MAY
Star Lake
Walleyes and pike are now fair game, but anglers heading to those textbook walleye lakes with all the structure might be disappointed. Instead, try out a shallow lake with little structure and a lot of walleyes, and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

On Meeker County's Star Lake, tie on a 3/4-ounce bottom-bouncer with a night-crawler harness, and slow-troll the rig everywhere. There's no structure to speak of, so the walleyes can be found anywhere on this lake.

Lake Irving
Lake Irving might be the redheaded stepchild of lakes due to its close proximity to some of the finest walleye lakes in the north, but from the opener into mid-June, this Beltrami County lake gets plenty of attention from the walleye anglers who know of its penchant for turning out bajillions of nice walleyes during this early-season open-water period.

Rabbit Lake
There are two basins to Rabbit Lake, and each is completely different from the other. The eastern basin is extremely deep, with diverse structure and cover. The western basin is "classic walleye" in nature. There are many walleyes in both basins of this Crow Wing County lake, so if you want to be working reefs, sunken islands and early bulrush, this is a good choice.

JUNE
Lake Okabena
A big, round, shallow bowl-shaped lake in Nobles County, Lake Okabena is a remarkable walleye lake in June.

The walleyes just follow the forage wherever it goes, thus making them the nomads of this southern hotspot.

Think crankbaits and bottom-bouncers as you slow-troll the open water, and when you do see your rod bend, toss out a marker or punch in the spot on the GPS. There'll be plenty more walleyes where that first one was found.

Garfield Lake
Grab a rod with a spinnerbait and head to Garfield Lake in Hubbard County. A deep weedline and some nice pike will greet you there. The water clarity is good, so white, chartreuse and lime green will all tempt those hungry pike.

Big Lake
There are so many pike in Carlton County's Big Lake that you can catch them on topwater lures, but it's just as much fun working the edge of the vegetation with spoons and in-line spinners. When was the last time you tied into a big pike with a Mepps or Vibrax? You can do that on Big Lake.

JULY
North Lida Lake
Buzzbaits in the bulrushes for smallmouth bass. It can't get any better than that, and July is the perfect time to be on North Lida Lake watching those bronze-backed battlers barreling after a buzzer on the edge of the reeds.

The entire west shore provides prime habitat for smallmouth bass. And whether you're twitching a topwater or flipping a jig, nothing quite compares to the fun you'll have on Otter Tail County's North Lida Lake chasing smallies.

Little Pine Lake
While you are in Otter Tail County, head over to Little Pine Lake and key on the points and inside turns, and you will catch a mess of walleyes. This is a backtroller's dream as you snake along in 18 to 25 feet of water with a live-bait rig and a leech. Night-fishing is a good option on Little Pine, with best results coming on a crankbait trolled in 12 to 15 feet.