10 Minnesota Fishing Forums: Fishing Reports & Discussions

In-Depth Outdoors Forums

The In-depth Outdoor Forum is a repository of user-generated fishing information, providing information on Bluegill, Walleye, Crappie, Jumbo Perch, Muskie, Sunfish, Trout, and more. You can filter the posts by last week, three days, and the previous day. The forum has significant groups such as general discussion forums, fishing by species, gears, fishing tournaments, lakes, and rivers by regions, where you can find all the information as a beginner or amateur.

Website: https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forum/fishing/

Jesse's Hunting And Outdoor- Minnesota Fishing

Jesse's Minnesota Fishing Forum is another forum that shares valuable insights, from members' experiences to gear. The forum has been active since 2001 and has 78 threads in total.

Website: https://jesseshunting.com/forums/minnesota-fishing.181/

Fish Rapper

The Fish Rapper Forum shares daily fishing reports by active members and anglers. Members have also shared fishing videos on the group, which makes it more engaging for viewers and beginners to learn. In addition, the forum has fishing articles, guided fishing tips, and links to fishing resorts and lodges.

Website: https://www.fishrapper.com/

Facebook Group >> Fishing Reports Minnesota

Fishing Reports Minnesota is a Facebook fishing forum with 15k followers. It shares updates, accurate, and reliable reports, and fishing news of Northern Minnesota. It provides lake, and fish reports daily about popular species like northern pike, Muskie, Perch, Bass, and more.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Fishing-Reports-Minnesota-100064703527551/

Minnesota Discussion Board

Minnesota Discussion Board is a forum on fishin.com that shares fishing reports, articles, and photos. The forum statistics are arranged so you will get information on the total number of threads and posts for every group. You can discuss your favorite tips, tricks, and lures in the Minnesota Fishing Forum and ask questions in the FAQ section.

Website: https://www.fishin.com/forums2/forumdisplay.php/217-Minnesota-Discussion-Board

Ultimate Bass Forum - Minnesota

The Bass Forum provides bass fishing reports for Minnesota by lake and date. The general bass fishing discussion forum has 419,741 posts and 34,012 topics, sharing information about techniques, presentations, lures, gears, and more.

Website: https://www.ultimatebass.com/bass-fishing-forum/index.php?board=60.0 

HSO Outdoor Community

The HSP Outdoor Community includes groups sharing information about fishing, hunting, ice fishing reports, fish species, outdoor sports, and activities. The right panel on the forum also displays pictures posted by the forum members.

Website: https://hotspotoutdoors.com/forums/#google_vignette

Big Fish Tackle Forum - Minnesota Fishing General

The Big Fish Tackle Fishing Forum has around 131,445 members and 344,274 posts in 231,905 threads. The forum has sub-forums related to freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing, float tube fishing, fly fishing, kayak fishing, ladies' fishing board, and more. It also shared fish games and recipes. The Minnesota Fishing Forum conducts polls and shares Minnesota fishing news and general information.

Website: https://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/

Minnesota Fishing License & Permit

Yes, to legally fish in Minnesota, you need a license if you are a resident of age 16 to 89. You must bring your license whenever you travel to the area where you are fishing. If you are 15 years and younger, you do not need a permit if your guardian has one. Including this, residents of age 90 or older, residents enlisted in the US Armed Forces, residents who have served in federal active service and discharged from overseas duty, residents of a licensed nursing/boarding care home, etc., do not need a license to fish in Minnesota.

Here is a list of all the licenses and permits needed in Minnesota for fishing:

Popular licenses

• Individual angling
• Combination angling
• Individual sports
• Combination sports
• Non-resident individual angling
• All resident licenses
• All non-resident licenses

Resident Licenses

• Angling - 24-hour Code 110
• Angling - 3-year Individual - Code 141
• Angling - 72 Hour - Code 140 (r)
• Angling - combination (Married Couple) (r) - Code 112
• Angling - dark house rental (r) - Code 120
• Angling - dark house shelter (r) - Code 119
• Conservation combo angling (r) - Code 106
• Conservation individual angling (r) - Code 105
• Disability permit - angling/spearing permanent (r)
• Disability permit - angling/spearing unique annual (r) - Code 107
• Fishing tournament license
• Lifetime angling renewal (r) - Code 411
• Lifetime Resident Angling/Deer/Small Game/Sports/Spearing
• Sports - combination (r) - Code 217
• Sports - individual (r) - Code 216

Non-Resident Licenses

• Angling - 14-day couple (nr) -Code 125
• Angling - 24-hour Code 139 (nr)
• Angling - 7-day (nr)- Code 126
• Angling - 72-hour (nr)- Code 127
• Angling - family (nr) - Code 124
• Angling - individual (nr) - Code 121
• Angling - shelter (nr) - Code 116
• Angling - shelter 7-day (nr) - Code 117
• Angling - spearing from the dark house (nr) - Code 118
• Angling - Youth Ages16 to 17 or Youth own limit (nr) - Code 205
• Lifetime angling renewal (nr) - Code 415
• Lifetime NR Angling/Small Game
• Stamp - trout (validation & pictorial) - Code 129
• Stamp - trout validation - Code 128
• Stamp - walleye pictorial- voluntary - Code 135
• Stamp - walleye validation- voluntary - Code 134
• Stamps (collectible)
• Sturgeon tag (nr) - Code 130

Fishing Reports: When and Where to Fish in Minnesota?

Minnesota (a land of 10,000 lakes) offers an adventurous fishing experience to all anglers. Moreover, it provides a year-round angling action as well. According to the data, Minnesota has about 1.4 million licensed anglers, 5,400 fishable lakes, over 18,000 miles of fishable streams, and 162 fish species. Most anglers are from urban areas. However, compared to the percentage of people living in urban areas, a higher percentage of people in rural regions fish. There are 35% female and 65% male fishing license holders who spend more time fishing on lakes than streams and rivers.

A recent report says the water temperature is more than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and walleye have been biting. These are seen on the rock piles and the East side of the lake. On sunnier days, walleyes are at the top of the structure and on the slopes when it is cloudier. The anglers can try throwing rigs for smallmouths, as fishing for largemouth and smallmouth has been good recently. Smallmouths can be found in eight feet of water. Muskies and Panfish are other species found on Lake Vermilion. Muskie bites are becoming more robust, and anglers are catching them in large numbers. Two species found all over the Lake are crappies and bluegill.

Fishing in Minnesota is weather-dependent as it is the northernmost state in Alaska. This gives rise to frozen lakes in winter, temperature swings in fall, changing spring water levels, and thunderstorms in summer. Although each season brings challenges, you can still enjoy angling throughout the year. Be mindful of the availability before you step out.

You can find many Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskies, Bass (Largemouth and Smallmouth), Perch, Sturgeon, Catfish, Whitefish, and more among the beloved targets of Minnesota.

• Trout are good to catch from January to March and from June to September. They might not be found in April, May, October, and November.
• You can catch crappies throughout the year. April, May, June, September, and October are great months to find the fish.
• Walleye are not seen in March and April, but they can be caught in the rest of the months.
• Perch is another species found throughout the year, mainly in April, May, September, and October.
• The probability of finding a bass will be reasonable from May to November, while you might not see the fish in the rest of the months.
• The musky season remains closed from January to May, opening in the remaining seven months.
• Lastly, pike is good to find in January, February, and from June to December. The season remains closed from March to May.

Some unique and special fishing species found in Minnesota are:

• Walleye
• Salmon
• Rainbow Trout
• Brown Trout
• Bluegill
• Sunfish
• Sturgeon
• Bass

Walleye move with changes in temperature in search of food and are the most sought-after fish. Followed by the Walleye is the Northern Pike, which is more prominent in size but more aggressive. They can reach up to four feet long and even create state records. Muskie, or the “Fish of 10,000 casts”, is known to be highly elusive and scarce. These weigh almost 50 pounds and show up during October. Crappie is the fish you will find throughout the year. These are similar to Walleye in terms of angling traits. Spring and fall are best for Bass as the lake leech helps target largemouth. In the southeastern streams of Minnesota, you may find brown and rainbow trout.

Here is a list of the best ten places to fish in Minnesota:

• Big Stone Lake
• Lake Miltona
• Lake Minnetonka
• Lake of the Woods
• Lake Traverse
• Lake Winnibigoshish
• Mille Lacs Lake
• Mississippi River
• Twin Cities
• Cass County

Fishing Gear That You’ll Need Every Time

Along with a fishing license, you may need some essential gear like a pole, table, bait, etc. If this is your first time fishing, research the fishing spots, what they eat, and the regulations in that area.

Poles

Poles consist of reels, rods, and lines. An excellent all-purpose fishing rod is 6 feet long and has a medium weight. A long stick or cane pole is suitable for sunfish and crappies. It's one of the most straightforward reels in a spin-cast reel. Another reel is a spinning reel, which is quite popular among anglers but is a bit harder to use. You can tie the line to the end to use a reel in a cane pole or stick. A line ranges from a 2-pound to a 30-pound test and is sold according to the test or strength. An all-purpose line is an 8-pound test.

Bait Fishing

Bait consists of live and artificial baits supported by hooks, sinkers, and bobbers. The best hooks come in sizes 4-10; the smaller the number, the larger the hook. If you catch a fish with a small mouth, choose a hook with a long shank, as they are easy to remove from the fish. For cappies, sunfish, and carp, use a hook of sizes 8 and 10; for walleyes and catfish, hook sizes 4 and 6 are the best.

Sinkers or split-shot keep the bait near the bottom of the water body where most fishes swim. Sinkers are pinched about 10 inches above your hook and should be used only enough to sink. There are alternatives to lead sinkers made of cement, ceramic, or steel. Bobbers add weight to the link and help in casting. A small bobber is better than a different size. You can indicate that a fish has caught a bait when the bobber goes under the weight.

Live baits such as worms or nightcrawlers are best for most fish. Waxworms work well for sunfish, and canned corn is a good choice for carp. Turkey's liver can also be used as bait for catfish. Minnows are tiny water fish, usually one inch long, that are excellent crappie, walleye, and pike getters.

Lures

Lures are of various types, such as spinners, jigs, spoons, and crankbaits. A jig is hooked with a lead ball, and you can bounce it along the bottom of the water body. Instead of lead jigs, you can use one made of steel, ceramic, and cement. Spinners start vibrating to attract the fish when retrieved through the water body. A spoon is a heavy lure that can be cast into a lake or a river to catch Pike and Musky. Crankbaits are more expensive than lures and are excellent for catching walleyes, pikes, bass, and muskies.

Below is a table listing all the fishing gear and their types:

If you have leveled up your fishing skills, you may also need some electrical accessories. For example, you may need gear such as fish finders, pulses, boat lights, and poles to use all day. To keep these devices charged without worrying about the grid power supply, consider the Jackery Portable Power Station, which uses renewable solar energy to charge electric appliances.

Jackery Portable Power Stations for Fishing in Minnesota

With the rising environmental impact, Jackery has emerged as a sustainable global brand that manufactures Jackery Solar Generators, Jackery Portable Power Stations, and Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels. Jackery Portable Power Stations are equipped with an in-built inverter and use clean and renewable solar energy to charge the electrical appliances. When placed on the roof or the ground on a bright day, the solar panels capture sun energy through the particular cells and convert it into electrical energy. This energy is stored in the power station and converted from DC to AC through the inverter to charge your fishing gears that need a functional power supply.

Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station

The Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station features a sturdy handle and an ergonomic design and is ideal for fishing, outdoor adventures, and home emergency backup. With multiple charging options, the power station can charge multiple devices simultaneously. It can be recharged with water-proof solar panels, is noise-free, and uses complete solar power to supply power. If you prefer fishing alone, you can easily install a solar power system and charge your essential devices.

Appliance Working Hours

• Laptop (70W): 6.3H
• Portable Fan (60W): 7.3H
• Phone (30W): 14.7H
• Electric Fish Finder (100W): 4.4H
• Portable Underwater Fishing Camera (54W): 8.1H

Customer Review

“We used our Jackery for the first time last week. Charged three phones, two Apple watches and one iPad over the course of our camping trip and it only used about 25% of the power. Very happy!” -- David Schinnerer.

Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Portable Power Station

The Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Portable Power Station is another convenient power station for outdoor charging. It also offers various charging options and can be recharged with book-sized foldable solar panels. The power station is very lightweight and portable; you can carry it anywhere nearby for fishing or even to far away locations if you are a regular fisherman attempting an event or tournament.

Appliance Working Hours

• Portable Fan (60W): 4.0H
• Laptop (70W): 3.5H
• Phone (30W): 8.1H
• Electric Fish Finder (100W): 2.4H
• Portable Underwater Fishing Camera (54W): 4.5H

Customer Review

“ Lightweight, making it portable, can charge a phone, laptop, plug in lights, & a small appliance for cooking. High-quality equipment for home after storms, bug-out evac, or camping. Thank you for enabling greater peace of mind.” -- Marie

Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station

Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station is a mini power station that fits in the palm of your hand. Unlike its size, you cannot resist the fact that it can charge three devices simultaneously. So, the next time you are out, you can charge your fishing gear and other devices.

Appliance Working Hours

• Laptop (70W): 1.2H
• Phone (30W): 2.8H
• Portable Underwater Fishing Camera (54W): 1.5H

Customer Review

“ Hi, my name is Luis Delvalle. I genuinely love Jackery's systems for their simplicity. You can tell the high quality is made by the great minds they are involved with to make this excellent product. I love the way that we can take the systems anywhere.” -- Luis Del Valle

Tips for Fishing in Minnesota

Along with techniques such as casting, hooking, and sensing the fish, every fish species depends on a different tip that you must know as a beginner for fishing in Northern Minnesota. Here are some basic fishing techniques to help you along in your journey:

Tip 1: Casting

Casting is a technique in which you push the casting button, hold it in, watch for obstacles, move the rod and bring it overhead and forward, and release the button when the rod tip is overhead. While casting, you should take all the safety measures, such as staying a pole’s length away from the shore. As a beginner, you can practice casting in your backyard and even make a cast with a piece of wood.

Tip 2: Hooking

Before you hook, be aware that fish have a sensing lateral line. So, talking loudly or walking fast can frighten the fish away from the bait. To move the bait, reel in a few inches or jiggle the bait up and down. Lifting a bobber and splashing it gently can attract bluegills. Remember to carry polarized sunglasses, which can help you see the fish under the water.

Tip 3: Fish Senses

Learning about the fish's senses can help you in the long run in your fishing game. A fish has six senses; you can improve your angling techniques by understanding fish senses. Fish do not have a vision as clear as a human's, but they can see color and brightness. Fish eyes can be moved independently as they have wide-angle lenses. Although they have hard scales, they still have sensitive touch receptors all over the body. Including the tongue, some fish have taste buds on the lips, whiskers, and the entire body.

Tip 4: When To Fish

Some months are better to fish than others. If you are a regular angler, try fishing in the morning or night rather than midday next time. While a steady weather condition would be better for you, changing weather conditions are suitable for fish. Avoid fishing on spots where lightning is near, as fish can see the brightness. Many anglers also believe that the moon's phases directly impact fish bites. For example, at the time of a new moon or full moon, fishes bite better.

MN Fishing Forum FAQs

What size portable power station do I need for fishing?

Since portable power stations use solar power, investing in them is beneficial personally and for the environment. These can charge essential devices indoors and outdoors. To determine the size of the portable power station you need for fishing, you should know the number of devices you need to charge and for how long.

For example, a Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station can charge boat light (60W) and electrode pole (75W),

Working Time = Capacity of Jackery Explorer 500 Plus Portable Power Station in Wh × 0.85 / Operating wattage of the appliances.

So, Working time = 518Wh × 0.85 / 135W = 3.2H

Note: While charging the devices, some power loss will be multiplied by 0.85.

What fish can I catch right now in Minnesota?

Currently, in Minnesota, you can find some species like crappie, sunfish, catfish, perch, and bullhead to catch.

What are the best months to fish in MN?

January, February, March, August, September, and October are the best months to fish in MN.

What is the rarest fish to catch in Minnesota?

Blur Sucker is the rarest fish to catch in the waters of Minnesota.

What size walleye can you keep in Minnesota?

Walleyes smaller than 18 inches or over 26 inches can be kept in Minnesota.

Wrap up

Various MN fishing forums are available online, with many communities coming together from around the world and sharing their experience and knowledge regarding fishing. You can seek understanding about the right gear to choose, explore a new fishing spot, or make new friends in these forums. Power systems like the Jackery Portable Power Station may become your reliable companion in your fishing adventure, ensuring you are power-ready anytime and anywhere.