Gov. Mark Dayton heads to Park Rapids for the 2013 Minnesota Governor's Fishing Opener and one of the iciest starts ever to the walleye season. The plan had been for Dayton to wet his line on Fish Hook Lake.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources blames the cool spring for slow fishing license sales heading into Saturday's walleye opener. Fishing license sales are down by about a third.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is reminding you to prepare for heavy traffic and slowdowns if you're heading out to the fishing opener this weekend.
Safety officials are suggesting a Mother's Day gift for anglers - wear a life jacket when heading onto Minnesota's icy waters for the fishing opener this weekend. The Department of Natural Resources says the lack of life jacket use is the No. 1 contributing factor to boating deaths in Minnesota.
If you're planning on heading to northern Minnesota for the fishing opener Saturday, the DNR's Eric Altena says check ahead because there will be many lakes which still have ice on them.
With the fishing opener approaching Saturday, the conditions of boat launches across the state are a mixed bag. Due to the late ice-out, the Department of Natural Resources says it might not be able to get repair crews to all DNR launches in time for the opener.
As the fishing opener approaches, officials are stepping up efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species in some of the Twin Cities area's most popular lakes and streams.