OCTOBER
East Rush Lake
East Rush Lake was one of the Department of Natural Resources' early muskie projects and has been a staple of many of the state's muskie anglers over the years.

East Rush Lake still provides some fine muskie fishing, and the fish are big. These muskies aren't fooled easily, but a topwater prop bait near the narrows is great for turning followers into hitters.

Granite Lake
The contour of Granite Lake is what trollers look for -- nice straight runs on a shallow well-defined weedline that is home to big northern pike. Expect a little time between bites, but when that rod bounces and bends, it will be a pike worth catching.

Walleyes move up onto shallow rock structure or inhabit the edges of weedy points on Lake Koronis. A minnow dangled in these spots will get sucked up faster than lollipops at a kid's casting contest.

Lake Andrew
Anglers work Kandiyohi County's Lake Andrew hard through the summer months, but mostly for panfish. Come fall, the weedline that was a favorite spot for bobber-fishers using small leeches becomes the go-to location for walleye anglers. Use a live-bait rig with a medium sucker or redtail minnow and you'll find ample amounts of walleyes.

NOVEMBER
Marion Lake
If you want to catch walleyes in November, find a small lake with limited structure and drag redtail chubs on the bottom. It also pays to be on a lake with high numbers of fish.

All these variables come together on Marion in Otter Tail County. Take plenty of minnows along, because when the walleyes are biting, you'll use them all.

Nest Lake
Big pike move right into the shallow bays full of cabbage in November, and few anglers are there to chase them on this Kandiyohi County lake. Use a slow approach in the bays on the north and east sides of Nest, such as a slow-rolled spinnerbait or shallow-diving wide-wobbling crankbait.

Lake Andrew
When the tullibees tuck up into the vegetation in November, big walleyes follow them right in for a feast. On Douglas County's Lake Andrew, this is a great time to drag a redtail minnow tight on the base of the coontail and milfoil.

DECEMBER
Lake Koronis
There are many anglers who consider first ice as their opening day of fishing, and walleyes are their target species.

Walleyes move up onto shallow rock structure or inhabit the edges of weedy points on Lake Koronis. A minnow dangled in these spots will get sucked up faster than lollipops at a kid's casting contest. The bottom contour and content around the islands on Lake Koronis create an environment that walleyes can't resist as the ice gets just safe enough to fish on.

Just remember to drill plenty of holes and move often to find the fish that have spread out in that productive zone.

Maple Lake
Long points extending into deep holes with nearby sunken islands here can lure schools of crappies that stage by the structural elements far enough off the bottom to be easily picked up on sonar. The tactic to catch them consists of the basic plain hook a foot below a split shot under a slip-bobber. The crappies on Maple Lake in Douglas County are big -- there's a limit of five, but none under 10 inches can be kept -- and they can be found in good numbers by sticking to this formula.

Mille Lacs
It will be a great year for perch anglers on Mille Lacs, and there are always plenty of fish in the 12-inch range when you find them in December. Early ice can be tricky on this big lake, so take care not to venture out too far. It's fortunate that many of the perch during the early-ice period can be found on the sandflats and shallow rockpiles near shore.

* * * This article should save you from wasting a lot of time over the next 12 months. But if you don't catch fish, just blame the weather!

Find more about Minnesota fishing and hunting at: MinnesotaSportsmanMag.com