River in colder months, taking advantage of the large food base to be found there. The upper section of Trout Brook is dominated by native brook trout, while more browns are found in the lower stretches. Due to its unique Karst Geology and the protection afforded by the Reserve, Trout Brook stays at 60 degrees or lower even on the hottest summer day, and it runs clear even after other local waters have been muddied by thunderstorms.

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