FISHING MINNESOTA
There is a lot about Minnesota Fishing that needs improvement, but it is only fair to also tell you that what is wrong is small in comparison to what is right with Minnesota.
Minnesota is the 12th largest state among the 50 states that makeup the United States of America. Minnesota is 400 mile long (north to south) and is 200 to 350 miles wide (east to west) depending where in the state you are at moment. Minnesota’s vehicle license plates say “Land of 10,000 Lake”. Truth is that there are approximately 15,453 lakes in Minnesota, and over 9,000 miles of streams and rivers. The total area covers 86,943 sq miles, and we are bordered by Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Manitoba & Ontario (Canada): and share common water systems with all these states and providences.
The best fishing is on weekdays, which are not part of any National Holiday Weekend. Most lakes and streams in Minnesota are void of anglers, or those who use the water for zooming around on jets skis or other motorize vessels. I can go fishing on any lake surround by homes while everyone is at work. I enjoy great Largemouth Bass fishing, paddling around the lake in my “WaterSkeeter Poontube”, casting my 7 weight South Bend Split Cane. The lake is only 5 miles from my house. We have city parks where there is great fishing and there are no motor vessels allowed. In the Twin Cites Metro Area, there of so many lakes, rivers, and streams to fish, you might just was the whole day trying to decide where to go. I live in White Bear Lake (MN),and in a 12 mile radius from my house; there are over 50 lakes to fish, and three rivers. Most of Minnesota is the same; over 10% of our state is water. I even have a pond to fishing on that is just across the street from my house. Now isn’t that convenient?
Over in Minneapolis you can be fishing on Lake Harriet while listening to a Minnesota Orchestra playing classical music warning up for that night’s public concert.
Lake Minnetonka (14,528-acre) consists of endless bays to fish when the wind is strong. It is SW area of the Twin Cities, and has yellow perch, sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, and muskellunge (or muskies). According to a popular legend, a sturgeon in excess of 10 feet (3 m) in length has been sighted on more than one occasion in the lake. These sightings have persisted over the last 30 years. The sturgeon is often referred to as "Lou."
The water from Lake Minnetonka flows into Minnehaha Creek, and over Minnehaha Falls made famous in the famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in the epic poem “Song of Hiawatha”.
Go fishing, take in a Minnesota Twins game in their new outdoor park, or visit the “Mall of America” (more people travel to the Mall of America than go to Disney World). Visit historic Fort Snelling on the limestone bluffs above the confluence of the Mississippi & Minnesota River. It is fully restored, and is the first federal fort built west of the Mississippi River. The State Capitol in Saint Paul (MN) has the world largest marble dome, and is open to the public. Downtown Saint Paul has famous statues and parks. Inside the Saint Paul Courthouse there is a three story tall Mexican onyx statue that rotates throughout the day in the Hall of Honor with the names of all the Saint Paul soldiers who died in WWI. Saint Paul has Conservatory at Como Park with year round display of exotic plants; the park also has a free zoo. There is the Minnesota State Zoo in Apple Valley (part of the Twin Cites) with rare animal species in natural habitat enclosures. Some are on view indoor and other are on view outdoors. So when you are not fishing there is plenty else to see and do.
Alexandria (MN) is north of the Twin Cities, and it is a hot spot for fishing. Sometime I think that the majority of the area is more lakes than land. You can fish for sunfish, perch, crappies, largemouth bass, walleye, and northern pike.
Some of our larger lakes have water depths of over 80 feet that are stocked by the Minnesota DNR, with Lake Trout and Splats.
Minnesota has so many rivers and streams to fish, and many of them have trout (brook, rainbow, brown), especially the seven counties in SE Minnesota, that have coulee valleys with limestone streams that have 55 degree water temperature year round.
The other rivers and stream have warm water game fish (pike, pickerel, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass) Lake Mille Lacs is consider the “Walleye Capitol of the World, and is 207 square miles in area. Other big Lakes in Minnesota include Upper & Lower Red Lake, Lake Vermillion, Leech Lake, and Lake Winnibigoshish. All are great fishing destinations. I cannot forget to mention “Lake of the Woods up by International Falls (MN), famous in the winter as the Icebox of the United States!
Minnesota also has many State Parks that have excellent fishing (some have trout). Some of the smaller State Parks have restrictions on the smaller lake, prohibiting motor power vessels, so you can fish in a row boat or canoe, in pristine quiet solitude.
In SE Minnesota there are seven counties that are on both sides of Interstate 90, that have deep cool shaded coulee valleys and limestone trout streams, where the water is always 55 degree F. Most people drive right on by, heading out to Montana or Idaho to go fly fishing for trout.
The National Park Service is responsible for the Voyageurs National Park in Northern Minnesota, which is a few miles from the west of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW. They are responsible for the St. Croix River (11 miles from my home) that forms the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin (Federal Wild Water and Scenic River Act). The St. Croix north of Taylor’s Falls (MN) & St Croix (WI) are some of the most pristine waters in the mid continental United States, and all land on both side of the river here, is State Park, State Forest or Wildlife Management Areas. Good fishing, some white water areas, as well as camping areas, and local towns for supplies, lodging and refreshments.
Lake Itasca, near Park Rapids (MN) is the source of the Mississippi River, and as the water leaves the lake there are stepping stones for you to walk across the Mississippi. There is very good fishing on Lake Itasca, which is located inside Itasca State Park. The Park also has 400 year old Red Pine and White Pine trees. Just to the south of Park Rapids is the Straight River which is famous for its Brown Trout.
The North Shore of Lake Superior, from Duluth to the Canadian Border, along Highway 61, has beautiful scenery of the World’s Largest Freshwater Lake, as well as amply opportunities for fishing for trout. Every stream that enters along the cascading streams and rivers along the North Shore is a trout stream.
Cities on the Lake Superior, such as Grand Marais and Two Harbors have lodging, restaurants and anything else you need. Where else in the world can you order a Lutefisk pizza at Sven & Ole’s Pizza or chow down on Freshwater Herring Fish & Chips?
If you want to go inland from the lake, there is the “Gunflint Trail” (more lakes with trout) that goes all the way to Ely, which is also a gateway city into the BWCAW and the home town of Sigrid Olson, who wrote “The Singing Wilderness” and is credited for the creation of the BWCAW. [Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness]
BWCAW is 1 million acres of wilderness bordering on Canada’s Quetico Park which has another million acres of wilderness. It even has a Customs Station inside the wilderness so you can cross from or to Canada without leaving the wilderness. Did I tell mention the bronze-back smallmouth, lake trout, and northern pike? These are waters are not heavily fished, the water are sterile because the bottoms of the lakes are flint rock which contain taconite ore which is crush at Silver Bay into iron ore. Under the BWCAW, is also the largest deposit of Copper/Nickel in the USA! And it cannot be mined.
Then there are the two enormous State Forests in Northern Minnesota with even more rivers, streams and lakes to fish if you are not into the wilderness canoeing thing. There are plenty of Forest Roads to travel on to remote lakes, where fish do not remember what a hook is. So come to Minnesota, there is so much to do, and so many places to go fishing! ~Parnelli
PS: We have casinos all over the state on Native American Reservations!