By Nadine Meyer
May 2011
Shorefishing in Minnesota can be a great family outing and can provide a tasty meal as well. With 5,493 fishable lakes containing approximately 290 fishing piers and 3000 public water accesses, most citizens of Minnesota have access to shorefishing close to home.
Learn about how to fillet fish. For cooking & recipe ideas go to the May 2011 Book Reviews and Featured Lesson articles.
Finding Where to Fish
Locating a family fishing spot may seem a bit daunting at first. The MN DNR Website provides a variety of maps and locator tools to help you hone in on a new location to begin or continue a family tradition.
- Find a Fishing Pier - a Statewide list of Fishing Piers & Platforms
- Public Water Access County Maps - county maps and links to PDFs of the county maps.
- Public Water Access Main Page - Links to a variety of sources for finding local water access and safety & fishing information
- Water Access Mobile App - locate public water accesses using your mobile phone
- FiN Guide to Fishing - Fishing in the Neighborhood's guide specifically for the Twin Cities Metro Area
Knowing What to Keep
Once you've located your fishing hole you may have questions about what fish can be kept and what is safe to eat. The Minnesota Fishing Regulations are updated annually, including special regulations, and can be found online as well as in print. Special fishing regulations are also posted at all public accesses to help keep anglers informed. The Minnesota Department of Health provides guidelines for eating fish and has information on the types of pollutants that can be found in fish.
Minnesota Fishing Regulations - provides current information on statewide limits, special regulations, and other fishing laws
LakeFinder - a one-stop website that provides detailed information about fishable lakes in Minnesota, including links to specific fish consumption guidelines for each lake. The LakeFinder also includes links to lake maps, water quality data, and fisheries surveys of the lake.
LakeFinder Mobile App - Access all of the data in LakeFinder on your mobile phone
MN Dept. of Health - Mercury - information about Mercury in Minnesota and health impacts
Fish Consumption FAQ - MN Dept. of Health's FAQs about fish consumption and contaminants