2013 fishing opener

With ice still covering some hot fishing spots in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, many anglers and outfitters are wondering if they'll have enough open water for this year's opener. Minnesota's fishing opener is a little over a week away, and Wisconsin's is this Saturday - making the chances of ice out on many Wisconsin lakes even slimmer.

New federal data confirm that anglers who enjoy Minnesota's sky blue waters are still a powerful engine for the state's economy. Data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that direct spending by resident and nonresident anglers in Minnesota totaled $2.4 billion in 2011.