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Forestville State Park to Lanesboro (SE trout) The river tops out around 6 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
South Branch Root River maps at 452 acres behind 44.3 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 14.9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 13.3 mi, about 2.7 mi across. It sits in Fillmore County. If the bite dies, Pine Lawn is 22 mi to the west.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 1 to 6 ft. Put Current seam (mile 2.5) first on the milk run — a current seam near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (3 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (3 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (3 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 1 to 6 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 2.5) (3 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
South Branch Root River carries 10 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Lanesboro Dam tailrace, about 5 ft down.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to South Branch Root River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
South Branch Root River is about 6 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout on South Branch Root River.
Current seam (mile 2.5) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on South Branch Root River is regulated by the Minnesota DNR. Check the official Minnesota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Pine Lawn 22 mi · Louise Mill Pond 23 mi · Bear Creek Reservoir 24 mi · Willow Reservoir 4 25 mi · Willow Reservoir 6A 26 mi · Silver 30 mi · Lake Hendricks 31 mi, IA · Whitewater River 32 mi · Foster-Arend 32 mi · Goodview 33 mi · Winona (North Bay) 33 mi · Shamrock Impoundment 33 mi
See how South Branch Root River stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.