Fishing

Fishing
Northern, walleye, catfish and small-mouth bass are just a few of the fish you will catch in the Minnesota River and its many tributaries.  The number of fish species and abundance has seen a significant rebound over the last few years.  Get outside to try your luck either by boat or shore and don’t forget one of the fishing derbies taking place in the basin.  Head up to the South Dakota border to try your luck on Big Stone Lake (Photo by Chris Domeier).

Minnesota DNR: Fishing in Minnesota - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/index.html  Start here to find out what is going on with fishing in Minnesota and help prevent the transport of harmful invasive species.

Minnesota DNR: Fishing Regulations - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/fishing/index.html  Learn what it takes to go fishing in Minnesota.

Explore Minnesota - http://www.exploreminnesota.com/index.aspx’  This web site will give you an idea of the places to stay, things to do and travel ideas for the Minnesota River Basin and the entire state.

Big Stone Lake Area Chamber - http://bigstonelake.info/  Fish the big lake in the Minnesota River Basin and the headwaters of our namesake river.

Big Stone Lake State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/big_stone_lake/index.html  Found on east side of the Big Stone Lake, this state park has a drive-in boat access. 

Glacial Lakes State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/glacial_lakes/index.html  On the far northwest edge of the basin, this state park has fishing in the fresh, clear waters of 56-acre Singalness Lake and features a fishing pier.

Monsoon Lake State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/monson_lake/index.html  Not that far from Sibley State Park, Monson Lake has walleye, northern, bass and sunfish along with a fishing pier.

Lac qui Parle State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/lac_qui_parle/index.html  Situated at the south end of the lake (known for excellent walleye and catfish), this state park has a boat access.

U.S. Corps of Engineers: Lac qui Parle Lake - http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/recreation/default.asp?pageid=64  This is the place to go walleye fishing in western Minnesota and also has catfish, bluegill, small mouth bass and northern pike.

Sibley State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/sibley/index.html  North of Willmar, this state park has a handicapped accessible fishing pier.

Camden State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/camden/rec.html  Close to Marshall, this state park has brown trout fishing in the Redwood River and bass and bluegill in Brawner Laker, along with a handicapped accessible fishing pier.

Upper Sioux Agency State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/upper_sioux_agency/index.html  Located at the confluence of the Minnesota and Yellow Medicine rivers, this state park is a popular spot for fishing from shore.

Flandrau State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/flandrau/index.html  Down along the Cottonwood River in New Ulm, this state park has areas for shoreline fishing.

Fort Snelling State Park - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fort_snelling/index.html  At the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, this state park has fishing opportunities from both the rivers and Snelling Lake including a handicapped accessible fishing pier.

Franklin Catfish Days - http://home.mchsi.com/~franklin/catfish_days.htm  At the end of July, the city of Franklin comes alive with their annual Catfish Derby Days which involves a wide range of fun and activities (Photo below by Ron Bolduan).

New Ulm Chamber of Commerce - http://www.newulm.com/visitors-community/activities/#fishing  Fishing opportunities can be found in the Minnesota River including catfish and walleye.

Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge - http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=32640  Found near the South Dakota border, this wildlife refuge is a popular spot for fishing including the along the reservoir levees and on the Minnesota and Yellowbank rivers.