Glen Schmitt

The first characteristic worth noting about Boulder Lake in St. Louis County is that the fishery really does live up to its name. Located just north of Duluth, Boulder is largely a shallow basin, but quite complex with numerous bays, points, shallow reefs, and an abundance of shallow rock.

Lake Tetonka is sure to please the multi-species angler. As part of the Cannon River system, this Le Sueur County fishery seems to hold a little bit of everything – the typical lake suspects and a wide variety of river fish species as well.

For a first-time visitor, Itasca County’s Wabana Lake could appear a bit intimidating, which is understandable. After all, it’s a large, deep body of water, consisting of numerous sunken islands, holes, bays, points, and turns – not to mention that its water is extremely clear.
While it’s a bit daunting, most of the aforementioned features are also what makes Wabana a fine fishing lake.

In a part of the state with a seemingly endless number of lakes, Otter Tail County, from a fishing standpoint, has something to offer every stripe of angler. From jumbo perch to muskies to walleyes and crappies, and from big lakes to small lakes and everything in between, there’s no shortage of options.

When you consider fishing in the Orr area, Pelican Lake usually comes to mind, and for good reason. It’s a large body of water (over 11,500 acres), with exceptional multi-species fishing opportunities. Pelican draws anglers and vacationers from across the country on a year-round basis.
But there’s a much smaller fishery just to its east that shouldn’t be overlooked. Myrtle Lake, which is almost 900 acres in size, also provides the opportunity to bag multiple species.

There’s an abundance of lakes throughout Crow Wing County that consistently produce respectable panfish. Among them are Middle Cullen and Upper Cullen, which aren’t necessarily known for kicking out huge panfish, but there certainly are plenty of them big enough for the frying pan.

If there is such a thing as the perfect fishing lake, Lake Osakis might be it. This 6,389-acre system is about as fine a multi-species lake as you’ll ever find in which to drop a line, and its abundant and diverse habitat creates an angler’s dream scenario.