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This coming Saturday, May 9, marks one of Minnesota's unofficial holidays: the 2026 open water fishing opener. Overall, the outlook around the state is favorable for anglers looking to catch a bite on opening day. That's according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Brian Nerbonne is the DNR's fisheries manager for the central region. That includes the Twin Cities region and Mille Lacs Lake in the center of the state, down to the Iowa border. He said there will be a lot of great opportunities to catch fish in his region this year, starting with the shallower sides of lakes.

“That's often a good idea at that time of the year, and also maybe look at the downwind side of the lake when they're fishing, because that often is where the warmer water ends up accumulating,” Nerbonne said. “And that's often a place where the fish are going to show up, because that's where the food is going to be, too.”

Nerbonne also suggests anglers branch out beyond the area’s marquee fishing spots.

"In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, a lot of times people think about lakes first when it comes to fishing,” he said. “So, if you want to get away from the crowd, sometimes a river spot is a really good place to go."

Deep in Lake Superior

Can keep three walleye this summer

Nerbonne said in the southern region, it’s shaping up to be one of the best years there in a long time for the opener.

“The thing that transects the entire region in the southern part of the state is the Minnesota River,” said Craig Soupir, the southern region fisheries manager. “That is probably one of the most overlooked resources we have for walleye fishing, and it can be one of our best resources.”

In the northwest region, fisheries manager Marc Bacigalupi also said he expects a good opener.

“The weather is looking good. That is always a big factor in getting fish activity going,” Bacigalupi said. “Upper Red Lake is always a great opener destination, and we have a five-fish bag limit on that lake, with one over 17 inches. That's always a great place to be.”     

In the northeast, some water bodies could still be covered in ice, according to Leslie George, the regional fisheries manager for the region. He said he's optimistic that conditions will improve before opening day.

"Fish might be a little bit more active in our warmer waters to the south than they might be in our very northern reaches, where things might still be a little chilly yet,” George said. "If you're headed to the extreme north, it wouldn't hurt to make a quick phone call.”

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Department of Natural Resources regional fisheries managers report favorable outlooks ahead of the fishing opener on May 9.

DNR regional fisheries managers see good prospects ahead of 2026 fishing opener

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