top 5 opener lakes

[jighead 3]

My wife and seem to get shut out every opener. Looking for peoples top 5 walleye opener lakes.

[Ed Carlson]

Depends on how you define "Opening", and it's timing?

For me the top 5 would all be rivers. First and best opportunity in the region for good walleye action are always on rivers in pre-spawn.

Depending on the timing of an "Opening", the post spawn bite is also significant on many rivers.

My main point is, do not overlook rivers as possibly the best early season option on any system.

[cbrooks]

1.Red lake

2.Lake of the woods mouth of the Rainy(later the ice out the better)

3.Andursia(Cass lake)

4.Lake Irving(Bemidji lake)

5.lake X

These are always good lakes on opener but are crowded except for number five.

[mikejodi]

How about Area lake? Every time we are on vacation, the pics in the paper always say caught in Area lake! Must be a good lake!!

[Jim Almquist]

I think your best bet would be to hit one of the big lakes that have a good population of Walleyes-Mille Lacs,Vermilion,Rainey,Red,Winni/Cut Foot,LOTW,Cass.

I have opened on Winnibigoshish/Cut Foot for about the last 15 years and never have been skunked or for that matter did poorly. There might be a day of bad fishing due to the weather. Because we have fished it so much we now have our spots in case it is too windy or cold and know what works best most of the time and that really helps when things are tough. This will be our first year that we will be staying at a resort so know I can just use the electric to get to one of my favorite spots

[flyboy10]

Mille Lacs is the most fun. Nothing like the Blue Goose on Saturday Night. Ifs its really crappy outside (like every other year) I am in the Goose by 2 pm.

[PerchJerker]

I think your best bet would be to hit one of the big lakes that have a good population of Walleyes-Mille Lacs,Vermilion,Rainey,Red,Winni/Cut Foot,LOTW,Cass.

I agree, especially if your goal is to catch some walleyes. There'll be crowds, but that's because the walleye fishing is typically good on these lakes.

If you want to avoid the crowds or the big water, you can look for smaller, less-known lakes. I would heavily emphasize lakes that have strong walleye populations, but even so many of these "secondary" lakes are not as consistent from year-to-year as the big walleye factory lakes.

Personally, I've been spending my opening weekends lately on Red and Winnie, and we've had outstanding fishing.

[waterbound]

We always go up to Kabetogama. It's never crowded up there, but the fishing does come in boom and bust cycles through the years.

[JohnMickish]

I think your best bet would be to hit one of the big lakes that have a good population of Walleyes-Mille Lacs,Vermilion,Rainey,Red,Winni/Cut Foot,LOTW,Cass.

Add Leech to that list. What do all of these lakes have in common? They are big and on opener they can be a real mother if the wind is blowing.

Be prepared and these lakes will reward.

[harvey lee]

I will be hitting the Minnesota river. Really a untouched gem for some dandy eyes.

[goblueM]

one more check for the rivers... be it Croix, Minnesota or Mississippi

[james_walleye]

I gotta admit i did the opener on Lake Pepin last year in Lake City. I had mixed feelings. I like that "opener feel" but i didnt have that feeling because i had been on the river for 2 months already. We did catch a pile of fish though so im kind of torn on what to do this year.

[JBMasterAngler]

I'll be on the river too, just haven't figured out if it'll be the kettle or the snake. I won't be wasting my time with walleyes though...plenty of pike to be caught.