Glen Schmitt

While walleyes are the primary target in Benton, yellow perch are a close second. They provide high numbers of good-sized fish, which have been a staple in the lake for years as well. 

[timed-content-server hide=”2020-02-19 00:00 America/Chicago”] [/timed-content-server] Low density but high quality fisheries dominate Irving   By Glen Schmitt Staff Writer   Lake Irving is a part of the highly regarded Mississippi River system that runs right through the city of Bemidji. It’s a well connected waterway that includes Lake Bemidji, Lake Marquette, Lake Plantagenet, and the

Rice’s ability to provide excellent walleye fishing is one of its finest attributes. Annual walleye stocking and adequate natural reproduction combine to maintain a robust walleye population.

By most accounts, Sugar Lake near Remer is your typical Cass County bass and panfish lake. Its crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass populations are strong in numbers and feature some quality fish as well.

Upper Mission offers more depth and structure than its neighbor to the south, while Lower Mission has more vegetation and shallower water. Both are known for producing crappies and bluegills, as well as plentiful and quality northern pike. There are some walleyes and bass to be had, too, but they seem to take a backseat to the lakes’ panfish and pike.

Crooked Lake receives minimal fishing pressure throughout the entire year. But it does have a decent walleye population and enough good-sized crappies and bluegills to make a small-boat outing during the open-water season worth the trip.

Buffalo is big enough and healthy enough that it seems to handle a high load of fishing pressure just fine. Walleyes draw the most attention, but black crappies are a close second and both provide excellent year-round fish-catching opportunities.