Community Corner

Anglers 'Gear Up' for Fishing Opener

Despite cool morning temps, high traffic expected tomorrow on Lake Minnetonka.

Now just hours until the opening of the fishing season, anglers across the state are readying their gear for what is shaping up to be a chilly day on the water.

Forecasts call for Saturday morning temperatures to be in the low 40s with about a 35 percent chance of showers.Highs on Saturday are expected to be in the low to mid-50s with about a 50 percent chance of showers.

Minnesota has the highest boat registration per capita of any state in the nation, and about 600,000 fishing licenses are sold in the state each year.

Find out what's happening in Lake Minnetonkawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Do your part:

As part of its continuing effort to combat the spread of invasive species, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be ramping up its presence at public boat launch sites this weekend—to include those ringing Lake Minnetonka.

Find out what's happening in Lake Minnetonkawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Click here to read more about the fight against zebra mussels and how you can help slow the spread of invasive species.

From the DNR:

What is the fishing opener?

Minnesota anglers consider the fishing opener - when walleye, northern pike, and sauger become legal game on the state's inland waters -- one of the defining moments of their year.

Did you know?

Minnesota's general fishing opener is the Saturday two weeks before Memorial Day weekend.

Why? Three main reasons:

  1. It allows most walleyes to spawn before being caught by anglers
  2. It ensures that the opener is on a weekend, when most anglers can fish
  3. This date ensures two full weekends for anglers and businesses before the Memorial Day weekend.

Cold Water Danger:

Water temperatures of most Minnesota lakes, to include Lake Minnetonka, still pose a threat to angler safety.

A 2007 report by the U.S. Coast Guard stated that a boating accident is five times more likely to be fatal if the water is colder than 60 degrees.

“Cold water can kill in ways that you might not expect,” said Tim Smalley, DNR boating safety specialist. “Nearly everyone knows that immersion in cold water can cause hypothermia - the abnormal lowering of the body’s core temperature. What most don’t know is that cold water immersion has several stages, any one of which can cause death.”

Read the DNR's full story here.


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