Staff photo by Ari Selvey Runnings in New Ulm is just one spot stocked up and ready for this weekend’s fishing opener.

NEW ULM — With the Minnesota fishing opener this Saturday, fishermen around the state are preparing to get back into their favorite hobby for the summer.

Scott Sparlin, a local fishing enthusiast, said he was excited for what was sure to be great weather for Saturday’s fishing opener.

“It looks like it’s going to be gorgeous weather, that’s the beginning,” Sparlin said. “We’ve got beautiful conditions to go fishing, and of course it’s always good to go fishing no matter what the conditions are, but we’ve got nice weather and the outlook is good. Locally, we’ve got a lot of lakes to choose from that are going to be good, and the Minnesota River and the Cottonwood are both good for walleyes and even a few northerns here or there. Should be a good opener.”

Sparlin mentioned that Hanska, Sleepy Eye and Clear Lake are the most popular lakes in the area and always have good fishing, as well as Lake Washington both by St. Peter and Hutchinson, but he is particularly passionate about fishing on the Minnesota River, where a wide variety of experiences can be found.

“There’s going to be a lot of people fishing the Minnesota River,” Sparlin said. “There is the best walleye fishing on the Minnesota River that I’ve seen in my entire time here in New Ulm. I have never seen it this good. This last winter was awesome and I don’t expect it to be any less good now for both walleyes and just about every species of fish. The river has everything in it. For an angler, it’s a paradise, because you never know what you’re going to catch, and you’re always going to catch something.

“You tie on a nightcrawler and toss it in the water, and you don’t know what you’re going to get. You could catch and American Eel or a catfish or even Striped White Bass or starting to catch a few northerns every so often. It’s a good place to fish and I expect there to be quite a few people on the river. There were last year, especially last fall. It was unbelievable. The landing at Minnecon [Park] was swamped with people last fall fishing. That will be a hot spot for sure. And there’s lots of great spots to go where you can get away from people too. There’s a lot of places, if you know how to read the river, the fish are there. You go any place and you can catch something, but if you know the river, fish are in different types of habitat.”

Dominic Schaefer, an employee at Runnings in New Ulm, said they most often see live bait being purchased for early-season fishing, especially fat head minnows and nightcrawlers, but plastics are also popular for those wanting to fish walleye. He mentioned Sleepy Eye as a lake that becomes a hot spot for fishermen during the summer.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has some tips for area fishermen, including hot places to start the season. After a period of flooding followed by a long dry spell, the DNR says some fish may have been able to move around from certain fisheries, but also that launching and navigating boats could be more difficult due to lower water levels.

Still, fishing prospects look strong for the area, with the DNR mentioning Belle, Marion, Jennie, Allie and Preston, Big Swan, Washington, Minnie-Belle and Hanska all as lakes where walleye angling looks to go strong. Crappie fishers can look to Belle, Marion, Swan, Big Swan, Dunns and Richardsons, Jennie, Clear by New Ulm, and Clear by Watkins, while trout fishermen can visit Ramsey, Seven Mile, Spring, or Fort Ridgely Creeks or Little Mud Lake.

Minnie-Belle, Stella, and Erie are the hotspots for northern pike, with chances at getting bites at Collinwood, Star, Round, Jennie, Ripley, and Betty. Bass enjoyers can fish at Washington and Stella, Manuella, Big Swan, Minnie-Belle, Francis, Jennie, Erie, Greenleaf, Dunns, Stahl’s, and Sleepy Eye, while sunfish anglers will enjoy bigger fish at Ripley and Minnie-Belle, but will find some nice fish at Union, Clear, Francis, and Stahl’s.

The Minnesota River also offers plenty of opportunities for those with the know-how, and the DNR encourages more fishermen to take to the river, calling it an incredible fishery that deserves more attention from anglers, especially if they are looking for walleye, sauger or catfish.

The DNR also would like to remind fishers to clean in and clean out their boats while fishing to help protect Minnesota waters from aquatic invasive species. Boaters should also be particularly careful when the water is still cold, as 30% of fatal boating accidents happen during the cold-water period.

For more information, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing.

Those who reel in a fish worth sharing are also welcome this spring and summer to pose with their big catch and email a photo to sports@nujournal.com. For consideration, please list the name of the fishermen, the weight and species of fish, the date the fish was caught and what lake, river or creek the fish was caught in.