Minnesota Fishing

Jan. 12, 2023

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

adult with a kid fishing and adult is checking out the fish the kid caught that's on the ice

Take a kid ice fishing!

It?s Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend this Saturday, Jan. 14, through Monday, Jan. 16! During the three-day weekend, any Minnesota resident can go ice fishing for free if fishing with a child 15 years old or younger. Minnesotans 15 years old or younger don?t need fishing licenses any time of the year.

If you?re new to ice fishing and want to give it a try, we have helpful information on our website to get you started. Check the DNR?s learn to ice fish page for more information about ice fishing, including a recorded webinar with tips and techniques anglers can use to have fun catching sunfish, crappie and perch.

Ice conditions vary and there is no such thing as 100% safe ice. Always check local ice conditions before heading out to a lake or river. Visit the DNR ice safety page for ice safety guidelines.

DNR TroutFinder map of Minnesota with pins on water bodies

Try the DNR TroutFinder

Looking for information about that stream you?ve seen and want to fish? Try the DNR?s?TroutFinder tool.

This online tool, which works on mobile and desktop devices, allows you to easily locate and display detailed information about many Minnesota trout streams. Information available includes a description of the stream, which includes its location, characteristics and special features; species of fish it contains; population information from past and present stream surveys; fishing regulations; and access sites.

Lakes containing trout also are listed and linked to DNR LakeFinder, which provides detailed information from physical characteristics and fish species to special fishing regulations and lake reports and maps.

photo of a brook trout held by an angler

Trout in lakes season dates

Getting ready to go fishing for trout in lakes? Here are the 2023 winter season dates:

Jan. 14 to March 31 for lakes outside or partly outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Dec. 31 to March 31 for lakes entirely within the BWCAW.

Check the DNR TroutFinder?for a list of Minnesota trout lakes. Fishing regulations are available on the?DNR fishing page.?

trash on the back of an ATV with tracks on it for driving on ice

Please keep the ice clean?

Let?s talk trash!?Make a plan before you head out on the ice.

Add an all-waste receptacle and easy to see colored trash bags to your ice fishing equipment list.?Store your trash off the ice in a vehicle, the bed of a truck or in the fish house.

If you bring it on, please bring it off.

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.

Have Minnesota fishing photos to share? You can?upload your photos?and we may use them in emails notifications, social media or the DNR website.

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