Minnesota fishing lakes.

Davey Crockett

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Looking for a place to hang out and go fishing when we spend time with our kids in Fargo, What are the top 5 Minnesota Walleye fishing lakes within an hour of Fargo ?
 


Mocha

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The Detroit Lakes area and south would be your only options. In those areas I would suggest Ottertail and the Cormorant lakes but I have not fished those areas for many years.
 

Bri-guy

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I've heard a few people say that Lida has been ok this year for eyes and crappies. I did really well there on crappies last spring but guys are still getting them. The zebra mussels have that lake VERY clear this year. That's just over an hour from Fargo. Are you bringing a boat? For my time, Ashtabula is your best bet for eyes within an hour of Fargo.
 

deleted_account

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i wouldnt bother targeting eyes in that area, just not very consistent (or i suck). they can be stumbled upon but more often then not its a random walleye or two at dark and thats about it (again, i might just suck that bad). Bass, crappies, gills would be on the list for a nice relaxing day on the water.
 


Downrigger

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Cormorant, big Detroit, Big Pine, Little Pine, or make the little further track to Otter tail.
 

3Roosters

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Mn top 5 fishery is Leech Lake, although you would need to do more than the speed limit driving to reach there in an hour from Fargo.Thumbs Up
 

Duckslayer100

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From my experience, this is the time of year when walleye fishing in the Detroit Lakes area gets hard. You're either fishing stupid deep, or focusing on the golden hour of the morning or evening. I do know some folks have success trolling crank baits at night, especially on Ottertail.

I'm with Wags: you'd be better off targeting bass or panfish.
 

Davey Crockett

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Thanks for the replies, I'm just kicking tires and looking right now but some day I wouldn't mind finding a place over there to hang my hat. Fishing would be the deciding factor where I should be looking. I need to go drive around and pay attention to detail but Otter Tail seems like a nice lake.
 


Duckslayer100

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Thanks for the replies, I'm just kicking tires and looking right now but some day I wouldn't mind finding a place over there to hang my hat. Fishing would be the deciding factor where I should be looking. I need to go drive around and pay attention to detail but Otter Tail seems like a nice lake.

Ottertail is a very nice place. Plus Zorbas is on the south end, which always makes for a fun time.

I always have had the best luck pulling leaches or crawlers on the first breaks at first light or toward evening. You probably/might not catch limits, but you'll get a few in the boat. Sometimes you need to sort through a lot of links and the perch will drive you bonkers. But every once in awhile you'll bump into a school of hungry eyes and then it's game on!

Good thing is the mayfly hatch is a long time gone. If you're there during a period of steady weather, you're golden. That lake is a large-and-in-charge beeeeotch.
 

Duckslayer100

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Besides ASH , Are there other lakes within an hour drive of Fargo with decent fishing ? Maybe I'm over thinking this.

I'm all ears as well, for I've heard of these fabled ND lakes, but I believe they're nothing more than whispers or phantasms...or they get fished out before the word has time to spread.
 

Mocha

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Lidgerwood area has some very good fishing at times.......IMHO
 

jtillman

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If you want to catch walleye, Big Cormorant in the late evening into dark pulling cranks is a wonderful thing. Not the best timing for kids though. Lida has some great fishing for panfish & bass during the day-time hours (also has good walleye fishing as well). The Middle-Cormorant / Nelson Lake, Leaf Lake, Upper Cormorant (haven't been there for years) lakes have all been excellent to me for panfish...plenty of action with kids. I've never fished Sallie / Melissa in open water, but ice-fishing they are consistent. That's the fun thing in that area of MN, so many lakes offering you plenty of opportunities for all sorts of fish and weather. Good luck.
 


MuskyManiac

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Lida is a great fishery but a very restrictive slot and has zebra mussels. I would seriously consider Crystal lake, which is real close to Lida. Lake Sallie has some real nice northern (and musky and walleye). Big Detroit would be good for walleye and muskie as well, but it can get very busy during the day on the weekends. Pelican is a very good walleye lake, but again has mussels and is very busy on the weekends.
 

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