Fishing opener fun facts

[Lee Borgersen]

                                                       

                             



  Fishing opener fun facts

  ....
There are about 1.4 million licensed anglers in Minnesota.

About 500,000 people are expected to fish on Minnesota’s opening day of the walleye and northern pike season, Saturday, May 13.

Minnesota has 11,842 lakes, 5,500 of which are considered fishing lakes. There are more than 18,000 miles of fishable rivers and streams, including 3,800 miles of trout streams.

Average annual expenditure per angler in Minnesota is about $1,500.

Although not every kind of fish lives everywhere, 162 species of fish can be found in Minnesota waters.

Fishing contributes $2.4 billion to the state’s economy in direct retail sales, ranking Minnesota third in the nation for angler expenditures.

Fishing supports nearly 35,500 Minnesota jobs.

Minnesota ranks second in resident fishing participation at 32 percent, second only to Alaska.

-- Minnesota DNR