Minnesota Fishing

Regional fishing outlooks available 

Looking for local fishing information before fishing opener? Check the regional fishing outlooks from the Minnesota DNR! The outlooks provide details about fishing opportunities and conditions in various areas of the state, including for specific lakes, rivers and streams.

Based on reports from across the state, we’re seeing continued good year classes of walleye on many lakes. So it’s a great time to get out and enjoy some early season walleye fishing once the season opens Saturday, May 10. And you can always try for other fish if the walleye action is slow where you’re fishing on opener.

Back bays of lakes are great for finding abundant bluegill and crappie. The bass catch-and-release season begins in most of the state on May 10, and provides additional opportunity. Northern pike are almost always willing to bite, and there are all kinds of other native species out there like sucker species, freshwater drum and others that can provide a lot of action and good food fare. 

“His biggest pike ever!!!” photo courtesy of Joan Martineau

Fishing opener is almost here!

Some reminders to prepare for this weekend:

Your fishing license
Buy fishing licenses at any DNR license agent, online with a mobile or desktop device at mndnr.gov/buyalicense, or by phone at 888-665-4236. Online buyers receive a text or email that serves as proof of a valid license to state conservation officers.

Clean In Clean Out
Clean In Clean Out when boating or fishing in Minnesota. Protect your waters by following state aquatic invasive species laws. Clean, drain, dispose and keep all plugs out while transporting boats.

Fish consumption guidance
Find fish consumption guidance on the Minnesota Department of Health website. Anglers should check for site-specific advice that pertains to the water they’re fishing. If eating fish from a variety of waters or a specific water isn’t listed, anglers should follow the statewide guidelines. 

Safety must be the priority around cold water
Cold water is dangerous and unexpected falls can quickly turn tragic. The most effective way to survive a fall into cold water is to wear a life jacket and make sure the jacket is buckled or zipped.

Check for seasonal fishing closures

To protect spawning fish, the DNR closes certain portions of some Minnesota waters. The closings are routine and based on local conditions and listed on the DNR website.

Find your lake and get the regulations

The Minnesota DNR has a fishing page to help answer angler questions. From the page, you can get to LakeFinder, electronic regulations booklets and much more.

Regulations booklets are available in English, Hmong, Karen, Somali and Spanish. English regulations booklets are also available in print where DNR licenses are sold, and translated versions are available in locations where they are most likely to be in demand, including at select DNR offices, license vendors and some Minnesota state parks.

“Gabe’s first walleye!!” photo courtesy of Chuck Holden

Minnesota moms: Join the Mother’s Day weekend fishing challenge

Moms who live in Minnesota are invited to join a free virtual fishing challenge during Take a Mom Fishing Weekend Saturday, May 10, through Sunday, May 11, when Minnesota moms can fish without purchasing a fishing license.

To participate in the challenge, moms simply need to join the 2025 Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge Facebook group and submit one photo of each fish they catch on May 10-11. Everyone who participates will be entered in a random drawing for more than 100 prizes provided by the Student Angler Organization and their partners, including SCHEELS, Lund, Sparkle Stick USA and Onyx Outdoors.  

There are two pre-challenge webinars hosted by Women Anglers of Minnesota at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6, (Trout Fishing 101) and Thursday, May 8, (Shore and Lake Fishing 101). They will be hosted in the Facebook group and are free to all participating moms.

More information about the challenge is available on the DNR website.

Record lake trout caught and released!

The lake trout catch-and-release record has been broken! Isaiah Bartlett of Culver, MN, reeled in this 43.25-inch lake trout from Lake Superior in March. The fish surpassed the previous record by just 3/4 of an inch. Congratulations to Isaiah on one whopper of a fish!

As a reminder, in 2024 we made changes to the state record fish program, adding more species to the catch-and-release category, and re-opening some records within the certified weight category. Want to claim a record? Check out the program and requirements before you head out fishing.

Anglers pay for conservation

When you purchase a fishing license, the money goes into the Game and Fish Fund, a dedicated account that can only be used for fish, wildlife, law enforcement and certain other outdoor-related activities. Anglers make critical contributions to conservation! So how many anglers are we talking about?

• About 500,000 people are expected to fish on Saturday, May 10, Minnesota’s opening day of the walleye, northern pike, bass and trout-in-lakes season in 2025.
• 1.1 million Minnesota fishing licenses were sold in 2024.
• $5.9 billion dollars was the total that Minnesota anglers spent on angling related expenses in 2022 (for example, angling trips, equipment and licenses), and $3,600 was the average annual expenditures per angler in the state, according to the most recent National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and others. 

Check out how the Minnesota DNR puts your license dollars to work, as well as a copy of the USFWS report, on the DNR’s license dollars at work webpage.

Anglers in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, photo courtesy of Heather Bergan

Talking all about fish hatcheries

Interested in fish hatcheries? Check out our webinar on Wednesday, May 7, when Genevieve Furtner, DNR St. Paul fish hatchery supervisor, talks about fish production and offers a virtual tour of the St. Paul hatchery. You’ll be able to learn more about the important role hatcheries play in fisheries management.

The webinar is part of the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series. The webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.