Information on Fishing in Minnesota

Information on Fishing in Minnesota

Yearround fishing is available in Minnesota, but specific seasons have been identified concerning specific types of fishing and fish species. In general, most Minnesota speciesbased fishing begins either in midApril (stream fishing for trout), early May (walleye, sauger, northern pike, trout in lakes) or lateMay / earlyJune (largemouth and smallmouth bass, muskellunge). Catchandrelease season for smallmouth bass and trout begins in midSeptember. Winter trout fishing on Lake Superior begins in December.

Minnesota has a variety of regulations controlling aspects of fishing, ranging from periodic closures on specific dates and lakes to restrictions on certain types of fishing, such as bow fishing and gill netting, as well as tournaments. Regulations are available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.

Minnesota has a variety of lakes. Shallow, small lakes dot the farming regions in the south and feature several rough fish species. Bands and clusters of lakes of various sizes are found from MinneapolisSt. Paul, north to Duluth and Moorhead and feature popular sport fishing species. Colder and deeper deepforest lakes are in the Arrowhead region between Duluth, International Falls and Grand Marais. Deeplake fishing is found on Lake Superior. Rivers such as the Mississippi, Minnesota, Red and St. Croix feature trout fishing. Famed Minnesota sportfishing lakes include Mille Lacs, Itasca (headwaters of the Mississippi River), Leech, Minnewaska, Winnibigoshish and Rainy.

Minnesota is famed for its walleye and northern pike fishing. Other prized game fish include the muskellunge, largemouth and smallmouth bass and lake trout. Prevalent species include various varieties of trout, lake sturgeon, bluegill, lake whitefish, crappie, smelt, salmon, perch, carp, catfish and bullhead.

As with fishing in many states and regions, Minnesota's sport fish can experience a variety of diseases that limit their angling availability and edibility. These include lympho and dermal cysts and sarcomas and bass tapeworms.