Glen Schmitt

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.

Before taking a look at the current status of Bad Medicine Lake in Becker County, it’s important to look at its unique past.
Bad Medicine is a 4-mile-long, narrow fishery that lies within the White Earth Indian Reservation. Its clear water and steep shoreline slopes have been the backdrops for some pretty interesting stories through the years.

Even though Big Marine Lake is located in the heart of the Twin Cities east metro, its physical features might give you that “up-north” feel.

Otter Tail County’s Stalker Lake is loaded with submerged vegetation, bulrushes, and wild rice stands, all of which provide ideal spawning and fish-holding habitat for its largemouth bass and panfish.

There’s a long history of panfish, bass, and pike fishing on Spring Lake in Scott County. But during the past decade or so, one could argue that its walleye-catching opportunities have become its calling card.

There’s an interesting and mostly undeveloped lake tucked deep into the Chippewa National Forest where, despite some solid angling opportunities, fishing pressure is usually on the lighter side.

There aren’t many public lakes in south-central Polk County, so anglers take what they can get in the immediate area. They have it pretty good with Union Lake.

The lake has not been stocked with walleyes since 2008, but its walleyes are plentiful. It’s a population fueled entirely by natural reproduction and aided by years of designated size regulations, including the current framework, which requires that all walleyes from 20 to 24 inches be released.