Many students at Sartell High School love fishing. From Walleye to bass, there are many different ways people fish.
In Minnesota, the majority of fishermen fish in either lakes or rivers. Both have good things to offer, but both also have bad things that come with it. I will be breaking down the pros and cons of both lake and river fishing, and come to a conclusion on which one is better.
First off, we will start with lake fishing. Lakes are still bodies of water. Because of this, fish tend to move less often. Specific areas, such as coves and deep waters, make it easier to locate them.
River fishing, on the other hand, can be trickier to navigate. Fish move more in the river due to currents, so it is less likely they will be in one specific spot all the time. The river level can rise or fall depending on rainfall or even snow. In rivers, you are also more prone to snags due to currents being unpredictable, and also, possible debris like fallen trees can also cause snags. This can snap your line and lose your lure.
I interviewed my dad, a very experienced fisherman, about whether he liked lake fishing better or river fishing and what are challenges of both.
He shared, “Since moving to Minnesota, I’ve enjoyed fishing lakes more. There are more of them, and the sizes and structures of them make it more fun to fish. Both have challenges; rivers cause more snags and hangups. Lake fishing, on the other hand, has more structures you have to navigate because it can change suddenly.”
In terms of success, I have personally caught bigger fish on a lake than in the river. The amount of fish varies on the day, and the amount of fish I catch isn’t a big difference between rivers and lakes.
I also asked my dad about the difference between fish: “Fish are bigger in the lakes, and the quality is usually better because they stock a ton of lakes.”
My dad hasn’t always lived in Minnesota so his fishing experience in both states is a little different: “I used to fish mostly rivers in South Dakota, but now in Minnesota, I fish lakes a lot more.”
My personal opinion is that I like lake fishing better. It’s not only easier to fish, but I’ve always caught bigger fish in lakes, specifically Walleye. Another reason why I like lake fishing more is that there are usually no catfish. In the river, there are a bunch of them, and although they are fun to catch, they are slimy and not fun to handle. Just the overall success of fishing on the lake vs the river has pushed me towards liking lake fishing more.
