Strong license sales point to busy opening day for Minnesota fishing

In step with highly optimistic fishing outlooks and a favorable statewide weather forecast for Saturday’s fishing opener, the Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday reported a strong increase in license sales.

Through Monday, the DNR had sold 259,710 total fishing licenses for 2024, 7% more than a year ago at this time. It’s the highest preseason sales number five days before the opener since fishing activity spiked during the three seasons that overlapped with COVID-19.

The agency is on pace to sell about 325,000 fishing licenses of all types by sunrise on opening day. (The new seasons open right after midnight Friday, adding to panfish angling and other types of fishing already underway).

“The forecast is welcoming and weather plays into this a lot,” said Jeff Ledermann, DNR’s outdoors skill and education supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Division.

He said it’s exciting that the hottest of all sales categories is “resident youth ages 16 & 17.” (Kids under 16 don’t need to buy a license.) Through Monday, DNR sold 7,877 licenses to the older teens, a whopping 27% more than this time a year ago. Excluding the three seasons that overlapped COVID-19, it’s the category’s best preseason sales performance since 2017.

Ledermann said he estimates that the fast pace of license sales to young anglers is powered by growing involvement in high school fishing leagues. He has noticed a lot of promotion this spring for high-schoolers to register for tournament fishing and prepare for the upcoming season.

Ryan Barth, an outdoors educator for Three Rivers Park District, agreed that high school fishing clubs are a prime factor in youth license sales. But various public and nonprofit recruiting programs may be helping to expand the pool of young anglers. Youth fishing licenses for 16- and 17-year-olds cost $5 each.

“I’m super happy to hear it,’' he said of the sales increase to the older teens. “Kids love it, once they do it.’'

Typically during the week before the fishing opener, sales ramp higher and higher each day — peaking on Friday. Last year, for instance, combined license sales Tuesday through Friday totaled 60,200. Sales on Friday, alone, were 29,800 last year.

By and large, Minnesota’s most popular fishing license is an individual, seasonlong, adult resident license for anglers aged 18-89. The cost this year, without add-ons, is $25. Through Monday, 121,000 anglers had bought such a license, up 13% from a year ago. Those sales rank sixth-best over the past 10 years, including COVID-19 seasons.

Fishing guides throughout the state have been predicting a strong walleye bite for opening weekend. That’s mainly because ice-outs arrived early or close to normal. With the cool weather that followed, water temperatures are ideal for catching fish. Up north on the Rainy River, for instance, surface water temperatures on Tuesday ranged from 46 to 49 degrees. Water temps on Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota were about the same.

Recent rains have helped to improve water levels in Minnesota’s lakes and rivers, but drought conditions and minimal recharge this spring have created problem areas at certain boat ramps. DNR has been working to extend boat ramps beyond shallow areas wherever possible, but caution is advised.

“With unusually low water levels, people launching larger boats and pontoons with longer trailers will need to pay extra special attention to ramp lengths and depths,” DNR water recreation consultant Nancy Stewart said in a news release.

We want to hear your fish tales during the upcoming fishing opener. Here’s how you can contribute: Send a photo and brief story to robert.timmons@startribune.com, use this online form http://bit.ly/stribfish24, post what you are observing and catching on X or Instagram with #stribfishing.