Sometimes when an angler makes that first cast, there is little doubt in his mind he will soon be reeling in a fish. Sometimes the fish cooperate, but sometimes they just can't be coerced into opening their mouth.

The only way you know whether you will be right on the top of great fishing -- or cussing the weather, which is always the brunt of an angler's ire when the fish won't bite -- is to get out on the water.

There are so many lakes and rivers in Minnesota that you should be able to find some fish biting somewhere. To save you a lot of time in doing research, here are three dozen options where good fishing can be expected in the next 12 months.

JANUARY
Strawberry Lake
Water clarity on Strawberry Lake in Becker County can be labeled excellent, and this makes it an outstanding choice during the winter months.

Use a sonar to locate walleyes suspending off the bottom, and then send an underwater viewing camera down the hole in the ice to watch how these fish react to your bait. Use a thin-diameter line and subtle color patterns on 1/8-ounce jigging spoons tipped with fathead minnow heads.

There also are some big bluegills in Strawberry that like the deep water where the walleyes are, too.

Spring Lake
Scott County's Spring Lake is a great crappie hotspot during the middle of the ice-fishing season. The papermouths will concentrate on the east end over the deeper water, and while there may be a few stationary shelters and plenty of portable ice houses over the school of fish, the bite is consistent through the day for crappies.

Little McDonald Lake
Little McDonald is deep, clear and a great early-ice season walleye hotspot in Otter Tail County. Early-ice anglers tend to favor the west side where there is a large point that extends into deeper water. Don't be afraid to explore the depths to the east because walleyes suspend well off the bottom in Little McDonald and can be picked up easily on your sonar.

FEBRUARY
Beebe Lake
Beebe Lake has consistently produced big crappies over the years, but it's the anglers who tend to come and go in cycles.

The word will get out that there is a good crappie bite on Beebe, and then the anglers come in droves to Wright County. After a week or so, the number of shelters on the lake gets back to normal and the fish start biting again. It's best to hit this lake early when the bulk of the hot-bite anglers are somewhere else.

South Long Lake
Northern pike like hardy green vegetation in the wintertime, but they also like to sneak out onto a rockpile or sandbar and suck down a perch or two. They have it made on South Long Lake in Crow Wing County. In the center of the main basin you will find plenty of cabbage and deep coontail near some mid-lake structure, and this combination of quality habitat is a magnet for the pike that are found in good numbers here. Yes, South Long is a numbers lake, so expect plenty of bites, but few fish in the lunker status.

White Earth Lake
A lot of structure and deep water can spread the walleyes out on White Earth Lake. Fortunately, there are plenty of 'eyes in this Becker County lake, so finding some willing biters is a good bet. An underwater viewing camera is a must due to the great visibility and diverse bottom content found here. Try it, you'll like it, and it's fun!

MARCH
Moosehead Lake
Find your own fish on Moosehead Lake and they will be big, especially the bluegills.

By March, the community fishing spots for bluegills will be pretty picked over, with many of the bigger fish harvested from those schools. But on Moosehead Lake, the bluegills don't stage in one spot, but rather are spread out. So, if you put a little effort into searching for that group of bigger fish, you're apt to find them on this Carlton County lake.

Lake Minnie Belle
Think deep weeds for the Minnie Belle sunfish and you'll do well. The vegetation in this lake grows deep, and with little mid-lake structure, the edge of the shoreline vegetation holds most of the fish. Drill plenty of holes, keep moving and pick up a nice bluegill here and a few nice ones there. Meeker County's Minnie Belle grows some big bluegills, and wintertime is the best time to go after them.

Island Lake
Anglers don't have to travel far from the access to find the big crappies on Island Lake, but the two community holes get worked thoroughly, which can push the late-ice anglers into the eastern basin. Put in some time in the 50-foot hole to the southeast of the hump and you'll find suspended schools of crappies that haven't been pressured.