What to know for Minnesota fishing opener, how to fish in the St. Cloud area

Brian Mozey, St. Cloud Times
·6 min read
Fishermen try their luck near the shoreline of homes along the Mississippi River in 2018. Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.comFishermen try their luck near the shoreline of homes along the Mississippi River in 2018.
Fishermen try their luck near the shoreline of homes along the Mississippi River in 2018. Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.comFishermen try their luck near the shoreline of homes along the Mississippi River in 2018.

The calendar has flipped into the month of May and the temperatures are starting to slowly creep up. That means the boats will be back on the water and the 2022 Minnesota fishing opener is upon us.

The opener is on Saturday, May 14, but there are plenty of fish that can be caught before that date.

There will be plenty of boats, kayaks and canoes on the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, along with the many lakes surrounding the metro area.

Here's what to expect and some tips leading up to fishing opener.

What's the first step to fishing?

The first and most important step is to buy a fishing license. A license is required for anyone 16 years of age or older.

A person must be a legal resident of Minnesota for at least 60 consecutive days, be at least 16 years old and, if older than 21, must have a current Minnesota driver's license or a state ID that is at least 60 days old.

More: Fishing the Mississippi in metro St. Cloud: Where to go and what you can catch

Fishing licenses can be bought around the St. Cloud community (look at the stores below) or can be purchased online at the Minnesota DNR website.

If you aren't a Minnesota resident, there are options to buy a non-resident license for the entire season as well as for a couple days depending on how long you're in the state. Non-resident licenses are a little more expensive than resident licenses.

Fishing piers, like this one at Warner Lake, are quite abundant in Central Minnesota.
Fishing piers, like this one at Warner Lake, are quite abundant in Central Minnesota.

When are opening days for different fish this season?

The opener for stream trout was April 16.

The most common fishing opener is on May 14 for walleye, pike and bass.

The muskie opener is on June 4.

Can I fish for some fish all year long?

Some of the more common fish found in lakes and rivers in Minnesota are open to fish anytime of the year. Fish like crappies, sunfish, rock bass, white bass, channel catfish, perch, bullhead, rough fish, smelt and whitefish, cisco (tullibee) and burbot all have continuous seasons throughout the year.

Anglers try their luck on the Mississippi River just above the Sartell dam in this 2017 file photo.
Anglers try their luck on the Mississippi River just above the Sartell dam in this 2017 file photo.

Are there any free fishing weekends?

Yes. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources free free fishing weekends to get people interested in outdoor activities.

This year, there are two free weekends. The first comes on the weekend of May 7-8 for "Take a Mom Fishing Weekend." This allows Minnesota resident mothers to fish those two days without a license.

The other weekend is from June 10-12 and that's called "Take a Kid Fishing Weekend." This allows Minnesota residents 16 and older to fish without a license if they're with children younger than 16.

Stoplight Bait is pictured Tuesday, April 30, in St. Cloud.
Stoplight Bait is pictured Tuesday, April 30, in St. Cloud.

What are my fishing limits for different fish in the St. Cloud area?

The St. Cloud area is under the north-central zone and will have different limits compared to other places in the state. If you choose to travel north or south in the state, check the Minnesota DNR 2022 Fishing Regulations before hitting the water.

Here's a list of the common limits for inland water fishing in the St. Cloud area. There may be specific limits based on certain lakes, so check the fishing regulations.

  • Northern pike: 10 (not more than two over 26 inches, all from 22-26 inches must be immediately released)

  • Walleye and sauger: six combined total (not more than one walleye over 20 inches in possession)

  • Muskellunge/hybrid muskellunge: one combined total (minimum size 54 inches)

  • Largemouth bass: six combined total largemouth or smallmouth bass from May 28 to Feb. 26. Catch and release only until May 27.

  • Smallmouth bass: six combined total largemouth or smallmouth bass from May 28 to Sept. 11. Catch and release only until May 27 as well as Sept. 12 to Feb. 26.

  • Crappie: 10 combined total

  • Sunfish: 20 combined total

  • Rock bass: 30

  • White bass: 30

  • Catfish (channel and flathead): five combined total. No more than two can be flathead (only one catfish over 24 inches). Flathead season runs until Nov. 30, while channel season is continuous.

  • Perch: 20 daily, 40 in possession

  • Bullhead: 100

  • Whitefish, cisco (tullibee) and burbot: No limit

  • Rough fish (not including bullhead): No limit

  • Smelt: No limit

  • Lake or shovelnose sturgeon: Catch and release only. No tag needed.

  • Paddlefish: No open season

  • Lake trout (Summer): two

  • Lake trout (Winter): two

Minnesota is nicknamed "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" because anywhere you go in the state, there's always a lake nearby.
Minnesota is nicknamed "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" because anywhere you go in the state, there's always a lake nearby.

Are there specific regulations for the Mississippi River?

There aren't many specific regulations for the Mississippi River from the normal limits listed above. The only specific rules in the St. Cloud area on the river include a catch and release policy for muskellunge.

Also, for smallmouth bass, all of them from 12-20 inches must be immediately released from the confluence of the Crow River upstream to the St. Cloud Dam, including tributaries to the posted boundaries. Possession limit is three with one over 20 inches.

Brian Mozey is the high school sports reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach him at 320-255-8772 or bmozey@stcloudtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianMozey.

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Local places to buy a license in-person

Alabny

Don's I-94 Convenience Store, 310 Eighth St. S, 320-845-4646

Albany Holiday, 800 Shamrock Ln., 320-845-7075

Avon

Casey's General Store, 202 Avon Ave. S, 320-356-7273

The Store of St. Anna, 37215 Stearns County Road 9, 320-356-7878

Cold Spring

Central Lakes Convenience, 216 Red River Ave., 320-685-3583

Wenner Company, 319 Main St., 320-685-8673

Speedway of Cold Spring, 215 Red River Ave. S, 320-685-8673

Kiess Bros Shell, 204 Sauk River Rd., 320-685-4300

Kimball

Casey's General Store, 115 Minnesota State Highway 55, 320-398-2600

Country Store & Deli, 221 Maus Dr., 320-398-3420

Richmond

Jack's of Richmond, 30 Fourth St. SW, 320-597-2173

Riverside Resort, 21026 Minnesota State Highway 22, 320-597-2473

Channel Marine & Sport Inc., 101 Fourth St. SW, 320-597-5975

Sartell

Mini Mart, 208 First St. NE, 320-342-2240

St. Augusta

Casey's General Store, 6515 Stearns County Road 136, 320-253-9828

Mini Mart, 24876 Stearns County Road 7, 320-252-3040

St. Cloud

Stop Light Bait, Tackls & Guns, 45 Eighth Ave. SE, 320-255-9689

Holiday Stationstore, 730 U.S. Highway 10 S, 320-529-8307

Bait Den, 3267 Roosevelt Rd., 320-257-0162

Walmart, 3601 Second St. S, 320-251-0924

Walmart, 21 Stearns County Road 120, 320-259-1527

St. Joseph

Speedway, 24 Birch St. W, 320-363-7272

Sam's Outdoor & More, 219 Cedar St. E, 320-557-0090

St. Stephen

St. Stephen Gas & Grocery, 202 Central Ave. N, 320-253-9508

Waite Park

Fleet Farm, 2630 Division St., 320-253-8889

Stearns County License Center West, 3301 Stearns County Road 138, 320-656-6540

Scheels, 40 Waite Ave. N, 320-252-9494

Dick's Sporting Goods, 40 Second St., 724-273-3226

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Prepare for Minnesota fishing opener, 2022 seasons in St. Cloud area