There’s no place like home for Twin Cities anglers. From trophy walleyes in the shadow of the state capitol to muskies in Lake Minnetonka, Twin Cities urban angling opportunities are second to none, said Dirk Peterson, DNR metro region fisheries manager.
“It’s an amazing variety of opportunity,” Peterson noted. “There are sunfish in neighborhood fishing ponds, trout in spring-fed streams and hundreds of lakes where you could catch a walleye, bass or even a muskie – all within the seven county metro area.”
Many of the metro’s approximately 200 fishing lakes warm quickly in the spring and support copious vegetation – prime habitat for sunfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass and northern pike.
For anglers who prefer moving water, the state’s three major rivers – the Minnesota, Mississippi and St. Croix – also flow through the metro area, providing excellent fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye, sauger and occasionally a monster flathead catfish. Coldwater streams, including Brown’s Creek, Eagle Creek and the Vermilion River support rainbow, brown and brook trout.
But lakes, rivers and fish habitat aren’t all that are abundant – so too are anglers. Popular metro lakes like Minnetonka and White Bear might get three to five times the amount of fishing pressure as lakes outside the metro, Peterson said.
That means fishing for certain species, like walleye, which are often harvested rather than released, can be more challenging, according to Taylor Polomis, DNR assistant area fisheries supervisor for the west metro.
“For walleye in particular, metro anglers will benefit by being creative in their approach,” said Polomis. “Try fishing lakes that aren’t thought of as classic walleye lakes – like Lake Harriet in downtown Minneapolis. Also fishing at different, less crowded times – in the evening and on weekdays – can increase the odds of to success.”
Polomis said another good tactic for metro walleye anglers is to interpret stocking information provided in online stocking and lake survey information. Lakes where walleye fingerlings were stocked three to five years ago (2000 to 2002) will provide more keepers than lakes stocked in the last two years.
Also, search for metro-area lakes that have received increased stockings, such as Long Lake or Prior Lake, as part of the Accelerated Walleye Program. Other species, like largemouth and smallmouth bass, are more abundant. Metro area lakes provide excellent natural habitat for bass and anglers tend to release rather than harvest bass, which can increases the chances of catching a larger bass, said Polomis.
Muskie, a challenging quarry known for its aversion to anglers lures in both remote and urban lakes, is found in more than a dozen lakes near the Twin Cities. Since the 1990s, the DNR has stocked pure strain muskie and tiger muskie, a hybrid with northern pike, in the Twin Cities area. “We have had reports of 40- and 50-inch muskies from metro area lakes,” Peterson said. “There are some trophies out there.”
The variety of fishing opportunities in the Twin Cities is matched only by their accessibility. In many cases, anglers don’ t even need a boat to find angling action. Public fishing piers and shore fishing sites allow access to prime fish habitat at hundreds of metro lakes. Maps are available online at www.dnr.state.mn.us.
In addition, an urban fishing program called Fishing in the Neighborhood was implemented in 2000. The program builds on existing DNR fisheries management activities such as stocking, aeration and enhancement of shore-fishing and pier-fishing opportunities.
“A great fishing resource in an urban area brings families together and helps people understand how our natural world works,” Peterson said. “It naturally encourages environmental stewardship which can help assure healthier habitats for fish, wildlife and people.”