There is an abundance of fishing spots in Minnesota, given that the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, has more than 3.8 million acres of fishable waters. Anglers can find a multitude of spots to fish, no matter what type of fish they are pursuing. Walleyes are the most heavily pursued fish, but many anglers also target bass, crappies, muskies, northern pike and sunfish.
Significance
Fishing is an important outdoor activity in Minnesota. According to the state DNR, per capita, more people buy fishing licenses in Minnesota than any other state. Once they buy a license--a total of nearly 1.4 million were sold in 2009--anglers spread out. There are 5,493 lakes in which anglers can fish, and 158 different fish species. While anglers target only a handful of those fish species, they do it on a wide variety of waters.
Deep Weedlines
While Minnesota's main game fish species--bass, crappies, muskies, northern pike, sunfish and walleyes--all can be found in different areas during the spring, many fish of each species move to deep weedlines during the warm-water months. The most common types of vegetation that make up weedlines in Minnesota are cabbage and coontail, but the depths at which they occur depend on the clarity of the water, since vegetation can only grow where sunlight can penetrate to the bottom. If you want to catch a variety of fish species from deep weedlines, choose a mushroom-head jig that weighs between 1/8 of an ounce and 1/4 of an ounce, and tip it with a 4- to 7-inch plastic worm. Vary your retrieve until you start catching fish. One of the most productive retrieves is to cast the lure out and let it sink to the bottom, then bring it back to the boat in short hops.
Lakes
Some lakes in Minnesota are known nationally and internationally as good fishing spots. Some of the best include Lake of the Woods, which is on the Canadian border; Upper Red Lake in the northwest; Winnibigoshish and Vermilion in the northeast; Leech and Mille Lacs in the central part of the state; and Minnetonka in the Twin Cities metro area. Minnetonka is especially well known for the quality of its bass fishing, while the other lakes are known as walleye factories. However, each of the lakes affords quality fishing opportunities for a wide variety of fish species.
Misconceptions
While a handful of lakes are well-known, there are thousands of waters in Minnesota that produce good fishing. These lakes are often smaller--a few hundred or thousand acres--and receive less fishing pressure. One of the best ways to learn which small lakes have good fish populations is to log on to the DNR website and use the "Lake Finder" function. By typing in the name of the lake, you can learn about the fish community in the lake, the maximum depth and dominant bottom type, and the location of public accesses.
Regulations
If you fish in Minnesota, you must purchase a fishing license. There are a variety of license options, including some that last for up to 14 months. Additionally, there are statewide limits on the number of any particular fish species you can keep each day. Some lakes have stricter limits than the statewide limits, so check the Minnesota Fishing Regulations booklet to make sure you don't accidentally keep too many fish and violate the law.
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