Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota is open year-round, and so are the fishing opportunities. Spring, summer, and fall, you can fish on the water, and during the winter, you can fish through the ice.

Catch of the day at Voyageurs National Park / NPS-Joe Amundson

In addition to rod, reel, and tackle, you will need a Minnesota State Fishing License. If you are ice fishing, you will also be required to obtain an ice shelter license.

There are 54 fish species swimming the park’s waters. Some of the more well-known fish you might hook are walleye, sauger, northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and black crappie.

When fishing the park’s waters, here are some things to remember, according to park staff:

Follow Minnesota State fishing laws and guidelines and Voyageurs National Park regulations on interior lakes.

• Clean all visible aquatic plants, zebra mussels, and other prohibited invasive species from watercraft, trailers, and water-related equipment before leaving any water access or shoreland.
  
  
• Drain water-related equipment (boat, ballast tanks, portable bait containers, motor) and drain bilge, live well and bait well by removing drain plugs before leaving a water access or shoreline property. Keep drain plugs out and water-draining devices open while transporting watercraft.
  
  
• Dispose of unwanted bait, including minnows, leeches, and worms, in the trash. It is illegal to release bait into a waterbody or release aquatic animals from one waterbody into another. If you want to keep your aquatic bait such as minnows or leeches, you must empty and refill the bait container with bottled or tap water before departing the boat ramp area after boating.

It is prohibited to:

• Introduce wildlife, fish or plants, including their reproductive bodies, into a park area ecosystem. This includes the discarding and/or dumping of bait and bait buckets.
• Use or possess fish, wildlife or plants for ceremonial or religious purposes, except where specifically authorized by Federal statutory law, or treaty rights.

Ice Fishing

Feel like testing your ice fishing skills to catch that night’s dinner? Voyageurs is the perfect place for this sport. A Minnesota fishing license and ice house registration are required. It is important to place icehouses, whether portable or permanent (left overnight during the allowable season), at least 50 feet from the center of snowmobile trails and the ice road. If you don't have your own gear, there are plenty of local resorts and fishing guides through which you can make ice fishing arrangements.

Before heading out for that day of fishing on a frozen lake, it’s important to check the latest ice conditions report.

For more information regarding regulations, fish consumption, and aquatic invasive species (AIS), click on the fishing link at the very top of the page.