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If I were to ask you where the most likely spot would be on opening day for the best walleye fishing, you’d no doubt mention Mille Lacs Lake. Right? Maybe Big Winnie, Upper Red and Cut Foot Sioux would be up there at the top of the list too. Well, what if I told you that an incredibly hot walleye and sauger bite is happening right now and it’s about a half hour drive from here? Fishing so good that it’d make you forget all about those other better-known fisheries. Well, I speak the truth, and the truth of the matter is, the St. Croix River near Stillwater and Hudson is on fire. Just a hop and skip down Hwy. 95 will get you to what is arguably one of the best walleye bites in the state. Yes, the St. Croix is currently giving up dandy limits of walleye and sauger. No kidding.

A dedicated walleye angler’s opening weekend habits are pretty tough to break, and it would probably take quite a bit to dissuade these die-hards from making their annual May trips to various northern destinations, but if you’re one of the folks concerned about high fuel prices, waiting in line for or God-knows-how-long just to launch your boat, or bumper-to-bumper northbound traffic, why not give the river a shot on Saturday or Sunday?

I spoke with Mike Wren at Jimmy’s Bait and Tackle in Stillwater earlier today, and he reported that the walleye and sauger bite has been nothing short of fantastic since the river opener on April 29th. Anglers have had good success casting and drifting jigs and minnows, pulling 3-way spinner rigs and trolling crankbaits. As far as hard baits go, the blue-over-silver Shad Rap in sizes 5 and 7 has been most productive right now. Walleyes are a bit spread out depth-wise, but have been caught consistently in 8 – 25 feet of water, with saugers a bit deeper in 25 – 30 feet. Pick up a good topo map of the river and give Jimmy’s a call at (651) 430-2554 for information about various boat landing sites and where to begin looking for active fish. Also keep in mind that river conditions can change fairly rapidly, particularly following heavy rainfalls, so be sure to ask about river conditions and water clarity.

So maybe some of the best walleye fishing our state has to offer is a lot closer than you think. I can guarantee you two things if you decide to fish the St. Croix River this weekend: You won’t find any bumper-to-bumper traffic between here and Stillwater or Hudson, and you can make the round trip on about a quarter tank of gas.

Dan Brown’s weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie’s Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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