Bemidji, MN
The Bemidji area lakes provide many recreational opportunities. With over 400 lakes in a 25 mile radius, there are plenty of options for boaters and fishermen. There are plenty of resorts and lodges as well as other accommodation for you to choose from.
This area is home to some very good fishing for muskie, walleye, northern pike and largemouth bass. For many anglers, walleye and muskie would be primary and the pike and bass fishing would be secondary, however, many anglers enjoy fishing for northern pike and largemouth bass. Bass are under fished by most anglers here and there are a lot of them in the area lakes.
Cass Lake
Cass Lake is a glacially-formed lake that is located within the Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in north central Minnesota. The lake is a part of the Cass Lake Chain of Lakes which consists of 9 different lakes, two river flowages and approximately 26,000 acres of water. Cass Lake is a popular vacation destination for swimming, boating and fishing. The chain of lakes are known for its excellent walleye and muskie fishing. Trophy walleye and muskie can be caught regularly if you know where to locate them. Northern pike, bass, perch and other panfish are also available.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lake Winnibigoshish
Lake Winnie is one of the best, if not the best, walleye lakes in Minnesota. Visitors love coming to Lake Winnie for the outdoor recreation. Boating, fishing, hunting, swimming, hiking and biking are very popular in this area. There are plenty of resorts around the lake to make your trip a comfortable one.
This lake is known as a great walleye fishery. The perch and pike are here too. Most anglers come here to target walleye and if they use smaller sized baits, they end up catching walleye and perch. When they go with bigger minnow-style baits they tend to do well with walleye and northern pike. It’s a good lake to fish and you can expect to catch all 3 species of fish if you tie on a jig and lively minnow.
Grand Rapids, MN
Grand Rapids is a small town in Minnesota that is known for its outdoor recreation. The area lakes are popular among anglers and recreational boaters. There are so many lakes to fish and a variety of different fish to catch. Anglers fish for walleye, northern pike, muskie, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, perch and more.
Many of the lakes in this area provide good fishing for walleye and northern pike. Muskie are here too, just not in a ton of lakes. Most anglers prefer to fish for walleye here, but there are so many other species of fish to catch too.
Brainerd, MN
The Brainerd Lakes Area is located in northern Minnesota. With 465 lakes in the area, this area is loaded with recreational opportunities. There is plenty to do here for every age group. Have fun boating, fishing, hiking, golfing, shopping or dining. Numerous resorts and hotels are located in Brainerd giving you many options for either a family trip or a weekend fishing trip with friends.
The walleye, pike, muskie and largemouth bass can keep plenty of anglers happy in this area. You have a lot of options. Some lakes offer good numbers of fish and there is some trophy fish potential here too.
Mississippi River Pool 2
Pool 2 is the portion of the Mississippi River from above the dam at Hastings, Minnesota and extends upstream to the Ford Dam. Backwater lakes in this area include Baldwin Lake, River Lake, Spring Lake, Mooers Lake, Pig’s Eye Lake and Grey Cloud Slough.
Anglers target a variety of fish in the river such as catfish, walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass, white bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass.
Minneapolis Metro Area
The Minneapolis Metro area is an outstanding destination for fishing. This is one of the best metro areas in the country for fishing. You have all kinds of every day comforts to go along with good fishing for so many different species of fish pretty much every direction from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Lake Pepin
Lake Pepin is a 24,550 acre lake that is located on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. This is a popular lake for fishing and boating. There are numerous public boat launches, fishing guide services, marinas and plenty of lodging options to accommodate you on your trip here.
Lake Pepin is a very good walleye and sauger fishery. Anglers can catch good numbers of walleye to go along with some big fish too. Pike are caught throughout the lake as well and there are some big pike here too. Fish in the 30 inch range are reported frequently on Lake Pepin.
Bass are under fished here due to the walleye, sauger and northern pike fishing. You can target largemouth bass and smallmouth bass and do fairly well here, but they are definitely a secondary species of fish here. Catfish are common throughout the lake, but they don’t get a lot of interest from most anglers who fish here.
Red Wing, MN
Red Wing, Minnesota is located on the Mississippi River and this town offers plenty of every day conveniences to go along with some good fishing year round. The Mississippi River is known for its walleye and sauger fishing. Other fish that can be caught in the Red Wing area include bass, pike, panfish, and catfish.
The Mississippi River and the backwaters in this area are home to some very good fishing for many different species of fish. Walleye and sauger get the most attention here and they should because the fishery is very good in this part of the Mississippi River. When the white bass are running, you can catch tons of them. Northern pike are here too and there are some nice pike caught in area waters.
While walleye, sauger, white bass and pike are what most anglers fish for in this area, you have lots of other fish to target. Bass fishing can be pretty good if you know how to target them. Panfish are found throughout the area waters and many anglers will go out to fish for panfish.
Mississippi River – Southern Minnesota
There are several other good spots to fish along the Mississippi River as you continue to head further south away from the Minneapolis area. In this section, we cover the popular towns that many anglers prefer to fish from.