Northwoods Experience: Crosslake Hosts Annual Governor’s Fishing Opener

The Governor’s Fishing Opener has bgeen a yearly tradition in Minnesota since 1948. The event serves as a kick-off to the summer tourism season, and this year, summer got started on the shores of Crosslake.

People filled the Army Corps of Engineers campground in Crosslake early Saturday morning to launch the state’s open-water fishing season.

“Today is about more than catching fish. It is about the experience of being out on the water with friends, family, or colleagues,” said DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen during the weekend’s opening ceremony. “I think part of what this event brings is the opportunity to make some new friends, to meet new people, to experience new places across the state.”

Minnesota has over 18,000 miles of fishable rivers and creeks and over 5000 fishable lakes, making it one of the top fishing destinations in the entire country.

“For the state of Minnesota, the beauty is, you stretch from the plains down by Worthington to the Northwest Angle or right here in Crosslake,” said Gov. Tim Walz. “You don’t have to travel very far to have world-class opportunities,”

According to city mayor Jackson Purfeerst, there’s no better place than Crosslake to hold the opener.

“We had a lot of anglers from across the state come in and we’ve been doing the fishing opener for 100 years and we’re going to continue to do it,” he said. “Crosslake’s ideal with the 14 beautiful, pristine lakes that we have, as well as all the amenities we can provide, from bait to tackle to gas to food to lodging. So we really have it all in Crosslake.”

Gov. Walz got in on the angling action, reeling in three northern pike on Saturday morning.

“It was actually kind of fun and entertaining,” commented Derek Carlson, captain of the governor’s boat. “There’s a lot of people out on the water and we were able to get him on some fish, and he caught some fish and it was perfect.”

Over a million people will drop a line into bodies of water around the state this year and contribute to Minnesota’s economy.

“We are the fourth-largest fishing state and our outdoor activities generate almost $14 billion of activity,” added Gov. Walz. “And that’s all the business associated, whether you’re selling pontoons, servicing them, whether you’re putting the docks in, whether you have a family lodge, which we visited, or all of the small businesses where you can spend money—it keeps us going.”

According to the Governor’s Office, Crosslake was chosen to host the fishing opener due to its diverse species of fish and for its numerous outdoor recreation opportunities, including three state parks and 14 interconnected lakes in the Whitefish Chain.