Good fishing can be had in lakes throughout Minnesota, but the bodies of water in the central part of the state tend to be the most productive fisheries for multiple fish species. Some of the state's best-known lakes, like Mille Lacs, are located in central Minnesota, but there are far more lakes that aren't as well know that still offer tremendous fishing.
Features
The types of lakes in Minnesota are different depending on where you are at. On the two extremes are lakes in the north---which tend to be clear and deep, without much vegetation---and lakes in the south---which tend to be shallow and warm with heavy vegetation. In the middle are the lakes in the central part of the state. They are not as clear and cool as the northern lakes, and not as warm and turbid as the southern lakes. As a result, they are home to a wide variety of fish species, including some that prefer cool water, like walleyes and trout, and some that prefer warm water, like bass and muskies.
Lake Mille Lacs
The most notable lake in central Minnesota is Lake Mille Lacs, which covers more than 100,000 acres and is a prime destination for muskie, smallmouth bass and walleye fishermen. Muskie anglers target the lake's abundant vegetation and reefs, while walleye anglers tend to focus on the huge flats and reefs toward the middle of the lake. Smallmouth bass fish on Mille Lacs is very good, and anglers target these hard-fighting fish anywhere they can find rocks.
Small Lakes
There are many small bodies of water scattered throughout central Minnesota that offer good fishing. On these small lakes, anglers can find good fishing for bass, crappies, sunfish and walleyes. One of the best ways to locate these small lakes, which often receive far less fishing pressure than the state's large lakes, is to use the Lake Finder function on the website of the state Department of Natural Resources. You can type in the name of a lake and retrieve a variety of information, including about the locations of public accesses and the status of fish populations,
Panfish
Some of the best crappie and sunfish fishing in the state can be had in central Minnesota. Focus your efforts around boat docks---which hold crappies in the spring and sunfish throughout the year---and around vegetation. Larger crappies and sunfish tend to be around the edges of deep vegetation, while smaller fish are in shallow water. If you have a child to take fishing, hook a small leech on a hook and fish it below a bobber. Casting the rig around docks can keep you busy all day.
Fishing Regulations
Regulations limit the number of fish you can harvest from lakes in central Minnesota. In general, each day you can keep 20 sunfish, 10 crappies, six walleyes, six bass, three northern pike and one muskie. However, some lakes in the central part of the state have special regulations that further limit the number of fish you can catch a keep. On Lake Mille Lacs, for example, the daily walleye limit is four. For a comprehensive list of those lakes, check the Minnesota fishing regulations book.
References
- Minnesota DNR: Regional Fishing Outlooks
- Brainerd Area & Aitkin County Fishing Map Guide; Jim Billig; 2004
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