Minnesota Fishing: Lakes, Species, Piers & Regulations
Where and how to fish in Minnesota: lake and river guides with DNR LakeFinder facts, every common Minnesota game fish, public fishing piers and shore spots, trout streams, ice fishing basics, seasons and links to the official DNR regulations.
Where to fish: 67 Minnesota lakes and rivers
Each water has its DNR LakeFinder facts (acres, depth, species surveyed), access and a link to the official lake page.
- North: Lake of the Woods, Upper Red Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish, Leech Lake, Cass Lake, Lake Bemidji, Rainy Lake, Lake Kabetogama, Pelican Lake (Orr), Bowstring Lake, Detroit Lake, Crane Lake, Northwest trout streams
- Iron Range: Lake Vermilion, Burntside Lake, White Iron Lake, Shagawa Lake, Birch Lake (Babbitt), Whiteface Reservoir, Pokegama Lake (Grand Rapids)
- Arrowhead & North Shore: Island Lake Reservoir, Saganaga Lake, Gunflint Lake, Basswood Lake, North Shore streams & Lake Superior, Northeast (Arrowhead) trout lakes & streams, French River (mouth at Lake Superior), Lester River (Duluth), McQuade Small Craft Harbor, Twin Points Protected Access, Two Harbors breakwall at Lighthouse Point (Agate Bay), Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)
- Central: Big Sandy Lake, Mille Lacs Lake, Gull Lake, Otter Tail Lake, Lake Minnewaska, Lake Osakis, Green Lake (Spicer), Lake Koronis, Lake Carlos
- Twin Cities: Lake Minnetonka, White Bear Lake, Lake Waconia, Lower Prior Lake, Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, Lake Phalen, Forest Lake, Medicine Lake, Central & metro trout streams
- South: Lake Washington (Le Sueur Co.), Fountain Lake (Albert Lea), Lake Tetonka, Lake Zumbro, Southeast (Driftless Area) trout streams
- Prairie West: Lake Shetek, Big Stone Lake, Southwest stocked trout streams
- Other: Mississippi River, St. Croix River, Minnesota River, Rainy River, Red River of the North, St. Louis River & Estuary, Kettle River
- Lake Superior: Lake Superior (Minnesota waters)
44 Minnesota fish species
How to identify each fish, where it lives, the best season and the methods that work.
- Walleye Sander vitreus
- Sauger Sander canadensis
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens
- Northern Pike Esox lucius
- Muskellunge Esox masquinongy
- Tiger Muskellunge Esox masquinongy x E. lucius
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris
- White Bass Morone chrysops
- Yellow Bass Morone mississippiensis
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus
- White Crappie Pomoxis annularis
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus
- Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus
- Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush
- Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis
- Brown Trout Salmo trutta
- Rainbow Trout / Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss
- Splake Salvelinus namaycush x S. fontinalis
- Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
- Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch
- Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
- Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis
- Cisco (Tullibee) Coregonus artedi
- Burbot (Eelpout) Lota lota
- Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus
- Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris
- Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas
- Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis
- Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens
- Shovelnose Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
- Common Carp Cyprinus carpio
- Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus
- Freshwater Drum (Sheepshead) Aplodinotus grunniens
- Bowfin (Dogfish) Amia calva
- Longnose Gar Lepisosteus osseus
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii
- Redhorse (several species) Moxostoma spp.
- Goldeye & Mooneye Hiodon alosoides / H. tergisus
- Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax
- Paddlefish Polyodon spathula
463 fishing piers and shore-fishing sites
Public DNR fishing piers and shore-fishing spots, by county, for anglers without a boat.