Minnesota DNR offers regional look at 2025 fishing opener — and beyond

Anglers looking for local fishing information before Saturday’s fishing opener can 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 walleyes on many lakes,” said Brian Nerbonne, central region fisheries manager. “We encourage folks to get out and enjoy some early-season walleye fishing. And you can always try catching other in-season fish if the walleye action is slow where you’re fishing on opener.”

Back bays of lakes are great for finding abundant bluegills and crappies. The bass catch-and-release season begins in most of the state May 10 and provides additional opportunity. Northern pike are almost always willing to bite.

The regional fishing outlooks include details about waters throughout each region and can be found on the Minnesota DNR website.

Here are samples from each region regarding fishing prospects.

Northwest Region

Bemidji area: Anglers should have good luck targeting their favorite opener lakes. Shallower lakes such as Blackduck and Pike Bay are popular choices for area anglers around fishing opener because they are warmer and often have more active fish than do deeper lakes.

Deeper lakes such as Big Turtle, Turtle River, Plantagenet, Bemidji, Big Wolf, Big Lake, and Lake Andrusia, may start slow but are excellent choices with their healthy walleye populations.

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Detroit Lakes area: Walleyes should remain shallow and be found around traditional spottail shiner runs. As such, most bait shops in northern Minnesota should be stocked with this popular bait.

The lack of significant snow cover for most of the winter suggests aquatic vegetation growth should also be ahead of schedule. Anglers may be surprised to find significant vegetation growing on shallow flats that traditionally had little to no new vegetation on the fishing opener.

Traditional walleye lakes in the Detroit Lakes area that continue to have strong walleye populations include Sallie, Detroit, Maple, White Earth, and Many Point. Recent lake surveys on Many Point and Maple recorded the second-highest catch rates for walleyes since surveys began on those lakes.

Fergus Falls area: Small, shallow lakes are usually popular for the opener because the water temperatures will be higher and the fish more active.

Some traditional favorites for the opener include Walker, Anna, South Ten Mile, Orwell, Wall, and Fish lakes. Some larger, deeper lakes that presently have strong year-classes of harvestable walleyes include Pelican, Star, Dead, Clitherall, Otter Tail, and the Pine.

Glenwood area: A recent addition to the Glenwood area is the opportunity to fish for trout in Spruce Creek, northeast of Alexandria.

Since 2019, catchable-size trout have been stocked annually into Spruce Creek by the Viking Sportsmen club and the DNR. Shore-fishing is available in Spruce Hill County Park. In 2024, more than 2,600 rainbow trout were stocked into Spruce Creek.

Park Rapids area: Early-season lakes in the Park Rapids area to target walleyes include Fish Hook, Eagle, Island, and the Potato chain.

As the season progresses, other lakes such as Big Sand, Eleventh Crow Wing, Kabekona, Long, and Upper and Lower Bottles are the go-to lakes for anglers.

Walker area: Based on assessments completed in 2024, quality populations of walleyes can be found in Woman, Little Boy, Wabedo, Leech, Inguadona, and Ten Mile lakes.

These lakes produced decent catches of walleye ranging from 9 to 28 inches, with quality size structure and ample fish measuring between 16 and 18 inches.

Northeast Region

Duluth area: The St. Louis River Estuary provides exceptional fishing opportunities for walleyes and other species such as muskellunge, smallmouth bass, black crappies, and channel catfish.

The 2018 and 2019 walleye year-classes are both strong, and most of these fish are currently 16 to 20 inches long.

Aitkin area: Some lakes in the area with decent walleye populations include Farm Island, Big Sandy, Minnewawa, Round (west of Palisade), Esquagamah, Round (north of Garrison), Ripple, and Cedar (near Aitkin) lakes.

The dark water of Big Sandy and Esquagamah are usually the first to warm in comparison to the clearer waters of Cedar, Round, and Farm Island, sometimes resulting in a better early-season bite.

Finland area: The Finland area supports good stream-fishing opportunities for resident brook trout. Fishing in streams usually starts to pick up after the spring run-off period when the water temperature approaches 50 degrees.

Popular options for inland brook trout fishing in the area include the Caribou, Manitou, and Little Isabella rivers.

Tower area: On Lake Vermilion, excellent walleye year-classes produced in 2018 and 2021 should provide anglers an opportunity to catch fish across a wide range of sizes. However, abundance is down slightly from recent years.

Brainerd area: The timing of spring in the Brainerd lakes area seems to be about average, and with more than 400 lakes and several rivers and streams, this area has lots of quality angling opportunities.

Best bets for walleye fishing are the largest of the area’s lakes – Gull, Pelican, North Long, Edward, Round, and Whitefish lakes. Good year-classes of walleyes are present.

Grand Marais area: Lake trout fishing in relatively shallow water should be excellent for the opener due to late ice-out.

For anglers looking to target stocked rainbow trout lakes, try Birch, Esther, Kimball, Mayhew, Mink, Pine (i.e. Trestle Pine), Thompson, Trout, and Leo lakes.

International Falls area: Kabetogama Lake usually becomes ice-free about a week before Rainy Lake, and it warms more quickly because it is smaller and not as deep.

The earlier warmup often results in good early-season success for walleye anglers. Much of Kabetogama’s shoreline provides excellent walleye-spawning habitat so the fish are well distributed.

Grand Rapids area: With early ice-out, some lakes could be a little ahead of schedule this year in terms of where the fish will be in their seasonal progression.

Some lakes to consider are Winnibigoshish, Cut Foot Sioux, Island, Split Hand, and Round.

Central Region

Little Falls area: The connected waters of Little Rock Lake and the Mississippi River comprise about 3,000 acres of navigable water in which you’ll find naturally reproducing walleyes, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, northern pike, black crappies, and bluegills.

Recent efforts to improve fish habitat and water quality, including a short-term drawdown of Little Rock Lake in 2019, is having some benefit from a fishery perspective.

St. Cloud area: Buffalo Lake is a top option. This 1,552-acre lake is located within the city limits of Buffalo, in central Wright County. The lake is a popular destination for angling, and walleye fishing in Buffalo Lake has seen a significant surge in popularity.

Walleye catch rates in a 2024 lake survey were the highest on record.

West Metro area: An excellent option here is Lake Waconia. This 3,080-acre lake is located north of the city of Waconia in central Carver County. Waconia is primarily managed for walleyes (special regulation: 16-inch minimum length) and muskellunge (muskie angling does not open until June 7).

East Metro area: Bald Eagle, Big Marine, and White Bear lakes are all good multi-species options for the opener. In addition, Bone (221 acres in Washington County) and Owasso (375 acres in Ramsey County) offer good walleye and pike fishing in a smaller lake setting.

Hinckley area: In Chisago County, the Chisago chain of lakes (South Center, North Center, South Lindstrom, and Chisago) have had good numbers of walleyes in recent surveys.

East and West Rush lakes are good bets for walleyes and northern pike, as well as good numbers and sizes of crappies and sunfish.

Southeast Minnesota: Pepin/Pool 4: The 2025 outlook for walleye and sauger anglers is good. Remnants of four strong year-classes should provide larger fish for anglers, although those species are down slightly in numbers from recent peaks.

Southern Region

Hutchinson area: Walleye angling should continue to be good to excellent on Belle, Marion, Jennie, Allie and Preston, Big Swan, Washington, Minnie-Belle, Hanska, and the Minnesota River.

Pike anglers will find large fish at Minnie-Belle, Stella, and Erie, with chances at eaters at Collinwood, Star, Round, Jennie, Ripley, and Betty.

Ortonville area: Popular lakes include Artichoke, Big Stone, Hendricks, Lac qui Parle, and Traverse. The Minnesota River and many smaller lakes and rivers provide numerous additional angling opportunities.

Due to the shallow, productive nature of these water bodies, fish grow fast, and quality populations of yellow perch, walleyes, crappies, and white bass are common.

Spicer area: Lakes where recent (i.e., within two years) fisheries surveys show current excellent populations of walleyes include Diamond (30 per gill net), Florida (13 per gill net), Green (10 per gill net), Koronis (27 per gill net), Norway (9 per gill net), and Rice (14 per gill net).

Popular early-season shallow and warmer lakes such as Big Kandiyohi, Ringo, Willmar/Foot, Long (near Willmar), Minnetaga and Wakanda all have quality walleye populations supported by annual fry stocking.

Waterville area: Traditional Mankato-area favorites Madison Lake and Lake Washington have healthy walleye populations, as do Lake Tetonka and Fox Lake. Overlooked options may include Fountain Lake and Clear Lake in Waseca County.

Be aware that many small, shallow lakes used as walleye-rearing ponds experienced winterkill in 2022-23 and may not provide optimal fishing until fall or winter this year. Lakes that had winterkill include Lake Henry, Lake Elysian, Eagle Lake, Cody Lake, and potentially others.

Windom area: The premiere lake for walleye fishing in the Windom area is Lake Sarah. Angling should be good for young walleye less than 16 inches and mid-size older walleyes in the 20- to 25-inch range. A strong 2023 year-class of walleyes currently dominates the fishery, with many 13- to 15-inch fish present.

Regionally, the 2023 year-class of walleyes was excellent, with many fish in Lake Shetek, Lake Benton, Lake Okabena, Talcot Lake, Big Twin Lake, and other lakes throughout southwestern Minnesota.