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What is Ike’s Creek?
When you imagine a creek or a stream, what does it look like? Do you think of clear clean water flowing through a forest? Do you imagine the ripples it makes as it runs over logs and rocks? This picture-perfect idea is becoming a reality at Ike's Creek, a small trout stream located near the Bass Ponds Trailhead on the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. It is the only trout stream in Hennepin County and one of the few trout streams in the Twin Cities metro area with good conditions for brook trout.
At first, Ike’s Creek didn’t seem very important compared to the larger lakes and rivers found nearby. It was just a small, unnamed and mostly forgotten stream. This all changed one day in 2006 when Wildlife Biologist Vicki Sherry was preparing to give a demonstration at Bass Ponds. She noticed a stream filled with cold water and a gravel bottom—a stream that could support brook trout and would later be known as Ike’s Creek. At the time, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources found no trout living in the stream. Historical records later showed that brook trout had lived there before in the 1940s.
Brook trout are small fish related to salmon that like to live in small spring-fed streams. They are extremely sensitive fish, requiring cold water with lots of oxygen and a stream bottom made up of sand and gravel. As farms and neighborhoods continue to expand, streams that brook trout need to survive have become rarer. It has become even more important to preserve and protect them. Sherry wanted to make Ike’s Creek into a safe place for brook trout, giving these sensitive species an opportunity to thrive.
Partners and Progress
After noticing that Ike’s Creek had the right habitat to support the sensitive species, Sherry connected with local experts. One of these experts was a trout specialist from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Others were from Minnesota Trout Unlimited, a group that works to protect and restore trout habitat in Minnesota. Both agreed with Sherry’s idea and later became partners on the restoration project.
Other partners and stakeholders were later brought into the mix. This included the Minnesota Valley Trust, the Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends, the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District, the City of Bloomington, Izaak Walton League chapters and Boy Scouts. Various other local businesses, contractors, engineers and volunteers were also brought in. Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment became one of the main financial supporters of the project. Their support allowed the scale of the project to expand beyond its original vision.
Restoration Efforts
Brook trout were first introduced to Ike’s Creek in 2007. Just like everyone had hoped, they were able to reproduce on their own and haven’t needed to be stocked since. The seed of an idea was now planted and funding was secured. The next 19 years involved a lot of hard work and passion from the partners, stakeholders and Vicki Sherry, the leading force behind the project. The goal wasn’t for the brook trout to just survive in Ike’s Creek, but for them to thrive as a stable population throughout the entire stream.
When the project was first proposed, the lower part of the stream had dams and other barriers from previous owners. These prevented fish from moving between different parts of the stream, so very few fish lived in the lower section of the creek. Vicki Sherry worked with Inter-Fluve and Geomorphic Restoration of Duluth on a complete reconstruction of the lower part of the creek. This reconstruction removed the barriers, so fish could now access the entire stream. Other work was also done on the creek like repairing erosion, adding plants, removing invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species and adjusting the path of the steam.
In April 2026, this giant restoration project was finally completed and was celebrated with a ribbon cutting at the creek. Lots of the partners and people involved in the project attended and shared stories of their contributions to Ike’s Creek over the years. Not long after, a bridge was placed to reconnect the walking trail that crosses over the creek. Benches were also added to provide a nice place to sit and enjoy the scenery.
The Future of the Fish
Despite all the work that’s been done so far, the restoration process of Ike’s Creek still isn’t finished. The team at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Minnesota DNR will continue to track the health of the stream and the fish. They will see what the long-term effects of the restoration projects are and see what future restoration projects might be needed.
Although it seems like the trout are doing well, they still need time and protection. If you’ve ever lived or worked in a place while it was under construction, you probably know how difficult it is. It's hard to get settled in and get things done while machines are making noise and the walls are torn apart. With all the restoration projects, the trout in Ike’s Creek haven’t had much time to settle into their home. On top of this, brook trout are very sensitive fish. Any extra stress right now could weaken or kill them, making them a very sensitive population.
Things that can hurt a sensitive population like this include pollution, predators, and other human activity. The stream is cold and clean, but they are in danger from predators. Some of their predators include herons, otters and snapping turtles, but their biggest predator is humans. Human activity such as fishing or harvesting plants hurts the brook trout and is one of the biggest worries about the future of the stream. Fishing at this critical time will reduce the number of trout overall and make it more likely for the population to crash. Plants provide cover and safe places for their young to hide. Because of this, harvesting plants like watercress makes their young more likely to get eaten.
Even though there is still a lot of work to be done in the future, Ike’s Creek is a beautiful place of nature that should be shared and appreciated. We invite visitors to take a stroll across the bridge or sit by the stream. Enjoy listening to the flowing water, watching the plants and animals grow and discovering the peacefulness of nature.
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