GREAT OUTDOORS LAKE FISHING Top Lakes for Fishing in Minnesota There’s no shortage of fi shing options in Minnesota. Here are some of the best lake and river spots in every region. NORTHERN MINNESOTA Visitors to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) canoe to secluded campsites and fi sh for trophy walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass and, in early spring, lake trout. Rainy , Kabetogama , Namakan , Crane and Sand Point lakes in Voyageurs National Park serve up walleyes, northerns, smallmouth bass and big crappies. Along the Iron Range, clear spring water lakes such as Lake Ore-be-Gone hold trout and big pike. Birch Lake also has a variety of species, and island-studded Lake Vermilion features big muskies, perch, walleye and bluegills. Trout Lake and Lake Wabana in the Chippewa National Forest are great spots for walleyes, pike and bass. Lake Superior , with charter fi shing trips available from Duluth and other towns, holds native lake trout and stocked steelhead, chinook and coho salmon. Lake of the Woods , Leech Lake , Lake Winnibigoshish and Upper Red Lake draw anglers for big northern pike and walleye. There’s excellent fi shing on Lake of the Woods among the sheltered islands off the Northwest Angle. Leech Lake is fabled for its muskie “rampage” on a few midsummer days; Cass Lake is also a top producer. Lake Winnibigoshish, a reservoir with 140 miles of mostly undeveloped shoreline, holds walleye, northerns, muskies and perch. Lake of the Woods 66 | EXPLORE MINNESOTA .COM
Explore Minnesota Travel Guide 2025 Explore Minnesota Travel Guide: Page 66
