The Straight River is a tributary of the Fish Hook River, 23 mi long, in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Via the Fish Hook, Shell, and Crow Wing Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of approximately 60 mi2 in a rural region. The river is known as one of Minnesota's best trout fishing streams. The river's name is a translation of the Ojibwe name for Straight Lake, through which the river flows near its source.

Geography

The Straight River rises in the White Earth Indian Reservation and Two Inlets State Forest, approximately 6 mi northeast of Pine Point in Pine Point Township in northeastern Becker County. It flows initially southeastwardly, passing through Straight Lake, then east-southeastwardly into southwestern Hubbard County. It flows into the Fish Hook River in Hubbard Township, approximately 4 mi south of Park Rapids. The river flows in the Northern Lakes and Forests ecoregion, which is characterized by conifer and hardwood forests on flat and rolling till plains and outwash plains. The Straight River is fed by springs which provide water cold enough to support an abundant trout population, and is known in sport fishing for catches of brown trout exceeding 20 in in length. The river formerly supported a population of brook trout which declined due to rising water temperatures. In the early 1990s a group of organizations including Trout Unlimited sued the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, seeking heightened protection of the Straight River; the department has since begun scrutinizing the irrigation activities of agricultural operations in the river's watershed, which may threaten the springs feeding cold water to the river.

Flow rate

At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge in Straight River Township near Park Rapids, the annual mean flow of the river between 1987 and 2005 was 60.8 ft3 per second. The highest recorded flow during the period was 149 ft3 per second on April 6, 1997. The lowest recorded flow was 21 ft3 per second on November 23, 2003.