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.

Sign up to receive updates on the Root River Steelhead Facility.

Root River Fishing Report April 7, 2025

Good numbers of steelhead remain in the river. The river had been quite high and muddy after heavy rains last week, but conditions have started to improve. Steelhead have been caught above and below the Root River Steelhead Facility on spinners or fishing spawn sacs, beads, or tube jigs under a bobber.

Root River Steelhead Facility Report April 7, 2025

The Root River Steelhead Facility was started for the spring operating season on March 5. Our sixth and final fish-processing day was Monday, April 7, and the water temperature in the weir was 46 degrees Fahrenheit. This year, we officially broke the record for the most steelhead handled in the Root River Steelhead Facility in the spring! The previous record was set in 1996, when we processed 3,169 steelhead. The facility has been shut down for the season, and the boards that create the dam will be removed as soon as river flows drop enough for us to work in the river safely. We will resume operations in the fall.