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Minnesota waters, fish ready for May 9 walleye opener

North, east, west or south - no matter which way you cast, you’re bound to hook something in Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.

While there’s plenty of good sized fish to be caught when folks head out to White Bear Lake on May 9 for the 2009 Governor’s Fishing Opener, the rest of Minnesota has a wide variety of other quality angling opportunities mixed in among its many other attractions.

Minnesota offers a lot of lakes and a lot of fish but remember - late-season snow and cold temperatures may mean the ice won’t be out on some lakes in the far north. Before heading out, call ahead to make sure lakes and boat accesses are open.

Fishing tips from around the state:

Northeastern Minnesota

Rainy Lake:  One of the most majestic, pristine, lake country areas in North America. Walleye catch rates should remain high for 2009, with plenty of large fish protected by the slot limit available for anglers and large numbers of smaller fish growing into harvestable size. There also are great opportunities to land black crappies and some trophy-sized northern pike.
Lake Kabetogama: Expect a lot of walleye in the 12- to 14-inch range. The slot limit in place should provide some opportunity to land larger walleye. Northern, some of trophy size, also are a good bet. And don’t forget sauger - a cousin to the walleye. Many should be in the 12- to 17-inch range.
Lake Vermillion: A lot of fish and a lot of water at this 40,000 acre lake just north of Tower that stretches 40 miles across the heart of Minnesota’s arrowhead region. With 365 islands and 1,200 miles of shoreline, there’s plenty of room for fish - and anglers - to spread out.
Lake Winnibigoshish: Plenty of pan-sized walleye should be available in Minnesota’s fifth-largest lake. Enjoy the scenery, too, because 95 percent of this lake’s 67 miles of shoreline are undeveloped. Don’t be afraid to troll for a few northern - they’re abundant and some larger fish are there. Yellow perch have increased in numbers in recent years, creating another good choice for early season anglers. Kids (and lots of adults) enjoy catching crappies and bluegills. You’ll find them on Cut Foot and Little Cut Foot lakes.
North Shore: There’s still ice on many lakes so open-water fishing might be a stretch and accesses may be in rough shape. Lakes farther west of Lake Superior tend to open faster than inland lakes closer to the big lake. If your lake is open, remember that you’ll have better early-season luck in warmer, shallower water.
Duluth: Don’t be afraid to fish during the day and enjoy Duluth at night. Walleye of harvestable size are making a comeback but may be a bit hard to catch in the St. Louis River, Island Reservoir and Boulder Reservoir. Northern pike, black crappie and channel catfish all offer good choices for early-season anglers.

North-central Minnesota
Mille Lacs Lake: At 132,500 acres, Minnesota’s second-largest lake offers 132,500 acres to find walleye, northern pike, perch and tullibee. Water levels are expected to be up this spring and the walleye bite, thanks to some up and coming larger fish, should provide some good action.

Big Sandy Lake: The very dark water of Big Sandy, north of McGregor, warms rather quickly compared to the area’s other clear water lakes. It makes Big Sandy one of the best bets for early-season walleye anglers.
Gull Lake: Early morning and evening is the time to go after walleye and northern pike on Gull. Mix in a light to moderate chop and mostly overcast conditions and you’re shore lunch will be a success. Northern pike are abundant, and there’s a good opportunity to land a 30-plus incher.
North Long, Pelican, and Whitefish lakes: Each has abundant walleye populations with several size classes available for anglers. Northern pike are present in good numbers with small to average size. No special regulations are in effect on any of these lakes.
Goodrich, Rogers, Sylvan and Gilbert lakes: If you’re worried about sitting in the boat all day waiting for that walleye bite, try these lakes for some excellent bluegill and crappie action. Don’t be scared away by the five-fish limit on bluegill and crappie. Fish in the 8-9 inch range are common.
Leech Lake: Anglers found tremendous success on this lake in 2008 and more of the same is expected in 2009. There’s a four-fish limit and an 18-26 inch slot limit in place but the walleye bite frequently and many of them exceed 18 inches. Northern pike are abundant and perch up to 13 inches are common. Anglers who ask a few questions also will find good-sized crappie and bluegill.
Island, Eagle and Potato lakes: These Park Rapids area lakes, interconnected by the Fish Hook River, may be the best bet for opening day anglers. The lakes are shallower than the larger area lakes and the river often creates an earlier ice-out. Small- and medium-size boats can move easily between all three lakes. Each lake has good numbers of walleye, northern, black crappie and bluegill, offering anglers multiple fishing options.

Northwestern Minnesota

Lake Of The Woods: The lake’s tradition of trophy-sized walleye is expected to continue in 2009. Walleye abundance has dropped, but fish ranging from 13- to 19-inches should remain fairly prevalent as anglers venture out. Anglers will find that the period from ice-out until the water starts to warm is an excellent time to target trophy northern pike.
Rainy River: Each spring, fish migrate from Lake of the Woods to the Rainy River to spawn in late April.  A lot of those fish are still in the river when the walleye season opens in May. This can lead to some great fishing for anglers. And although many anglers flock to Lake of the Woods for the annual walleye opener, not many people typically fish the Rainy River. The rainy can offer some protection from the cold winds that can occur during the early part of the walleye season.  Remember that the Rainy River harbors trophy-sized northern pike, too.
Upper Red Lake: The walleye are back on Red Lake. Walleye catch rates should be excellent.  If anglers are having difficulty finding keeper-sized fish, they likely are fishing in a post-spawn staging area and should try another area. The crappie fishery has waned considerably from 3 to 4 years ago but anglers can still find large crappies more than 13 inches long. The Red also offers great potential for trophy-sized northern pike. The bite might be slow but the big ones are there.
Clearwater Lake:  Located about 25 miles northwest of Bemidji, Clearwater Lake should provide quality walleye angling opportunities. During the 2007 survey, walleye were most abundant in the 11-14 inch size range. Those fish should be the ideal size going into the opener.  Clearwater also maintains a good northern pike fishery, with one third of the northern pike sampled at more than 24 inches and some exceeding 30 inches. Poke around a bit, and you’ll also find good bluegill and crappie spots.
Lake Bemidji/Irvine: The same walleye population moves freely between these two lakes, which are connected by the Mississippi River. Many of the walleye that run up the Mississippi and Schoolcraft rivers to spawn often concentrate in Lake Irvine. There they recover and feed before moving back downstream into Lake Bemidji. Irvine also offers refuge from cold and windy early-season conditions on Lake Bemidji.
Cass Lake: Cass is a good choice for early-season walleye fishing. The walleye population is healthy and comprised of good numbers of fish, many of them in the 12- to 15-inch range and some at 20-plus inches.  Northern are present in average numbers with some trophy-sized fish available. The lake’s keeper-sized perch, with plenty in the 8- to 12-inch range, are perfect for shore lunch.
Detroit Lakes Area: Water levels are generally high due to heavy fall precipitation during autumn. Most walleye spawning should be completed prior to the May 9 opener. Anglers should remember that the later walleye spawning occurs, the more likely that male walleyes will linger near spawning areas on opening day and the less likely that females will eagerly bite hooks.
Fergus Falls Area: Anglers should expect the best walleye fishing in shallower prairie lakes and in or near inlets to major lakes. Expect to find good fishing for smaller males, as the larger females may have not recovered from the late spring.

Western Minnesota

Glenwood Area: Walleye abundance is increasing in larger lakes. Northern pike numbers are returning to more acceptable levels following the wet 1990s, resulting in what should be fewer but larger pike. Bluegill populations in lakes with suitable habitat, clean water and healthy plant communities are offering anglers more opportunities to land 7-inch and larger fish. The best bets for walleye on opening weekend just might be Barrett and Pomme de Terre lakes in Grant County and Perkins and South Pomme de Terre lakes in Stevens County.
Big Stone Lake: Big Stone, near Ortonville, is the headwaters of the Minnesota River and a multi-species lake with excellent walleye, yellow perch and bluegill fishing. Walleye anglers can expect to catch fish that average 16 inches and 1.6 pounds, but walleye up to 27 inches also lurk in the lake. Perch fishing on Big Stone is about as good as it gets in Minnesota, with fish up to 13 inches common. Bluegill angling also is above par, with fish eight inches and longer finding their way onto angler’s lines. Anglers also will find largemouth bass, northern pike and white bass.
Lake Traverse: This 11,528-acre lake bordering Minnesota and South Dakota near Browns Valley holds several species for anglers to target. Bluegill, channel catfish and white bass swim these waters and the current walleye population is higher than it has been since the mid-1990s. The majority of walleye are in the 12- to 13-inch range but there is also a healthy population of 17- to 22-inch fish.  Anglers looking for quality bluegill fishing won’t be disappointed as bluegills in the 8- to 12-inch range are abundant.
Green Lake:  This 5,407-acre lake in Kandiyohi County has a complex bottom structure, good water quality and excellent fishing for a variety of species. Large rocks, shallow and deep reefs, sandy flats and sharp breaks in this lake can keep anglers guessing where their favorite fish might be. Walleye is the primary management species with a current average of about 15 inches and 1.5 pounds. While northern pike numbers tend to be low, average size is large at 25 inches and 3.6 pounds.

Southern Minnesota

Lake Okabena: This Worthington lake offers an “urban” setting in prairie farm country. The lake’s diverse fish community provides many angling opportunities, particularly from the many shoreline park areas.  Walleye, most weighing in at about one pound, are common. Yellow perch are very abundant with many longer than eight inches. Other species often caught by anglers include largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie and white crappie.
St. James Lake: Watonwan County’s St. James Lake stands as a shining example of what can be done in a cooperative effort among various partners to restore water clarity and angling at a lake that was stuck in a turbid state with few fishing opportunities. Walleyes now average about 1.8 pounds.  Largemouth bass and bluegills abound. Northern pike average 24 inches in length and black crappies are coming back nicely. City piers and parks offer great fishing spots.
Washington and Stella lakes: Anglers get two-for-one when they visit these Meeker County lakes. Water levels are high enough this spring for anglers to motor or wade a boat through a road culvert and have access to both lakes, each quite different from the other. Lake Washington is a 2,639-acre lake with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Stella is a 553-acre lake with a maximum depth of 75 feet. Both lakes offer excellent smallmouth bass and walleye fishing.

Metro Area

Forest Lake: Last year a lake sturgeon measuring more than 50 inches was caught on Forest Lake. This is just one of many surprises the 2,251-acre lake with three distinct basins has to offer. Walleye are in average abundance for this lake class, but the average fish sampled is 19.22 inches and weighs more than 2.5 pounds.  Northern pike and largemouth bass are abundant, with a good portion of the populations of quality size.
Mississippi River, St. Anthony Main Area via Lower Trail: Don’t let the urban vibe put you off - a nice hike via wooden walkways and dirt trails leads you to greenery and a great view of downtown Minneapolis. This area also offers the multi-species of the Mississippi River in a section without special regulations. This area is a good place to fly-fish. Smallmouth bass and northern pike are the likeliest gamefish you’ll catch, but the Mississippi also can yield channel catfish, walleye and multiple species of panfish .
Wirth Lake: This is a small, often overlooked lake despite it being part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Grand Rounds system. Wirth Lake’s fishing pier and boat ramp are among Theodore Wirth Park’s multiple recreational amenities. The lake is occasionally stocked with walleye. It not only has the typical bass-pike-panfish-bullhead species mix but boasts species such as gizzard shad, which are more often associated with large rivers.
Centennial Lakes: Fishing is just one of the many things to try at this activity magnet. The city of Edina, local businesses and developers have created an area to live, work, do business, shop, dine and recreate. The series of small, connected lakes are managed as part of DNR’s Fishing in the Neighborhood (FiN) program, and they get stocked with bluegill and largemouth bass yearly.
Clear Lake: Washington County’s Clear Lake is consistently one of the better choices in the east metro area for walleye fishing, especially early in the year. Clear Lake has a history of producing excellent walleye. Northern pike are found in lower numbers but are nice-sized. Anglers fishing for large predators have the chance for another pike, the “tiger” muskellunge.  Tigers have been stocked in Clear Lake since 1985 so catching a trophy fish is possible. Shore fishing for panfish on the access road along west shore is a popular activity.