Minnesota Fishing – June 2016
Fishing dates to remember
Saturday, June 4: Muskellunge season opener
Friday, June 10, to Sunday, June 12: Take a Kid Fishing Weekend
Thursday, June 16: Catch and release fishing for lake sturgeon reopens on inland waters, and Minnesota border waters with Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota
Take a Kid Fishing Weekend is June 10-12
Minnesotans can take children 15 or younger fishing without licenses on Friday, June 10, to Sunday, June 12, during Take a Kid Fishing Weekend.
Beginners and even those without fishing gear have abundant opportunities to try fishing in Minnesota. Throughout the state, anyone can fish from shore or one of Minnesota’s many fishing piers, which feature nearby parking and have hard surface paths from parking areas.
Fishing gear is available to borrow at Minnesota State Parks, and the DNR’s I Can Fish! program teaches all the basics of fishing and runs throughout the summer at state parks. At state parks, even when it’s not Take a Kid Fishing Weekend, Minnesota residents generally can fish in state parks without a fishing license if the body of water doesn’t require a trout stamp.
Family-friendly metro area shore fishing sites that provide great opportunities to catch fish are listed by county on the DNR website. Check the “Places” section on the DNR fishing page for even more ideas about where to fish. And at the DNR’s Fish Minnesota page you can also learn about the basics of fishing, explanations of fishing terminology and current fishing regulations.
The DNR’s Take a Kid Fishing page includes a beginner’s guide to fishing and more.
Fishing opportunities abound in metro
While heading north to go fishing may be a Minnesota tradition, people living in the Twin Cities need not worry about missing out on quality angling if circumstances keep them at home. As far as major urban areas go, the Twin Cities metro region probably has no equal when it comes to combining big city amenities with top-notch fishing opportunities.
That status is largely the result of the region’s quantity and quality of water, encompassing a wide variety of angling opportunities. Three of the state’s major rivers converge in the metro region: the Minnesota, Mississippi and the St. Croix. Flowing through the heart of the region, the Mississippi’s northern reaches are well-known as a top-notch bass fishery. Numerous smaller rivers and streams also flow through the region, including the Rum, the Crow and the Vermillion.
The Twin Cities region also features a number of consistently productive large lakes. Waconia, Minnetonka, Prior, Independence and Medicine, along with White Bear, Bald Eagle, Forest, Big Marine and Coon lakes are all are reliable for yielding up bass, panfish, pike and walleye.
Smaller lakes also abound. Clear Lake in Washington County, for instance, holds good numbers of walleye, as well as northern pike and hybrid muskies. West of the Mississippi, the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes provides good walleye fishing, especially on Cedar and Harriet, both of which are regularly stocked. Both lakes lend themselves to shore fishing.
Ask a friend to go fishing
What is one of the best ways to get kids interested in fishing? Have them bring a friend.
Sharing experiences with others can make them more meaningful, memorable and fun. Read on for more about the experiences of Jeff Ledermann, DNR angler recruitment, retention and education supervisor.
Studies underway on Mille Lacs Lake
Anglers fishing Mille Lacs Lake can help the DNR collect essential data needed for improving walleye fishing in the near future. Learn more about these efforts.
These studies come after the DNR released 10 million walleye fry into the lake as part of another major research project. Read on for more information about that and other significant management steps the agency has undertaken in the last nine months.
The DNR website also has more about efforts to improve Mille Lacs Lake.
Another successful walleye egg-collection
Another successful walleye egg-collection operation is in the books – and in the jars.
Walleye egg-collection operations wrapped up April 29 when the final batch of eggs was collected in Fergus Falls. In all, more than 4,500 quarts of walleye eggs were collected at 10 operations throughout the state.
Each year, DNR fisheries staff set up temporary egg stripping and fertilizing operations at various locations around the state to meet the stocking needs prescribed by individual lake management plans. After eggs are collected and fertilized, the initially fragile eggs are hardened for several hours with fresh water. After hardening, the eggs are transported to a hatchery building and measured into special hatching jars where they incubate for two to three weeks before hatching into fry.
Roughly one-third of the 360 million fry anticipated to hatch this year will grow in rearing ponds throughout the summer and then be stocked as fingerlings in 362 lakes this fall. The other two-thirds of the fry are stocked directly into 302 lakes within a few days of hatching. Fisheries biologists check on the survival of stocked fingerlings or fry with follow-up assessments.
While stocking walleye is an important part of the DNR’s fisheries management strategy, 85 percent of walleye caught by anglers are naturally produced.
Report tagged walleye in Child, Girl and Woman lakes
Anglers are asked to report tagged walleye they catch this summer in the Child, Girl and Woman Chain of Lakes in northwestern Minnesota. Learn more about the tagging project in these northwestern Minnesota lakes.
The DNR asks that anglers report any tagged fish caught in Minnesota. Reporting these fish provides information about fish populations and informs management decisions.
Life jackets a safety necessity when boating
With thousands of anglers hitting the water this summer, boaters are reminded that wearing a life jacket is a safety necessity. Public safety officials stress that wearing a life jacket – not just having it on the boat – is just as important as wearing your seatbelt while driving.
Over the past decade, a steady and troubling trend indicates that men between the ages of 20-60 are the most likely to drown while boating, and are the least likely to be wearing a life jacket.
Anglers are also reminded to review boating regulations, inspect their watercraft and gear, enlist a mechanic to check exhaust systems for potential carbon monoxide leaks, and verify motorboats are equipped with the following:
U.S. Coast Guard-approved wearable life jackets for each person onboard (children under 10 must wear a properly fitting life jacket while underway).
A throwable flotation device on boats 16 feet or longer.
A horn or a whistle.
Type B, U.S. Coast Guard-approved fire extinguisher.
Navigation lights in working order.
Valid boat registration, with numbers visible.
Watercraft can be registered in person at any deputy registrar of motor vehicles, at the DNR License Center in St. Paul, or online. Further details, including boater education requirements and information on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning while boating, can be found on the DNR website.
It's illegal to uproot aquatic plants with hydraulic jets
Aquatic plants help keep lakes clean and support fish populations – reasons why each year the DNR reminds lakeshore property owners about a type of product that can damage lake bottoms.
These devices resemble a fan or trolling motor contained in a short tube and create strong currents of moving water. They can be used to push floating debris away from docks and shorelines but may not be used to move sediment or excavate the lake bottom or remove aquatic plants.
The products are not always illegal, but consumers should use caution before purchasing these devices. A quick test: If the intent is to move sediment or uproot aquatic plants, then the intended use is illegal. Learn more about aquatic plant regulations.
Twins offer free hat through partnership with DNR
Anyone with a 2016 Minnesota hunting or fishing license can receive a free camouflage and blaze orange Twins logo baseball cap by being among the first 500 to buy through a special Minnesota Twins ticket offer online.
The offer is good for these Minnesota Twins home games:
Sunday, June 12, vs. Boston Red Sox
Sunday, June 19, vs. New York Yankees (Father's Day)
Sunday, July 3, vs. Texas Rangers
Sunday, Aug. 14, vs. Kansas City Royals
Saturday, Sept. 3, vs. Chicago White Sox and
Saturday, Sept. 24, vs. Seattle Mariners.
Tickets prices vary by game and seat locations are either in the Field Box or Home Run Porch. All ticket holders under this partnership will pick up their cap at the game. Tickets will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. The offer is available only through the DNR Twins Web page.
Buy fishing and hunting licenses at any DNR license agent, online with a mobile or desktop device, or by phone at 888-665-4236. Mobile buyers receive a text or email that serves as proof of a valid fish or game license to state conservation officers.
St. Paul Saints, DNR partner on ticket offer
Anyone with a 2016 Minnesota hunting or fishing license can receive a special offer on tickets to select St. Paul Saints games at CHS Field through a partnership between the Saints and the DNR.
Games included in the offer are:
Sunday, June 26, vs. Winnipeg
Monday, June 27, vs. Winnipeg
Friday, July 22, vs. Laredo (includes fireworks)
Saturday, July 23, vs. Laredo
Monday, July 25, vs. Sioux City
Saturday, Aug. 13, vs. Sioux Falls
Sunday, Aug. 14, vs. Sioux Falls.
Tickets are $20 for reserved outfield seating. Due to high demand, seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis, and the offer is good for advance purchases only. Phone orders cannot be accepted. Only orders purchased together will be seated together. Game times are subject to change, and there are no refunds or exchanges.
Buy fishing and hunting licenses at any DNR license agent, online with a mobile or desktop device, or by phone at 888-665-4236. Mobile buyers receive a text or email that serves as proof of a valid fish or game license to state conservation officers.
Did you know? Muskie opener is Saturday
The fishing season for muskie opens Saturday, June 4.
Starting this year, muskie anglers and others can set catch-and-release length records through the State Record Fish Program of the DNR. Make sure to be ready for the opportunity by reading up on the guidelines and application forms, and staying current on fishing regulations and season dates.
Catch-and-release length records can be set for muskies, sturgeon and flathead catfish, while the traditional catch-and-keep records based on certified weight for all species will remain an option. The DNR also has tips on how to properly catch and release fish.
While there is a strong catch-and-release ethic among muskie anglers, should you choose to keep one the minimum length is 54 inches, except on certain lakes in the metro area where the minimum length is 40 inches. The possession limit is one
