Lake Minnetonka is one of the most popular fishing lakes in Minnesota. It is a 10,000 acre lake located just west of Minneapolis and offers a variety of fish species for anglers to Target. The lake contains walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and some catfish.
The lake is known for its spectacular walleye fishery. Walleye are abundant in the lake and can be caught year round.
During the spring and summer months they move into shallow water to spawn and can be Targeted with a variety of techniques including jigging, trolling or casting crankbaits or spinner rigs. In the fall they move back into deeper water and can be caught while trolling or jigging deep-diving crankbaits or jigs tipped with live bait like nightcrawlers or minnows.
The lake also contains healthy populations of northern pike which are abundant year round. The pike prefer shallow weed beds and can be Targeted with spinnerbaits, jerkbaits or crankbaits. During the summer months when they are actively feeding they can also be caught on topwater lures like buzz baits or poppers.
Smallmouth bass are also plentiful in Lake Minnetonka and can be caught throughout the year as well. They prefer deeper water but will move into shallower areas to feed during the summer months when they become more active. Jigging plastics along rocky shorelines is a great way to Target them during this time of year.
Largemouth bass can also be found in Lake Minnetonka but their numbers are not as large as other species like walleye or smallmouth bass so you may have to search around for them if you want to Target them specifically. They tend to stay in shallow areas where there is plenty of cover such as weed beds, docks or logs so focusing your efforts around these types of areas will increase your chances of success.
Conclusion:
Overall, fishing on Lake Minnetonka is good for all skill levels from beginner anglers all the way up to experienced tournament fishermen looking for a challenge. The variety of species available makes it an ideal destination for anyone looking for some quality fishing time on one of Minnesota’s premier lakes!
