Minnesota hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation news

Anderson: Anglers flock to Mille Lacs, happy to catch — and release — walleyes

Launch boats are sold out on some nights during strong walleye bite.

Some guy named Trout caught a big northern in Minnesota

July 23

A baseball star with a fishing name, Mike Trout landed a nice northern Wednesday in the Twin Cities before the Twins-Angels series began at Target Fie

Angels star Mike Trout hit a Minnesota lake before the series against the Twins and showed he's as good with a fishing rod as he is with a bat.

Anderson: Hot days in July, fishing for walleyes, more rigamarole

July 22

Veteran guide and former bait shop owner Marv Koep, left, with Mike Arms, a retired Catholic priest. The two are longtime fishing friends.

Challenge is the point, not necessarily the number of fish caught.

Nation

July 26

Tucker Carlson, host of “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” poses for photos in a Fox News Channel studio, in New York.

Tucker Carlson called 'worst human' at Montana fishing shop

A video showing a Montana man confronting Tucker Carlson is circulating widely on social media after the man called the Fox News host "the worst human being known to mankind."

East Metro

July 24

The low water level at the Osceola Landing along the St. Croix was evident. Water levels in rivers, lakes and creeks were falling as Minnesota headed

River levels fall as drought worsens throughout Minnesota

The enduring drought spells growing trouble for the waterways of Minnesota.

Sports

July 23

Molly Zbacnik, 11, of St. Paul caught this 30-inch northern pike on Eagles Nest Lake near Ely. Molly was fishing with a leech for the walleye night bi

Trophy Tales: Good things happen day and night

All spring and summer we'll be featuring weekly fishing photos and stories from Star Tribune readers. Send yours to: fishphoto@startribune.com.

Outdoors

July 22

Baylor Litsey rode his dirt bike May 7 on a county road near Nemadji State Forest.

Big spending throws more fuel in Minnesota's ATV boom

Reflecting the activity's popularity, DNR allocation will speed work on motorized trails in the northeast.

Outdoors

July 22

A Halloween Pennant dragonfly perches on the end of a dead stem. Crow Hassan Regional Park is home to a remarkably diverse and thriving prairie that'

The wings of summer are humming, singing, rattling

Naturalist Jim Gilbert also is observing Canada geese taking their first flights.

Outdoors

July 22

Solid fishing reports from around Minnesota.

Minnesota fishing report: Solid walleye bite from Detroit Lakes area to the St. Croix

A roundup of action from the state's waters.

Tony Jones baptized his 14-year old son, Aidan, as a neophyte voyageur at the completion of the Height of Land Portage in the BWCA. ] Aaron Lavinsky �

Special Series: Boundary Water Passage Father, son launch epic canoe journey in Boundary Waters

updated 16 hours 56 mins. ago

Part 1: A rainy start and sore shoulders foreshadowed the adventure to come for a father and son on the lakes near the Minnesota-Canada border.

Duluth

July 22

Visitors checked out the dried up western falls at Gooseberry Falls State Park on Wednesday. Sections of the falls have dried out because of the drou

Are dry Gooseberry Falls a sign of some bigger problems?

The Gooseberry River is flowing but at a lower rate. Along with lack of rain, exhausting stores of water in soils and wetlands contribute to low water levels in rivers, a hydrologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota said.

Outdoors

July 21

Kelly Straka was hired to start Sept. 15 as the Department of Natural Resources’ new wildlife section chief, filling a job that’s been vacant for

Minnesota DNR names Straka new wildlife chief

Kelly Straka, an expert in wildlife health who has worked for natural resource agencies in Michigan and Missouri, has been hired as the new wildlife section manager at the Department of Natural Resources.

Outdoors

July 21

A roseate spoonbill, left, rests on a sandbar in a marshy area of Wilderness Park off Saline-Milan Road in Saline, Mich., on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. T

Rare pink water bird lands in Michigan, delighting public

Bird lovers with cameras and binoculars are traveling to a stream in southeastern Michigan to see a rare creature with pink feathers and a long bill.

Duluth

July 20

Wildfire smoke from Canada’s Quetico Provincial Park caused a haze in the air as the sun set over Seagull Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wil

Canadian fires threaten BWCA, hurt air quality in Minnesota

An air quality alert has been extended to most of the state through Thursday morning.

Local

July 19

People look out onto the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario on Friday, July 16, 2021. Phase 3 of Ontario’s COVID-19 opening plan arrived with

With Canada's reopening set, border resorts hope to bounce back

Starting Aug. 9, U.S. travelers who are fully vaccinated with a Canadian-approved vaccine can travel to Canada.

Local

July 19

The DNR has confirmed the discovery of starry stonewort in Leech Lake, located in northwestern Minnesota.

Invasive weed starry stonewort confirmed in Leech Lake

An invasive weed that can choke out native plants and fish habitat has been found in one of Minnesota's largest and most popular walleye lakes, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Monday.

Local

July 18

Dustin Fleming, of San Antonio, Texas, who lost a leg during combat to a bullet from a sniper, wake boarded on Lake Minnetonka while being watched by

Wake boats are churning controversy around Lake Minnetonka

Critics say the boats are loud, disruptive and may damage ecosystems.

Local

July 18

Mississippi River water levels are low, causing boaters to hit objects and damage their propellors and engines.

Drought deepens in Minnesota, watering bans more likely

With about half of Minnesota now in the grip of severe drought — and 4% in extreme drought — the state has officially shifted into the "drought warning phase," the DNR announced Friday.

Outdoors

July 18

John Helland, who died in June at age 76, was known for showing no sign of partisanship and for developing legislation that protected hunting and fish

Anderson: Conservation groups, legislators mourn Helland, driver of environment policy

John Helland was a bureaucrat for decades, and "his work lives on in Minnesota."

Variety

July 17

At Big Bog State Recreation Area, a one-mile boardwalk was recently built to allow visitors an immersive experience.

Big Bog State Recreation Area in Minnesota offers a world of wilderness and quiet fascination

A trip through this state recreation area transports visitors to a subtle, ageless landscape.

Nation

July 17

GOP governor's vaccination tour reveals depths of distrust

Free lottery tickets for those who get vaccinated had few takers. Free hunting and fishing licenses didn't change many minds either. And this being red-state Arkansas, mandatory vaccinations are off the table.

Outdoors

July 17

Seth Feider, left, and his wife, Dayton, celebrated his Angler of the Year championship in the Bassmaster Elite Series tour Friday in New York.

Minnesotan Seth Feider is king of the bass world

Seth Feider nailed down the prestigious Bassmaster Angler of the Year championship on Friday.

Coronavirus

July 16

Those in Minnesota’s Northwest Angle are hanging onto a thread of optimism that the U.S.-Canadian border could reopen next month to vaccinated Ameri

Canada opening could put resorts back in business

Word that the border may reopen has buoyed businesses hit by the yearlong closure and those eager to return to Ontario's remote northern waters. But they're also wary.

Outdoors

July 16

On a roll, Minnesota adventure towns prepare for 'Cuyuna 2.0'

Moving there, playing there, buying there: Communities rally around the recreation area's wild success.

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