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Whitewater River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Whitewater River: a southeast Minnesota trout stream whose Middle Branch runs through Whitewater State Park under catch-and-release rules.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~47 F est.
Air / High
74 / 75 F
Wind
SSE 14 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Whitewater River is in its winter mode: slow, deep and deliberate. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSE around 14 mph, steady pressure near 1019 hPa and a high of 75. Water sits around 47 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:43 AM-11:43 AM and 10:13 PM-12:13 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Brown troutExcellent

Below 50Β°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

Tomorrow: Similar at 76 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Minnesota requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $25.00 for residents. What a Minnesota licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing rainbow trout here? Check the size and bag limits with DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Minnesota, read off the agency, are on the Minnesota seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~47 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp74 F
High / Low75 / 54 F
WindSSE 14-20 mph
Pressure1019.2 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain83% cloud, 7%
Sunrise / Sunset07:33 / 18:11
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~47 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Whitewater River this week

The best day on Whitewater River this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:43 AM-11:43 AM and 10:13 PM-12:13 AM
Minor period
4:07 AM-5:07 AM
Sun
07:33 to 18:11
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 15 mph
Rain chance
7%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Whitewater River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Below 50Β°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

When to come: the Whitewater River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 47 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~47 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Whitewater River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 77 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 74 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 11 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

Before you go

License

Minnesota requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Minnesota fishing license plus a trout and salmon stamp validation for designated trout streams. 2026 southeast streams: harvest April 11-Sept. 14 (5 combined, 1 over 16 in.), catch-and-release Sept. 15-Oct. 15, closed Oct. 16-Dec. 31; Whitewater State Park streams catch-and-release Sept. 15, 2026-April 9, 2027. Middle Branch: catch-and-release, lures and flies, 9.2 miles above the park group camp. North Branch: release 12-16 in., lures and flies, Township Road 29 to County Road 4.

Access

Whitewater State Park, Whitewater Wildlife Management Area and Carley State Park, plus fishing easements shown on the DNR's southeast trout-stream map.

About this water

A southeast Minnesota trout stream with Middle and North branches in Winona, Olmsted and Wabasha counties.

Fishing Whitewater River: the full guide

Branches and special rules

Minnesota's 2026 regulations set two special reaches. On the Middle Branch (Winona and Olmsted counties), trout are catch-and-release on a 9.2-mile posted section from the group camp in Whitewater State Park upstream to the source, artificial lures and flies only. On the North Branch (Wabasha, Olmsted and Winona counties), all trout from 12 to 16 inches must be released on a 12.1-mile posted section from Township Road 29 upstream to County Road 4, also artificial lures and flies only.

Southeast trout seasons

In southeast Minnesota streams the 2026 season is catch-and-release from Jan. 1 to April 10, harvest from April 11 to Sept. 14 (5 trout combined, only 1 over 16 inches), catch-and-release again from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and closed from Oct. 16 to Dec. 31; 2027 opens catch-and-release on Jan. 1. Inside Whitewater State Park the Middle Branch and Trout Run Creek stay open catch-and-release from Sept. 15, 2026 to April 9, 2027.

Public water

The DNR's southeast trout-stream map shows Whitewater State Park on the Middle Branch, Whitewater Wildlife Management Area along the branches and Carley State Park on the North Branch, and marks fishing easements and public land; its legend sends anglers to the regulations booklet for the special-regulation reaches.

Common questions

Can I fish the Whitewater in late fall and winter?

Inside Whitewater State Park, yes, catch-and-release from Sept. 15, 2026 to April 9, 2027. Elsewhere in southeast Minnesota streams are closed from Oct. 16 to Dec. 31 and reopen catch-and-release on Jan. 1.

What are the rules on the Middle Branch?

Catch-and-release for trout with artificial lures and flies only on the 9.2-mile posted section from the park's group camp upstream to the source.

Do I need a trout stamp?

Yes. Minnesota requires a trout and salmon stamp validation with your license to fish designated trout streams.

Is fishing good at Whitewater River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Root River18 miLake Pepin27 miLake Onalaska38 miUpper Iowa River52 miKinnickinnic River61 miChippewa River68 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 44.0646, -92.0438 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 8, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 8, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.