Fish are loading up on food ahead of winter. Are you taking advantage?



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minnesota department of natural resources


*Minnesota Fishing *



"Oct. 22, 2025"

Stay informed! Here’s a summary of upcoming fisheries and habitat management activities and ways you can discover, explore and experience Minnesota’s outdoors.

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Bass fishing all year?
angler on dock with bass she caught

"“Smallmouth off the dock” courtesy of "Josie Drotts""

We need your input on a year-round bass season! Minnesota DNR is proposing new fishing rules that would allow for a year-round bass season with a period of harvest and a period for catch-and-release fishing only. All current harvest periods would remain, but catch-and-release-only bass season would be extended.

Comments will be accepted through Thursday, Oct. 23. You can officially submit your input by email, over the phone, or by mail, with details available on the DNR website [ [link removed] ]. At the same webpage, you can also find other proposed fishing rule changes and how to submit input about them.

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Fall bass fishing tips
bass angler in a kayak on Lake Winona holding a bass

"“Largemouth bass caught on Lake Winona before my buddies could even get in their own kayaks!” courtesy of Garrett Larson"

For tips and tricks on fishing for and catching bass in the fall, check out our recorded webinar [ [link removed] ].

Want to read more about fall bass fishing? Read this fall bass fishing editorial [ [link removed] ] from In-Fisherman magazine.

Also a reminder: on inland waters (except northeast zone), smallmouth bass are catch and release [ [link removed] ] this time of year.

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Pike packing on the weight
pike on a dock by a fly rod and fly

"Courtesy of Alex Lamoreaux, iNaturalist"

Northern pike attain some of their largest weights of the season as they feast ahead of winter. In large lakes with deepwater habitats, northerns will be targeting cisco, which spawn in November in shallow waters.

Time for some fall pike fishing? Learn more about fishing for northern pike on the DNR learn to fish webpage [ [link removed] ].

Keeping any northern pike? Pike zone regulation information is available on page 31 of the Minnesota Fishing Regulations handbook [ [link removed] ].

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Muskie anglers on the hunt in fall
fall scene from a boat

Despite cooler temperatures, or even stinging wind laced with snowflakes, plenty of muskellunge anglers look forward to this time of year. Some of the largest muskie are caught in October and November, when the fish are actively feeding before winter. The inland water muskie season is open through Thursday, Dec. 1.

Want to learn how to fish for muskies? Check out the Minnesota DNR learn to fish webpage on how to catch a muskie [ [link removed] ].

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Netting season for cisco and whitefish is open
cisco held by a netter on a boat

"Courtesy of Gary Cerkvenik and James Kolstad"

Designated lakes open each fall for this special opportunity, open to Minnesota residents only. About 700 participate each year. Netting schedules vary by lake and are based on expected water temperatures. As the water temperatures cool, game fish head to deeper water while cisco and whitefish come to shallow water.

The DNR only allows netting when there is little chance that fish other than cisco and whitefish will be caught. Any game fish incidentally taken in nets must be returned to the water immediately. Learn more and stay up-to-date [ [link removed] ].

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Catch and release tips
releasing a muskie from a boat

Prefer to catch and release? Help a fish out! When it comes to catching and releasing large fish, there are some best practices to follow to maximize survival:


* Use proper equipment
* Minimize the amount of time the fish is out of the water
* Protect the fish’s slime coat
* Hold the fish properly
* Help the fish recover

Watch our video [ [link removed] ] to see these tips in action.

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Catch these webinars on sculpin, fall trout lake stocking
a mottled sculpin hiding between a couple rocks

"Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service"

The DNR has a couple webinars coming up on fisheries topics. 

On Wednesday, Nov. 5, join Doug Dieterman, DNR fisheries research scientist, to learn more about native sculpin, a little species with big ecological benefits, and what is being done to reintroduce them.

Then on Wednesday, Nov. 19, join Mario Travaline, DNR fisheries specialist, to learn more about lake trout stocking for winter ice angling opportunities in Minnesota. Learn about season dates, where you can find these trout and some tips on catching a few.

These webinars are free, and registration is required. They are also recorded and posted online in the webinar archive. More information is available on the DNR website [ [link removed] ].

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Please share your fishing photos

Do you have any fishing photos you want to share? Consider uploading them using the DNR photo uploader [ [link removed] ]. We use many of these photos in email newsletters, our webpages and other communications.

angler with a huge carp she caught

"“I was out chasing carp for our multi-species contest with Women Anglers of Minnesota called WAM SLAM. What an awesome fight, it was a blast to reel in,” courtesy of Elizabeth Marsh"






Find fishing information

You can find the information you need about learning to fish, regulations, where to fish, aquatic invasive species, contacting a conservation officer and more on the DNR fishing page [ [link removed] ].







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minnesota department of natural resources [ [link removed] ]

*Minnesota Department of Natural Resources  |  mndnr.gov [ [link removed] ] *

Email us: [email protected]  |  Call 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367

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