South Branch of the Root River

South Branch of the Root River. . , The south branch of the Root River is one of the largest trout streams in SE Minnesota. Its upper branch begins just south of Grand Meadow and Spring Valley, where it is fed by additional spring water and cuts through bedrock on the way to Forestville State Park. Just west of the park, the stream goes underground and cuts through Mystery Cave State Park. While underground, the water is cooled to 47 degrees before the stream re-emerges at Seven Springs, located on the southern end of the state park. The cooler water has a higher oxygen content than in other parts of the river, making it a prime spawning habitat for trout., Two cave-sourced creeks, Canfield and Forestville, also feed the Root River from within the park boundaries. These creeks help widen the river within the park and ensure that the trouts' habitat stays constantly cold., All state guidelines must be followed in regard to fishing this part of the river, including obtaining a current license with a trout stamp., Two men fishing along the Root River, 1906, Minnesota Historical Society collections., Man fishing at the source of the Root River's north branch, about 1906, Minnesota Historical Society collections., Fishing on the Root River around Forestville , The Root River has been a valuable resource for fishermen for hundreds of years. The Dakota people, the last tribe who called Forestville home before the treaties of 1851 and 1852, would set up their summer villages near water sources like the Root River, where they would hunt and fish to provide for their communities., After the town of Forestville was established, the Root River still provided a valuable source of food for the people who lived in town, and recreational fishing also became the popular pastime it remains today. According to the letters of local resident and store owner Thomas Meighen, the Minnesota Fish Commission, a predecessor to Minnesota's DNR, stocked the streams around present-day Forestville as early as 1880., Map Showing the location of trout fishing streams in SE Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.