Glen Schmitt

If you head north on Highway 53 out of Orr for about 12 miles, you’ll drive right along the northeast corner of Ash Lake. Most anglers tend to drive right past Ash, putting it in the rearview mirror as they continue on to more noted fisheries such as Kabetogama, Rainy, Namakan, and Sand Point within Voyageurs National Park.

Connected by Jack Creek, both bodies of water provide solid year-round fishing opportunities. Walleyes and crappies are the primary focus of most folks on this pair of lakes, while northern pike and channel catfish garner interest to a lesser extent..

Wright County’s Sugar Lake was designated for muskie management in 1967. That original introduction of the species has provided decades of solid muskie-fishing opportunities, not to mention the fact that Sugar is the only lake in the immediate area that has muskies in it.
But before we dive into the current status of Sugar’s muskie population, it would be wrong not to first look at Sugar’s lengthy history of crappie production, which continues today.

Crappies and bass tend to draw the most attention among anglers who frequent Clitherall. Largemouth bass are abundant, while its smallmouth bass and walleye numbers are decent.

Some of the best fishing lakes, or spots within them, are often well-kept secrets. Others, such as Big Birch Lake in Todd County, are widely known and fished hard, yet they somehow remain prolific fisheries.
Big Birch consists of two basins totaling 1,207 acres, and it’s loaded with an abundance of structure that holds a wide range of fish species. Words such as consistent, productive, and diverse are typically used to describe this west-central Minnesota fishery.

At more than 2,400 acres, Lake Washington is the largest fishery in Meeker County. It’s long been known as one of the better overall fishing lakes in this area, with a reputation that entails years of consistent walleye catches and decent panfish fishing opportunities.

Sea Gull Lake is located at the end of the Gunflint Trail in the heart of Minnesota’s canoe country. This 3,958-acre Cook County fishery, and its Canadian Shield-like setting, is well known for providing excellent lake trout and walleye fishing opportunities.

Wright County’s Howard Lake is like many fisheries in this area of central Minnesota, which means it holds healthy populations of largemouth bass and panfish. While less abundant, there are enough quality walleyes and northern pike to draw the attention of local anglers as well.

Lake Okabena is located smack dab in the middle of Worthington in Nobles County. It’s one of only a few lakes in this stretch of southern Minnesota, and certainly it’s one of the best as far as providing exceptional fishing opportunities.
At 776 acres, it’s a good-sized fishery that’s surrounded by an abundance of city property, which provides solid shore-fishing opportunities.