Fishing Season for Sauger, Walleye, and Northern Pike Opens May 14

The fishing season for sauger, walleye, and northern pike will open this Saturday, May 14. Many of us are familiar with walleye and northern pike, but what about sauger?

The cousin to our state fish, the sauger may be smaller, but it puts up a good fight when caught. Many anglers believe the sauger is as tasty as walleye. Sauger feed aggressively during the daytime and pursue the same baits as their larger cousin. These fish look very similar to one another, but you can identify a sauger by its spotted dorsal (top) fin. Walleye lack the spots on their dorsal fin. You can find sauger mainly in large rivers or more turbid lakes connected to large rivers, such as the Red, Minnesota, Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, and the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. Throughout the open-water season, live bait rigs and jigs tipped with minnows fished at or near the bottom are solid choices.

It's five days until fishing opener! Review regulations prior to getting out on the water: mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing

Finds tips for catching sauger: mndnr.gov/mcvmagazine/issues/2022/may-jun/sauger.html