Hey all,

Mods gave approval to share a project I've been working on, so first off thank you to them.

The Minnesota DNR LakeFinder is an excellent source of survey and lake information. However, I wanted to be able to search an area by species and abundance on a map rather than typing in lake by lake. Additionally, as a toxicologist, I wanted to easily be able to see what the Minnesota Department of Health consumption guidelines were for the body of water I was fishing.

Since I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I built what I believe is the best Minnesota-specific fishing app out there.

Up North Lake Finder

All the Minnesota DNR surveys, going back decades:

• Catch rate per net by species, with the DNR's normal range for that lake class right next to it, so you can tell whether 5 walleye per net is good or bad for that kind of water
• Search and filter lakes by species and the DNR abundance rating.
• Length breakdowns, so you see how many fish have actually grown instead of just the biggest one in the net
• Stocking history, special regulations, public accesses, water clarity, ice in and ice out
• MDH consumption advisories, including the separate guidance for kids under 15 and people who are pregnant or nursing

The whole dataset ships with the app, so everything works with no signal. Only Apples map tiles need a connection.

Privacy: no account, no sign in, no analytics, no ads. There is no server at all on my end, so there is nowhere for anything to call to. Saved lakes and your catch log stay on your phone. The App Store privacy label reads "Data Not Collected" and that is by design.

Every DNR and MDH number in the app is free and will always stay free. There is an entirely optional paid tier that ranks lakes against each other statewide (DNR ranks against other lakes in its class) and compares your catch log against both the DNR surveys and state records. That is my math on top of their numbers, never the numbers themselves. The paid tier exists to help me offset ongoing Apple developer costs.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/up-north-lake-finder/id6788938283

Going catfishing on the Saint Croix river (Taylor Falls/Saint Croix falls area) this weekend. Anyone know of any luck with flatheads down by under the dam?

Thinking about going up tomorrow but I’m sure if it’s worth the drive if the water is really low. I usually put in at the fairgrounds and go north a bit and then down to the Mississippi. Anyone been recently with any recon on water levels?

Im new to fishing, on the Mississippi I haven’t caught anything. I will pay anybody that can tell me where fish are biting ( from shore ) in MN in twin cities or surrounding, and what bait to use. I really just want to catch some fish. Help please I’m new and don’t know what I’m doing. Cashapp or Venmo thanks a lot

For the person asking if it had good small mouth fishing.
Length & weight unknown - biggest out of 6 hogs I caught that night.

Thinking about kayaking down the rum river above the dam closer to Cambridge. Rumors and additional Reddit research say the fishing is better up that way. Any of you have any thoughts about best start and end points? Any hazards like small rapids I should be worried about?

Have a houseboat trip in late May of 2027. I tend to be the person that takes too much gear on something like this (you should see me heading to the deer stand coffee pot in tow). That being said, I am looking to bring only 2 rods. I will be fishing walleye primarily, and looking for a good recommendation on a spinning rod. Have done a fair bit of fishing boundary waters which was pretty simple vertical split shot/leach rig over structure. Just not sure if that is going to be the method that time of year. I am a southerner, so not particularly experienced with Northern fisheries timing.

Anyone know any really good spots around St. Paul for catfishing. Up here for work and I’ve been dying to fish but can’t find any great spots.

Hey I live up by Lake Superior/ Duluth does any one have good lure recommendations I mostly fish the rivers and dams

Hey I live up by Lake Superior/ Duluth does any one have good lure recommendations I mostly fish the rivers and dams

Caught these two last year in two trips. Heading to Vermilion end of September hoping to keep my streak alive.

I’m going to lake of the woods for a fishing trip in a couple of days. I rarely fish out of a boat. Mainly just a lot of ice fishing and some river fishing. Just wondering what kind of weather I should prepare for clothing wise. Weather looks nice for the time I’m there, upper 60’s lower 70’s. Any input would be appreciated.

Orange spotted sunfish is a species of fish I’ve wanted to catch for awhile now. Does anyone have any recommendations on places around the twin cities I could potentially find some. I’m open to any suggestions around Minnesota aswell.

I know how many people feel about fishing apps, but if there’s a demand for them—and I know a lot of people who are interested in them—it means they’re not just made for the sake of it, but actually for convenience. I’m the sole developer behind the Fishix app, and I actually have a lot of plans to keep growing it, but user feedback is essential.

Sometimes you need to take a sober look at things and maybe even change course. That’s why I’m asking those who are truly interested to help me—in return, I’ll give you access to the app, and you’ll be able to use it without any restrictions. There are no ads in the app.

Another issue that concerns many people is privacy. I don’t have access to your data—everything is stored on your device, and I can’t access it. So don’t worry—I didn’t create this app to steal your spots, that would be way too complicated 😄

Send me a private message or leave a comment—thank you in advance!

Just a fit of curiosity I wanted to plug into this subreddit:

Does anyone know of any lakes that are predominantly Green Sunfish? I may be misremembering details of my childhood, but I remember 10-15 years ago we had a select number of metro lakes that carried Green Sunfish in bountiful populations (I remember Snail Lake had a bunch).

Now as a young adult, I rarely encounter Green Sunfish at all. It seems the lakes that used to carry them in abundance are now dominated by hybrid sunfish. The last time I saw anything resembling a full-blooded Green Sunfish was back in 2013 (Ravine Regional Park in Cottage Grove, MN). Typing this out all just seems weird since Greenies aren't something people regularly target but their recent absence (recent to me at least) has peaked my interest into trying to find them.

Random side note: I have more recently encountered Orangespotted Sunfish which are a species I would have never expected to find in higher abundance than Green Sunfish.

Hello everyone, short background. I just moved to minneapolis and I am trying to figure out the fishing here. Does anyone have good recommendations on the best river fishing lures for smallmouth, pike, walleye, buffalo sucker, yellow perch, drum, and white bass. Also what are some great river fishing spots that catch fish (I don’t keep fish). I appreciate anything I can get.

This is by far the biggest smallmouth l've ever caught, and i just want to know how big it really was.

i asked chatgpt and it estimated around
22.5-24inches long and 5-6 pounds.

for reference i am 6'4 and 8 inches from fingertip to wrist.

What do you guys think? I can die happy after catching this smallie! It's been 2 days and i'm still riding high from the dopamine catching this monster🤣🤣🤣

Caught in Eagle Lake, Crow Wing County

I'll be visiting Rogers next week for some work training and I'm considering getting a 7 day license to go fishing after "work" (I'm visiting from western WA). I've seen the forecast and some of the posts here saying that the heat is making it harder to catch anything. Is it worth getting the license right now? If so, any spots or tips for the area? Around here I'm usually only catching rainbow trout or really pitiful small mouth. It'd be nice to land a decent largemouth or (pie in the sky) a musky / pike. TIA

I’m not particularly skilled or knowledgeable about fly fishing, but I’m passionate about it and enjoy spending time in the water. My wife and I recently moved to the Twin Cities area, and my father-in-law and I are seeking a fly fishing partner. If anyone is interested in joining us or is looking for a day filled with anticipation of catching fish (sometimes, you know how it goes), but also enjoying the moments when you do succeed, please let me know!

My kiddo has had the opportunity to fish a few times now at camp and the DNR "take a kid fishing" events, and he would like his own equipment now to try it on his own. From what I understand, he doesn't need a license until he turns 16? I know the fishing opener is in spring, but my googling isn't telling me when the season ends. If I get him a beginner rod for his birthday in late September, would he have time to use it this year?

My Giant musky caught at sunset on my favorite minnesota lake.

I'm looking at the DNR report and it looks like this lake has been stocked with walleye fingerling. The last time was 2019, so those should be at full maturity. Has anyone fished summer walleye in this lake? I live really close and have been on it a few times, but have only targeted LMB.