DNR top 10 Walleye Lakes.

[Great Outdoors]

Bluegills1512,

You are correct on the 24-36 inch slot on northerns on all Minnesota waters, with no exceptions. The walleye, one over 20 inch limit, only applies to Jackfish, Pipestone, Back,& Hoist Bays, as these are considered inland waters. No walleye size restriction on the rest of the lake.

[Great Outdoors]

Capt.Blaine

Burntside isn't too tough for walleyes, and the water clarity doesn't seem to be what makes it hard to catch them. They seem to shift their feeding times after the water warms to around 70 degrees at about 12-14 feet. When it's 65-68 degrees you can do well anytime of day. The daylong bite seems to stop about the 10th of July. I think they begin to feed after dark at that point, which is something that I will never be able to prove since I am on my recliner with the TV remote in hand when darkness sets in . Some that fish after dark do very well, not in numbers, but the size is always very good. Even after the temp climbs,the reefs are full of walleyes in 12-18 feet of water during the day and I have bounced my camera off schools of them many times, but cannot get them to take anything.

[Capt.Blaine]

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but cannot get them to take anything.

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That’s what I was meant when I said tough. It also seems like you catch one and they all scatter. My opinion is this is due to the clear water. There are some real big ones in there thats for sure And the fun thing is when you are fishing for those Walleyes you may tangle with a nice Lake Trout.

[Great Outdoors]

It seems as though they don't hit anything when schooled up in any numbers, only when there are just a few of them, which may explain why you only catch a few at a time. I don't think that water clarity bothers them, even when it's sunny as I have never seen them scatter when directly over them in 12 feet of water. That seems to be where they like to hang out,even when the water warms up, for whatever reason, but go down to 18+ feet in August.

[RodNGun]

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Whew! Im glad they didnt post the lake I fish. I guess its still a secret.

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Big Smitty that's what I'm talking about. The DNR HSOforum is based on numbers of their nets and shocks. All those lakes are good and fine with boats and motors. I don't think you can call yourself a walleye fisherman till you can handle a canoe in the wind and still produce numbers. Try being the trolling motor.

[blue_healer_guy]

Great Outdoors, unless I'm missing something, are you sure about the slot on northerns in all of minnesota?

[Great Outdoors]

mjgrose,

The response was a reply to the slot limits on Northerns in all Minnesota waters of Basswood Lake. Basswood lake has two seasons (governed by two different sets of rules), the inland waters season which is applied to Jackfish, Pipestone, Back, and Hoist Bays. The rest of the lake is governed by Minnesota/Canadian border regs. which has no closed season on northerns, and walleyes open until April 14th. There are no slot limits on the walleye in these waters, but the northern slot includes the entire lake.